SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000

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

Build Configuration

Select your components

PROCESSOR (CPU)

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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86 Score

Top 14% Ranking

86 / 100

HIGH-END

Power Build

Top 14% 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%

GPU

91%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core i3-12100F

13,494 Benchmark Score

Top 19% Market Ranking

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GRAPHICS CARD

NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000

21,629 Benchmark Score

Top 9% 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

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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

# CPU Analysis

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop processor built on the Alder Lake architecture at Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, drawing a modest 58 W TDP. The chip features a 12 MB shared L3 cache, with 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core. This configuration represents a modern low-core-count design, prioritizing single-thread responsiveness and power efficiency over raw multi-thread throughput.

Benchmark results confirm this orientation. In Cinebench R23, the i3-12100F scores 11,860 points in multi-core and 1,674 in single-core. The gap between these figures is telling: the single-core score is exceptionally strong, placing it in the upper tier of desktop processors for lightly-threaded tasks. The multi-core score, while respectable for a 4-core part, shows the physical limits of having only four physical cores. The 3DMark thread scaling tests reinforce this picture — the chip scores 1,659 with 2 threads, 2,859 with 4 threads, and 4,026 with 8 threads. Notice the near-saturation: 8 threads yield only 4,026 versus 4,023 at max threads, meaning the chip extracts nearly everything it can from its 8 threads, but the ceiling is low compared to higher-core-count alternatives.

In Geekbench, the processor achieves 1,932 single-core and 7,252 multi-core. The single-core number is competitive with far more expensive CPUs, reflecting Alder Lake's strong IPC gains. The multi-core score, however, places the chip in a mid-range position. PassMark results show a similar story: single-thread performance at 3,444 is excellent, while multithread sits at 14,015. The PassMark integer math score of 40,978 and floating-point math of 31,977 indicate that the CPU handles arithmetic workloads reasonably well but lacks the parallel throughput of higher-core parts. Data compression scores 160,452, and encryption hits 8,071 — the latter being notably lower, suggesting encryption-heavy workloads will not be this chip's strength.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all processors is 68, placing it above the majority of CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 13,494. The nearest rivals illustrate the competitive landscape: the Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13,492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452 (0.3% ahead), the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13,594 (0.7% behind), and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13,351 (1.1% ahead). These deltas are tiny — within 1.1% of each other — meaning the i3-12100F is effectively performance-equivalent to a previous-generation i5 and a modern low-power laptop chip in aggregate benchmarks. The practical interpretation: this CPU will feel snappy for everyday tasks and moderate productivity, but heavy multi-threaded rendering or compilation will expose its 4-core limitation.

# Balance and Bottleneck

The pairing of the i3-12100F with the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 creates an interesting asymmetry. The GPU is a high-end workstation part with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 11.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. It ranks at the 67th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU ranks at the 68th percentile. On paper, these percentiles are nearly identical, suggesting a balanced pairing in terms of overall tier. However, the nature of workloads determines which component becomes the bottleneck.

For gaming at high resolutions, the GPU is almost certainly the limiting factor. The Quadro RTX 5000's compute throughput is substantial, but the i3-12100F's 4 cores may struggle to feed it in CPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's 3DMark 8-thread score of 4,026 indicates that it can handle moderately parallel game logic, but the single-thread score of 893 (in 3DMark) and 1,674 (Cinebench R23) suggest that extremely demanding simulation-heavy titles could see frame pacing issues. The data shows the CPU's multi-thread score at max threads (4,023) is barely higher than its 8-thread score (4,026), confirming there is no headroom beyond 8 threads.

In content creation, the bottleneck shifts. Video editing and 3D rendering tasks that utilize the GPU's CUDA cores will see the Quadro RTX 5000 working near its full capacity, while the CPU handles orchestration and asset loading. The CPU's PassMark physics score of 985 is low, indicating that physics simulations in games or dynamic scenes will be CPU-limited. Conversely, the GPU's PassMark compute score of 6,525 shows strong parallel processing capability that can offload many rendering tasks from the CPU.

The FPS scaling evidence is absent — no measured FPS rows exist for this exact combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data. Therefore, all frame rate discussions are estimates derived from the benchmark scores. The general principle from the benchmark data is that the GPU will be the bottleneck in GPU-intensive workloads at high resolutions, while the CPU will bottleneck in CPU-intensive scenarios, particularly those limited to 4-8 threads. The combined percentile of 68 suggests that, on average, the system performs at a level consistent with its individual components, neither raising nor constraining the other dramatically.

# FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i3-12100F compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355?

A: The two processors have nearly identical average benchmark scores — 13,494 for the i3-12100F versus 13,492 for the Core 3 N355, a 0% delta. In practical terms, they are performance twins in aggregate workloads, though the i3-12100F has a higher boost clock (4.30 GHz vs. no clock data provided) and a different core configuration.

Q: What is the CPU's single-core performance relative to its multi-core performance?

A: The single-core performance is a standout feature. In Cinebench R23, the chip scores 1,674 single-core versus 11,860 multi-core, a ratio of about 7:1. This indicates that the CPU is well-suited for tasks that rely on one or two threads, such as many games and office applications, but falls behind in heavily parallel workloads.

Q: Is the Quadro RTX 5000 a good match for the i3-12100F in gaming?

A: The GPU ranks at the 67th percentile and the CPU at the 68th, so they are in the same tier. However, the CPU's 4 cores may limit frame rates in CPU-bound games. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 15,616 suggests strong rasterization performance, but the CPU's physics score of 985 could bottleneck physics-heavy titles.

Q: What memory types does the i3-12100F support?

A: The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. It does not support ECC memory. The choice between DDR4 and DDR5 will affect memory bandwidth, though the FACT PACK does not provide specific bandwidth figures for this CPU.

Q: How does the GPU's compute performance compare to its nearest rival, the GTX 1060 6 GB?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has an average benchmark score of 21,629, while the GTX 1060 6 GB scores 21,856, a -1% delta. They are nearly identical in aggregate performance, though the Quadro has 16 GB VRAM versus 6 GB and significantly higher memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs. no bandwidth listed for the GTX 1060).

Q: What is the CPU's production status and launch price?

A: The CPU is listed as Active in production status. Its launch MSRP was $97. The GPU is End-of-life with a launch MSRP of 2,299 USD.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics?

A: No, the i3-12100F has no integrated graphics (the "F" suffix indicates this). A discrete GPU is required for any display output, which this build provides via the Quadro RTX 5000.

# Who Should Build It

This pairing targets users who need workstation-class GPU compute without a high-core-count CPU. The i3-12100F's single-thread excellence (Cinebench R23 single-core 1,674, PassMark single-thread 3,444) makes it suitable for developers who compile code in short bursts, students running office applications, and small business workstations handling spreadsheets, databases, and web applications. The PassMark data compression score of 160,452 indicates strong performance for file archiving and compression tasks.

Gamers at 1080p or 1440p resolution who play less CPU-intensive titles will find the Quadro RTX 5000's 16 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth sufficient for high-detail textures and moderate ray tracing (48 RT cores). However, the CPU's 4 cores may limit frame rates in modern AAA titles that utilize more than 4 threads. Content creators working in GPU-accelerated applications like video editing or 3D rendering will benefit from the GPU's 11.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 384 tensor cores, but should be aware that CPU-bound tasks like scene graph processing will be slower than on higher-core-count alternatives.

The build is less suitable for professionals running multi-threaded CPU workloads such as software compilation across many cores, large-scale data analysis, or complex physics simulations — the PassMark physics score of 985 is a clear indicator of this limitation. For those users, a CPU with more cores would be necessary, even if it means sacrificing the GPU tier.

# Benchmark Performance

The CPU's average benchmark score is 13,494, placing it at the 68th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, scores 13,492, a 0% delta, meaning they are statistically indistinguishable. The Intel Core i7-1250U is 1.1% ahead at 13,351, while the Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7% behind at 13,594. These sub-1% differences indicate that the i3-12100F sits in a very tight competitive cluster where architectural differences translate to negligible performance deltas.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 21,629, at the 67th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB, which scores 21,856, a -1% delta (the Quadro is slightly behind). The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21,379 (1.2% behind the Quadro), and the AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21,237 (1.8% behind). The Quadro RTX 5000 is thus positioned in a tight pack of mid-to-high-range GPUs, with no dominant advantage over its closest competitors.

The combined percentile for this CPU+GPU pairing is 68. This means the system as a whole performs at a level better than 68% of all tested builds, which is consistent with its component-level rankings. The CPU's specific benchmark scores — Cinebench R23 multi-core 11,860, Geekbench multi-core 7,252, PassMark multithread 14,015 — all fall in a range that supports the 68th percentile ranking. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 15,616 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 78,999 corroborate its 67th percentile placement. The aggregate picture is of a system that is solidly mid-to-upper tier, with neither component dragging the other down significantly.

# Gaming Performance

No measured FPS rows exist for this exact CPU+GPU combination. The FACT PACK contains no measuredFps data. Therefore, all frame rate figures are estimates derived from the benchmark scores. The CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 1,674, 3DMark single-thread 893) is strong enough to drive high frame rates in games that are not heavily multi-threaded. The GPU's PassMark DirectX 12 score of 59 is notably low, which may indicate poor DX12 optimization in this specific benchmark, but the DirectX 11 score of 140 and DirectX 10 score of 113 suggest better performance in older APIs.

For esports titles like League of Legends or Counter-Strike 2, which rely on single-thread CPU performance, the i3-12100F's strong single-core scores (PassMark single-thread 3,444) should allow frame rates well above 144 FPS at 1080p, provided the GPU can keep up — and the Quadro RTX 5000's 11.15 TFLOPS should be more than sufficient for such light graphical loads. For AAA games at 1440p, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth will handle high-resolution textures without issue, but the CPU's 4 cores may cause frame rate dips in open-world titles that spawn many NPCs or simulate complex physics. The PassMark physics score of 985 is a red flag for such scenarios.

At 4K resolution, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck for most games, and the CPU's limitations are less apparent. The Quadro RTX 5000's pixel rate of 116.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 348.5 GTexel/s suggest it can drive 4K at medium-to-high settings in many titles, but the low DirectX 12 score (59) hints that modern DX12 games may run below expectations. Overall, this build is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming at high settings, with an understanding that frame rates will vary significantly based on the game's thread utilization.

# GPU Analysis

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 is a Turing-architecture workstation GPU built on TSMC's 12 nm process, featuring 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth — a substantial figure that supports large datasets and high-resolution textures. The GPU's base clock is 1620 MHz with a boost clock of 1815 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The chip includes 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 384 tensor cores.

The FP32 performance of 11.15 TFLOPS places this GPU in a strong position for compute workloads. FP16 performance is 22.30 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), indicating that half-precision workloads can run significantly faster. The 48 RT cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing, though this is first-generation Turing RT hardware, not the more mature implementation in later architectures. The 384 tensor cores enable AI-accelerated features like DLSS, though the workstation-oriented Quadro lineup typically emphasizes compute over gaming features.

Benchmark results show the GPU's strengths and weaknesses. PassMark G3D scores 15,616, which is respectable but not exceptional. Geekbench OpenCL scores 78,999 and Vulkan scores 92,309, indicating strong compute performance across different APIs. The PassMark compute score of 6,525 reflects solid parallel processing capability. DirectX benchmark scores are mixed: DirectX 11 at 140 is decent, but DirectX 12 at 59 is surprisingly low, which could indicate driver or architecture limitations in modern APIs. The GPU's percentile rank of 67 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21,629, places it in the upper-mid tier.

For rendering workloads, the 16 GB VRAM is a significant advantage — it allows large scenes and complex models to reside entirely in GPU memory without spilling to system RAM. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and data transfer to the GPU's compute units are not bottlenecks. The texture rate of 348.5 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 116.2 GPixel/s support high-detail rendering at high resolutions. However, the GPU is End-of-life, with the predecessor being Quadro Volta and the successor being Workstation Ampere, meaning newer drivers and optimizations may be limited.

# Build Overview

This is a desktop build pairing the Intel Core i3-12100F with the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000. The CPU is a 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake processor at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is a Turing-architecture workstation card at the 67th percentile among all GPUs. The combined percentile is 68, indicating that the system as a whole outperforms 68% of all builds in the database.

The pairing is unusual in that it combines a budget-oriented CPU (launch MSRP $97) with a high-end workstation GPU (launch MSRP 2,299 USD). This is not a typical gaming configuration — it is more likely intended for professional use cases where GPU compute is prioritized over CPU throughput. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 1,674) ensures responsive system operation, while the GPU's 16 GB VRAM and 11.15 TFLOPS FP32 provide substantial rendering and compute capability.

The build class is desktop, meaning it is designed for stationary use with full-size components. The CPU's TDP of 58 W and the GPU's TDP of 230 W together sum to 288 W, which is manageable for most desktop power supplies. The system does not have integrated graphics, so the Quadro RTX 5000 is the sole display output. Overall, this is a specialized configuration that trades CPU cores for GPU memory and compute, making it suitable for specific professional workloads rather than general-purpose gaming or productivity.

# Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core i3-12100F uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes (CPU only), allowing for high-bandwidth connectivity to compatible GPUs and NVMe storage. However, the Quadro RTX 5000 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, so the Gen 5 capability is not fully utilized by this GPU — a potential upgrade path would be to a newer GPU that supports PCIe Gen 4 or Gen 5.

The CPU's 58 W TDP and the GPU's 230 W TDP suggest that the system requires a PSU with adequate headroom. The GPU's suggested PSU rating is 550 W, which is the minimum recommended for a system with this GPU. Given the CPU's low power draw, a 550 W power supply should be sufficient for the current configuration, but a higher-wattage PSU would allow for future upgrades to more power-hungry CPUs or GPUs.

The socket supports the broader 12th Gen Core lineup, meaning users could upgrade to a higher-core-count CPU like a Core i7 or i9 without changing the motherboard, provided the motherboard's power delivery and BIOS support it. The memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 gives flexibility, but the motherboard must be chosen accordingly — DDR4 and DDR5 are not interchangeable. The CPU lacks ECC memory support, so error-correcting memory is not an option. A sensible next upgrade would be a CPU with more cores (e.g., a 12th Gen i5 or i7) to address the multi-threaded bottleneck, while keeping the existing GPU if it meets workload requirements.

# Usage Scenarios

High-refresh gaming at 1080p: The CPU's single-thread performance (PassMark single-thread 3,444) can drive high frame rates in esports titles, and the GPU's 11.15 TFLOPS FP32 handles the rendering. However, the low DirectX 12 score (59) may limit performance in modern DX12 games, so expect variable results. This is not a primary use case for this pairing.

Streaming: The GPU's 384 tensor cores and 16 GB VRAM can handle encoding and rendering simultaneously, but the CPU's 4 cores may struggle with game logic plus streaming overhead. The PassMark multithread score of 14,015 suggests moderate multitasking capability, but dedicated streaming PCs typically benefit from more cores.

Video editing: The GPU's CUDA cores (3,072 shading units) and 16 GB VRAM accelerate effects, color grading, and export. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11,860 is adequate for timeline scrubbing and basic editing, but 4K multi-stream editing will be CPU-limited.

3D rendering: This is a strong scenario for the GPU. The 11.15 TFLOPS FP32, 22.30 TFLOPS FP16, and 16 GB VRAM handle complex scenes. The CPU's role is less demanding, and its 4 cores can manage the scene graph and asset loading. The PassMark GPU compute score of 6,525 confirms solid rendering throughput.

Software development: The CPU's single-thread speed (Geekbench single-core 1,932) makes compilation of small-to-medium projects quick. The PassMark data encryption score of 8,071 indicates moderate security workload performance. The 4-core limit will slow large parallel builds.

Student and office work: The CPU's 4 cores handle word processing, spreadsheets, and web browsing effortlessly. The GPU's 2D performance (PassMark G2D score of 709) supports smooth UI rendering, and the 16 GB VRAM is overkill but harmless. The system is more powerful than needed for these tasks, making it a future-proof but possibly cost-inefficient choice.

Rate My PC: Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000

Power Build

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core i3-12100F

NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000

Market Position

Game Performance Benchmarks

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

Performance Insights

Strong Performance

Performance Tiers Explained

Ultimate

High-End

Mid-Range

Entry Level

Legacy

4K Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1440p Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1080p Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

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