Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 combination delivers a narrow band of playable performance in Lockdown Protocol. The measured data shows that this system can only reach the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p with the lowest settings. At higher resolutions, the frame rates fall short of the playable target, which makes this pairing suitable for competitive play at reduced graphical fidelity but not for high-detail experiences. The recorded benchmarks indicate a clear performance ceiling imposed by the GPU, as the CPU’s strong multi-threaded scores cannot offset the graphics card’s limited throughput. This analysis breaks down the FPS results by resolution and settings, compares the components to their nearest rivals, and provides guidance on the best configuration for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Lockdown Protocol includes average, minimum, and maximum frame rates at three resolutions and four preset levels. The GTX 1650’s performance is consistent with its 40th percentile ranking among all GPUs, and the results show a steep drop as resolution increases.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are low across all settings. The High preset produces an average of 22 FPS, while the Low preset improves this to 36 FPS. The Medium preset records an average of 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 29 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of 17 FPS. None of these averages approach the 60 FPS threshold, and even the fastest preset at this resolution, Low, falls 24 FPS short of playable. The minimum and maximum figures for Medium show a narrow range, indicating that the frame pacing is consistent but far too slow for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains below the playable mark. The High preset averages 35 FPS, and the Low preset averages 56 FPS, which is 4 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset records an average of 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. The Low preset’s 56 FPS average is the closest this system gets to playable performance at 1440p, but it still does not clear the threshold. The scaling from 2160p to 1440p shows a 20 FPS gain on the Low preset, from 36 to 56 FPS, which highlights how much resolution affects this GPU.

At 1920x1080, the system finally reaches a playable state, but only on the Low preset. The High preset averages 47 FPS, the Medium preset averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 35 FPS. The Low preset delivers an average of 76 FPS, which is 16 FPS above the playable threshold. The Medium preset’s 54 FPS average is 6 FPS short, so even though its maximum hits 62 FPS, the average does not sustain the target. The data shows a clear progression: 22 FPS at 4K High, 35 FPS at 1440p High, and 47 FPS at 1080p High, which demonstrates that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The minimum and maximum values, where recorded, provide additional context. At 1080p Medium, the 46 to 62 FPS range suggests that the frame rate fluctuates enough to cause occasional dips below the threshold. At 1440p Medium, the 34 to 46 FPS range is consistently below playable. At 4K Medium, the 22 to 29 FPS range is uniformly poor. These figures reinforce that the GTX 1650 is best suited for low-demand settings, as the average frame rates at higher presets do not meet the needs of a fast-paced FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-12700KF, based on average benchmark scores, are the Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core 5 213PE, and Intel Core i7-12700K. The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35,365, which is 0.1 percent lower than the i7-13700T’s 35,403, 0.2 percent higher than the i5-13600T’s 35,305, 0.2 percent lower than the Core 5 213PE’s 35,428, and 0.2 percent higher than the i7-12700K’s 35,287. These deltas are negligible, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU. The i7-12700KF sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, so its processing power is not the bottleneck in this system.

The nearest rivals for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 are the AMD Radeon HD 8850M, Intel UHD Graphics 750, AMD Radeon R7 350, and Intel Arc A310. The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 7,472, which is 0.3 percent higher than the Radeon HD 8850M’s 7,447, 0.4 percent higher than the Intel UHD Graphics 750’s 7,441, 0.6 percent higher than the Radeon R7 350’s 7,425, and 1.0 percent lower than the Arc A310’s 7,550. These rival GPUs would deliver nearly the same performance in Lockdown Protocol, meaning users with any of these alternatives would see similar FPS results. The GTX 1650’s 40th percentile ranking places it in the lower half of the GPU pool, which aligns with the measured frame rates.

For this specific game, the CPU rivals are all strong processors that would not change the outcome of the benchmarks. The GPU rivals, however, are all low-end graphics solutions that would similarly struggle to exceed 60 FPS at higher resolutions. The data suggests that swapping the GTX 1650 for the Arc A310, which is 1.0 percent faster on average, would yield a marginal improvement, likely pushing the 1080p Low preset from 76 to around 77 FPS, but it would not make 1440p playable. Conversely, the i7-12700KF’s nearest rivals are all within 0.2 percent, so a CPU swap would have no measurable impact on this game’s frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3,580 out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the bottom 4 percent of all configurations in the database, which is a low position for a pairing that includes a high-end CPU. The rank reflects the GPU’s limitations, as the GTX 1650’s 40th percentile score drags the overall result down despite the CPU’s 85th percentile score. The gap between the CPU and GPU performance tiers is significant: the i7-12700KF is a top-tier processor for multi-threaded workloads, while the GTX 1650 is a basic entry-level graphics card.

The combo rank of 3,580 out of 3,714 means that only 134 tested combinations perform worse. This is not a surprising result given the measured FPS data, which shows playable performance only at 1080p Low. The rank is determined by the game’s specific demands, and Lockdown Protocol appears to rely heavily on GPU throughput, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions. A system with a more balanced GPU, such as one in the 60th percentile or above, would rank significantly higher with the same CPU.

The data indicates that this combo is mismatched for this game. The CPU provides ample headroom, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 14,367, but the GPU cannot leverage that power. The GTX 1650’s PassMark G3D score of 7,880 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 305 are low enough to bottleneck any modern FPS at high settings. Users considering this combo should expect it to perform near the bottom of the database, with only the weakest configurations falling behind.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, where the average frame rate is 76 FPS. At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p?

A: The Low preset is the only playable option at 1080p, with an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1650 is 0.3 percent faster than the AMD Radeon HD 8850M, 0.4 percent faster than the Intel UHD Graphics 750, 0.6 percent faster than the AMD Radeon R7 350, and 1.0 percent slower than the Intel Arc A310.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The i7-12700KF ranks in the 85th percentile among CPUs, while the GTX 1650 ranks in the 40th percentile among GPUs, and the FPS drops sharply with resolution increases.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p?

A: The Low preset averages 56 FPS, which is 4 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 40 FPS, and the High preset averages 35 FPS, so none are playable.

Q: Why does the 4K performance drop so much?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU must render four times as many pixels as at 1080p. The Low preset averages 36 FPS, the Medium preset averages 26 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 17 FPS, all well below the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured data shows that the GPU dominates performance in Lockdown Protocol, while the CPU has minimal impact on frame rates. The GTX 1650’s 40th percentile ranking and the i7-12700KF’s 85th percentile ranking create a clear imbalance. At 1080p, the Low preset averages 76 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 54 FPS, a 22 FPS decrease that is entirely attributable to the GPU’s rendering workload. At 1440p, the Low preset averages 56 FPS, and at 4K, the Low preset averages 36 FPS. This resolution scaling, from 76 to 56 to 36 FPS on the same preset, demonstrates that the GPU is the primary constraint.

The CPU’s role is limited to feeding the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the i7-12700KF is more than capable of handling this task. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 and single-core score of 4,071 are far above what Lockdown Protocol requires, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is already saturated. The fact that the frame rates scale almost linearly with resolution, rather than remaining flat or CPU-limited, confirms that the GTX 1650 is the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would stay roughly the same across resolutions, but the data shows a consistent drop from 1080p to 4K.

At higher presets, the GPU workload increases further, which explains why the Ultra preset at 1080p averages only 35 FPS compared to the Low preset’s 76 FPS. The CPU’s performance is unchanged across these presets, so the variance is purely graphical. For users with this combo, upgrading the GPU would provide the largest FPS gain, while upgrading the CPU would yield no measurable improvement in this game. The data supports this conclusion: the i7-12700KF’s nearest rivals, which include the i7-13700T and i5-13600T, all have average scores within 0.2 percent, so even a CPU swap to a similar processor would not change the outcome.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best setting is defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. The recorded data provides a clear answer for this system.

At 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset averages 36 FPS, the Medium preset averages 26 FPS, the High preset averages 22 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 17 FPS. The best settings list is empty for this resolution, meaning the system cannot deliver playable performance at any graphical level. Users attempting 4K would need to accept frame rates well below the playable mark, which is not viable for an FPS.

At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies. No preset reaches 60 FPS, as the Low preset averages 56 FPS, the Medium preset averages 40 FPS, the High preset averages 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. The best settings list is also empty for 1440p. The Low preset comes closest, but its 56 FPS average is 4 FPS short, and the minimum frame rates, where recorded, would likely dip lower during intense gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only playable option, with an average of 76 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold, so it is the best setting for this resolution. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the target, and the High and Ultra presets average 47 and 35 FPS, respectively. The 76 FPS average on Low provides a comfortable margin above the threshold, making it suitable for competitive play, though the visual quality is reduced.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 can run Lockdown Protocol, but only under specific conditions. The verdict by resolution shows that the system is playable at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, where it achieves an average of 76 FPS. This is the only configuration that clears the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 56 FPS, which is not playable, and at 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 36 FPS, which is also not playable. The playable settings list for 1080p includes only Low, and the best settings for that resolution are Low with an average of 76 FPS.

For users with this combo, the recommendation is to play at 1080p with the Low preset to maintain a smooth frame rate. The Medium preset at 1080p, which averages 54 FPS, is playable in a relaxed sense but does not meet the 60 FPS standard, and the 46 FPS minimum may cause noticeable stutters. The system’s combo rank of 3,580 out of 3,714 reflects its limited capabilities in this game, and the GPU’s low percentile score is the primary reason. The CPU is not the issue, as it ranks in the 85th percentile, but the GTX 1650’s 40th percentile ranking means that even a strong processor cannot overcome the graphics bottleneck.

In summary, this PC is a marginal performer for Lockdown Protocol. It meets the playable threshold only at the lowest settings and resolution, and it falls short everywhere else. Users who prioritize frame rate over visual quality can achieve a stable 76 FPS at 1080p Low, which is adequate for the game’s FPS genre. Those who want higher settings or higher resolutions would need a more powerful GPU, as the data clearly shows that the GTX 1650 is the limiting component in this pairing.