Revolution Idle

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a performance profile that is heavily dependent on resolution and graphics settings in Revolution Idle. While the combination exhibits extreme headroom at lower resolutions, the transition to 4K reveals a significant bottleneck shift. The measured data indicates that this system is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra settings present a substantial challenge. The following analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and optimal configurations based strictly on the provided benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and dramatic inverse relationship between resolution and average frame rate. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system produces 187 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops this to 118 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the average falls to 62 FPS. This represents a 33.7% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47.5% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the rendering workload increases disproportionately with pixel count, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios.

The pattern across all settings is consistent. For example, at Medium settings, the averages are 196 FPS (1080p), 124 FPS (1440p), and 65 FPS (4K). This consistent drop suggests that the RTX 4090 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the game's demand for pixel throughput and memory bandwidth grows faster than the CPU's ability to feed frames. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 72 FPS on High, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 56 FPS. While the absolute drop is smaller at 4K, the percentage drop is more severe, showing the GPU is hitting a more constrained performance ceiling.

The scaling behavior indicates that at 1080p, the system is likely not fully utilizing the GPU's potential, as the frame rates are high enough to suggest potential CPU or engine-level limits. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The fact that the RTX 4090's frame rate at 4K High (62 FPS) is only about one-third of its 1080p High result (187 FPS) shows that the game's visual complexity scales heavily with resolution, demanding more from the GPU's shading units and memory subsystem. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4090 is the bottleneck, while at 1080p, the CPU and game engine are more likely to be the limiting factors.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a dominant force in this configuration, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, it provides a massive 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is crucial for handling the texture and geometry data at higher resolutions, though the data shows it still struggles at 4K Ultra. The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built on a 5 nm process from TSMC, and its high transistor count of 76,300 million allows for 16,384 shading units. This raw compute power translates to an FP32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS, which drives the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

The clock speeds are also relevant. The base clock of 2235 MHz and boost clock of 2520 MHz provide a strong foundation for sustained performance. The benchmark results show that the GPU performs best when not constrained by resolution, achieving 217 FPS at 1080p Low settings. However, the performance decline to 40 FPS at 4K Ultra suggests that the game's most demanding preset pushes the GPU's limits, likely due to a combination of shading complexity and memory pressure. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 38194 and its 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirm its top-tier status, but the measured FPS data shows that even this level of performance is not immune to the demands of 4K Ultra.

The GPU's role is clearly the primary driver of frame rate differences across settings at a given resolution. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Low (164 FPS) and Ultra (76 FPS) is 88 FPS, a 53.7% reduction. This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a significant additional load on the GPU, likely through advanced effects and higher quality assets. The data shows that the RTX 4090 is more than capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, but its performance ceiling is tested at 4K, particularly with the Ultra preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF provides a solid foundation for this GPU, but its role becomes less critical as resolution increases. The CPU features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This configuration is strong for multi-threaded tasks, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838. However, in gaming, single-thread performance is often more important, and the CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071 is respectable. The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with data access latency.

At 1080p, the CPU's performance is likely a contributing factor to the frame rates. The difference between Low (217 FPS) and High (187 FPS) is 30 FPS, which suggests that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. However, at 1440p and 4K, the frame rate gaps between settings are more pronounced, indicating that the GPU is taking over as the primary bottleneck. For example, at 4K, the difference between Low (86 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) is 46 FPS, which is a larger absolute drop than at 1080p. This suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as it has less impact on the frame rate difference between settings.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T and Intel Core i5-13600T, with performance deltas of -0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. This indicates that the i7-12700KF is a very capable processor, but it is not the primary driver of performance in Revolution Idle at higher resolutions. The data suggests that the CPU is sufficient to avoid being a major bottleneck, but the GPU's capabilities are what ultimately determine the frame rate. The CPU's 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory are relevant for system configuration, but they do not directly impact the game's performance in a way that overrides the GPU's influence.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 196 FPS, with a minimum of 167 FPS and a maximum of 226 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K with High settings compared to 1440p?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 62. This is a 47.5% reduction from the 118 FPS average at 2560x1440 with the same settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the data suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-bound. The high frame rates (e.g., 217 FPS on Low) indicate that the CPU or game engine may be a limiting factor, as the GPU has more headroom to produce even higher frame rates.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 40 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the i7-12700KF compare to its nearest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, has a score of 35403, which is a delta of -0.1%. This means the i7-12700KF is essentially on par with the i7-13700T.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low settings is 164, while on Ultra settings it is 76. This represents a 53.7% reduction in frame rate when switching from Low to Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination, along with the minimum and maximum FPS where available.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :------ | :------ | :------ |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 217 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 196 | 167 | 226 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 187 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 120 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 164 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 124 | 105 | 142 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 118 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 76 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 86 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 65 | 55 | 74 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 62 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 40 | - | - |

The data shows a consistent pattern: for each resolution, the average FPS decreases as settings increase from Low to Ultra. The most significant single drop occurs between High and Ultra settings at all resolutions. At 1080p, the drop is 67 FPS (from 187 to 120); at 1440p, it is 42 FPS (from 118 to 76); and at 4K, it is 22 FPS (from 62 to 40). This indicates that the Ultra preset adds a substantial computational load that even the RTX 4090 cannot fully mitigate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, all settings deliver playable frame rates, but the High preset at 187 FPS offers a strong balance between visual quality and performance, especially for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 120 FPS is also viable, but the 67 FPS drop from High suggests that the visual gains may not justify the performance cost for those prioritizing smoothness.

At 1440p, the High preset at 118 FPS is the recommended choice for most users seeking a premium experience. It provides a near-120 FPS average, which is ideal for 120Hz displays. The Medium preset at 124 FPS is also a solid option if a few extra frames are desired, but the difference is marginal. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is playable, but the data shows it is a significant step down in smoothness, making it less ideal for competitive or fast-paced scenarios. For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High preset at 62 FPS is the highest quality setting that remains near the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 65 FPS is nearly identical in performance and can be considered equivalent. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience, as it falls well below the 60 FPS standard. Therefore, for 4K, High or Medium settings are the best options, balancing visual fidelity with acceptable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 97th out of 3712 tested combinations in Revolution Idle. This places it in the top 2.6% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a high-performance configuration. Given the GPU's 88th percentile ranking and the CPU's 85th percentile ranking, the overall combo ranking aligns with expectations for a top-tier setup. The high rank is primarily attributable to the RTX 4090's immense power, which drives the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

However, the ranking does not tell the whole story. While the combo is highly ranked overall, the measured FPS data reveals that its performance at 4K Ultra is not exceptional, as the 40 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target. This suggests that while the combination is powerful, it is not immune to the demands of the most extreme settings. The rank of 97 indicates that there are 96 other combinations that outperform it, likely featuring even more powerful CPUs or more specialized configurations. Nevertheless, for the vast majority of users, this combo provides an outstanding experience, particularly at lower resolutions, and its high rank confirms its status as a premium choice. The data indicates that this is a well-balanced system that excels in most scenarios, with its only notable weakness being the most demanding 4K Ultra preset.