Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an extreme pairing that delivers overwhelming frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. At every tested resolution, from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, this combination clears the 60 FPS playability threshold with massive headroom, even at the highest Ultra preset. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions but still maintains triple-digit averages at 4K. The bottleneck is clearly the 4-core CPU, yet the sheer performance of the RTX 5090 D masks this limitation in the game’s current benchmarks, producing results that would satisfy any enthusiast looking for maximum refresh rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this combo scales across three resolutions and four settings presets. The most demanding configuration tested is 3840x2160 Ultra, which still yields an average of 88 FPS. This is the only sub-100 FPS average in the entire dataset, but it remains comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 4K Medium, the average climbs to 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. The 4K High preset averages 118 FPS, while 4K Low reaches 190 FPS, showing a substantial 102 FPS gap between the lowest and highest settings at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes more extreme. The Ultra preset averages 137 FPS, which is 49 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result. High settings at 1440p reach 183 FPS, while Medium hits 209 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS. The 1440p Low preset is the standout, averaging 244 FPS, which is suitable for the highest refresh rate displays. The scaling from 4K to 1440p shows an average increase of roughly 55-60% across all presets, demonstrating that the RTX 5090 D has ample headroom when pixel count decreases.

At 1920x1080, the results are staggering. The Ultra preset averages 187 FPS, which is higher than the 1440p High result. Medium settings at 1080p produce an average of 238 FPS, with a minimum of 202 FPS and a maximum of 273 FPS, making it ideal for 240 Hz monitors. High settings reach 227 FPS, while Low settings hit 270 FPS. Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, suggesting that the CPU begins to limit performance at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low average of 270 FPS versus the 1440p Low average of 244 FPS shows only a 26 FPS difference, while the 1440p to 4K Low difference is 54 FPS, confirming the CPU bottleneck at lower pixel counts.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that the combo maintains strong low-frame performance. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 115 FPS represents an 85% stability ratio relative to the average. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 178 FPS is 85% of the average, and at 1080p Medium, the minimum of 202 FPS is 85% of the average. This consistency suggests that the i3-12100F’s 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient to avoid severe frame drops in this title, even when the GPU is producing very high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 106th out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 3% of all systems tested. This percentile placement is remarkable given the modest CPU. The rank is primarily driven by the GPU’s dominant performance, as the RTX 5090 D sits in the 92nd percentile against all GPUs in the database. The CPU, by contrast, is in the 68th percentile against all CPUs, which is solid for a budget processor but far from the top. The combination of a top-tier GPU with a mid-range CPU creates a lopsided profile that still achieves exceptional game performance due to the GPU’s massive compute resources.

The rank of 106 indicates that 3,608 other combos in the database produce lower frame rates in this specific game. This is an impressive result, especially considering that the database includes many high-end CPU and GPU pairings. The fact that this combo outperforms 97% of tested systems highlights the RTX 5090 D’s dominance. However, the gap between this combo and the very top-ranked systems is likely due to CPU limitations in CPU-bound scenarios, such as low-resolution, high-FPS situations. At 1080p Low, the 270 FPS average is impressive, but a system with a stronger CPU might push beyond 300 FPS in the same settings.

The percentile data for the GPU shows that the RTX 5090 D is within 2.4% of the top-performing GPU in its nearest rival group, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB. This indicates that the 5090 D is at the absolute forefront of GPU performance. The CPU, on the other hand, is within 1.1% of its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1250U, and within 0.7% of the Intel Core 5 120UL. This shows that the i3-12100F is competitive with other mid-range processors but is not a standout performer in its own right.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide insight into what other hardware would behave similarly in this game. For the CPU, the Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13,494. The closest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355, with a score of 13,492, a delta of 0%. This means the Core 3 N355 would deliver virtually identical CPU-bound performance. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452, which is 0.3% lower, making it a near-identical alternative. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13,594, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13,351, which is 1.1% lower. For a system builder, swapping the i3-12100F for any of these CPUs would result in negligible changes to frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, as the game does not appear to heavily stress the CPU beyond 8 threads.

For the GPU, the RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712. The nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, with a score of 76,904, a delta of 1.1% lower. This is surprisingly close, suggesting that the RX 6650M XT, despite being a mobile GPU, delivers comparable raw compute performance in synthetic benchmarks. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, which is 1.6% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396, which is 2.1% higher. The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605, which is 2.4% higher. These rivals indicate that the RTX 5090 D is positioned in a tight cluster of high-performance GPUs, with less than 3% separating the top performers in this group.

In practical terms for Lockdown Protocol, a system with the RTX 5090 D and any of these rival GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates. The differences are within the margin of error for game benchmarks. The CPU rivals would also maintain similar performance, meaning that a system with an Intel Core 5 120UL instead of the i3-12100F would likely show no measurable FPS difference in this game. The data suggests that this combo’s performance is robust to small hardware variations, making it a reliable predictor of what similar-tier components can achieve.

The Verdict

The verdict is unambiguous: this PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol at maximum settings across all tested resolutions. The data shows that all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at every resolution, with the 60 FPS threshold cleared by wide margins. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 88 FPS, which is 28 FPS above the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 137 FPS, a 77 FPS margin. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 187 FPS, a 127 FPS margin.

The verdictByResolution field confirms that the best settings at each resolution are always Ultra. The average FPS at the best settings is 88 at 4K, 137 at 1440p, and 187 at 1080p. These numbers indicate that the combo is not just playable but highly capable, providing a smooth experience even in the most demanding scenarios. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings shows that even the lowest frame rates stay well above 60 FPS, with the 4K Medium minimum at 115 FPS. This suggests that frame drops are unlikely to cause stuttering or perceived lag.

For users with high refresh rate monitors, this combo supports 144 Hz at 4K High (118 FPS), 240 Hz at 1440p Medium (209 FPS), and 240 Hz at 1080p Low (270 FPS). The only scenario where the frame rate might not fully utilize a 360 Hz monitor is 1080p Low, where the 270 FPS average falls short of 360 FPS. However, for the vast majority of displays, the performance is more than sufficient. The i3-12100F’s 4 cores do not appear to be a limiting factor in this game, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 88, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The minimum FPS for this setting is not recorded, but the Medium preset minimum at 4K is 115 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 137 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, and it provides the highest visual quality.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in this game?

A: The data shows that the combo ranks 106th out of 3714 tested combinations, and the CPU is in the 68th percentile. At 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 270 FPS, which suggests some CPU limitation, but the performance remains excellent across all settings.

Q: How does this combo compare to the nearest rival GPUs?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is 1.1% lower, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is 2.1% higher. These differences are minor and would not produce noticeable FPS changes.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 238, with a minimum of 202 FPS and a maximum of 273 FPS. This makes it suitable for 240 Hz monitors.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. Every tested resolution and settings preset combination produces an average FPS above 60. The lowest average is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra, and the lowest recorded minimum is 115 FPS at 4K Medium.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is Ultra, and the exact average FPS is as follows:

• 1920x1080 Ultra: 187 FPS average. This is the best choice for 1080p displays, providing maximum visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds the requirements of most high refresh rate monitors.
• 2560x1440 Ultra: 137 FPS average. This preset balances high resolution with smooth gameplay, delivering a frame rate that is more than double the 60 FPS threshold.
• 3840x2160 Ultra: 88 FPS average. At 4K, Ultra settings remain playable with a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making this the recommended configuration for users with 4K displays.

These results indicate that the combo has sufficient performance to run the game at its highest settings without compromise. The 88 FPS average at 4K Ultra is particularly noteworthy, as it shows that even the most demanding configuration does not require turning down settings. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual quality, the Low preset at 1080p offers 270 FPS, but the Ultra preset at any resolution provides an excellent experience that exceeds the playability threshold.