The Long Drive

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake-S desktop part with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It features 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU’s multi-threaded performance is strong for its core count; its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912 and 3DMark max-thread score of 4023 indicate that the 4-core design can handle substantial parallel workloads. The single-thread performance is also notable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2224, which is crucial for a driving simulation where physics and game logic often rely on a few primary threads.

In the context of The Long Drive, the measured FPS data reveals that the CPU’s capabilities scale well with resolution. At 1080p, the combination of the i3-12100F and RTX 2070 SUPER produces an average of 191.4 FPS on Low settings, dropping to 99.5 FPS on High and 65.9 FPS on Ultra. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU effectively. However, the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p (191.4 vs 65.9 FPS) is substantial, indicating that the graphical settings have a larger impact on the GPU load than the CPU’s thread count. The CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient to maintain high frame rates even at the most demanding settings, as the bottleneck shifts to the GPU when resolution increases.

The benchmark data for this CPU shows a percentile rank of 72, meaning it outperforms most other processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 13516 places it in close competition with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13534, a delta of -0.1%. This is a remarkable result for a Core i3, as it essentially matches a high-end workstation processor in average synthetic performance. Compared to the Intel Core i7-7700K, the i3-12100F is 1.8% ahead, showcasing the generational efficiency of the Alder Lake architecture. These results indicate that the CPU is not a limiting factor in most gaming scenarios, including The Long Drive, where the measured frame rates are primarily bound by the GPU and the chosen settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows for this combo provide a clear picture of how performance scales across presets and resolutions. For a smooth experience at 1080p, the High preset delivers an average of 99.5 FPS, which is well above the standard 60 FPS threshold and offers a balanced visual quality. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 154.7 FPS, providing a significant headroom for high-refresh-rate displays, while the Low preset reaches 191.4 FPS for maximum responsiveness. Ultra at 1080p drops to 65.9 FPS, which is still playable but shows a steep performance cost for the highest visual fidelity, likely due to the GPU’s workload.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 61.9 FPS, making it the optimal choice for a 60 Hz monitor at this resolution. Medium at 1440p produces 100.9 FPS, which is excellent for smoother motion, while Low reaches 123.8 FPS. Ultra at 1440p falls to 46.8 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a smooth driving experience, so it is not recommended unless the user prioritizes visuals over frame rate consistency. For 4K, the data shows that High settings yield only 33.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 24.5 FPS, both of which are not suitable for fluid gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K provides 59 FPS, which is just under 60 FPS but represents the best balance for 4K, while Low at 4K achieves 67.7 FPS.

The best experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1440p, delivering 100.9 FPS. This offers a compelling combination of visual quality and performance, staying well above 60 FPS while avoiding the steep frame rate penalty seen with Ultra. For users with 1080p displays, High at 99.5 FPS is the recommended starting point, as it provides a strong visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. The data indicates that Ultra settings are generally not worth the performance loss, as the step from High to Ultra reduces frame rates by roughly 34% at 1080p (from 99.5 to 65.9 FPS) and by about 24% at 1440p (from 61.9 to 46.8 FPS). Low settings are best reserved for competitive play or extremely high refresh rate monitors, as they maximize frame rates but diminish the visual fidelity of the game world.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS I can expect at 1080p with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS at 1080p is 191.4 FPS on the Low preset, while the Medium preset achieves 154.7 FPS and High reaches 99.5 FPS.

Q: Is this combo capable of running The Long Drive at 4K?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K, the Medium preset yields an average of 59 FPS, which is close to 60, while Low achieves 67.7 FPS. High and Ultra settings drop to 33.3 FPS and 24.5 FPS, respectively, which are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13516. It is 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (scoring 13534) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U (scoring 13462). It also outperforms the Intel Core i3-10105 by 0.6% and the Intel Core i7-7700K by 1.8%.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate?

A: The High preset at 1440p produces an average of 61.9 FPS, which is just above 60 FPS and is the recommended choice for this setup. The Medium preset offers 100.9 FPS for higher refresh rates, while Ultra drops to 46.8 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU’s memory capacity affect performance at higher resolutions?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The measured data shows significant frame rate drops at 4K, such as 33.3 FPS on High, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and capacity are likely stressed at this resolution, though the exact cause is not specified in the data.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER rank compared to other GPUs?

A: The GPU has a percentile rank of 65, with an average benchmark score of 22206. It is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA RTX A400 (scoring 22307) and 2.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (scoring 22729). It is ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5%.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1064 out of 1734 tested combos in The Long Drive. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while the hardware is capable, many other configurations deliver higher average frame rates in this specific game. The rank of 1064 out of 1734 means that roughly 61% of the tested combos outperform this setup. This is not surprising given the CPU’s position as a budget-oriented 4-core part and the GPU’s age, as the RTX 2070 SUPER is an end-of-life product.

Relative to the CPU’s overall percentile of 72, the combo’s in-game rank is lower, suggesting that the GPU is the limiting factor in The Long Drive. The CPU’s strong synthetic scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 11912, do not translate into top-tier gaming performance when paired with a GPU that ranks in the 65th percentile. The measured FPS at 1080p on High (99.5 FPS) and 1440p on High (61.9 FPS) are respectable, but they are not exceptional compared to other combos in the database that feature higher-end CPUs and more recent GPUs. The data indicates that the combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming at Medium to High settings, but it falls behind in higher resolutions, where the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors.

The rank also reflects the game’s specific demands. The Long Drive is a driving simulation that may rely heavily on single-threaded performance for physics and world streaming, where the i3-12100F’s 4.30 GHz boost clock and 1681 Cinebench R23 single-core score are adequate but not dominant. The combination’s performance is consistent with the GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX A400, which is 0.5% ahead in average score, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700, which is 2.5% behind. This suggests that the combo’s rank is largely determined by the GPU’s tier, and users seeking higher frame rates would need to consider a more powerful graphics card or a CPU with more cores for future-proofing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip, featuring 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. It has 40 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores, supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4. The GPU’s base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it operates with a 215 W TDP, requiring a 550 W suggested PSU. The card is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical factor for high-resolution textures in a driving simulation that renders expansive environments.

In The Long Drive, the GPU’s role is evident from the measured FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU is able to deliver high frame rates, such as 191.4 FPS on Low and 99.5 FPS on High, showing that the 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this resolution. However, at 1440p, the frame rates drop to 123.8 FPS on Low and 61.9 FPS on High, and at 4K, the performance falls to 67.7 FPS on Low and 33.3 FPS on High. This indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and compute power (9.062 TFLOPS FP32) become increasingly strained as the pixel count rises. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 65.9 FPS, which is a significant drop from High, suggesting that the GPU’s shading units and memory are heavily taxed by the highest visual settings.

The RTX 2070 SUPER’s performance in this game aligns with its overall benchmark standing. Its average benchmark score of 22206 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, and it is closely matched with the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307, -0.5%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006, 0.9%). The data shows that the GPU is a capable 1080p and 1440p performer, but its 8 GB VRAM and 256-bit bus are limiting factors at 4K, where the game’s visual demands exceed what the card can comfortably handle on High or Ultra settings. For users aiming for 4K gameplay, the Medium preset at 59 FPS is the only viable option, while Low at 67.7 FPS offers a slight improvement in smoothness.