Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers playable performance across every resolution and preset tested in Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS. The combination never drops below 60 FPS at any of the three resolutions, even at Ultra settings, making it a versatile setup for high-refresh monitors and 4K displays alike. Benchmark results show the strongest scaling at 1080p, where the system pushes past 250 FPS on Low, while 4K Ultra remains just above the playability threshold at 60.1 FPS. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, optimal settings per resolution, and the CPU/GPU balance that defines this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT produce exceptional frame rates across all four quality presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 256.7 FPS, which represents the highest measured performance in the entire dataset. Moving up the quality ladder, Medium averages 185.5 FPS, High averages 162.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 119.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, with Ultra producing roughly 53% of the Low preset’s frame rate, yet even the most demanding settings remain far above what any 60 Hz display requires. The data indicates that at 1080p, the GPU has abundant headroom, and the processor’s 6-core, 12-thread configuration (with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz) is sufficient to feed the graphics card at these high rates.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the measured FPS remains remarkably strong. The Low preset averages 187.8 FPS, which is still nearly triple the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium settings produce 134.3 FPS, High settings yield 120.6 FPS, and Ultra settings hold at 92 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets: Low falls by about 27%, Medium by about 28%, High by about 26%, and Ultra by about 23%. This uniform scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary performance driver at this resolution, with the CPU continuing to provide adequate support. The Ultra preset’s 92 FPS average is particularly noteworthy because it leaves enough margin for 90 Hz or even 100 Hz monitors, though 144 Hz panels would require dropping to High or Medium settings.

At 3840x2160, 4K resolution, the combination still meets the playability threshold at every preset. The Low preset averages 123.1 FPS, Medium averages 87.4 FPS, High averages 73.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 60.1 FPS. The Ultra result is the only measured figure that sits close to the 60 FPS line, but it does stay above it, qualifying as playable. The transition from 1440p to 4K shows heavier performance degradation: Low drops by 34%, Medium by 35%, High by 39%, and Ultra by 35%. This steeper decline at 4K is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the Radeon RX 9070 XT’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are taxed more heavily by the higher pixel count. Notably, min and max FPS values were not recorded in the dataset, so all analysis relies on average FPS figures.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is clear: the system scales predictably with both resolution and quality settings. The largest absolute difference between Low and Ultra occurs at 1080p (136.9 FPS), while the smallest occurs at 4K (63 FPS). This indicates that as resolution increases, the relative impact of quality presets diminishes slightly, but the GPU remains the dominant factor in determining final performance.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the best settings that keep the game at or above 60 FPS are Ultra, which runs at an average of 119.8 FPS. This is the most demanding preset available, so there is no reason to compromise on visual quality at this resolution. The data shows that even High settings at 162.5 FPS or Medium at 185.5 FPS would be excessive for most displays, but Ultra provides the best visual fidelity while still offering more than double the playability threshold. For gamers with 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitors, dropping to High or Medium would unlock higher frame rates, but the Ultra preset remains the default recommendation for maximum quality.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 92 FPS. This comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold and provides enough headroom for VRR displays. The 92 FPS figure is well above the playability line, so users can run the highest quality preset without worrying about frame drops below playable levels. The data indicates that High settings (120.6 FPS) would be the choice for 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, but Ultra is the best balance between visual quality and smoothness at this resolution. The 92 FPS average suggests that the system is not fully maxed out, leaving some performance in reserve.

For 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, but the margin is slim. The average FPS at Ultra is 60.1, which is just barely above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This means that while Ultra is technically playable, users should be aware that any scene complexity increase could push the frame rate below 60. The High preset, at 73.9 FPS, offers a safer buffer and is arguably the better choice for consistent 4K gameplay. However, according to the verdict data, Ultra is the best settings at 4K because it stays at or above the threshold. The recommendation is to use Ultra only if the user prioritizes image quality over frame rate stability; otherwise, High provides a more comfortable margin.

In summary, the answer to “which preset should I use” is Ultra at all three resolutions, based on the playability threshold of 60 FPS. The measured averages are 119.8 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 60.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that is borderline, so users with 4K displays may prefer High settings for a more consistent experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i5-12400F and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT in Lockdown Protocol. At 1080p, the system achieves extremely high frame rates (256.7 FPS on Low, 185.5 FPS on Medium, 162.5 FPS on High, 119.8 FPS on Ultra), which indicates that the GPU is not fully saturated at this resolution. The fact that the Low preset nearly doubles the Ultra preset’s frame rate suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at very high rates, but the GPU’s workload scales heavily with quality settings. In this scenario, the CPU’s single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 909 and PassMark single-thread score of 3481) is sufficient, and the bottleneck shifts to the GPU as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the relative scaling between presets remains similar to 1080p, with Low at 187.8 FPS and Ultra at 92 FPS. The percentage drops from 1080p to 1440p are nearly uniform across presets (23-28%), which indicates that the GPU is now the limiting factor. The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380) are not stressed at these frame rates, because the game is rendering more pixels rather than doing more CPU work. The consistent scaling strongly suggests that the Radeon RX 9070 XT is the component that determines performance at 1440p, while the i5-12400F has ample headroom.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s dominance becomes even more pronounced. The frame rates drop to 123.1 FPS on Low and 60.1 FPS on Ultra, and the relative performance loss from 1440p is larger (34-39%) than the loss from 1080p to 1440p (23-28%). This accelerated decline at 4K is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance, where the pixel throughput demands exceed what the graphics card can deliver. The CPU’s role diminishes further, as the frame rates are lower and the per-frame CPU work is unchanged. The data shows that at 4K, the RX 9070 XT’s 48.66 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 380.2 GPixel/s pixel rate are the primary determinants of performance.

Comparatively, the CPU’s benchmark scores put it in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039. The GPU’s percentile is lower at 55, with an average benchmark score of 13543. This discrepancy suggests that the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU in synthetic tests, but in Lockdown Protocol, the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU’s strength allows the GPU to run at high utilization, but the GPU still determines the final frame rate based on settings. The verdict is that for this game, the RX 9070 XT matters more as resolution increases, while the i5-12400F provides sufficient support at all tested resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo playable at 4K resolution in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes, the data shows playable performance at 3840x2160 across all presets. The Ultra preset averages 60.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playability threshold. Lower presets provide more headroom, with High at 73.9 FPS and Medium at 87.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this setup?

A: The Ultra preset is the best choice at 2560x1440, averaging 92 FPS. This is the most demanding setting and still well above the 60 FPS threshold, so there is no need to reduce quality at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 119.8 at 1920x1080 to 60.1 at 3840x2160, a reduction of about 50%. At Low settings, the drop is from 256.7 FPS to 123.1 FPS, also roughly a 52% reduction.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU limits performance more at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the system achieves high frame rates (up to 256.7 FPS on Low), and the GPU workload scales heavily with settings. At 4K, the frame rate drops consistently across presets, indicating a GPU bottleneck. The CPU’s 73rd percentile ranking versus the GPU’s 55th percentile supports this conclusion.

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with a 240 Hz monitor?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 256.7 FPS and Medium averages 185.5 FPS, both exceeding 240 FPS. High settings at 162.5 FPS would not fully saturate a 240 Hz display, but Low or Medium would.

Q: What is the least demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Every preset stays above 60 FPS at 4K, including Ultra at 60.1 FPS. The Low preset offers the highest average at 123.1 FPS, but even the most demanding setting remains playable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-12400F, the CPU’s average benchmark score is 19039, and the closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with an average score of 19047, a delta of 0%. This means that swapping the i5-12400F for a Ryzen 5 7535HS would produce nearly identical CPU performance in synthetic tests. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 (delta -0.1%), which is also effectively the same. The Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (delta 0.3%), and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979 (delta 0.3%). In practice, any of these CPUs would behave similarly to the i5-12400F in Lockdown Protocol, though the laptop-oriented parts (7535HS, 1335U) may have different power characteristics. The EPYC 7773X is a server chip, but its benchmark score suggests comparable multi-threaded performance.

For the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, the GPU’s average benchmark score is 13543, and its nearest rivals are all older or lower-tier cards. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M scores 13536 (delta 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13515 (delta 0.2%), the NVIDIA P106-090 scores 13470 (delta 0.5%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 13407 (delta 1%). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning that in synthetic benchmarks, these GPUs would produce similar average scores. However, in Lockdown Protocol, the RX 9070 XT’s modern architecture (RDNA 4.0, 16 GB memory) would likely outperform these older cards in real gaming scenarios, despite similar average benchmark scores. The data suggests that the RX 9070 XT has a wide range of benchmark results, with a PassMark G3D score of 26795 but a much lower average score due to other tests like PassMark DirectX 9 (353) and DirectX 10 (154).

When considering this combo as a whole, the CPU and GPU each have near-identical alternatives based on their respective benchmark scores. For a user looking for similar performance, the closest CPU match would be the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, and the closest GPU match would be the AMD Radeon HD 7770M based on average scores alone. However, the benchmark data for the GPU includes multiple tests (e.g., 3DMark Steel Nomad 7260, Geekbench Vulkan 65879) that show the RX 9070 XT’s strength in modern workloads, so the rival GPUs listed may not translate to similar in-game performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F + AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination ranks 869th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 23% of all configurations. This rank is based on measured FPS data across the three resolutions and four presets, with the combo achieving playable performance at every setting. The rank of 869 indicates that there are 868 combos that perform better, but also that 2845 combos perform worse. Given that the data includes a wide range of CPUs and GPUs, this positioning reflects a high-performing setup, especially considering that the GPU’s percentile is only 55 while the CPU’s is 73.

The rank is particularly impressive because the combo achieves 60.1 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is a demanding scenario. Many combos likely fail to reach 60 FPS at that resolution and preset, so the fact that this setup qualifies places it ahead of a significant portion of the field. At 1080p, the combo’s 119.8 FPS on Ultra and 256.7 FPS on Low put it in the upper echelon of tested systems. The data suggests that this pairing is well-balanced for Lockdown Protocol, with the CPU’s strong single-thread performance complementing the GPU’s raw throughput.

In summary, the combo ranks in the top quarter of all tested configurations, and its performance is characterized by consistency: every resolution and preset combination yields playable frame rates. The weakest result (4K Ultra at 60.1 FPS) is still above the threshold, while the strongest (1080p Low at 256.7 FPS) is among the highest measured. For users seeking a system that can handle Lockdown Protocol at any quality level, this combo delivers, and the rank of 869 out of 3714 confirms its standing as a capable, if not top-tier, pairing.