Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Lockdown Protocol with this configuration, an Intel Core i3-12100F paired with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, shows a clear hierarchy across resolutions and presets. The average frame rates are the primary metric in the database, with no separate minimum or maximum values recorded for any resolution or setting.

At 1920x1080, the configuration delivers a wide performance spread. The Low preset produces the highest average at 132.9 FPS. Medium follows at 92.1 FPS, and High reaches 79 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 58.9 FPS, which sits just below the 60 FPS playability threshold used in the database. This makes Ultra the only preset at this resolution that fails to clear the target, while the other three settings remain comfortably above it.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages scale downward as expected. Low still leads with 97.5 FPS. Medium records 67.5 FPS, and High posts 61.5 FPS. Ultra falls to 44.9 FPS, a significant step below the playable mark. The data shows that at this resolution, three presets remain playable, but the margin for High is narrow, only 1.5 FPS above the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the configuration struggles more noticeably. Low is the only preset that stays playable, with an average of 63.1 FPS. Medium drops to 41.4 FPS, High falls to 37 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30.8 FPS. The gap between Low and the next preset, Medium, is 21.7 FPS, which indicates a steep performance cliff when moving beyond the lowest settings at 4K.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the Low preset always provides the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, then Ultra. The absolute differences between presets widen at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from Low to Ultra is 74 FPS. At 1440p, it narrows to 52.6 FPS. At 4K, the spread is 32.3 FPS. This suggests that at higher resolutions, the graphics card becomes the limiting factor, compressing the frame rate differences between settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the dominant constraint in this pairing, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU holds 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus, with a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s, and its recorded performance percentile sits at 47 among all GPUs. The Intel Core i3-12100F, by contrast, ranks at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, with a multithreaded PassMark score of 14015 and a single-thread score of 3444. The CPU's stronger relative standing suggests it is less likely to bottleneck the system in most scenarios.

Resolution scaling tells the story. At 3840x2160, the frame rates collapse quickly as settings rise: Low averages 63.1 FPS, Medium 41.4 FPS, High 37 FPS, and Ultra 30.8 FPS. This steep decline with increasing graphical load is characteristic of a GPU-bound situation. The GTX 1070, with a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s, simply cannot sustain high settings at 4K. The CPU's role at this resolution is secondary, as the workload is dominated by rasterization and memory bandwidth demands.

At 2560x1440, the GPU still leads the constraint, but the CPU begins to show its capability. The High preset averages 61.5 FPS, which is only 1.5 FPS above the playable threshold, while Medium reaches 67.5 FPS. The delta between Low and High is 36 FPS, a substantial range that reflects the GPU's sensitivity to settings changes. The i3-12100F's four cores and eight threads, with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, provide enough headroom to keep pace, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding playable preset at this resolution stays above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the balance shifts slightly toward the CPU. The Low preset reaches 132.9 FPS, a very high average that suggests the GPU can push frames quickly when the load is light. The CPU's single-thread performance, measured at 893 in 3DMark single-thread and 1674 in Cinebench R23 single-core, becomes more relevant at these high frame rates, as the processor must feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. Still, the GPU remains the primary factor, since Ultra drops to 58.9 FPS, just below the threshold, while the CPU shows no sign of holding the system back at lower settings.

The overall picture is clear: the GTX 1070 is the limiting component across all resolutions and presets in Lockdown Protocol. The CPU, ranked in the 68th percentile, is sufficient to support the GPU's output, and the recorded data does not show a scenario where the i3-12100F becomes the bottleneck before the GPU exhausts its capabilities.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database identifies the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS for each resolution. These are the recommended settings for a smooth experience.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is High, with an average of 79 FPS. This is 19 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a comfortable margin. Ultra falls to 58.9 FPS, so it is not recommended for consistent playability. The jump from High to Ultra costs 20.1 FPS, which is not worth the marginal visual gain for most players.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is also High, with an average of 61.5 FPS. This is just 1.5 FPS above the threshold, making it a close call. Medium delivers 67.5 FPS, which offers a larger safety margin, but High remains technically playable according to the recorded data. Players who prioritize stability over maximum quality may prefer Medium at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the best and only playable preset is Low, with an average of 63.1 FPS. This is 3.1 FPS above the threshold. Medium drops to 41.4 FPS, a loss of 21.7 FPS, which is too large to consider for 60 FPS play. The data shows that 4K gaming with this configuration is possible only at the lowest settings.

In summary, the recommended presets are High at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Low at 4K. These are the maximum settings that maintain an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: No. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 58.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at this resolution is High, with an average of 79 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 2560x1440?

A: High is the best playable preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 61.5 FPS. It is only 1.5 FPS above the threshold, so Medium at 67.5 FPS is a more stable alternative if frame rate variance is a concern.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this configuration?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 63.1 FPS. Medium drops to 41.4 FPS, High to 37 FPS, and Ultra to 30.8 FPS, all of which are unplayable by the database's 60 FPS standard.

Q: Which component is more important for this game?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary constraint. Its performance percentile is 47, compared to the Intel Core i3-12100F's 68th percentile. The frame rate drops sharply as resolution and settings increase, which indicates GPU-bound behavior.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average is 79 FPS. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average is 61.5 FPS. This is a drop of 17.5 FPS, or roughly a 22% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this configuration?

A: The highest recorded average is 132.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The next highest is 97.5 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals in the database provide context for how this hardware compares to similar components. These are not direct substitutes, but they indicate the performance neighborhood in which this CPU and GPU operate.

For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the closest alternatives by average benchmark score are the Intel Core 3 N355, the Intel Core i5-9500, the Intel Core 5 120UL, and the Intel Core i7-1250U. The Core 3 N355 has an average score of 13492, a 0% delta from the i3-12100F's 13494 average. The Core i5-9500 scores 13452, which is 0.3% lower. The Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% higher. The Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% lower. These four chips all sit within a 1.1% band of the i3-12100F's average score, meaning any of them would likely produce very similar CPU-bound behavior in Lockdown Protocol.

For the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, the nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro W5000, the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, the NVIDIA Tesla M10, and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070. The FirePro W5000 has an average score of 9803, which is 0.2% higher than the GTX 1070's 9780 average. The Quadro M2000M scores 9832, 0.5% higher. The Tesla M10 scores 9724, 0.6% lower. The Tesla C2070 scores 9716, 0.7% lower. These GPUs all fall within a 1.2% range of the GTX 1070's average score. However, it is notably several of these are workstation or professional parts, so their real-world gaming performance could differ from their synthetic scores. The data indicates that any of these GPUs would likely produce comparable frame rates in this game, given the same CPU and settings.

The combination of the i3-12100F's CPU rivals and the GTX 1070's GPU rivals suggests that a system built with, for example, an Intel Core i5-9500 and an AMD FirePro W5000 would sit in a similar performance class. The deltas are all under 1.2% for both components, so the measured FPS results for Lockdown Protocol would likely be very close to those recorded for the i3-12100F and GTX 1070 pairing.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. The verdict by resolution is clear.

At 1920x1080, the configuration is fully playable on Low, Medium, and High presets, with averages of 132.9 FPS, 92.1 FPS, and 79 FPS respectively. Ultra misses the 60 FPS mark by a narrow margin, averaging 58.9 FPS. The recommended setting is High, which provides the best quality while staying above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the configuration remains playable on Low, Medium, and High, with averages of 97.5 FPS, 67.5 FPS, and 61.5 FPS. High is the best playable preset, but its margin is thin. Ultra is not playable, averaging 44.9 FPS. The recommendation is High, with Medium as a safer choice for players who want more headroom.

At 3840x2160, the configuration is only playable on Low, with an average of 63.1 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall well below the threshold, at 41.4 FPS, 37 FPS, and 30.8 FPS. The recommendation is Low, and players who want higher settings at 4K would need a more powerful GPU.

Overall, the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination delivers a playable experience in Lockdown Protocol at 1080p and 1440p with medium-to-high settings, and at 4K only with the lowest settings. The GPU is the limiting factor, and its 47th percentile ranking reflects that. The CPU, ranked at the 68th percentile, provides sufficient performance to avoid becoming the primary bottleneck in this game. The combo ranks 3097 out of 3714 tested combinations in the database, which places it in the lower portion of the field, but the recorded frame rates confirm that it clears the 60 FPS bar at the recommended settings for each resolution.