Lockdown Protocol

Intel Core i5-12400 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 places 176th out of 3,714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, a rank that puts it in the top 5% of all configurations. The pairing’s percentile standing—72nd for the CPU and 88th for the GPU—reflects a system where the graphics card carries the heavier load, yet the processor still clears every playability bar. Benchmark data confirms this is not merely a playable combination; it is an overqualified one, with the RTX 4090 delivering frame rates that exceed the 60 FPS threshold by wide margins even at the most demanding settings.

How This Combo Ranks

At 176th of 3,714, this combo sits comfortably ahead of the median tested configuration, though the rank is more evidence of the RTX 4090’s raw dominance than the i5-12400’s modest mid-range standing. The CPU’s 72nd percentile among all processors means it outperforms roughly two-thirds of tested CPUs, but its average benchmark score of 18,683 is nearly matched by the AMD EPYC 7643 at 18,697 (0.1% behind) and the Intel Core i7-1355U at 18,730 (0.3% behind). The GPU, meanwhile, sits at the 88th percentile with an average score of 60,347, and its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60,326—a 0.0% delta that underscores how isolated the RTX 4090 is from typical gaming hardware.

The rank becomes more meaningful when viewed against the full field: 3,714 combos mean this setup beats roughly 3,538 others. In practice, the ranking is held back by the CPU’s single-thread and multi-thread scores—Cinebench R23 multi-core at 15,989 and single-core at 2,257—which are solid for a 6-core/12-thread part but not exceptional. The GPU compensates with a Passmark G3D score of 38,194, which is over 200 times the CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 3,456. For Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS, the data suggests the combo ranks highly because the GPU can brute-force high resolutions, while the CPU never becomes a bottleneck at the measured settings.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 81, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 21 frames. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it remains fully playable.

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

A: The data shows Ultra at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 125 FPS, making it the highest-quality preset that stays far above 60 FPS. There is no need to drop to High (167 FPS) or Medium (192 FPS) unless targeting very high refresh rates.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 18,683 is 0.1% behind the AMD EPYC 7643 (18,697) and 0.3% behind the Intel Core i7-1355U (18,730). It is 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100F (18,519). These deltas are negligible, meaning the CPU’s performance is effectively interchangeable with these parts.

Q: Is the RTX 4090’s performance significantly better than its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4090’s average score of 60,347 is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, 0.0% delta) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M by 2.5% (61,896). The differences are within noise, but the RTX 4090 remains the strongest gaming GPU in this group.

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

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 228, with no min or max recorded. This is over 3.8 times the playable threshold, indicating the GPU is heavily underutilized at this resolution.

Q: Does the combo ever drop below 60 FPS in any tested scenario?

A: No. The lowest average FPS recorded across all resolutions and settings is 81 at 4K Ultra. Even the lowest min FPS recorded—105 at 4K Medium—is well above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers frame rates that range from 171 (Ultra) to 272 (Low). The Medium preset shows a min of 204 and a max of 275, with an average of 239. High sits at 228 average. The gap between Low and Ultra is 101 FPS, indicating that settings scaling has a strong impact at this resolution, but even the worst case (Ultra) is 171 FPS—2.85 times the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 245 (Low), 192 (Medium, with min 163 and max 220), 167 (High), and 125 (Ultra). The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 10-15% across settings: Low falls from 272 to 245, High from 228 to 167, and Ultra from 171 to 125. The Medium preset’s min of 163 is still 2.7 times the playable threshold, and the Ultra average of 125 leaves substantial headroom.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4090’s limits begin to show, but the system stays comfortably playable. Low averages 174, Medium 124 (min 105, max 142), High 108, and Ultra 81. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep: Ultra drops from 125 to 81, a 35% reduction, and High drops from 167 to 108, a 35% reduction as well. The Medium preset’s min of 105 is still 75% above the 60 FPS threshold, and even the Ultra average of 81 is 21 FPS over the line.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the i5-12400’s nearest rivals indicate that any of these parts would yield nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The AMD EPYC 7643 (0.1% slower), Intel Core i7-1355U (0.3% slower), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (0.7% slower) are all within a 1% performance band. The Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% faster. In practice, swapping the i5-12400 for any of these would change average FPS by less than 1 frame per second at any resolution, meaning the choice of CPU is irrelevant for this game’s performance.

For the GPU, the RTX 4090’s nearest rivals are all workstation or prosumer cards, not gaming parts. The Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 0.0% different, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% slower. The only rival that beats it is the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, at 2.5% faster. None of these are typical gaming GPUs, so in practice, the RTX 4090 has no direct gaming equivalent at its performance level. Users seeking similar frame rates would need to consider the RTX 4090’s successor, the GeForce 50 series, but no benchmark data is provided for that part.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 171 FPS. This is the highest quality setting tested, and it delivers 2.85 times the playable threshold. Lower settings like High (228 FPS), Medium (239 FPS), and Low (272 FPS) are all viable but unnecessary for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, Ultra again is the best choice, averaging 125 FPS. This is 65 FPS above the threshold, leaving room for demanding scenes. High (167 FPS) and Medium (192 FPS) are also options, but they do not provide a visual benefit worth the frame rate trade-off.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains playable at 81 FPS, which is 21 FPS above the 60 FPS line. This is the most demanding preset at the highest resolution, and it clears the threshold. High (108 FPS) and Medium (124 FPS) are also above 60 FPS, but Ultra offers the best visual fidelity without dropping below playability.

The Verdict

This PC runs Lockdown Protocol at every resolution and preset tested. The verdict by resolution is unequivocal: at 3840x2160, all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with Ultra averaging 81 FPS and Low averaging 174 FPS. At 2560x1440, all settings are playable, with Ultra at 125 FPS and Low at 245 FPS. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, with Ultra at 171 FPS and Low at 272 FPS. The lowest average FPS across the entire test matrix is 81 (4K Ultra), which is still 35% above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows no scenario where this combo dips below playability, making it a definitive yes for Lockdown Protocol.

CPU and GPU Roles

The CPU’s role is minimal in this game. At 1080p, the i5-12400’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 4090, as evidenced by the 272 FPS at Low settings—a frame rate that would be impossible if the CPU were a bottleneck. However, the CPU’s influence diminishes as resolution increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by 10-15% across settings, and from 1440p to 4K, it drops by another 30-35%. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload: the RTX 4090 is doing the heavy lifting, and the CPU’s performance becomes less relevant at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s dominance is clear from the benchmark scores: the RTX 4090’s Passmark G3D score of 38,194 is 11 times the CPU’s Passmark multi-thread score of 18,747. In game terms, the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth allow it to maintain high frame rates even at 4K, where the i5-12400’s memory bandwidth (DDR4/DDR5 dual-channel) is not a limiting factor. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is still relevant—the gap between Low (272 FPS) and Ultra (171 FPS) is 101 FPS, suggesting some CPU dependency at lower resolutions. But at 4K, the settings scaling narrows to 93 FPS (Low 174 vs. Ultra 81), showing the GPU is the primary constraint. For Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 4090 is the deciding component, and the i5-12400 is sufficient to avoid holding it back at any tested resolution.