Lockdown Protocol

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The Intel Core i7-12700KF with the AMD Radeon RX 580 reaches 83.3 FPS on Low, 61.3 FPS on Medium, and 55.4 FPS on High settings at 1920x1080. Ultra settings drop to 38.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Low settings are the only playable option at 2560x1440, delivering 60.3 FPS. Medium drops to 44.3 FPS, High to 38.2 FPS, and Ultra to 28.3 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combo?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only produce 39.9 FPS. Medium yields 28.0 FPS, High 23.2 FPS, and Ultra 18.7 FPS. None of these clear the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 580's average benchmark score is 12928. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 12940, a 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12986, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870, 0.5% lower.

Q: How does the CPU compare to similar Intel processors?

A: The Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287 (0.2% lower). Performance is nearly identical across these four chips.

Q: What is the CPU's overall standing among all tested processors?

A: The Core i7-12700KF ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs tested in the database. Its multi-threaded performance is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data from Lockdown Protocol shows a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU's strong multi-threading keeps frame rates consistent at lower resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 83.3 FPS on Low and 61.3 FPS on Medium. The gap between Low and Medium is 22.0 FPS, indicating that the GPU is already under moderate load. The Core i7-12700KF provides ample headroom with its 12 cores and 20 threads, scoring 28838 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all processors means it is unlikely to limit frame rates at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially. Low settings produce 60.3 FPS, but Medium falls to 44.3 FPS, a 16.0 FPS drop. High settings yield 38.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 28.3 FPS. The scaling between presets at this resolution shows that the RX 580's 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are becoming limiting factors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the primary constraint. Low settings produce only 39.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 18.7 FPS. The RX 580's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus width are insufficient for 4K rendering in this title. The CPU's performance becomes largely irrelevant at this resolution, as the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates regardless of preset.

The CPU's role is more pronounced at 1080p, where the combination of high single-thread performance (4071 in Cinebench R23 single-core) and strong multi-threading allows the GPU to work at its full potential. At higher resolutions, the GPU's architectural limitations from 2017 become apparent, making the RX 580 the decisive factor in overall performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 580 combination ranks 3423 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested in the database.

This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's age and performance tier. The RX 580 sits in the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, which is below average. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.1% faster), the GTX 1660 SUPER (0.4% faster), and the AMD Radeon 740M (0.5% slower). These are all older or lower-tier graphics solutions, confirming that the RX 580 is not competitive with modern mainstream GPUs.

The CPU, by contrast, is a strong performer. The Core i7-12700KF ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.2% of its score, including the Core i7-13700T and Core i5-13600T. This means the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo.

The ranking reflects the combination's inability to run Lockdown Protocol at higher settings. At 1080p, only Low and Medium presets clear 60 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings are playable. At 4K, no settings are playable. The combo's rank of 3423 out of 3714 indicates that most other tested systems deliver better performance in this game.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 580 can run Lockdown Protocol, but with significant limitations based on resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is playable at Low and Medium settings. Low produces 83.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium produces 61.3 FPS, just barely clearing the threshold. High settings drop to 55.4 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. Ultra settings produce 38.8 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, only Low settings clear the 60 FPS threshold, with 60.3 FPS. Medium drops to 44.3 FPS, High to 38.2 FPS, and Ultra to 28.3 FPS. Players at this resolution should stick to Low settings for a playable experience.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot maintain playable frame rates at any setting. The best result is 39.9 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium produces 28.0 FPS, High 23.2 FPS, and Ultra 18.7 FPS. 4K gaming is not viable with this configuration.

The verdict is clear: this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming at medium settings, and 1440p gaming only at the lowest settings. The CPU provides ample performance, but the RX 580's age and specifications limit the system to entry-level gaming.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-12700KF has several near-identical alternatives. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, which is 0.1% higher. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, 0.2% lower. The Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, 0.2% lower. All four of these processors would deliver essentially identical performance in Lockdown Protocol, meaning any of them paired with the RX 580 would produce the same frame rates within measurement error.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 580's closest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, 0.1% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (12986, 0.4% faster), the AMD Radeon 740M (12870, 0.5% slower), and the AMD FirePro W5100 (12847, 0.6% slower). The GTX 1660 SUPER is the most interesting alternative, as it is a desktop GPU with comparable performance. Users with any of these graphics cards paired with a similar CPU would expect nearly identical results in Lockdown Protocol.

The practical takeaway is that this system's performance is representative of a broad class of mid-range hardware from the 2017-2020 era. Swapping the CPU for any of its near-equal rivals would not change game performance meaningfully, and swapping the GPU for any of its near-equal rivals would similarly keep frame rates within a few percent.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Medium, which delivers 61.3 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. Low settings produce 83.3 FPS, which is smoother but visually less detailed. High settings at 55.4 FPS and Ultra at 38.8 FPS are below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Low, which delivers 60.3 FPS. This is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution. Medium at 44.3 FPS, High at 38.2 FPS, and Ultra at 28.3 FPS are all below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable setting. The best result is Low at 39.9 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium at 28.0 FPS, High at 23.2 FPS, and Ultra at 18.7 FPS are all significantly below playable levels.

For players seeking the best visual quality while maintaining smooth gameplay, Medium at 1080p is the recommended configuration. This setting balances visual fidelity with performance, delivering 61.3 FPS. At 1440p, Low settings are the only option for playable frame rates. 4K should be avoided entirely with this hardware.