Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combo presents a classic mid-range pairing for Lockdown Protocol, a game released in March 2024. The CPU, which sits in the 85th percentile of all tested processors with an average benchmark score of 35365, and the GPU, which is in the 59th percentile for graphics cards with an average score of 16129, together deliver a range of experiences that depend heavily on the resolution and quality preset selected. The measured frame rate data shows a clear pattern: this system is fully capable at 1080p, comfortable at 1440p, and only at 4K does it require significant compromises to maintain playable performance, with the 60 FPS threshold being the key reference point throughout.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data presents a comprehensive FPS landscape across three resolutions and four quality settings, with all values representing average frame rates. At 1920x1080, the system is never below 74.9 FPS, making every preset playable. The Low preset yields the highest average at 156.4 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. Moving to Medium drops the average to 114.6 FPS, a 26.7% decrease from Low, while High produces 102.2 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding at this resolution, producing an average of 74.9 FPS, which is still comfortably above the playable line. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 52.1% reduction in average FPS, from 156.4 down to 74.9.

At 2560x1440, the performance envelope tightens considerably. The Low preset delivers 117.5 FPS, which is 38.9 FPS lower than the same preset at 1080p, showing a 24.9% performance penalty from the resolution increase. Medium produces 83.9 FPS, High drops to 74.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 53.3 FPS, which is the first preset in this resolution to dip below the 60 FPS threshold. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 64.2 FPS, with Ultra being 54.6% slower than Low. High remains playable at 74.6 FPS, but the margin above 60 FPS is only 14.6 FPS, indicating that any additional scene complexity could push it under.

3840x2160 represents the most challenging scenario for this combo. The Low preset is the only playable option, achieving 75.8 FPS. Medium drops to 55.4 FPS, which is 4.6 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold, while High produces 44.9 FPS and Ultra falls to 36.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is less than half the speed of the Low preset at the same resolution. Comparing the Low preset across all resolutions shows a clear trend: 156.4 FPS at 1080p, 117.5 FPS at 1440p, and 75.8 FPS at 4K. The step from 1440p to 4K at Low settings costs 41.7 FPS, a 35.5% reduction, which is a steeper drop than the 38.9 FPS penalty seen when moving from 1080p to 1440p.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearestRivals data for both components helps contextualize what other hardware would produce similar results. The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, and its closest competitor is the Intel Core i7-13700T, with an average score of 35403, which is a 0.1% difference. This means the i7-13700T would behave nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.2% delta, putting it effectively at parity. The Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, a 0.2% difference in the other direction, and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, also a 0.2% delta. These four alternatives bracket the i7-12700KF so closely that swapping between them would yield indistinguishable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the GPU remains constant.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, the average benchmark score is 16129. The nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 9060 with a score of 16014, a 0.7% difference, meaning it would produce nearly the same FPS in GPU-limited scenarios. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351, which is 1.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT also scores 16361, again 1.4% higher. On the lower side, the AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, a 1.7% delta. These deltas are all within 2%, so any of these GPUs paired with a similar CPU would deliver frame rates within a few FPS of the measured values. The data suggests that a system with an i7-13700T and an RX 9060 would be the most direct equivalent, while an i5-13600T with an RX 5700 XT would be marginally faster on the GPU side but marginally slower on the CPU side, likely netting out to nearly identical results.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data allows for an inference about which component carries more weight at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the gap between Low and Ultra is 81.5 FPS, which is the largest absolute spread across all resolutions. This suggests that the GPU is heavily utilized even at the lowest settings, since the CPU has enough headroom to feed frames at 156.4 FPS. The fact that Ultra still maintains 74.9 FPS indicates the GPU handles the additional load without the CPU becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's 3DMark max threads score of 9983 and multi-core benchmarks like Cinebench R23 at 28838 suggest it has ample compute capacity for this game's logic.

At 2560x1440, the spread from Low to Ultra is 64.2 FPS, smaller than at 1080p. The Ultra preset dropping to 53.3 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold, points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor. The CPU is likely still capable of producing more frames, but the GPU cannot keep pace with the increased pixel count and detail settings. This is further evidenced by the fact that the High preset at 1440p (74.6 FPS) is nearly identical to the Ultra preset at 1080p (74.9 FPS), suggesting the GPU is hitting a similar compute ceiling in both scenarios.

The situation is most pronounced at 3840x2160, where even the Medium preset fails to reach 60 FPS at 55.4 FPS. The Low preset at 4K (75.8 FPS) is only 1.2 FPS higher than the Ultra preset at 1080p, reinforcing that the GPU is the dominant constraint. The CPU's performance is likely sufficient at 4K, since the frame rates are entirely dictated by the GPU's rasterization throughput at 8.3 million pixels. The scaling pattern across resolutions—where dropping from 1080p to 4K at the same preset reduces FPS by roughly half—is typical of a GPU-bound title. The CPU's role is most visible at 1080p Low, where 156.4 FPS indicates the CPU can sustain high frame generation, but in all other scenarios the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appear to be the primary factors determining playability.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p on Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 74.9 FPS, which is 14.9 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the highest quality preset available and remains playable.

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

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 74.6 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 53.3 FPS, so it is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings. The 3840x2160 Low preset achieves 75.8 FPS, but Medium drops to 55.4 FPS, High to 44.9 FPS, and Ultra to 36.1 FPS. All three of the higher presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 156.4 FPS, which is 81.5 FPS higher than the Ultra preset at 74.9 FPS. This represents a 108.8% performance increase when using the lowest quality settings.

Q: Which component is more likely to bottleneck at 4K?

A: The GPU. At 3840x2160, even the Medium preset cannot reach 60 FPS (55.4 FPS), and the FPS drops are consistent with GPU rendering limits. The CPU's high multi-threaded scores, such as 28838 in Cinebench R23, suggest it is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p on High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average is 102.2 FPS. At 2560x1440 High, the average drops to 74.6 FPS. This is a difference of 27.6 FPS, or a 27.0% reduction when moving to the higher resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ranks 2542 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the 31.5% percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 68.5% of tested combos deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier positioning, as the RTX 3060 Ti's 59th percentile standing among all GPUs is the more limiting factor compared to the CPU's 85th percentile. The 1172 combos ranked below this pairing likely include systems with older or less capable GPUs, while the 2541 combos above it probably feature higher-end graphics cards like the RTX 3080 or RX 6800 series.

The rank implies that while this combo is far from top-tier, it is not in the lower quartile either. The data shows that at 1080p, this system performs admirably, with all presets clearing 60 FPS, which is better than many lower-ranked combos that struggle at even 1080p Medium. The rank is heavily influenced by 4K performance, where this combo only manages Low settings, while higher-ranked systems can achieve Medium or High at that resolution. For a player targeting 1080p or 1440p, the rank understates the practical capability, but for 4K enthusiasts, the rank accurately reflects the limitations.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data provides a clear directive for optimal settings at each resolution, based on the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, which produces an average of 75.8 FPS. This is 15.8 FPS above the threshold, providing a small buffer for scene complexity. Medium at 55.4 FPS is not viable, so Low is the sole option for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, averaging 74.6 FPS. This is 14.6 FPS above the 60 FPS line. Medium at 83.9 FPS is also playable, but High offers better visual quality while staying above the threshold. Ultra at 53.3 FPS is not recommended.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, which averages 74.9 FPS. This is 14.9 FPS above the threshold. All four presets are playable, with Low at 156.4 FPS, Medium at 114.6 FPS, and High at 102.2 FPS, but Ultra provides the highest visual fidelity while maintaining a safe margin above 60 FPS.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol? The answer is a qualified yes, depending on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system runs the game at every preset, including Ultra at 74.9 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a healthy margin. At 2560x1440, the system runs the game at High settings with 74.6 FPS, and also at Medium and Low, but Ultra at 53.3 FPS fails to reach playable performance. At 3840x2160, the system only runs the game at Low settings, achieving 75.8 FPS, while Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming with maximum settings, or 1440p gaming with high settings, but it is not a 4K-capable configuration for this title beyond minimal quality presets. The overall combo rank of 2542 out of 3714 confirms that while this system is not a top performer, it delivers a solid experience for the majority of players using standard 1080p and 1440p monitors.