Overpower

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, drawing a TDP of 58 W. In the context of Overpower, an Action title released on 2023-08-14, this CPU’s performance profile is defined by its strong single-thread capabilities and limited core count. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 indicate a processor that can handle game logic and draw calls efficiently. However, with only 4 physical cores, the processor relies heavily on its 8 threads to manage background tasks and modern game engines that utilize multiple cores. The L3 cache is 12 MB shared, which is modest but sufficient for the game’s data streaming needs. Benchmark results place this CPU in the 72nd percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516. This places it nearly on par with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13534, a delta of -0.1%, and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U by 0.4%. The data suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the i3-12100F provides a baseline that allows the GPU to stretch its legs, but its 4-core limit could become a bottleneck in scenes with heavy physics or many simultaneous entities.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring the Navi 32 chip on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It houses 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, with 60 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2430 MHz, with a game clock of 2124 MHz. Memory is a substantial 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is particularly relevant for Overpower, as the game’s high-resolution textures and effects can consume significant VRAM. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 37.32 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 233.3 GPixel/s, indicating raw throughput that can handle demanding rendering tasks. In benchmark standings, the RX 7800 XT sits in the 76th percentile versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32619. This places it in close competition with the AMD FirePro S9300 X2, which scores 32540 (a delta of 0.2%), and the NVIDIA P104-100, which scores 32747 (a delta of -0.4%). The data shows that the GPU is the clear performance leader in this combo, and its capabilities are the primary driver of frame rates in Overpower, especially at higher settings where the CPU’s limitations are less pronounced.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend in how the system scales across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 191 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the frame rate drops to 169.9 FPS, a reduction of approximately 11%. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 141.5, which is a further drop of about 17% from the 1440p figure. This pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the system is still largely GPU-limited, as the frame rate decreases consistently with resolution. However, the scaling is not perfectly linear, suggesting some CPU involvement at lower resolutions. For instance, the jump from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is a loss of 21.1 FPS, while the jump from 1440p to 4K is a loss of 28.4 FPS, implying that the GPU's workload increases more steeply at higher resolutions. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 91.8 at 1080p, 79.4 at 1440p, and 70.2 at 4K. The percentage drops are 13.5% from 1080p to 1440p and 11.6% from 1440p to 4K. This tighter scaling at Ultra settings suggests that the CPU is less of a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to be the limiting component across all resolutions. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU may be reaching its limits, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully saturated, with the frame rate dropping to 70.2 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT achieves a rank of 654 out of 1744 tested combos in Overpower. This places the combo in the upper echelon of tested systems, roughly in the 62nd percentile of all combinations. This ranking is notable because it demonstrates that the modest CPU does not severely hamper the powerful GPU in this particular game. The rank suggests that in Overpower, the system is capable of delivering high frame rates, but it is not among the top-tier setups that likely feature higher-core-count CPUs. The data indicates that the combo’s performance is more dependent on the GPU’s strength than the CPU’s raw compute, as the RX 7800 XT’s 76th percentile GPU ranking is higher than the CPU’s 72nd percentile ranking. The delta between the CPU’s nearest rivals is minimal, with the i3-12100F being only 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i3-10105. This indicates that the CPU choice is not a differentiator in this game, and the overall combo rank is driven by the GPU’s class-leading performance. The 654th rank out of 1744 combos means that a significant number of systems outperform this setup, but the vast majority of tested combos deliver lower frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 191 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all configurations. Medium settings at 1080p yield 116.4 FPS, a drop of 74.6 FPS from Low, indicating a substantial performance cost for medium-level visual fidelity. High settings at 1080p produce 108.2 FPS, which is only 8.2 FPS lower than Medium, suggesting diminishing returns in performance cost between Medium and High. Ultra settings at 1080p bring the frame rate down to 91.8 FPS, a further reduction of 16.4 FPS from High. This progression shows that the game is highly sensitive to settings at 1080p, with a 99.2 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are 169.9 FPS on Low, 103.7 FPS on Medium, 95.4 FPS on High, and 79.4 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 66.2 FPS, which is a larger absolute reduction than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is working harder at this resolution. The difference between Medium and High is 8.3 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 16.0 FPS, mirroring the 1080p pattern but at lower absolute values. The data shows that at 1440p, the system remains highly playable even at Ultra settings, with 79.4 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens significantly. Low settings yield 141.5 FPS, which is still a very smooth experience. Medium settings at 4K produce 89.7 FPS, a drop of 51.8 FPS from Low, which is the largest single-setting drop in the entire dataset. High settings at 4K result in 81.2 FPS, a reduction of 8.5 FPS from Medium. Ultra settings at 4K bring the frame rate to 70.2 FPS, which is the lowest recorded value in the dataset. The 4K Ultra figure is still above 60 FPS, indicating that the combo can handle the game at maximum settings in 4K, but with less headroom. The data across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent pattern: the RX 7800 XT’s 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth ensure that texture-heavy settings do not cause stuttering, and the i3-12100F provides enough single-thread performance to avoid major frame pacing issues. The system’s lowest performance point, 70.2 FPS at 4K Ultra, is still a viable experience for an action game, while the highest point, 191 FPS at 1080p Low, is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.