Lockdown Protocol

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i3-12100F sits in a tightly contested performance band according to the database. Its average benchmark score of 13,494 places it within 1.1% of several comparable processors. The closest match is the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13,492, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452, which is 0.3% lower, while the Intel Core 5 120UL reaches 13,594, putting it 0.7% higher. The Intel Core i7-1250U trails by 1.1% with a score of 13,351. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver near-identical frame pacing and CPU-bound behavior in Lockdown Protocol, though the i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz give it a slight edge in lightly threaded scenes.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti posts an average benchmark score of 7,723, which places it at the 41st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals cluster within 2.3%. The AMD Radeon 540 scores 7,673, a 0.7% gap, making it the closest alternative. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 trails by 1.9% at 7,580, while the AMD Radeon R7 250 sits 2.2% behind at 7,557. The Intel Arc A310 rounds out the group at 7,550, a 2.3% deficit. None of these rivals offer the GTX 1660 Ti's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, which matters for texture-heavy scenes at higher resolutions. The 1660 Ti's 1,536 shading units and 48 ROPs provide a consistent baseline for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the delta between these rivals is small enough that swapping between them would produce nearly imperceptible differences in average frame rate.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records exact measured frame rates for each resolution and preset combination. The playability threshold is 60 FPS, and the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that stays at or above that mark.

At 3840x2160 (4K), no preset achieves 60 FPS. The highest average recorded is 58 FPS on Low settings, which still falls short of the threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47. High drops to 36 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 27 FPS. The verdict for 4K is clear: this combination cannot maintain playable frame rates at any quality level, so the database lists no playable settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73. Low settings run at 90 FPS on average, while High falls to 56 FPS, just below the threshold. Ultra averages 42 FPS. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the recommended choice for visual fidelity while staying above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are High, which averages 76 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS. Low runs at 122 FPS, Medium at 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 100, and Ultra drops to 57 FPS, narrowly missing the 60 FPS threshold. The playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High offering the best balance of quality and performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear shift in component bottleneck behavior as resolution scales. At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence is more pronounced. The i3-12100F's single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark and its 3dmark_4_threads score of 2,859 indicate strong per-core performance, which helps at lower resolutions where the GPU has headroom. The jump from Low (122 FPS) to Medium (87 FPS) to High (76 FPS) shows a 37% drop from Low to High, suggesting the GPU starts to become the limiting factor as settings increase, but the CPU still contributes meaningfully to frame pacing.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's role grows. The GTX 1660 Ti's pixel rate of 84.96 GPixel/s and texture rate of 169.9 GTexel/s become more relevant as the pixel count increases. The frame rate drops from 90 FPS on Low to 64 FPS on Medium, a 29% reduction, and further to 56 FPS on High. The scaling between Low and Medium (26 FPS difference) versus Medium to High (8 FPS difference) indicates that the GPU is approaching its fill-rate limits at this resolution, while the CPU still manages to feed it adequately.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck. The GTX 1660 Ti's 288.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 5.437 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are simply insufficient for 4K. The frame rates compress into a narrow band: 58 FPS on Low, 41 FPS on Medium, 36 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 53% reduction, which is far steeper than at lower resolutions. This indicates that the GPU's shading units and ROPs are saturated, and the CPU's 4-core, 8-thread configuration has ample headroom to handle the game's logic at 4K. The i3-12100F's passmark multithread score of 14,015 suggests it can keep up with the GTX 1660 Ti's output even at 4K, but the GPU simply cannot render enough frames.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but with significant resolution-based caveats. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers a solid experience. High settings average 76 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium runs at 87 FPS, and Low hits 122 FPS. Ultra falls just short at 57 FPS, so players seeking maximum quality would need to accept a slight dip below 60 FPS or drop to High.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable but with fewer options. Medium settings average 64 FPS, which clears the threshold, and Low runs at 90 FPS. High averages 56 FPS, just under the mark, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS. The recommended configuration is Medium at 1440p for a stable experience above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is negative. No preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 58 FPS, which still fails the threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, High runs at 36 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 27 FPS. For 4K gaming, this combination is not viable, and users should either lower the resolution or accept sub-60 FPS performance.

The overall picture is that the i3-12100F and GTX 1660 Ti make a capable 1080p and entry-level 1440p pairing. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 41st percentile ranking among all GPUs indicate a balanced mid-range setup, but the GPU's age and memory configuration cap the system's ceiling at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following figures are directly from the recorded measurements in the database. Minimum and maximum values are only provided for Medium settings at each resolution.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: average 27 FPS
• High: average 36 FPS
• Medium: average 41 FPS, minimum 35, maximum 47
• Low: average 58 FPS

2560x1440 (QHD):

• Ultra: average 42 FPS
• High: average 56 FPS
• Medium: average 64 FPS, minimum 54, maximum 73
• Low: average 90 FPS

1920x1080 (FHD):

• Ultra: average 57 FPS
• High: average 76 FPS
• Medium: average 87 FPS, minimum 74, maximum 100
• Low: average 122 FPS

The Medium settings at 1080p show the narrowest minimum-to-maximum spread in percentage terms, with a 26 FPS range (74 to 100). At 1440p, the Medium spread is 19 FPS (54 to 73), and at 4K it is 12 FPS (35 to 47). This tightening of the range as resolution increases further confirms that the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher pixel counts.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p on Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS on Ultra at 1920x1080 is 57, which falls 3 FPS short of the 60 FPS playability threshold. High settings are the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: The database recommends 2560x1440 on Medium settings, which averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 and maximum of 73. Alternatively, 1920x1080 on High settings averages 76 FPS, providing a higher frame rate but lower resolution.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GTX 1660 Ti scores 7,723 on average, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon 540 (7,673), 1.9% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (7,580), 2.2% higher than the AMD Radeon R7 250 (7,557), and 2.3% higher than the Intel Arc A310 (7,550).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck at 3840x2160. The frame rates range from 27 FPS on Ultra to 58 FPS on Low, with no preset reaching 60 FPS. The CPU's performance metrics, such as a 3dmark_max_threads score of 4,023, indicate it has sufficient headroom, but the GTX 1660 Ti cannot render enough frames at this resolution.

Q: What frame rates can I expect on Medium settings across all resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium averages 87 FPS (minimum 74, maximum 100). At 2560x1440, Medium averages 64 FPS (minimum 54, maximum 73). At 3840x2160, Medium averages 41 FPS (minimum 35, maximum 47). Only the 1080p and 1440p Medium presets clear the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combination of Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ranks 3,199 out of 3,714 tested combos. This places it in the lower portion of the database, consistent with its 1080p and entry-level 1440p performance profile.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Lockdown Protocol is 3,199 out of 3,714 tested combinations. This percentile positioning, roughly the 14th percentile from the bottom, reflects the hardware's age and tier. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs is relatively strong, but the GPU's 41st percentile ranking drags the overall combination down. The GTX 1660 Ti's end-of-life production status and 6 GB memory capacity limit its ability to handle modern FPS titles at high resolutions, even though the CPU can keep pace.

Within the database's measured results, this combo sits in the lower third of tested systems. The 1080p High average of 76 FPS is respectable for a mid-range setup, but the 4K results (27 to 58 FPS depending on settings) are well below what higher-ranked combinations achieve. The gap between this system and the top of the database is substantial, driven primarily by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth constraints. The i3-12100F's 12 MB L3 cache and 4.30 GHz boost clock provide a solid foundation, but without a stronger GPU, the combo cannot climb higher in the rankings. For players targeting 1080p or moderate 1440p, this rank is acceptable; for 4K or high-refresh-rate gaming, the database clearly shows this combination is out of its depth.