Minimum

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER presents a classic high-GPU, entry-level-CPU configuration. In Minimum, the benchmark data reveals a system where the graphics card is the dominant force at higher resolutions, but the processor’s four cores begin to show their limits as the load shifts. The measured frame rates across the three resolution presets provide a clear picture of this dynamic, showing a performance curve that is steep at 1080p and gradually flattens as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic, indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 119.4 at 1920x1080 to 76.5 at 2560x1440, and finally to 42.8 at 3840x2160. This represents a 64% reduction in performance from the lowest to the highest resolution tested, a clear sign that the GPU’s rendering workload is scaling heavily with pixel count.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. At Low settings, the drop is from 184.6 FPS at 1080p to 62.4 FPS at 4K, a 66% decrease. Medium settings show a similar trend, falling from 142.1 FPS to 51.5 FPS, a 64% reduction. Even at Ultra, where the absolute numbers are lowest, the delta remains proportional, moving from 94.3 FPS down to 32 FPS, a 66% loss. This consistency suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated as the resolution increases, with the GPU’s 2560 shading units struggling to maintain fill rates at 4K.

What is more telling is the gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread is 90.3 FPS (184.6 vs 94.3), indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to exploit lower settings. At 1440p, this spread narrows to 61.3 FPS (121 vs 59.7), and at 4K, it shrinks to 30.4 FPS (62.4 vs 32). The narrowing gap at higher resolutions is the classic signature of a GPU bottleneck. As the pixel shader workload increases, the difference between quality presets becomes less about CPU overhead and more about the raw pixel throughput of the graphics card.

The data suggests that for 1080p gaming, the i3-12100F is capable of pushing the RTX 2070 SUPER to its limits, but at 4K, the GPU is the undisputed constraint. The 62.4 FPS at 4K Low is particularly telling — it shows the GPU can still deliver a playable experience at low settings, but the 32 FPS at Ultra is a clear indication that this combo is not suited for maxed-out 4K gaming. The scaling curve implies that the ideal balance for this pair lies at 1440p, where the 76.5 FPS at High settings represents a reasonable compromise between visual fidelity and smoothness.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark results show strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 and a passmark_single_thread score of 3444. These numbers are crucial for gaming, as they indicate the CPU’s ability to handle the primary game thread efficiently.

In Minimum, a Third-Person Shooter from 2014, the CPU’s role is less about raw multi-core power and more about maintaining a high minimum frame rate. The i3-12100F’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912 and Passmark multithread score of 14015 show it is not a slouch, but the 4-core/8-thread configuration is modest by modern standards. The data indicates that at 1080p Low, the CPU is able to deliver 184.6 FPS, suggesting that the processor is not a limiting factor at these lower resolutions.

However, the CPU’s influence becomes apparent when comparing the 1080p results. The jump from Low (184.6 FPS) to High (119.4 FPS) is a 35% reduction, which is larger than the proportional difference seen at 4K (62.4 to 42.8, a 31% drop). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to allow the GPU to scale with settings, but the overall frame rates are still high enough that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The i3-12100F’s 12 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are sufficient for this workload.

The key takeaway is that the i3-12100F is not holding back the RTX 2070 SUPER in this title. The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus of 65 and the CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus of 72 indicate a well-matched pairing in terms of relative performance. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.30 GHz ensures that the single-threaded performance is adequate for the game’s engine, which is typical for a 2014 release. The data shows no evidence of CPU-bound stuttering or frame pacing issues, as the minimum FPS values are not reported, but the average FPS curves suggest a smooth experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Minimum with this combo?*

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo delivers 76.5 FPS, which is smoother than the 42.8 FPS at 4K High, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Minimum?*

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 62.4, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 32 FPS, which is likely too low for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the i3-12100F provides sufficient headroom. The difference between Low (184.6 FPS) and High (119.4 FPS) settings is 65.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is scaling with settings, and the CPU is not the primary bottleneck.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER a good match for the i3-12100F?

A: The data indicates a balanced pairing. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 22206 and the CPU’s average of 13516 place them in similar percentiles (65 and 72 respectively), suggesting neither component is severely underpowered for the other.

Q: What is the impact of Ultra settings on 1440p performance?

A: At 2560x1440 Ultra, the combo achieves 59.7 FPS. This is a 22% drop from High settings (76.5 FPS), showing that Ultra settings impose a significant load on the GPU, pushing it below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1070th out of 1733 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier. This indicates that while it is not a top-tier performer, it outperforms a substantial number of other hardware pairings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide range of performance depending on settings. Low settings produce an average of 184.6 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suitable for competitive play. Medium settings drop to 142.1 FPS, still well above the 144 Hz refresh rate. High settings yield 119.4 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 94.3 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that this combo is capable of high refresh rate gaming at all but the most demanding settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become more moderate. Low settings deliver 121 FPS, which is still excellent for smooth gameplay. Medium settings reduce the average to 92.8 FPS, and High settings produce 76.5 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p are the first to dip below the 60 FPS mark, with an average of 59.7 FPS. This resolution is where the RTX 2070 SUPER begins to show its limits, but the performance is generally acceptable for most players.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings yield 62.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Medium settings drop to 51.5 FPS, and High settings fall to 42.8 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K are the worst-case scenario, with an average of 32 FPS, which is likely to feel stuttery and unresponsive. The 4K results indicate that this combo is not designed for native 4K gaming in Minimum, and users would need to either lower settings or reduce resolution for a better experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination ranks 1070th out of 1733 tested combos in Minimum, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all configurations. This is a respectable position, indicating that this pairing outperforms the majority of other systems tested in this game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, with the data showing no significant bottleneck from either component.

To put this in context, the i3-12100F’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (with a deltaPct of -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-1250U (0.4% faster), and the Intel Core i3-10105 (0.6% faster). The i3-12100F is nearly identical in performance to its closest rivals, with the largest delta being just 1.8% against the Intel Core i7-7700K. This means the CPU is performing as expected for its class.

On the GPU side, the RTX 2070 SUPER’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA RTX A400 (0.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (0.9% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (2.3% faster). The RTX 2070 SUPER is within 2.5% of the AMD Radeon RX 5700, showing that it is a competitive mid-range card. The combo’s rank of 1070 suggests that while the individual components are solid, the pairing does not achieve the top-tier performance seen in higher-ranked combos, likely due to the 4-core CPU limiting the GPU in certain scenarios. Overall, this is a capable setup for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with the data confirming it as a middle-of-the-pack performer in Minimum.