Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a formidable Lockdown Protocol experience, with measured frame rates that comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across nearly every resolution and preset combination. The data shows a system that scales predictably with graphical demands, offering headroom for high-refresh-rate displays at lower resolutions while maintaining smooth performance even at 4K with sensible settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces exceptional frame rates that maximize the potential of fast gaming monitors. The Low preset reaches a measured average of 250.3 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded for this pairing. Moving to Medium yields 177.1 FPS, while the High preset delivers 156.5 FPS. The most demanding setting at this resolution, Ultra, still produces a robust 113.7 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is substantial, with a difference of 136.6 FPS, representing a 54.6% performance drop when pushing all graphical features to maximum.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain highly competitive. The Low preset achieves 181.4 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate gameplay. Medium settings deliver 131.8 FPS, while High produces 111.6 FPS. At Ultra, the average drops to 87.8 FPS, which remains fully playable and smooth for most users. The scaling between Low and Ultra at this resolution shows a reduction of 93.6 FPS, or 51.6% of the Low preset performance.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to encounter the limits of the RTX 3080's 10 GB GDDR6X memory and 320-bit bus, yet still maintains playable performance across most presets. The Low preset delivers 120.8 FPS, demonstrating the GPU's raw computational strength when graphical effects are minimized. Medium produces 84.1 FPS, while High achieves 71.8 FPS, both comfortably above the 60 FPS benchmark. However, the Ultra preset at 4K falls to 56.6 FPS, which is below the playability threshold and represents the only measured configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 64.2 FPS, a 53.1% drop.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 3080 carries the primary performance burden at higher resolutions, with the Core i3-12100F proving sufficient to avoid bottlenecking at lower settings. The data shows the frame rate gap between 1080p and 4K is most pronounced at low graphical settings, where the Low preset at 1080p yields 250.3 FPS versus 120.8 FPS at 4K — a 129.5 FPS difference that demonstrates GPU scaling with resolution. This suggests the CPU, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions where the graphics card is less stressed.

At higher presets, the resolution scaling becomes tighter. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 113.7 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 56.6 FPS — a 57.1 FPS difference. This pattern indicates that as graphical complexity increases, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint, with the CPU's role diminishing. The i3-12100F's single-thread performance, as indicated by its 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and PassMark single-thread score of 3444, appears sufficient for the game's frame pacing at these frame rates.

The scaling between Medium and High presets provides further insight. At 1080p, moving from Medium to High costs 20.6 FPS, while at 1440p the cost is 20.2 FPS, and at 4K it is 12.3 FPS. This nonlinear relationship suggests that at lower resolutions, where the GPU has excess capacity, the CPU's 4-core design may introduce minor limitations. However, the fact that Ultra at 1080p still achieves 113.7 FPS indicates that any CPU constraint is not severe enough to prevent high-refresh-rate gameplay.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 and a delta of 0%, meaning it performs essentially identically to the i3-12100F's average of 13494. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, representing a 0.3% delta, indicating the i3-12100F marginally outperforms this older six-core part in aggregate benchmarks. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, a -0.7% delta, meaning it is slightly ahead. The Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, putting it 1.1% behind. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the RTX 3080, as the game appears to be GPU-bound at most settings.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show surprisingly tight performance clustering. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, which is 0.3% below the RTX 3080's average benchmark score of 23172, indicating near-identical aggregate performance. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also 0.3% below. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, 0.4% below, while the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, also 0.4% below. These deltas are minimal, suggesting that swapping the RTX 3080 for any of these alternatives would produce very similar frame rates in this title. However, the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM capacity and 760.3 GB/s memory bandwidth provide additional headroom for texture-heavy scenes that the benchmark scores may not fully capture.

The Verdict

This PC can definitely run Lockdown Protocol, and it does so with authority. The verdictByResolution data confirms that at 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best playable setting at 71.8 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 4K falls short at 56.6 FPS, so users with 4K displays should stick to High or below for a consistent experience above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra as the best setting delivering 87.8 FPS. This is the sweet spot for this combination, offering the full graphical experience while maintaining frame rates well above the playability threshold. At 1920x1080, every preset clears 60 FPS, with Ultra achieving 113.7 FPS as the best playable setting. The 250.3 FPS Low preset figure demonstrates that esports-focused players seeking maximum frame rates will find this system highly capable.

The overall picture shows a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p gaming with all settings maxed, while 4K users need to moderate their expectations slightly by avoiding the Ultra preset. The 56.6 FPS at 4K Ultra is close to the 60 FPS threshold, and minor tweaks to specific settings could likely bridge that gap, though the data does not measure such configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations in the benchmark database, this pairing ranks 1019 out of 3714 total combinations. This places it in the top 27.4% of all systems tested for Lockdown Protocol, which is a strong showing given that the CPU is a budget quad-core part. The ranking reflects the dominant role of the GPU in this title's performance profile, as the RTX 3080's capabilities largely determine the outcome.

The percentileVsAllCpus figure of 68 for the i3-12100F indicates it outperforms 68% of all CPUs in the database, while the percentileVsAllGpus of 68 for the RTX 3080 puts it in a similar position relative to other graphics cards. These parallel percentiles suggest a reasonably balanced pairing, though the CPU ranking is notable given its modest 4-core specification. The rank of 1019 out of 3714 combinations confirms that while this system is not at the top of the leaderboard, it sits well within the upper tier of tested configurations for this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance this system can achieve in Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset delivers the highest measured average at 250.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 113.7 FPS, which is the best playable setting according to the verdict data.

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the measured average is 56.6 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 4K is the best playable option at 71.8 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494, while the Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492, a delta of 0%, meaning they are effectively tied in aggregate performance.

Q: What is the best setting for 2560x1440 gameplay?

A: The Ultra preset is the best playable setting at 1440p, achieving 87.8 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the full graphical experience.

Q: Which GPU rival is closest in performance to the RTX 3080?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 versus the RTX 3080's 23172, a delta of -0.3%, making it the nearest rival in terms of aggregate benchmark performance.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 measures 250.3 FPS, while Ultra measures 113.7 FPS, a difference of 136.6 FPS in favor of the Low setting.