Lockdown Protocol

This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti in Lockdown Protocol, based on benchmark data collected for this specific combination. The game, an FPS title released in early 2024, presents a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets, allowing for a detailed assessment of where this hardware configuration excels and where it reaches its limits. The data indicates that the playable threshold of 60 frames per second (FPS) is met at all tested resolutions, but the margin of headroom varies significantly depending on the chosen settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combo are organized by resolution and graphics preset, with average FPS values recorded. Minimum and maximum frame times were not captured in this dataset, so the analysis relies exclusively on average FPS as the primary metric for performance.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the configuration demonstrates a wide performance spread across the four presets. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 109.8, providing substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 73.8 FPS, still comfortably playable. High settings yield an average of 68.3 FPS, which remains above the playable mark but with less margin. The Ultra preset is the only one at this resolution that falls below the threshold, producing an average of 48.8 FPS, which would result in noticeable stutter during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, the performance picture improves considerably. The Low preset delivers an average of 164.2 FPS, a significant jump from the 4K result and indicative of the reduced pixel load. Medium settings produce 116 FPS on average, while High settings reach 105.2 FPS. The Ultra preset, which was unplayable at 4K, manages an average of 76.1 FPS here, clearing the 60 FPS line by a comfortable margin. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the configuration performs exceptionally well across all presets. Low settings achieve an average of 225.1 FPS, which is more than triple the playable threshold and ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings average 158.5 FPS, while High settings produce 142.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 103.9 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold and demonstrates that the CPU-GPU combination is not significantly bottlenecked at 1080p. The scaling from 4K to 1080p shows a roughly 2x improvement in average FPS for the Ultra preset, from 48.8 to 103.9, highlighting the GPU's role in higher-resolution rendering.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low, Medium, or High presets. The measured average FPS is 109.8 for Low, 73.8 for Medium, and 68.3 for High at 3840x2160. The Ultra preset falls short at 48.8 FPS, below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440 with an average of 76.1 FPS, making it the best visual option that stays above 60 FPS. All other presets also exceed the threshold, with Low averaging 164.2 FPS, Medium 116 FPS, and High 105.2 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, which is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U. It is also 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i9-10900K and 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti significantly faster or slower than comparable GPUs?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, scores 29928, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 is 0.5% faster, while the RTX 2080 Ti is 0.5% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 is 1.6% faster, representing the largest difference among the listed rivals.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 103.9 at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold and leaves room for additional background processes or streaming without dropping below playable levels.

Q: Does the game scale well with resolution changes?

A: The data shows a consistent scaling pattern. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 27-31% depending on the preset. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more pronounced, ranging from 35-50% per preset, indicating the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the goal is to identify the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above 60.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best option, producing an average of 68.3 FPS. While Low and Medium are also playable, High offers the best visual quality among playable options. The Ultra preset is not viable at this resolution due to its 48.8 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is recommended, achieving an average of 76.1 FPS. This is the highest visual quality setting available in the test suite and it still clears the 60 FPS threshold with a 16 FPS margin. All lower presets are also playable, but Ultra provides the full experience.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, with an average of 103.9 FPS. This provides a substantial cushion above the playable threshold, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors up to 100 Hz. The performance headroom suggests that users could even enable additional features like higher draw distances without significant risk of dropping below 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearestRivals data for both components provides context for how other hardware might behave in this game.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12600KF sits at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799. Its closest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27872 and is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which scores 27896 and is also 0.3% slower. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712, making it 0.3% faster. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887, another 0.3% slower. In practical terms, these differences are negligible, meaning a system with any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the same GPU.

For the GPU, the RTX 3070 Ti is at the 75th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945. The nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, which scores 29928, a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, 0.5% faster, while the RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, 0.5% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, which is 1.6% faster. These variations are within the range of run-to-run variance, so users with any of these GPUs should expect similar FPS results to the RTX 3070 Ti in this game. The overall combo rank of 1318 out of 3714 tested combinations places this setup in the top 35% of all configurations, indicating strong performance relative to the broader hardware landscape.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can run Lockdown Protocol at all tested resolutions, but with important caveats regarding settings. At 3840x2160, the system delivers playable frame rates at Low, Medium, and High presets, with High being the best playable option at 68.3 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable at this resolution, as it drops to 48.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, every preset including Ultra is playable, with Ultra averaging 76.1 FPS and providing the best visual experience. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable with substantial headroom, and Ultra averaging 103.9 FPS offers the best combination of visuals and performance.

The data confirms that 60 FPS is achievable at 4K with High settings, though users seeking higher frame rates or maximum visual fidelity should prefer 1440p. This setup is well-suited for competitive play at 1080p or 1440p, where frame rates above 100 FPS are attainable with appropriate settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 1318 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 64th percentile of all configurations tested. This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-threaded performance and the GPU's solid rasterization capabilities. The CPU's percentile rank of 79 indicates it is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU, which sits at the 75th percentile.

This rank suggests that while the combo is capable of delivering playable frame rates across most settings at 1080p and 1440p, there are many faster configurations available. The rank is likely influenced by the GPU's 8 GB memory capacity and its performance at 4K, where the Ultra preset fails to hit 60 FPS. Users with this combo should not expect top-tier 4K performance but will find it more than adequate for mainstream gaming at lower resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative importance of the CPU versus the GPU becomes evident when examining the scaling of FPS across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 225.1 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that suggests the GPU is not heavily stressed. The CPU's performance, with a single-thread benchmark score of 3925 in PassMark and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3302, is sufficient to feed the GPU at these frame rates. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p, from 225.1 to 103.9 FPS, is a 54% reduction, indicating that the GPU becomes more involved as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 54% drop as well, from 164.2 to 76.1 FPS, but the absolute values are lower. The GPU is clearly the limiting factor at this resolution, as the increased pixel count places more demand on the RTX 3070 Ti's 608.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The CPU's role remains important but secondary, as the frame rates are still high enough to avoid CPU bottlenecks.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the dominant factor. The Ultra preset drops to 48.8 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, and even the High preset only manages 68.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 56% reduction, similar to lower resolutions, but the absolute frame rates are much lower. This indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 256-bit bus are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings. The CPU's contribution is minimal at this resolution, as the GPU is the clear bottleneck.

The data also shows that the CPU's performance is more critical at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. At 1080p Low, the CPU must handle the game logic and draw calls at 225 FPS, which requires strong single-threaded performance. The i5-12600KF's boost clock of 4.9 GHz and 16 threads provide adequate headroom for this workload. At 4K, the CPU has less impact because the GPU is saturated and frame rates are lower, reducing the number of draw calls the CPU must process per second. This pattern is typical for FPS titles, where the GPU takes on increasing importance as resolution and settings scale upward.