Ready Or Not

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 occupies a challenging position in the Ready Or Not benchmark hierarchy. The data places this combination at rank 1635 out of 1748 tested combos, placing it in the lower percentile of systems evaluated. This ranking reflects a significant bottleneck scenario: the i7-12700KF is a high-end processor with an average benchmark score of 35355, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the RX 580 is a mid-range graphics card from an older generation, sitting in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-14400 and Intel Core i9-12900HX, show negligible performance differences of less than 1%, confirming the processor’s strength. However, the GPU’s closest competitors, including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 and GTX 950, indicate the graphics card’s modest standing. In practice, this means the RX 580 is the limiting factor in almost every scenario, and the measured frame rates reflect a system that can handle the game’s CPU demands but struggles under graphical load.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s overall rank of 1635 out of 1748 tested configurations places it in the bottom 7% of all systems tested for Ready Or Not. This is a low position, but the reasons are clear when examining the individual components. The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a formidable processor; its 3dmark max threads score of 9983 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 demonstrate ample headroom for modern gaming workloads. Its single-thread performance is equally robust, with a 3dmark single thread score of 1043 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2526, ensuring that the CPU is not the primary source of frame rate limitations. In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX 580’s PassMark G3D score of 8813 and its 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1005 highlight its age and limited graphical processing power compared to contemporary parts. The GPU’s nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 and GTX 950, have average scores of 13564 and 13549, respectively, with a deltaPct of 0% and 0.1%, showing that the RX 580 is trading blows with hardware from over a decade ago. Consequently, the system’s low rank is almost entirely attributable to the graphics card, which is unable to leverage the CPU’s considerable capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Benchmark results indicate that the optimal balance between visual fidelity and playable frame rates is found at Medium settings for 1080p and 1440p resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 107.9 FPS, which is a substantial improvement over the High preset’s 95.8 FPS and only slightly below the Low preset’s 120.5 FPS. The jump from Medium to High costs 12.1 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 30.4 FPS, making Ultra a poor choice for competitive play. For 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides 63.7 FPS, which is the most sensible option as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold, whereas High drops to 60.4 FPS and Ultra falls to 39.7 FPS. At 4K, no settings preset achieves a playable frame rate, with the best result being 39.4 FPS on Low and the worst being 23.8 FPS on Ultra. The data suggests that users should prioritize Medium settings for a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p, while accepting that 4K is not viable with this hardware configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Medium settings, the system produces 107.9 FPS. This drops to 63.7 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 41%, and further plummets to 36.6 FPS at 4K, representing a 66% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 95.8 FPS at 1080p to 60.4 FPS at 1440p and then to 31 FPS at 4K. The severe drop at 4K, where the frame rate nearly halves from 1440p to 4K, confirms that the RX 580’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the pixel throughput required at that resolution. The CPU’s high single-thread performance, with a PassMark single thread score of 3984, ensures that it is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s inability to maintain performance as resolution increases is the dominant constraint. The data shows that the system is firmly GPU-limited, with the processor having significant untapped potential at all tested resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system’s capabilities across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the performance envelope is as follows: Low settings achieve an average of 120.5 FPS, Medium reaches 107.9 FPS, High delivers 95.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 65.4 FPS. This shows a clear linear relationship between settings and performance, with a 54% difference between Low and Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 73.4 FPS for Low, 63.7 FPS for Medium, 60.4 FPS for High, and 39.7 FPS for Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 46% at this resolution, indicating that the GPU is starting to become the primary bottleneck. At 3840x2160, all presets struggle: Low averages 39.4 FPS, Medium 36.6 FPS, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 23.8 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is now only 40%, suggesting that the GPU is saturated and settings have diminishing returns. Notably, the transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings results in a 49% performance loss, from 60.4 FPS to 31 FPS, highlighting the GPU’s memory bandwidth constraints. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, users must limit themselves to 1080p with High settings or lower, or 1440p with Medium settings or lower.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 delivers an average of 95.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset achieves 107.9 FPS, and Low reaches 120.5 FPS. All presets except Ultra, which drops to 65.4 FPS, provide a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Ready Or Not?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate recorded is 39.4 FPS on the Low preset. The Medium preset averages 36.6 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 23.8 FPS. None of these are playable for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, scores 35336, a delta of 0.1%. The Intel Core i7-13800H scores 35416, which is -0.2% relative to the i7-12700KF. The Intel Core i9-12900HX and Intel Core i5-13600T score 35289 and 35256, with deltas of 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 53rd percentile. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a significant drop of 66% at Medium settings, from 107.9 FPS to 36.6 FPS, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 73.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 39.7 FPS. This represents a 46% performance reduction when moving from Low to Ultra settings. The Medium preset provides 63.7 FPS and High provides 60.4 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 580’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, scores 13564, with a deltaPct of 0%. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 scores 13549 with a 0.1% delta, and the AMD Radeon Pro 455 scores 13416 with a 1.1% delta.