Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ranks 538th out of 3714 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 14.5% of all tested configs. This is a strong ranking, but it is not a top-tier result, suggesting that the combination is capable of high frame rates yet is held back by the CPU in certain scenarios. The data shows that the GPU is a high-end part, but the processor is a budget quad-core, creating a notable bottleneck at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 538 out of 3714 tested combos indicates that it outperforms roughly 85% of all systems tested in this game. This is a solid position, driven almost entirely by the GPU’s raw power. The RX 7900 XTX, with its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory and 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, provides enormous fill rates that allow for very high frame rates at all tested resolutions. However, the i3-12100F, despite having a 4.30 GHz boost clock, is a 4-core, 8-thread part that ranks in the 68th percentile among all CPUs. That CPU percentile is lower than the GPU’s 64th percentile among all GPUs, which is unusual; the CPU is actually ranked higher relative to its peers than the GPU is, but the absolute performance gap in this game is what matters.

The data reveals that the combination’s ranking is not a reflection of the GPU’s limits. At 1080p, the average frame rate at Low settings reaches 270 FPS, which is far beyond the 60 FPS playable threshold. This suggests the GPU is never the limiting factor at lower resolutions. Instead, the CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads likely cap performance in less GPU-intensive scenes. The benchmark results indicate that the combo’s rank is a product of a very fast GPU paired with a modest CPU, and the measured FPS numbers confirm that the system is GPU-bound at higher resolutions but potentially CPU-bound at 1080p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets clearly shows which component dominates. At 4K (3840x2160), the average FPS drops from 144 at Low to 67 at Ultra, a decline of 77 FPS (over 53%) when moving through the preset ladder. This steep drop indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at this resolution, as the increased pixel count and visual effects demand more from the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The CPU’s role at 4K is secondary; it must feed the GPU with draw calls, but the GPU’s 61.39 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the bottleneck.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the scaling is similar but less extreme. Average FPS ranges from 223 at Low to 103 at Ultra, a 120 FPS difference. The gap between Medium and Ultra is particularly telling: 158 FPS to 103 FPS, a 55 FPS drop. This still points to the GPU being the limiting factor, as the CPU has more headroom at this resolution than at 1080p. However, the CPU’s influence becomes more apparent when comparing 1080p to 1440p at the same preset. At Low settings, 1080p yields 270 FPS, while 1440p yields 223 FPS—a 47 FPS difference. That is a smaller absolute drop than the 4K scaling, but the 1080p number is suspiciously high and likely hits a CPU ceiling.

At 1080p (1920x1080), the CPU’s role becomes clear. The average FPS at Low is 270, which is likely near the maximum the i3-12100F can produce with its 8 threads. Moving from Low to Medium drops the average to 216 FPS, and to High it drops to 188 FPS. The Ultra preset still delivers 141 FPS. The fact that 1080p Low is only 47 FPS higher than 1440p Low (270 vs 223) suggests that the CPU is starting to limit performance, because the GPU should be able to produce much higher frame rates at 1080p given its 4K performance. The data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K and 1440p, while the CPU becomes a co-limiter at 1080p, especially at lower presets where the GPU has less work.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 4K, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 67 FPS. This is a playable result, though it leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset averages 89 FPS, and Medium averages 102 FPS, but Ultra is the best choice for maximum visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1440p, Ultra is again the best setting, averaging 103 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, allowing for smooth gameplay with all visual features enabled. High averages 138 FPS, and Medium averages 158 FPS, but Ultra is the clear recommendation for those who prioritize image quality.

At 1080p, Ultra averages 141 FPS, making it the best setting. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold, and the system has enough performance to handle even the most demanding presets. High averages 188 FPS, and Medium averages 216 FPS, but Ultra is the only setting that fully utilizes the GPU’s capabilities without any risk of dropping below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 67 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at if I want maximum frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 270 FPS on average, which is the highest measured frame rate in the data.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The GPU is more important at 1440p. The frame rate drops from 223 FPS at Low to 103 FPS at Ultra, a 120 FPS difference that is driven by GPU load, not CPU limitations.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from Medium to Ultra at 4K?

A: The average FPS drops from 102 at Medium to 67 at Ultra, a 35 FPS decrease. This indicates that Ultra settings impose a significant additional load on the GPU.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at all presets across all resolutions?

A: Yes. The lowest average FPS recorded is 67 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold. Every tested resolution and preset combination achieves at least 67 FPS on average.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for Medium settings?

A: At 4K Medium, the minimum is 87 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 134 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 183 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system delivers an average of 144 FPS on Low settings, 102 FPS on Medium, 89 FPS on High, and 67 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has recorded minimum and maximum values of 87 FPS and 117 FPS respectively, showing a 30 FPS variance. The High and Ultra presets do not have min/max data, but the averages are 89 FPS and 67 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 223 FPS on Low, 158 FPS on Medium, 138 FPS on High, and 103 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 134 FPS and a maximum of 182 FPS, a 48 FPS spread. The Low preset at 223 FPS is the highest average at this resolution, and even Ultra remains well above the playable threshold.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 270 FPS on Low, 216 FPS on Medium, 188 FPS on High, and 141 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset records a minimum of 183 FPS and a maximum of 248 FPS. This is the highest-performing resolution, with all presets delivering frame rates that are more than double the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol. The verdict is clear: at 3840x2160, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with Ultra averaging 67 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true, with Ultra averaging 103 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 141 FPS. The data confirms that the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution and every preset tested.

The only caveat is that the 4K Ultra result of 67 FPS is close to the threshold, meaning that any future game updates or more demanding scenes could push it below 60 FPS. For a comfortable experience, the 1440p Ultra setting at 103 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a high level of visual fidelity with a significant performance buffer. At 1080p, the system is overkill, as even Ultra settings produce 141 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores 13,492 (0% difference), the Intel Core i5-9500 at 13,452 (0.3% faster), the Intel Core 5 120UL at 13,594 (0.7% slower), and the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13,351 (1.1% faster). These processors would behave similarly in this game, meaning they would likely produce comparable CPU-bound frame rates at 1080p Low settings.

The GPU’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB, which scores 19,334 (0.4% slower), the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 at 19,602 (1% faster), the AMD FirePro D300 at 19,637 (1.2% faster), and the NVIDIA TITAN Xp at 19,177 (1.2% slower). These GPUs would provide similar frame rates to the RX 7900 XTX in this game, though the GTX 1060’s 3 GB of memory could be a limitation at 4K Ultra. The TITAN Xp, despite being older, would be the closest match in terms of raw performance, while the Quadro and FirePro cards are workstation parts that may not have the same driver optimization for gaming.