Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D presents a curious case in the benchmark database: a mid-range 2022 CPU harnessed to a flagship 2025 GPU, tested exclusively in Lockdown Protocol. The measured data reveals that this combination is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, yet the CPU’s influence becomes apparent at 4K Ultra. While the pairing is unconventional, the benchmark results show that it clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every preset and resolution tested, making it a surprisingly capable—if lopsided—configuration for this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The FPS measurements for this combo are recorded across three resolutions and four settings tiers, with only the Medium preset providing complete min/avg/max data. At 1920x1080, the performance envelope is substantial. The Low preset delivers an average of 274 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure for this configuration. Medium at 1080p averages 241 FPS, with a minimum of 205 and a maximum of 278 FPS, showing a tight frame pacing window. High settings drop the average to 230 FPS, while Ultra remains well above the playable threshold at 187 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 87 FPS reduction, or roughly 32% lower performance, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom even under maximum load.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with slightly compressed margins. Low settings average 247 FPS, followed by Medium at 209 FPS with a min/max range of 178 to 241 FPS. High settings produce 183 FPS on average, and Ultra settles at 137 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 110 FPS, a 45% drop. This larger percentage decrease compared to 1080p suggests that the GPU is beginning to feel the resolution pressure, but the absolute numbers remain exceptionally high for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the data shows the most significant scaling. Low settings still average 190 FPS, with Medium at 135 FPS and a min/max of 115 to 155 FPS. High settings average 118 FPS, and Ultra drops to 88 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 102 FPS, representing a 54% reduction. Interestingly, the min FPS at 4K Medium (115 FPS) is still more than 90% above the playable threshold, indicating that even in the worst-case frame dips, this combo never approaches stutter territory. The absence of min/max data for most presets limits deeper analysis, but the Medium preset’s numbers suggest frame pacing remains consistent even under resolution stress.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data offers a lens into how the components of this combo compare to other hardware in the database. For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400F holds an average benchmark score of 19039, placing it in the 73rd percentile among all tested CPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, which scores 19047, a delta of 0%—effectively a statistical tie. The Intel Core 3 201E trails by 0.1% with a score of 19056, while the Intel Core i5-1335U is 0.3% ahead at 18982. The AMD EPYC 7773X also sits at 0.3% behind with 18979. This clustering indicates that the 12400F’s multi-threaded performance is squarely in a broad band of mid-range processors, none of which deviate by more than a fraction of a percent.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090 D achieves an average benchmark score of 77712, ranking in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, scores 76904, which is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6% ahead at 78940, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants sit 2.1% and 2.4% behind at 79396 and 79605, respectively. This suggests that in raw compute terms, the RTX 5090 D is not dramatically isolated from these rivals—the deltas are all within 2.4%. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, a user with an RX 6850M XT would likely see near-identical frame rates, while the RX 6650M XT might deliver slightly lower but comparable performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the i5-12400F and RTX 5090 D becomes clear when examining FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU is likely the primary bottleneck for this game, as evidenced by the relatively modest drop from Low (274 FPS) to Ultra (187 FPS). The GPU’s massive compute resources are underutilized because the CPU cannot feed frames fast enough to saturate the RTX 5090 D. This is typical for a mid-range CPU paired with a flagship GPU at lower resolutions.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a larger role. The drop from Low to Ultra widens to 45%, compared to 32% at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is now working harder, but the CPU still has enough headroom to keep frame rates above 130 FPS at Ultra. At 3840x2160, the scaling becomes even more pronounced, with a 54% reduction from Low to Ultra. The 4K Ultra figure of 88 FPS suggests that the GPU is now the dominant constraint, as the pixel fill rate and shading workload overwhelm the RTX 5090 D’s capabilities relative to the CPU’s ability to issue draw calls.

The data implies a tipping point: below 1440p, the i5-12400F limits the graphics card; above 1440p, the RTX 5090 D’s raw throughput becomes the limiting factor. The 4K Medium min FPS of 115, compared to the 1080p Medium min of 205, reinforces this shift—the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shader units are being taxed more heavily at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s 6-core/12-thread configuration remains sufficient to avoid stalling.

The Verdict

The verdictByResolution data is unambiguous: this combo is playable at every resolution and preset tested. At 3840x2160, the playable settings include High, Low, Medium, and Ultra, with the best playable setting being Ultra at an average of 88 FPS. This comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold, meaning a 4K display with maximum settings is viable. At 2560x1440, the same four settings are playable, and Ultra averages 137 FPS—more than double the threshold. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 187 FPS, which is over three times the playable threshold.

The data shows no configuration falls below the 60 FPS line. The lowest recorded average is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra, and the lowest minimum is 115 FPS at 4K Medium. This suggests that even in the most demanding scene transitions, the frame rate will not dip into unplayable territory. For users targeting 60 FPS as a hard floor, this combo offers a substantial safety margin across the board. The only caveat is that the CPU’s age might limit future game updates, but for Lockdown Protocol as measured, the verdict is unequivocally positive.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra with playable frame rates?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 88 FPS, which is 28 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average is 274 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest GPU rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 D scores 77712 on average, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904) and 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940).

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

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the FPS drop from Low to Ultra is only 32%, suggesting the RTX 5090 D is not fully utilized.

Q: What is the lowest minimum FPS recorded across all tests?

A: The lowest minimum is 115 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top percentile of tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 96th out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 2.6% of all configurations in the database for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured data, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra at every resolution. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 187 FPS, which is 127 FPS above the threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 137 FPS, a 77 FPS margin. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 88 FPS, leaving a 28 FPS safety buffer. The Medium preset offers a more conservative alternative with higher frame rates—241 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 135 FPS at 4K—but since Ultra clears the threshold at all resolutions, there is no practical reason to drop settings for playability. The min FPS data for Ultra is not provided, but the Medium preset’s minimums (205 at 1080p, 178 at 1440p, 115 at 4K) suggest that Ultra’s minimums would remain above 60 FPS given the average-to-minimum ratio observed.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame places this i5-12400F + RTX 5090 D pairing at rank 96 out of 3714 tested combinations. This top 2.6% positioning is notable given the CPU’s modest standing in the broader processor hierarchy (73rd percentile). The ranking implies that for Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s dominance in the workload drives the overall performance, allowing this pairing to outperform many combinations with newer or higher-tier CPUs but weaker graphics cards. The 96th rank also suggests that 95 other combos achieve higher frame rates, likely featuring flagship CPUs like the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series paired with similarly powerful GPUs. However, the gap between this combo and the top 95 is likely small in absolute FPS terms, given that the RTX 5090 D already delivers over 88 FPS at 4K Ultra. For a user who already owns the i5-12400F, the data suggests that upgrading to a RTX 5090 D is a viable path to top-tier performance in this game, even if the CPU leaves some performance on the table at lower resolutions.