Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a strong performance profile for Lockdown Protocol, with benchmark data showing the system comfortably surpassing the 60 FPS threshold at most settings. The pairing is notably balanced: the CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all tested processors, while the GPU ranks at the 81st percentile, creating a system where neither component is an obvious bottleneck at standard gaming resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Core i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13494 places it in close company with several other processors. The Intel Core 3 N355 matches it almost exactly with a score of 13492 and a delta of 0 percent, making it a near-identical alternative in terms of compute performance. The Intel Core i5-9500 trails by just 0.3 percent with a score of 13452, while the Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7 percent ahead at 13594. The Intel Core i7-1250U leads this group by 1.1 percent with a score of 13351. These rivals would deliver essentially the same CPU-bound behavior in Lockdown Protocol, meaning frame pacing and physics calculations would feel similar.

On the graphics side, the RTX 4070's average score of 37648 puts it alongside some unexpected competitors. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 is nearly identical at 37628 with a 0.1 percent delta. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 comes within 0.4 percent at 37507, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3 percent faster at 38135. The AMD Radeon PRO W6400 trails by 1.3 percent at 37157. For Lockdown Protocol, these GPUs would produce comparable frame rates, though the desktop RTX 4070 benefits from its dedicated power delivery and cooling design. Gameplay at 1080p and 1440p would feel largely interchangeable among these graphics alternatives, with the RTX 4070's advantage shrinking as resolution drops and CPU load becomes more prominent.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear division of labor between the two components across resolutions. At 4K, the GPU dominates the workload. Moving from Low to High settings at 3840x2160, average FPS drops from 123 to 76, a 38 percent reduction that reflects the RTX 4070's pixel-pushing limits. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the high-resolution textures, but the rendering load grows steeply with each preset tier.

At 1440p, the balance shifts slightly. The jump from Low (191 FPS) to High (118 FPS) represents a 38 percent drop, similar to 4K, but the absolute headroom is much larger. The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads start to matter more here, as the i3-12100F's 3.30 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock keep feeding the GPU with draw calls. The 3DMark 4-thread score of 2859 and 8-thread score of 4026 indicate adequate throughput for this resolution class.

At 1080p, the CPU becomes the primary constraint. Low settings hit 260 FPS, but this is far above the display refresh rate of most monitors. The scaling from Medium (185 FPS) to Ultra (121 FPS) shows the GPU still has headroom, yet the CPU's single-thread performance — a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 — limits how far the system can push beyond 260 FPS. For competitive play at high refresh rates, the i3-12100F would be the first component to saturate, though in practice this only matters for users with 240 Hz or faster displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system delivers playable performance across most presets. Low settings average 123 FPS. Medium settings show an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 101, providing a stable window for 4K gaming. High settings average 76 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings drop to 57 FPS average, which falls below the playable mark and also lacks recorded minimum and maximum values.

At 2560x1440, performance is strong across the board. Low settings average 191 FPS. Medium settings average 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 and maximum of 156. High settings reach 118 FPS average. Ultra settings maintain 89 FPS average, comfortably clearing the 60 FPS line. The Medium preset's minimum of 115 FPS indicates consistent frame delivery without severe dips.

At 1920x1080, the system excels. Low settings produce 260 FPS average. Medium settings average 185 FPS with a minimum of 157 and maximum of 213. High settings hit 161 FPS average. Ultra settings still deliver 121 FPS average. The Medium preset's minimum of 157 FPS shows that even during intense combat sequences, the frame rate remains well above display refresh rates for most monitors.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, and it does so with considerable authority. At 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best choice at 76 FPS average. Ultra at 4K falls short at 57 FPS, below the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, every setting is playable, with Ultra delivering 89 FPS average as the best option. At 1920x1080, all settings clear the threshold, with Ultra providing 121 FPS average. For users targeting 60 FPS, the system has margin to spare at 1440p and 1080p. At 4K, the recommended approach is High settings, which balances visual fidelity against the 76 FPS average. The data shows no minimum FPS values for most presets, but the Medium presets at each resolution — which include recorded minimums — all stay above 74 FPS, suggesting the system maintains smooth frame delivery under load.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, at High, Low, and Medium settings. The High preset averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74, and Low averages 123 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K average 57 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p?

A: Ultra is the best option at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 89 FPS. All four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at this resolution, with even the lowest recorded minimum (115 FPS on Medium) far exceeding the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Core i3-12100F becomes the limiting factor. The system reaches 260 FPS on Low settings, but the CPU's 4-core, 8-thread design and single-thread score of 893 prevent higher frame rates. This only matters for users with monitors refreshing above 260 Hz.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded in the data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 74, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This is still above the 60 FPS playable threshold, indicating the system maintains playable frame rates even in demanding scenes.

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

A: The combination ranks 874 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the upper quarter of all tested configurations. This reflects the strong pairing of the 68th percentile CPU with the 81st percentile GPU.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 the main performance driver at 4K?

A: Yes. The GPU's workload increases significantly with resolution. At 4K, dropping from High to Low settings improves average FPS from 76 to 123, a 62 percent gain. This scaling demonstrates that the RTX 4070's rendering capacity, not the CPU, determines 4K performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i3-12100F and RTX 4070 combination ranks 874th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 76th percentile of all tested systems. This is a strong result, particularly considering the CPU's modest specifications. The i3-12100F's 68th percentile ranking among CPUs is offset by the RTX 4070's 81st percentile GPU ranking, creating a system that punches above its processor tier. The ranking reflects the game's GPU-heavy nature at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the system's 121 FPS on Ultra settings puts it in the upper echelon of tested configurations, while at 4K, the 76 FPS on High settings demonstrates that the GPU can compensate for the CPU's limited core count. The 874th rank is consistent with the measured data: this is a high-performance pairing that handles Lockdown Protocol with room to spare at most settings, with the only caveat being 4K Ultra, which falls just short of the playable threshold.