SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

Get a comprehensive performance analysis of your gaming rig with detailed benchmarks, bottleneck detection, and upgrade recommendations

85 / 100
HIGH-END

Power Build

Top 15% of systems. Excellent for 1440p Ultra or 4K High gaming.

1440p Ultra4K High

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio
Well Balanced
CPU
81%
VS
GPU
90%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core i3-12100F

13,494 Benchmark Score
Top 19% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →
GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

17,208 Benchmark Score
Top 10% Market Ranking
View Full Specs →

Market Position

How your build compares to others
Budget
0-30
Mid-Range
30-60
High-End
60-85
Enthusiast
85-100
Your Build

Game Performance Benchmarks

Real-world 4K FPS in popular titles
View All Games →

Performance Insights

Tips to maximize your system

Strong Performance

Excellent for 1440p gaming. Most games will run at high/ultra settings smoothly.

Compatible Games See what you can play Compare CPUs Find upgrades Compare GPUs Find upgrades

Performance Tiers Explained

90-100

Ultimate

4K Ultra gaming, VR ready, ray tracing enabled, professional workloads

4K 60+ FPS VR Ready
70-89

High-End

1440p Ultra or 4K High settings, excellent for modern AAA titles

1440p Ultra 4K High
50-69

Mid-Range

1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium, great value for most gamers

1080p Ultra 1440p Med
30-49

Entry Level

1080p Medium settings, suitable for eSports and older titles

1080p Med eSports
0-29

Legacy

Basic gaming, older titles, consider upgrading for modern games

720p-1080p Low Older Games

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 pairing represents a study in contrasts: a modest quad-core processor from Intel’s Alder Lake generation mated to a high-end Ampere graphics card. The CPU, built on a 10 nm process, is a locked desktop chip with 4 cores and 8 threads, a base clock of 3.30 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its architecture is Alder Lake-S, with a 163 mm² die size. The cache layout is hierarchical: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 pool. This configuration supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel bus, though ECC is not supported. The processor’s 58 W TDP is low, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. The 3DMark results reveal a performance curve typical of a quad-core: the 2-thread score is 1659, the 4-thread score jumps to 2859, and the 8-thread score reaches 4026, essentially matching the max-thread score of 4023. The single-thread score of 893 is solid for the architecture’s generation. In Cinebench R23, the multicore score of 11860 and single-core score of 1674 indicate strong per-core efficiency, but the multicore result is constrained by the physical core count. The Geekbench multicore score of 7252 and single-core score of 1932 reinforce this pattern. Passmark data shows a multithread score of 14015, with integer math at 40978 and floating-point math at 31977, suggesting the CPU handles arithmetic well but the prime number search score of 60 is low. The average benchmark score is 13494, placing it at the 68th percentile against all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core i3-12100F is effectively tied with the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta), marginally ahead of the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% delta), and slightly behind the Intel Core 5 120UL (13594, -0.7% delta). This positions the CPU as a competent entry-level part, but the data clearly shows it is not a high-core-count workhorse.

Gaming Performance

The measured FPS data at ultra settings across 53 games provides a comprehensive look at this pairing, with the dataset marked as measured. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate across all games is 136.7 FPS, a figure that suggests strong 1080p capability. Esports titles excel: Counter-Strike 2 hits 210.9 FPS, Valorant reaches 431.3 FPS, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tops out at 464.9 FPS. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege X runs at 252.6 FPS, while Minecraft: Java Edition achieves 207.5 FPS. These numbers indicate the system is far above the threshold for high-refresh monitors at 1080p. Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust for competitive gaming: Valorant still manages 408 FPS, Counter-Strike 2 drops to 138.3 FPS, and Rainbow Six Siege X runs at 166 FPS. Heavier titles show the strain of the resolution: Cyberpunk 2077 falls to 46.9 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 to 39.4 FPS, and Ark: Survival Ascended to 18.5 FPS. At 3840x2160, the 8 GB VRAM and 256-bit bus become limiting factors. Cyberpunk 2077 drops to 29 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 to 28.9 FPS, and Ark: Survival Ascended to 11.1 FPS. However, lighter games still run well at 4K: Valorant achieves 324.2 FPS, Call of Duty: Warzone runs at 98.8 FPS, and Roblox hits 99.4 FPS. The scaling across resolutions is revealing. For Call of Duty: Warzone, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 13.5 FPS, but from 1440p to 4K is 20.1 FPS, indicating a growing GPU bottleneck. For Cyberpunk 2077, the drops are 15.6 FPS and 17.9 FPS respectively, showing the RTX 3070’s limits at higher resolutions. The pair rank by FPS is 1490 out of 3732 pairs, placing it in the 60th percentile of all tested combinations. The data suggests this is a 1080p-focused gaming system, with 1440p viable for esports and moderate settings in AAA titles, but 4K gaming is only possible in less demanding games.

FAQ

Q: What is the CPU’s core and thread configuration?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz.

Q: How does the CPU perform in single-threaded tasks?

A: The single-thread score in Cinebench R23 is 1674, and in 3DMark it is 893. The Passmark single-thread score is 3444. This indicates strong per-core performance relative to its multicore capability.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration and bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, effective at 14 Gbps.

Q: Is the CPU overclockable?

A: No, the multiplier is locked, meaning the CPU does not support overclocking. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz is the maximum achievable under load.

Q: What is the combined performance percentile for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The combined percentile is 65, indicating this build outperforms 65% of all tested CPU and GPU combinations in the database.

Q: What are the RT and tensor core counts for the GPU?

A: The RTX 3070 has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, which are part of the Ampere architecture’s hardware for ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-9500?

A: The Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, which is 0.3% higher than the i5-9500’s 13452 score. This means the newer quad-core is statistically on par with the older six-core in overall benchmarks.

Balance and Bottleneck

The bottleneck analysis from the benchmark data is a story of resolution-dependent shifts. At 1920x1080, the CPU’s 4-core/8-thread design often becomes the limiting factor in high-frame-rate scenarios. The evidence is in the 3DMark 8-thread score of 4026 versus the max-thread score of 4023, showing that the CPU’s performance flatlines at 8 threads. In games like Counter-Strike 2, the 210.9 FPS at 1080p is likely constrained by the CPU’s single-thread and 4-thread performance, which scores 893 and 2859 respectively. The GPU, with a Passmark G3D score of 22214, is capable of more. At 2560x1440, the balance shifts toward the GPU. The FPS drops are more pronounced for demanding titles: Cyberpunk 2077 falls from 62.5 FPS at 1080p to 46.9 FPS at 1440p, a 25% reduction, while the CPU utilization presumably remains similar. This suggests the RTX 3070’s 8 GB memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are becoming the bottleneck. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting component. Ark: Survival Ascended runs at 11.1 FPS, and The Medium at 29 FPS, showing that the GPU’s 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient for 4K ultra settings in the most demanding titles. The pair rank of 1490 out of 3732 pairs, with an average FPS of 136.7, indicates that this combination is well-matched for 1080p but less so for higher resolutions. The GPU’s percentile of 61 versus the CPU’s 68 suggests the CPU is slightly stronger relative to its peers, meaning the GPU is the first to become the bottleneck as resolution increases.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the GA104 chip with the Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It contains 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 44.4M per mm². The GPU has 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. Its clock speeds are 1500 MHz base and 1725 MHz boost. The memory subsystem is critical: 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The compute capabilities are substantial, with FP32 performance rated at 20.31 TFLOPS and FP16 at 20.31 TFLOPS (1:1). The pixel rate is 165.6 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 317.4 GTexel/s. For ray tracing and AI workloads, the GPU has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. The benchmark scores show a mixed picture. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3162, which is a modern test. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 112821 and Vulkan score of 21022 indicate strong compute performance. The Passmark G3D score of 22214 is solid, but the DirectX 12 score of 85 is notably low compared to the DirectX 11 score of 182, which may reflect driver overhead or test variations. The average benchmark score is 17208, placing the GPU at the 61st percentile. Against its nearest rivals, it is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083), 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037), 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (17019), and 1.5% behind the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (17468). The 220 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU indicate a power-hungry card. The GPU is end-of-life, having been released on 2020-08-31, and its successor is the GeForce 40 series. For rendering, the 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance is strong for rasterization, but the 8 GB VRAM is a limitation for high-resolution textures and large 3D scenes.

Who Should Build It

This pairing targets users who prioritize 1080p gaming with high refresh rates. The measured data supports this: at 1920x1080, the system averages 136.7 FPS across all tested games, with esports titles like Valorant at 431.3 FPS and Counter-Strike 2 at 210.9 FPS. Gamers with 144Hz or 240Hz monitors at 1080p will find this build sufficient for competitive play. For 1440p gaming, the system is viable but not ideal for AAA titles at ultra settings; Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 46.9 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, while Red Dead Redemption 2 at 39.4 FPS is borderline. Content creators who work with lightly threaded applications may find the CPU adequate, given its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674 and Passmark single-thread score of 3444. However, the 4-core CPU will struggle with heavily multi-threaded workloads like video encoding or 3D rendering, where the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 is modest. Software developers who compile code or run multiple virtual machines may find the 8 threads limiting, but the 68th percentile CPU performance is adequate for basic tasks. Students and small business users who need a responsive system for office work, web browsing, and light productivity will be well-served by the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, but the GPU is overkill for these tasks. The GPU’s 61st percentile performance and 8 GB VRAM make it suitable for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but not for professional rendering or AI workloads that require more memory. This build is best for a gamer who wants a high-performance 1080p system with the occasional foray into 1440p, and who does not need extensive multi-core processing for heavy workloads.

Usage Scenarios

For high-refresh gaming, the system excels at 1080p. The data shows Counter-Strike 2 at 210.9 FPS and Valorant at 431.3 FPS, which are well above the 144Hz and 240Hz thresholds. The CPU’s single-thread score of 893 and the GPU’s strong rasterization performance combine to deliver smooth esports experiences. Streaming while gaming is feasible but requires careful settings. The CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads may be insufficient for simultaneous game encoding and gameplay, as the 8-thread 3DMark score of 4026 is close to the max-thread score of 4023, indicating no headroom. Video editing with software that uses Quick Sync or GPU acceleration will benefit from the RTX 3070’s 184 tensor cores and 20.31 TFLOPS FP16 performance, but the CPU’s multicore score of 11860 in Cinebench R23 will slow down timeline rendering. 3D rendering will be heavily GPU-bound; the RTX 3070’s CUDA cores (5888 shading units) provide strong performance in GPU-renderers, but the 8 GB VRAM limits scene complexity. Software development is a mixed bag. The CPU’s Passmark integer math score of 40978 is decent for compilation, but the 4-core limit means large builds will be slower than on higher-core CPUs. The GPU can accelerate compute tasks via OpenCL (112821 score) and Vulkan (21022 score). Student and office work are more than covered. The CPU’s single-thread performance (Geekbench 1932) handles productivity suites and web browsing with ease, and the GPU is entirely unnecessary for these tasks, meaning the system will run cool and quiet at low utilization. For 1440p gaming, the system is playable but not optimal for the most demanding titles, as Cyberpunk 2077 drops to 46.9 FPS.

Build Overview

This is a desktop-class build combining a 4-core Intel Core i3-12100F with an 8 GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070. The CPU is a 10 nm Alder Lake-S part with a 58 W TDP, while the GPU is an 8 nm Ampere chip with a 220 W TDP. The combined percentile is 65, meaning this pairing performs better than 65% of all tested CPU and GPU combinations. The CPU’s individual percentile is 68, and the GPU’s is 61. The average FPS across all tested games is 136.7, with a pair rank of 1490 out of 3732 pairs. This puts the build in the upper-mid range of performance. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 13494 is comparable to the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% delta), indicating that the newer quad-core matches an older six-core in synthetic tests. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 17208 is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, showing it is a competitive mid-range graphics card. The overall tier is a 1080p gaming machine with strong esports performance, capable of 1440p in less demanding titles, but not a high-end 4K or workstation system. The CPU’s locked multiplier and 4-core design place it at the entry level for modern gaming, while the GPU is a former high-end part that has been superseded. This combination is unusual in that the GPU is significantly more powerful than the CPU, which is reflected in the resolution-dependent bottleneck patterns.

Benchmark Performance

The CPU’s benchmark scores paint a clear picture of a capable quad-core. In 3DMark, the single-thread score is 893, the 4-thread score is 2859, and the max-thread score is 4023. The Cinebench R23 scores are 11860 multicore and 1674 single-core. Geekbench results are 7252 multicore and 1932 single-core. Passmark shows a multithread score of 14015 and a single-thread score of 3444. The average benchmark score is 13494, at the 68th percentile. The GPU’s scores are more varied. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3162. Geekbench OpenCL is 112821 and Vulkan is 21022. Passmark G3D is 22214, but DirectX 12 is only 85, compared to DirectX 11 at 182. The average benchmark score is 17208, at the 61st percentile. The combined picture shows a system where the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU against its respective peers. The CPU’s 68th percentile is higher than the GPU’s 61st, yet the GPU is the more powerful component in absolute terms, as evidenced by the FPS data at high resolutions. The measured FPS across games averages 136.7, which is higher than the 60th percentile rank of 1490/3732 pairs might suggest, due to the mix of games including many esports titles. In heavy AAA titles, the system struggles at 4K, with Cyberpunk 2077 at 29 FPS and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 28.9 FPS. The CPU’s performance is consistent with its price point, but the data indicates that for CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p, the 4-core limit becomes apparent in games that use more than 4 threads, as the 8-thread score of 4026 is nearly identical to the max-thread score of 4023.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i3-12100F uses the Intel Socket 1700, which is the platform for 12th Gen Alder Lake processors. This socket supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, and the CPU has a dual-channel memory bus. The platform supports PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes, which is forward-looking. The CPU has a 58 W TDP and the GPU has a 220 W TDP, and the suggested PSU for the GPU is 550 W. This leaves headroom for a more powerful CPU, as the power supply is rated for the GPU’s needs. The socket 1700 platform supports other 12th Gen CPUs, such as higher-core-count i5, i7, and i9 parts, which would be a logical upgrade. The 4-core i3-12100F, with its 68th percentile performance, is the bottleneck in CPU-bound scenarios. A user could upgrade to an i5 or i7 with more cores and threads to improve multi-threaded performance, as the 3DMark 8-thread score of 4026 suggests the CPU is maxed out. The memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 means the motherboard choice will dictate the memory type, and the dual-channel bus is a minimum for modern gaming. The PCIe Gen 5 x16 interface is more than sufficient for the RTX 3070, which uses PCIe 4.0 x16, so there is no bottleneck from the bus. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is a potential limitation for future games, and the end-of-life status means it will not receive major performance updates. A sensible next upgrade would be a CPU with more cores, such as a 12th Gen i5 or i7, to balance the system, or a GPU with more VRAM if 4K gaming or large textures are a priority. The 550 W PSU may need to be upgraded if a higher-TDP CPU is installed, but for the current configuration, it is adequate. The platform’s support for DDR5 is a future-proofing feature, but the current CPU’s performance does not fully utilize it.