SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

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

88 / 100
HIGH-END

Power Build

Top 12% 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
96%
PROCESSOR

Intel Core i3-12100F

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

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti

41,187 Benchmark Score
Top 4% 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 is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It pairs a 3.30 GHz base clock with a 4.30 GHz boost clock on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. The RTX 3080 Ti, by contrast, is a massive Ampere-generation GPU with 10,240 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus. This combination represents an extreme pairing of a budget-oriented quad-core CPU with a high-end enthusiast-class graphics card, and the benchmark data shows exactly how that imbalance plays out across various workloads.

CPU Analysis

The Core i3-12100F is a quad-core processor with 8 threads, a configuration that has historically been the entry point for desktop computing. Its Alder Lake architecture is a notable step up from older designs, as evidenced by its single-thread performance. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 1674 points in single-core and 11860 points in multi-core. The single-core score is particularly strong, placing it in a competitive position for everyday tasks and lightly-threaded applications. The multi-core score, while respectable for a quad-core, is where the physical core count limits become apparent, especially against chips with more cores.

The cache hierarchy is modest, with 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. This is sufficient for gaming and general productivity, but the relatively small L3 compared to higher-tier Alder Lake chips means that some workloads with large working sets may not see optimal cache hit rates. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, giving builders flexibility in platform cost. It does not support ECC memory, which is typical for consumer desktop parts.

Looking at the benchmark suite, the data shows a processor that performs well in single-threaded tasks but scales predictably with its thread count. In 3DMark, the 2-thread score is 1659, which jumps to 2859 at 4 threads, and then essentially plateaus at 4026 for 8 threads and 4023 for max threads. This indicates that the processor has no significant headroom beyond its 8 threads — adding more threads does not improve performance, confirming it is fully utilized by 8 threads. The Passmark single-thread score of 3444 is strong, and the multi-thread score of 14015 shows a typical 4-core performance envelope.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 13494 places it at the 68th percentile of all CPUs, which is a surprising position for a budget quad-core. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-9500, which scores 13452 (0.3% slower), and the Intel Core 5 120UL, which scores 13594 (0.7% faster). This suggests that the 12100F's high clocks and modern architecture allow it to compete with or beat older 6-core processors in many benchmarks. The data indicates that for single-threaded tasks, this CPU will feel snappy and responsive, while multi-threaded workloads like video encoding or software compilation will be limited by the 4-core/8-thread configuration.

Benchmark Performance

The GPU is the dominant component in this build, as expected. The RTX 3080 Ti scores 26896 in Passmark G3D and 170037 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 41187 puts it slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870, 0.8% slower) and slightly behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB (41707, 1.2% faster). The GPU's nearest rivals are professional and enterprise cards, which highlights its raw compute capability.

The CPU's performance, while respectable, is clearly the limiting factor in this pairing. At the 68th percentile for CPUs and 83rd for GPUs, the combined system sits at the 76th percentile of all desktop builds. The pair's average FPS across games is 159.7, ranking 963rd out of 3732 pairs. This rank is lower than what the GPU alone would suggest, indicating that the CPU is holding back the system's overall gaming performance in many scenarios.

The data shows a clear disparity in compute capability. The GPU's FP32 performance is 34.10 TFLOPS, while the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 11860. In gaming, the impact of this imbalance is visible in the measured FPS data. For example, in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1920x1080, the system achieves 75.8 FPS, but at 2560x1440 it drops to 55.7 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 34.3 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests the GPU is being fed adequately at lower resolutions but the CPU's single-thread performance becomes a bottleneck as frame rates climb.

FAQ

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread count, and how does it affect multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has 4 cores and 8 threads. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 11860, which is respectable for a quad-core but limited compared to higher-core-count CPUs. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 4026 confirms that performance plateaus at 8 threads, meaning tasks like video rendering or heavy multitasking will not scale beyond this point.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 3080 Ti have, and what memory type is used?

A: The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This is ample for high-resolution textures and demanding workloads like 3D rendering or AI inference.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile compared to all CPUs?

A: The Core i3-12100F is at the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13494. It is 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i5-9500 and 0.7% slower than the Intel Core 5 120UL.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile compared to all GPUs?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti is at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41187. It is 0.8% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 and 2% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070.

Q: What is the combined system performance percentile?

A: The combined percentile for this CPU+GPU pairing is 76. The pair's average FPS across games is 159.7, ranking 963rd out of 3732 pairs.

Q: What is the CPU's launch MSRP?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has a launch MSRP of $97.

Q: Does the CPU support overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is not unlocked on the Core i3-12100F, so overclocking is not supported.

Who Should Build It

This build targets a specific user: someone who prioritizes GPU compute and high-resolution gaming but is constrained by a limited CPU budget. The 4-core/8-thread CPU is sufficient for gaming, as most games are optimized for single to quad-core performance. The data shows that in esports titles like Valorant, the system achieves 431 FPS at 1920x1080, and in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive it hits 558 FPS at the same resolution. These high frame rates are attainable because the CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674) keeps up with the GPU's output.

For content creators, this build is less ideal but workable for certain tasks. The GPU's 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 12 GB VRAM make it excellent for GPU-accelerated rendering, video editing, and AI workloads. However, the CPU's multi-threaded score of 11860 in Cinebench R23 will bottleneck CPU-heavy tasks like 3D scene simulation or complex spreadsheet calculations. The data suggests this is a build for GPU-centric workflows — 3D artists, video editors using GPU encoders, and developers running CUDA-accelerated code will see strong performance, while those relying on CPU rendering or heavy compilation will be disappointed.

Students and small business users building a workstation will find this pairing useful for general productivity, office applications, and light programming. The CPU's single-thread performance ensures smooth operation in daily tasks, and the GPU can accelerate any graphics or compute work that arises. However, for those on a tight budget, the $97 CPU is a bargain, but the GPU's cost (launch MSRP of 1,199 USD) is not mentioned here — the data only shows performance, not value.

Balance and Bottleneck

The benchmark data clearly shows that this is a GPU-bound system at high resolutions, but a CPU-bound system at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU's limits are exposed in demanding titles. For example, in Ark: Survival Ascended, the system only achieves 36.3 FPS at 1080p, which is a low frame rate for a high-end GPU. This indicates that the CPU's 4 cores are struggling to feed the GPU in this CPU-intensive game. At 2560x1440, the frame rate drops to 22.4 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 9.6 FPS — the GPU is not the limiting factor here; the CPU is likely capping performance.

Conversely, in GPU-heavy titles like Cyberpunk 2077, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more gradual (75.8 to 55.7 FPS), suggesting the GPU is becoming the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The GPU's 83rd percentile position compared to the CPU's 68th percentile means the system's overall performance is dragged down by the CPU in many scenarios. The pair's average FPS of 159.7, ranking 963rd out of 3732 pairs, is lower than what the GPU alone would suggest — this is direct evidence of CPU bottlenecking in a significant number of games.

The FPS scaling across resolutions is a useful indicator. For a balanced system, frame rates should scale roughly inversely with resolution. In this build, many games show steeper drops from 1080p to 1440p than from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions. For example, in Red Dead Redemption 2, the system hits 66.8 FPS at 1080p, but drops to 49.2 at 1440p and 34.8 at 4K. The 1080p result is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU should be able to push higher frame rates in this title.

Gaming Performance

The measured FPS data from ultra settings across 50+ games paints a clear picture of this system's gaming capabilities. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of very high frame rates in esports and lighter titles. Valorant leads the pack with 431 FPS, followed by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at 558 FPS, and Roblox at 327.7 FPS. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege hits 300 FPS, and Minecraft achieves 249 FPS. These results indicate that for competitive shooters and lighter games, the system provides far more performance than needed for high-refresh-rate monitors.

However, in AAA titles at 1080p, the CPU bottleneck becomes apparent. Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 75.8 FPS, which is playable but below what the RTX 3080 Ti is capable of in a balanced system. Red Dead Redemption 2 runs at 66.8 FPS, and The Medium drops to 53.5 FPS. The most demanding title in the data, Ark: Survival Ascended, only achieves 36.3 FPS at 1080p, which is a poor result for this GPU and points squarely at the CPU as the culprit.

At 2560x1440, the GPU starts to become the bottleneck in more titles. Cyberpunk 2077 drops to 55.7 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 to 49.2 FPS, and Ark: Survival Ascended to 22.4 FPS. The esports titles remain strong, with Valorant at 409 FPS and CS:GO at 384 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system is firmly GPU-bound. Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 34.3 FPS, Red Dead Redemption 2 at 34.8 FPS, and Control at 54.8 FPS. Valorant still manages 379 FPS at 4K, showing that the CPU can keep up with the GPU in lighter workloads even at high resolutions. The data shows this is a 1080p and 1440p gaming system for most titles, with 4K playable in less demanding games or with settings adjustments.

GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the centerpiece of this build, built on the Ampere architecture and manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. The GA102 chip contains 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, with a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². This is a large, power-hungry chip with a 350 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 750 W. The GPU has 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, giving it a pixel rate of 186.5 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 532.8 GTexel/s.

Memory is a key strength of this card. The 12 GB of GDDR6X is on a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This is more than enough for high-resolution textures and large datasets in compute workloads. The memory clock is 1188 MHz, which translates to 19 Gbps effective. The GPU's FP32 performance is 34.10 TFLOPS, with FP16 performance at the same level (1:1 ratio), which is unusual and indicates strong compute capability for mixed-precision workloads.

The RTX 3080 Ti includes 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, making it well-suited for ray tracing and AI acceleration. The benchmark scores reflect this: it scores 26896 in Passmark G3D and 15282 in GPU compute. Its 83rd percentile ranking places it above the vast majority of GPUs, and its nearest rivals include professional cards like the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 and NVIDIA Tesla M40 variants. In rendering workloads, the combination of high FP32 throughput and 12 GB VRAM makes this GPU suitable for 3D modeling, video editing, and machine learning inference. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility ensure broad software compatibility.

Build Overview

This is a desktop build pairing an Intel Core i3-12100F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The CPU is a 4-core/8-thread Alder Lake-S part on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, while the GPU is an Ampere-generation card with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. The combined system sits at the 76th percentile of all builds, with the GPU at the 83rd percentile and the CPU at the 68th percentile. This is a significant imbalance — the GPU is a high-end part while the CPU is a budget entry-level part.

The pair's average FPS across all measured games is 159.7, which ranks 963rd out of 3732 pairs. This rank is lower than the GPU's percentile would suggest, confirming that the CPU is a limiting factor in many scenarios. The build is best characterized as a GPU-first system: it excels at GPU-bound tasks like high-resolution gaming (in GPU-heavy titles), 3D rendering, and compute workloads, but struggles with CPU-bound tasks like physics simulations, AI in games, or heavily-threaded productivity applications.

The production status of the GPU is end-of-life, meaning it is no longer in active production, while the CPU is still active. The GPU was released on 2021-05-30 and has a predecessor in GeForce 20 and a successor in GeForce 40. This is not a balanced build for general-purpose use, but for a user who knows they will be GPU-limited most of the time, it can deliver excellent performance in specific workloads.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The CPU is on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. The PCIe interface is Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU, providing ample bandwidth for the RTX 3080 Ti, which uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. The CPU's 58 W TDP means it is a low-power part, and the GPU's 350 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 750 W leaves headroom for upgrades. The GPU uses a single 12-pin power connector and is a dual-slot card measuring 285 mm in length.

For a sensible next upgrade, the CPU is the clear bottleneck in this system. The Socket 1700 platform supports newer 12th-gen and later processors, so a user could upgrade to a higher-core-count CPU without changing the motherboard. However, the data shows that the CPU's 4 cores are the limiting factor in many games. Upgrading to a 6- or 8-core processor would likely improve the 1080p frame rates in CPU-bound titles like Ark: Survival Ascended and Red Dead Redemption 2. The GPU, being end-of-life, is not a future upgrade target — it is already a high-end card, and its 12 GB VRAM and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth are substantial. The platform's dual-channel memory support and PCIe Gen 5 lanes mean that the motherboard and memory are not limiting factors for the current GPU. The 750 W suggested PSU provides enough headroom for a CPU upgrade without needing a new power supply, as long as the new CPU does not dramatically increase power draw.