Outriders

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a 58 W TDP. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a 12 MB shared L3 cache. In Outriders, this CPU configuration demonstrates strong single-thread performance, which is critical for a looter shooter that relies heavily on game logic and physics calculations. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 and the passmark_single_thread score of 3444 indicate robust per-core capability. The processor’s multi-threaded scores, such as the cinebench_r23_multicore result of 11912, show that while it has only four physical cores, the eight threads allow for adequate handling of background tasks without bottlenecking the main game loop. The data suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU can produce very high frame rates, the CPU’s 4-core design becomes the primary limiting factor, as evidenced by the frame rates plateauing or dropping in specific scenarios.

In the context of the benchmark database, the i3-12100F holds a percentile rank of 72 among all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 13516 places it in close competition with several other processors. The nearest rival data shows it is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which has an average score of 13534, representing a negligible -0.1% difference. It is also 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U and 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10105. The most significant gap is against the Intel Core i7-7700K, where the i3-12100F leads by 1.8%. These figures indicate that the CPU’s performance profile is highly competitive with older high-end chips and newer mid-range mobile parts, providing a solid foundation for gaming without being a standout performer in multi-threaded workloads.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 33 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 6 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU’s clock speeds are notable, with a base clock of 1980 MHz, a game clock of 2470 MHz, and a boost clock of 2755 MHz. Memory operates at a speed of 2250 MHz, translating to 18 Gbps effective. With 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, the card offers a pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 352.6 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 22.57 TFLOPS. In Outriders, the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM capacity is a significant asset, as the game’s high-resolution textures and effects can consume substantial memory. The benchmark results show that the GPU is capable of driving high frame rates at 1080p, but its performance scales down predictably as resolution increases, indicating a traditional GPU-bound workload at higher settings.

The RX 7600 XT achieves a percentile rank of 63 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20146. The nearest rival data places it in a tight cluster of performance. It is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 460, which scores 20088, and 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which scores 20258. It also outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER by 1.9%, scoring 19774, while trailing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile by 1.9%, which scores 20534. These deltas show that the RX 7600 XT sits in a competitive mid-range tier, offering performance that is nearly identical to its non-XT sibling and slightly better than older generation high-end cards. In Outriders, this translates to smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K resolution, particularly with higher graphics presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT achieves a combo rank of 1092 out of 1693 tested combinations in Outriders. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that while the individual components are capable, the pairing does not yield top-tier performance in this specific game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance and the GPU’s mid-range capabilities. Given that the CPU has a percentile rank of 72 and the GPU has a percentile rank of 63, the combo rank of 1092 suggests that the system is held back by the GPU in most scenarios, as the CPU can keep up with the frame rates the GPU can produce at lower resolutions. However, at 4K Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops to 29, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU’s performance headroom is not being fully utilized. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver playable frame rates across most settings, but it falls short of the highest echelons of performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i3-12100F?

A: The launch MSRP of the Intel Core i3-12100F is $97.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516, which is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-1250U (13462) and 0.6% higher than the Intel Core i3-10105 (13430). It is 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K (13280).

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and how does it affect 4K performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT has a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. At 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 29, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute capacity are insufficient for the high pixel count, making it the limiting component.

Q: What is the combo’s rank relative to all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1092 out of 1693 tested combinations in Outriders, placing it in the lower half of all systems tested.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance delta compared to the AMD Radeon RX 7600?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average score of 20146, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600’s score of 20258.

Q: What is the CPU’s boost clock and how does it relate to single-threaded scores?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 3dmark_single_thread score is 893, and its passmark_single_thread score is 3444, indicating strong per-core performance that supports high frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Outriders shows a clear progression as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 211.7, which drops to 154 at Medium, 115.8 at High, and 83.9 at Ultra. This scaling demonstrates that the GPU is capable of producing very high frame rates at lower settings, but the CPU’s 4-core design begins to limit performance at these high FPS levels, as the frame rates do not scale linearly with GPU load. Moving to 1440p, the average FPS at Low settings is 138.1, which is a 34.8% drop from 1080p Low, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor. At 1440p High, the FPS is 71.6, and at Ultra, it drops to 51.9. At 4K, the scaling becomes more pronounced: Low settings yield 68.8 FPS, Medium drops to 49.3, High falls to 35.9, and Ultra bottoms out at 29. The percentage drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 67.5%, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is 65.4%. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rates are too low to be influenced by the CPU’s performance. The data suggests that for this combo, 1080p and 1440p are the optimal resolutions, where the CPU and GPU are more balanced, whereas 4K is only viable at Low or Medium settings for acceptable frame rates.