Undisputed

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a fundamentally GPU-limited experience in Undisputed, with frame rates scaling predictably with resolution and settings. The data reveals that this combination is capable of high refresh rate play at 1080p, solid performance at 1440p, and only becomes demanding at 4K where the GPU's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus begin to show their limits. With a combo rank of 1722 out of 2813 tested configurations, this setup sits in the upper-middle tier, offering a balanced experience for a sports title that does not heavily tax the processor.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, revealing that the RTX 5050 is the primary limiting component across all tested presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 144 FPS at 1920x1080 to 104 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 40 FPS (27.8%). Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 66 FPS, which is 78 FPS below the 1080p result. This pattern indicates that the GPU's rendering throughput, not the CPU, is dictating performance, as the i3-12100F's single-thread and multi-thread scores are sufficient to feed the graphics card at these resolutions.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly revealing. At Low settings, the RTX 5050 delivers 174 FPS at 2560x1440, but only 110 FPS at 3840x2160—a 36.8% decline. This disproportionate drop at 4K points to memory bandwidth constraints; the 320.0 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB GDDR6 memory are strained when pixel count increases by 2.25 times. The gap between Medium and High settings also widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Medium (173 FPS) and High (144 FPS) is 29 FPS, while at 4K, the gap narrows to 13 FPS (79 vs. 66), suggesting that the GPU is becoming saturated with pixel work rather than shader complexity.

Ultra settings present the clearest evidence of GPU limitation. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 42, which is only 38% of the 1080p Ultra result (92 FPS). This 50 FPS drop is nearly double the drop seen between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra (25 FPS), confirming that the 4K resolution is disproportionately expensive for this GPU. The RTX 5050’s 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings, making 1440p the practical ceiling for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 1722 out of 2813 tested combos in Undisputed, placing it in the 61st percentile of all configurations. This rank indicates that while the setup is not a top-tier performer, it substantially outperforms the majority of tested systems. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 68 and the GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 66 suggest that both components are individually above average, but their combined performance in this game is slightly lower than their individual percentiles might suggest, likely due to the GPU becoming the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Benchmark results show that the GPU competes closely with several mobile and older desktop parts. The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 is within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713), which is its nearest rival with a deltaPct of 1.6. It also trades blows with the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, deltaPct -0.6) and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, deltaPct -1.6). These margins are narrow, meaning that in real-world gaming, the RTX 5050 should perform nearly identically to these parts, though the 8 GB memory capacity may be a differentiator in texture-heavy scenarios.

On the CPU side, the i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13494 places it within 1.1% of the Intel Core i7-1250U (13351) and 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452). The closest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355 with a score of 13492 and a deltaPct of 0, indicating essentially identical multi-threaded performance. This CPU ranking is important because it shows that the i3-12100F is not holding back the RTX 5050 in Undisputed, as its performance is comparable to mid-range processors from newer and older generations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS?

A: At 4K with High settings, the average FPS is 66, which exceeds 60 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 42 FPS. For consistent 60+ FPS, 1440p High (104 FPS) or 4K Medium (79 FPS) are safer choices.

*Q: How does the i3-12100F affect performance in Undisputed?*

A: The CPU's multi-threaded benchmark score (11860 in Cinebench R23) and single-thread score (1674) are adequate for this sports title. The data shows GPU-limited scaling, meaning the 4-core/8-thread processor does not bottleneck the RTX 5050.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 comparable to the RX 5600 XT?

A: Yes, the RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is 1.6% higher than the RX 5600 XT's 20713. In Undisputed, this translates to nearly identical performance.

Q: Why is 4K performance so much lower than 1440p?

A: The 4K resolution requires 2.25 times the pixel throughput of 1440p. The RTX 5050's 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 8 GB GDDR6 become saturated, causing the 66 FPS High, 79 FPS Medium, and 42 FPS Ultra results.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1080p Low settings?

A: The combo delivers an average of 241 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which is the highest measured result across all resolutions and presets.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 1722 out of 2813 combos in Undisputed, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all tested configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5050 and i3-12100F deliver excellent performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 241 FPS, which is the peak for this combo. Medium settings yield 173 FPS with a minimum of 147 and a maximum of 200 FPS, showing good frame time consistency. High settings drop to 144 FPS average, while Ultra settings reduce this to 92 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom, and even Ultra settings provide a smooth experience well above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's limits. Low settings average 174 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings average 125 FPS with a minimum of 107 and maximum of 144 FPS, maintaining a 60+ FPS floor. High settings produce 104 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 67 FPS. The 1440p results show that this resolution is the sweet spot for the combo, balancing visual quality and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 110 FPS, which is playable but significantly lower than 1440p. Medium settings average 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, just barely staying above 60 FPS. High settings average 66 FPS, which is right at the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average only 42 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The 4K data shows that this combo is best suited for Medium or High settings at this resolution, with Ultra being reserved for less demanding scenes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 58 W TDP make it an efficient entry-level desktop part. In Undisputed, this CPU's role is to feed the RTX 5050 with enough draw calls and physics calculations to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The benchmark data shows that this is not an issue, as the frame rates scale consistently with GPU load rather than CPU load.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks reveal a capable part. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and single-core score of 1674 are respectable for a 4-core processor. The PassMark multi-thread score of 14015 and single-thread score of 3444 further confirm its balanced performance. The 3DMark scores show a linear scaling from 2 threads (1659) to 8 threads (4026), indicating that the CPU efficiently utilizes all available threads. These scores place the i3-12100F in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms two-thirds of processors on the market.

In the context of Undisputed, a sports game that typically does not require extensive multi-threading, the i3-12100F's 4 cores are sufficient. The game's reliance on the GPU is evident from the resolution scaling data, where FPS drops are proportional to pixel count increases. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would expect to see smaller differences between 1080p and 1440p, but the consistent ~40 FPS drop at High settings across each resolution step indicates GPU-bound performance. The CPU's 3DMark 8-thread score of 4026, which is nearly identical to its max-thread score of 4023, shows that it can handle all available threads without thermal or power throttling, ensuring stable performance during extended gaming sessions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium settings at 1440p provide the most compelling experience. The average of 125 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS ensures smooth gameplay without dips below 100 FPS, and the 144 FPS maximum shows that there is headroom for high refresh rate displays. This preset is 21 FPS faster than High settings at the same resolution (104 FPS) while offering a noticeable improvement over Low settings (174 FPS) in visual fidelity.

If the player prioritizes maximum frame rates, 1080p Low settings deliver 241 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or 240 Hz monitors. However, this comes at the cost of visual detail. For those with 4K displays, Medium settings are the only viable option, delivering 79 FPS average with a 67 FPS minimum. High settings at 4K (66 FPS) are borderline, and Ultra settings (42 FPS) should be avoided entirely due to inconsistent frame pacing.

The data suggests that Ultra settings are not well-suited for this combo at any resolution above 1080p. At 1440p Ultra, the average of 67 FPS is playable, but the 25 FPS drop from High settings (104 FPS) is not justified by the modest visual improvements. At 4K Ultra, the 42 FPS average is too low for a smooth experience in a sports game, where timing and response are critical. Therefore, the recommended presets are Medium at 1440p for the best overall experience, or High at 1080p if the player prefers higher visual settings while maintaining a 144 FPS average.