Ready Or Not

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER presents a compelling 1080p and 1440p configuration for Ready Or Not, but the data clearly shows its limits at 4K. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is highly capable at lower resolutions, yet struggles to maintain smooth performance under the heaviest load, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck in specific scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K in Ready Or Not demonstrates a classic GPU-bound curve, but with a notable twist. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 179.3 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same preset drops this to 113.8 FPS, a 36.5% reduction. The jump to 3840x2160 is more punishing, as the average FPS falls to 57.8, which is nearly half the 1440p figure. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load is scaling aggressively with pixel count, placing immense strain on the GPU's processing capabilities.

The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully utilizing the GPU's potential, as the CPU may be limiting the upper ceiling of performance. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is substantial, with a 97.3 FPS gap, showing that the GPU has significant headroom to work with when the resolution is low. However, at 4K, the settings gap narrows dramatically; the spread between Low and Ultra is only 33.3 FPS. This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is saturated regardless of the quality preset, and the limiting component is unequivocally the graphics card. The data points to a system that is balanced for high-refresh 1080p gaming, but it becomes severely GPU-limited as resolution climbs.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Ready Or Not, this specific pairing of the Core i3-12100F and RTX 2060 SUPER holds the rank of 1296 out of 1748 tested combos. This places it in the 74th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it outperforms a majority of configurations, but it is far from the top tier. The ranking suggests that while this combo is above average, there are many other pairings that deliver higher frame rates in this specific title.

This rank is a reflection of the system's overall balance. The CPU's percentile ranking is 72, meaning it is stronger than 72% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU's percentile is 63. The combo's in-game rank of 1296/1748 is slightly lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest, indicating that the game is demanding on the combination as a whole, and the GPU's lower relative standing drags the overall performance down. It is a solid mid-pack performer, not a top contender, but it sits comfortably ahead of the bottom 25% of systems tested for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and can boost up to 4.30 GHz. In the context of Ready Or Not, the CPU's performance is a key factor in achieving high frame rates at lower resolutions. The data shows a clear correlation between the CPU's single-threaded capabilities and the game's performance at 1080p, where the average FPS can exceed 200 on Low settings.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for its gaming prowess. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912 and single-core score of 1681 are solid numbers for a quad-core part, and its 3DMark single-thread score of 893 indicates strong per-core performance. This is crucial for Ready Or Not, as the game seems to benefit from a strong single-threaded presence. The CPU's performance relative to rivals is tight; it is only 0.6% behind the Intel Core i3-10105 and 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K in average benchmark scores. This suggests that the i3-12100F provides a level of processing power that is competitive with older, higher-tier parts, but its 4-core/8-thread configuration may limit performance in more heavily threaded scenarios, though the measured FPS data suggests this is not a significant issue at the tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast, with an average of 223.4 FPS on Low, 196.7 FPS on Medium, 179.3 FPS on High, and 126.1 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution, with even the most demanding Ultra preset delivering well over 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong, though the gap between presets becomes more pronounced. The average FPS is 140.2 on Low, 122.8 on Medium, 113.8 on High, and 77.1 on Ultra. The 1440p results show a significant drop when moving from High to Ultra, a 36.7 FPS difference, which suggests that the Ultra preset's additional effects are particularly taxing on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations are evident. The average FPS is 73 on Low, 65.4 on Medium, 57.8 on High, and 39.7 on Ultra. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration tested that falls below the 40 FPS mark, which would likely be considered unplayable for a tactical shooter. Even the High preset at 57.8 FPS is borderline, and the Low preset at 73 FPS is the only 4K option that approaches a consistently smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the performance bottleneck in this pairing, especially as resolution increases. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. Its performance is characterized by a PassMark G3D score of 16462, which places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, with the RTX 2060 SUPER being just 0.3% faster in average benchmark scores.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases. The 1080p results show that the GPU is not the limiting factor, as even the Ultra preset achieves 126.1 FPS. However, the 4K results tell a different story. The drop from High to Ultra at 4K is 18.1 FPS, which is a significant percentage reduction, and the Ultra preset's 39.7 FPS average shows the GPU is completely overwhelmed. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely sufficient for the game's textures at these settings, but the raw compute power of the TU106 chip is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The GPU's performance is consistent with its ranking, as it sits just ahead of the RTX 2070 in average benchmark scores, but the game's demands at 4K prove too much for this 20-series card.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60+ FPS average on High settings?

A: The 2560x1440 High preset delivers an average of 113.8 FPS, while the 3840x2160 High preset only manages 57.8 FPS. Therefore, 2560x1440 is the highest resolution that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold on High settings.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K on the Ultra preset?

A: The average FPS drops from 126.1 at 1920x1080 to 39.7 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 86.4 FPS, or roughly 68.5% of the 1080p performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is only 33.3 FPS, showing that the GPU is saturated and cannot take advantage of lower graphical loads, unlike at 1080p where the gap is 97.3 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Ready Or Not at 1080p with a high refresh rate?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the average FPS exceeds 120 on all presets, including Ultra (126.1 FPS), and reaches up to 223.4 FPS on Low. This makes it suitable for 144Hz displays.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516, which is 0.6% higher than the Intel Core i3-10105's score of 13430, and 1.8% higher than the Intel Core i7-7700K's score of 13280.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Medium presets at 1440p?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 is 140.2 on Low and 122.8 on Medium, a difference of 17.4 FPS. This is a relatively small gap, suggesting that the Medium preset offers a significant visual upgrade for a modest performance cost.

Settings Recommendations

For an optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance, the data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot for this combo. At 2560x1440, it delivers an average of 113.8 FPS, which is well above the standard 60 FPS target and provides a smooth experience. While the Ultra preset offers more visual polish, the performance cost is steep, with a 36.7 FPS drop compared to High at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as it still delivers an average of 126.1 FPS, which is more than sufficient for most displays. The system has ample headroom at this resolution, and the visual improvements from Ultra are worth the performance trade-off. At 3840x2160, no preset provides a truly optimal experience. The High preset at 57.8 FPS is borderline, and the Low preset at 73 FPS is the only option that provides a consistently playable frame rate, though it sacrifices a significant amount of visual quality. For 4K gaming, users would need to lower settings to Low or consider a more powerful GPU to achieve higher frame rates on higher presets.