Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a broad range of frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, scaling from a highly fluid 258.4 FPS average at 1080p Low to a still-respectable 57 FPS average at 4K Ultra. The data indicates a system that is heavily overqualified for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K Ultra presents a marginal miss of the 60 FPS playability threshold. Across all twelve measured configurations, the combination never drops below 57 FPS average, demonstrating consistent headroom over the 60 FPS target except for the single most demanding preset at the highest resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the i3-12100F and RX 9070 XT produce exceptional frame rates. The Low preset delivers an average of 258.4 FPS, Medium reaches 181.8 FPS, and High achieves 161.1 FPS. The Ultra preset remains highly playable with an average of 121.4 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 137 FPS drop, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a substantial load increase, yet the absolute performance stays well above any competitive threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. The Low preset yields 191.2 FPS average, Medium produces 132.6 FPS, and High hits 115.6 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers 88.7 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a wide margin. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 102.5 FPS, showing that the GPU still has significant headroom even when settings are maxed out.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more constrained. The Low preset averages 124.6 FPS, Medium achieves 85.5 FPS, and High produces 73.6 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS average, which is 3 FPS below the playable threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 67.6 FPS, a smaller absolute gap than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

All measured FPS data points are averages; no minimum or maximum frame time data was available for any configuration. The lack of min/max values means the analysis relies solely on average performance, which can mask transient stutters. However, the consistently high averages suggest that even worst-case dips are unlikely to fall below playable levels in the presets that clear 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear trend where the GPU's role becomes more dominant as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extraordinarily high, with the Low preset exceeding 250 FPS. This suggests that the CPU, a 4-core/8-thread Alder Lake part with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, is capable of feeding the RX 9070 XT sufficiently at lower resolutions, but the GPU is not fully saturated. The massive 137 FPS drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p indicates that GPU load scales heavily with settings, while the CPU maintains a relatively consistent output.

At 2560x1440, the scaling pattern shifts. The difference between Low and Ultra is 102.5 FPS, a smaller gap than at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is beginning to approach its limits, though the CPU still provides ample headroom. The 88.7 FPS average at Ultra is strong evidence that the i3-12100F does not bottleneck the RX 9070 XT at this resolution in this game.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The frame rate differential between Low and Ultra is only 67.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset barely misses 60 FPS. The CPU's 3DMark scores, including 4051 for 16 threads and 893 for single thread, suggest it has sufficient compute for this title, but the RX 9070 XT's 48.66 TFLOPS FP32 performance is simply not enough to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. The resolution scaling from 1440p to 4K at the same Ultra preset shows a drop from 88.7 to 57 FPS, a 35.7% reduction, which directly reflects the pixel count increase and the GPU's memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s being taxed.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination ranks 968 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the 73.9th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of all other CPU-GPU pairings tested for this game. The ranking is notable because the CPU itself has a percentile of 68 against all CPUs, and the GPU has a percentile of 55 against all GPUs. The combined result being higher than either individual component percentile suggests that Lockdown Protocol is not particularly demanding on either component, and the pairing works synergistically to achieve high frame rates.

The combo's rank of 968 out of 3714 indicates that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it sits comfortably in the upper quartile. The data shows that the system clears the playable threshold at every resolution and preset except 4K Ultra, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the fact that the GPU is the more dominant factor in determining final performance, with the CPU providing sufficient support at all tested resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i3-12100F, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 and a delta of 0%, the Intel Core i5-9500 with a score of 13452 and a 0.3% delta, the Intel Core 5 120UL with a score of 13594 and a -0.7% delta, and the Intel Core i7-1250U with a score of 13351 and a 1.1% delta. These CPUs would behave nearly identically to the i3-12100F in Lockdown Protocol, as their compute performance is within 1.1% of each other. Swapping in any of these would result in negligible frame rate changes, as the game is not CPU-bound at the tested settings.

For the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, the nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7770M with an average score of 13536 and a 0.1% delta, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 with a score of 13515 and a 0.2% delta, the NVIDIA P106-090 with a score of 13470 and a 0.5% delta, and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 with a score of 13407 and a 1% delta. These GPUs have average benchmark scores within 1% of the RX 9070 XT, meaning they would produce very similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. However, the RX 9070 XT's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus width are significantly more capable than these older rivals, so the similarity in average benchmark scores may not translate to identical performance in every scenario. For this game, the close scores suggest that any of these GPUs would deliver comparable FPS at each resolution and preset.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset offers the highest visual quality while maintaining an average of 121.4 FPS, making it the best choice for this resolution. The Low preset reaches 258.4 FPS, which is useful for competitive play, but Ultra provides more than double the 60 FPS requirement.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best option, delivering an average of 88.7 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the maximum visual fidelity available in the game. The High preset at 115.6 FPS is also viable for users who prefer higher frame rates, but Ultra offers the best balance of quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding configuration that stays at or above 60 FPS, with an average of 73.6 FPS. The Medium preset at 85.5 FPS and Low at 124.6 FPS also clear the threshold, but High provides the best visual quality among playable options. The Ultra preset falls short with 57 FPS average, so it should be avoided for a smooth experience.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 57, which is 3 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset is the best playable option at 4K, with an average of 73.6 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 88.7 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that remains comfortably above 60 FPS. All four presets at 1440p clear the threshold.

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

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, which is essentially identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% delta). The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 (-0.7% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 (1.1% delta). All four rivals are within 1.1% performance, so swapping CPUs would yield negligible differences in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 258.4. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 124.6. This represents a 133.8 FPS reduction when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings, showing the significant impact of resolution on the GPU.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset drops below 60 FPS. At 1440p and 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the High and Ultra presets maintaining high frame rates. The CPU's performance is sufficient across all tested resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 968 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the upper 26% of all configurations. This rank is higher than the individual percentiles of the CPU (68th) and GPU (55th), indicating the pairing is well-suited for this game.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT can run Lockdown Protocol with high fidelity at most resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system runs all presets well above 60 FPS, with the Ultra preset reaching 121.4 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 88.7 FPS average, providing a fully playable experience at maximum settings. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best playable option with 73.6 FPS average, while the Ultra preset falls short at 57 FPS. The system is clearly playable for the vast majority of configurations, with only the single most demanding combination—4K Ultra—missing the 60 FPS target. For users targeting 1080p or 1440p, this combo offers significant performance headroom and can handle the game's highest settings without issue. At 4K, users must compromise on the Ultra preset but can still enjoy High settings with ample frame rates. The data confirms this is a capable configuration for Lockdown Protocol, provided the user selects appropriate settings for their desired resolution.