Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that demands a balanced blend of CPU and GPU throughput, and the pairing of an Intel Core i3-12100F with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a surprisingly effective combination for high-refresh-rate play. The data indicates that this combo ranks 301st out of 3714 tested configurations, placing it in the top 8% of all possible pairings for this title. This strong relative standing stems from the RTX 4080’s immense rasterization power, which compensates for the i3-12100F’s more modest multi-threaded capabilities, allowing the system to push very high frame rates even at demanding resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination's 301st place ranking out of 3714 tested combos puts it firmly in the upper echelon of systems for Lockdown Protocol. This position is largely driven by the GPU’s exceptional performance; the RTX 4080 sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the i3-12100F is more modestly placed in the 68th percentile of CPUs. The benchmark results show that this pairing clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every tested resolution and settings preset, which is a significant achievement. The data reveals that the system is not just playable but exceedingly fast, with average frame rates ranging from 73 FPS at 4K Ultra to 270 FPS at 1080p Low. This ranking suggests that for Lockdown Protocol, the graphics card is the dominant factor in determining overall performance, as its high average benchmark score of 54247 effectively lifts the entire system, even when paired with a mid-range processor.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the "Ultra" quality setting. At 3840x2160 (4K), the system achieves an average of 73 FPS on Ultra, which is the highest visual fidelity option available. Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset delivers a much more comfortable 113 FPS average, providing a significant margin above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset yields an even higher 155 FPS average, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data shows that every resolution can run at maximum settings without dropping below the playable threshold, so the "best" setting is consistently Ultra across all three resolutions. The only caveat is that the 4K Ultra preset, while playable at 73 FPS, has less headroom for demanding scenes compared to the other resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions clearly indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck for this combo in Lockdown Protocol. When moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at Ultra settings drops from 155 to 113, a reduction of 27%. Further scaling to 4K Ultra results in another significant drop to 73 FPS, a 53% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline with increasing resolution is classic evidence of GPU-bound performance, as the graphics card's workload grows exponentially with pixel count. Conversely, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 270 FPS, which is likely approaching the maximum frame output the i3-12100F can feed. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 115 FPS (270 vs 155), while at 4K the difference is only 84 FPS (157 vs 73). This pattern confirms that the CPU is more relevant at lower resolutions where the GPU can render frames faster than the processor can issue draw calls, while at 4K, the GPU's rendering time dominates the frame time budget.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i3-12100F are processors with nearly identical average benchmark scores. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492, a 0% difference from the i3-12100F's 13494. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, which is 0.3% lower. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, 1.1% lower. For Lockdown Protocol, these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates, meaning any of these could serve as a drop-in replacement without materially changing performance. On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the closest match, with an average score of 54209, just 0.1% behind the RTX 4080's 54247. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698, 2.6% higher) and AMD Radeon 8060S (55757, 2.7% higher) are also within a few percentage points. This means that swapping the RTX 4080 for any of these GPUs would yield very similar FPS in this game, with the AMD options providing a marginal 2-3% uplift and the 4080 SUPER performing almost identically.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 270 FPS. Medium settings average 236 FPS, with a minimum of 201 and a maximum of 272. High settings average 206 FPS. Ultra settings still achieve a robust 155 FPS. At 2560x1440, performance remains very high. Low settings average 244 FPS. Medium settings average 173 FPS, with a minimum of 147 and a maximum of 199. High settings average 151 FPS. Ultra settings maintain a smooth 113 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system stays well above the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings average 157 FPS. Medium settings average 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 129. High settings average 98 FPS. Ultra settings deliver 73 FPS. The minimum frame rate data is only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution, showing that even the lowest dips (95 FPS at 4K, 147 FPS at 1440p, 201 FPS at 1080p) remain comfortably above the playable threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: Yes. The data shows that at 3840x2160, the system achieves a 73 FPS average on the Ultra preset, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other settings (High, Medium, Low) also exceed 60 FPS.

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

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440, delivering a 113 FPS average. This is the most demanding preset available, and it clears the 60 FPS requirement with a substantial margin.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: The CPU becomes more influential at 1080p, as evidenced by the 115 FPS difference between Low (270 FPS) and Ultra (155 FPS) settings. At this resolution, the GPU can render frames faster than the i3-12100F can issue draw calls, making the processor a more significant factor.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER in this context?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080's 54247. In practical terms, this means the two graphics cards would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the measured average FPS is 151. This is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold and represents a strong balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: Does the system ever drop below 60 FPS at any tested setting?

A: No. The lowest recorded minimum frame rate across all resolutions and settings is 95 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 on Medium settings. Every single configuration tested maintains an average FPS above 73, far exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold.

The Verdict

This PC configuration is unequivocally capable of running Lockdown Protocol at maximum settings across all tested resolutions. The verdict data is unambiguous: at 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Ultra with an average of 73 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is also Ultra with a 113 FPS average; and at 1920x1080, Ultra delivers a 155 FPS average. In every case, the system not only meets but significantly exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. The RTX 4080's massive performance headroom ensures that even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset remains smooth, while the i3-12100F provides enough single-threaded power to sustain high frame rates at lower resolutions. For a player targeting 1440p or 1080p high-refresh-rate monitors, this combo is more than sufficient, and it even offers a viable 4K experience without compromise. The only potential concern is the 73 FPS average at 4K Ultra, which leaves less headroom for future patches or more demanding scenes, but as of the current data, this system runs Lockdown Protocol flawlessly at any setting.