Lockdown Protocol

# Intel Core i3-12100F + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT: Lockdown Protocol Benchmark Analysis

The Core i3-12100F and Radeon RX 7900 XT pairing delivers a solid 1440p and 4K experience in Lockdown Protocol, with the CPU and GPU sharing the workload differently depending on resolution. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions, with the 4K Ultra preset landing just above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates were collected across three resolutions and four quality presets per resolution. All figures represent average FPS; minimum and maximum values were not recorded in the dataset.

3840x2160 (4K): The most demanding preset is Ultra, which averages 61.3 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that clears the 60 FPS playability bar, and it does so by a narrow margin. The High preset averages 84.6 FPS, providing a comfortable buffer. Medium averages 92.6 FPS, while Low averages 132.4 FPS — effectively double the Ultra result.

2560x1440 (1440p): The Ultra preset averages 95.3 FPS, the strongest result at this resolution. High averages 126 FPS, roughly 32% above the Ultra figure. Medium runs at 148.8 FPS and Low at 206.2 FPS — the latter pushing past 200 FPS, indicating substantial headroom in lighter scenes.

1920x1080 (1080p): Here, Ultra averages 130.2 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. High reaches 175 FPS, Medium 199.7 FPS, and Low 269.5 FPS. At 1080p, the CPU is no longer the limiting factor; the GPU is barely taxed by the workload.

The scaling pattern between resolutions is notable: moving from 1080p to 1440p, the Ultra preset drops from 130.2 to 95.3 FPS (a 27% reduction), and from 1440p to 4K it drops further to 61.3 FPS (a 36% reduction from 1440p). This is a near-linear scaling pattern, consistent with a GPU that is still capable at 4K but not overpowering the scene.

FAQ

Q: Is the Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RX 7900 XT?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, no. The 3DMark CPU benchmark score of 4,051 (16-thread) and 1,659 (2-thread) show a chip that can feed frames quickly enough to keep the GPU busy at these resolutions. At 4K with Ultra settings, the CPU is less of a factor; the data shows the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: Which preset should I use for 3840x2160?

A: The Ultra preset, at 61.3 FPS, is the only playable one. High (84.6 FPS) and Medium (92.2 FPS) also clear the bar, but the data shows Ultra as the optimal balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: Does 2560x1440 run well on this combo?

A: Yes, even the Ultra preset holds 95.3 FPS. The High preset is 126 FPS and Low hits 206.2 FPS. The GPU has significant headroom at 1440p.

Q: What about 1920x1080?

A: It is CPU-limited only in the sense that the GPU is underutilized; the least demanding preset, Low, runs at 269.5 FPS. Every preset from Medium up to Ultra runs above 130 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the previous generation?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs in the database. Its avg benchmark score is 13,494, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core 3 N355 (0% delta), Intel Core i5-9500 (+0.3%), and Intel Core 5 120UL (-0.7%). This puts it almost exactly in line with those three chips, meaning generational uplift is modest.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 7900 XT sits at the 55th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark is 13,745. The AMD Radeon 660M is only 0.5% slower, the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile is 0.5% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 570X is 0.9% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is 1.5% faster. It is a mid-pack 4K-capable card, not a high-end competitor.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the highest playable preset is Ultra, averaging 61.3 FPS — just above the 60 FPS threshold. The High, Medium, and Low presets are all playable, but the Ultra preset is the most visually demanding option that keeps playable frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 95.3 FPS. This leaves enough headroom for fast-paced sections without dropping below 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset wins, with an average of 130.2 FPS. The GPU is being fed with little effort at 1080p; the CPU and GPU are both underutilized.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates a shifting bottleneck. At 1080p, the Radeon RX 7900 XT is not the limiting factor; the CPU at 3.30 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU. The FPS numbers across presets at 1080p are clustered between 130.2 and 269.5, all well above 60 FPS.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to matter. The FPS spread across presets is wider: from 95.3 (Ultra) to 206.2 (Low). The Ultra preset is still GPU-bound, but the High and Medium presets show the CPU is doing more work. At 4K, the GPU is the absolute bottleneck: even the Low preset at 132.4 FPS is lower than the 1080p Low preset (269.5) by half — the resolution scaling costs roughly half the frame rate.

The 3Dmark results support this: the 16-thread score (4,051) versus 2-thread score (1,659) shows a 2.4x scaling, but the game at 4K is clearly GPU-limit. The GPU has 5,376 shading units, 336 texture units, and 192 ROPs, which is modest for a 4K-class card; the CPU has only 4 cores/8 threads, yet it is sufficient for the frame rates observed.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol? Yes, decisively. At 1920x1080, the data shows all presets average at least 130.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, the lowest we measured is 95.3 FPS (Ultra), which is 58% above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the Ultra preset at 61.3 FPS is the only preset that clears the playability bar, but it does so with a narrow margin. The High, Medium, and Low presets all clear 60 FPS with substantial headroom (84.6, 92.2, and 132.4 FPS, respectively).

The most demanding playable configuration is 3840x2160 Ultra at 61.3 FPS. For a safer margin at 4K, the High preset at 84.6 FPS offers more overhead while still maintaining excellent visual quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i3-12100F + RX 7900 XT combo ranks #718 out of 3,714 tested combinations in the database. This places it in the mid-low tier for CPU/GPU pairings, primarily because the CPU is a budget 12th-gen chip (4 cores/8 threads) while the GPU is a large Navi 31 part. The CPU's benchmark of 13,494 average is nearly identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13,492), Intel Core i5-9500 (13,452), and Intel Core 5 120U (13,594) — meaning the processor is a fairly typical mid-range performer. The GPU's average benchmark of 13,745 is 1.5% behind the nearest rival (AMD Radeon 660M), 0.5% behind the RTX A2000 Mobile, and 0.9% behind the RX 570X. It performs like a mid-range card, not a high-end one.

In practical terms for Lockdown Protocol: this build is best used at 2560x1440 with Ultra for the max visual quality while staying at 95+ FPS. At 3840x2160, players should stick to the Ultra preset (61.3 FPS) or accept the High preset (84.6 FPS) if they prefer more effects and are willing to run slightly above 60 FPS. The 1920x1080 resolution is essentially a solved problem for this combo, with every preset from Low to Ultra running between 130 and 270 FPS.