Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. The measured data reveals a combination that is exceptionally capable, posting frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across every tested resolution and settings preset. The benchmark results indicate a system with significant headroom, making it a formidable choice for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The performance envelope for this combo is wide, scaling from highly competitive esports-level frame rates at 1080p to comfortably playable 4K experiences. At 1920x1080, the system is clearly CPU-bound at lower presets, delivering an average of 304.6 FPS on Low, 217.1 FPS on Medium, and 187.4 FPS on High. Even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 142.6 FPS, ensuring that the monitor's refresh rate is the only limiting factor for most users.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 226.2 FPS, while Medium and High follow closely at 156.5 FPS and 141.2 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset still holds a commanding average of 102.9 FPS, demonstrating that this hardware combination can handle the increased pixel count without breaking a sweat. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this pairing, balancing visual fidelity with incredibly high performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits, yet the results are still impressive. The Low preset averages 143.6 FPS, which drops to 102.8 FPS on Medium and 88.9 FPS on High. The most demanding Ultra preset falls to an average of 66.8 FPS, which remains above the 60 FPS playability threshold but indicates that the graphics card is now the primary workload driver. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep, but the frame rates remain excellent for a native 4K experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the i7-12700KF and the RTX 4070 Ti shifts predictably as resolution increases. At 1080p, the delta between the Low (304.6 FPS) and Ultra (142.6 FPS) presets is stark, a 162 FPS difference. This wide gap suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding frames far faster than the GPU can render them at higher settings, making the graphics card the bottleneck. The high frame rates even at Low settings point to a powerful processor that is not being fully utilized.

As the resolution climbs to 1440p, the spread between presets narrows slightly. The difference between Low (226.2 FPS) and Ultra (102.9 FPS) is 123.3 FPS. The system is becoming more balanced, but the CPU still has enough headroom to keep the GPU well-fed. The performance drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 78.4 FPS, indicating that the GPU is starting to take on more work, but the processor remains a strong partner.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes dominant. The scaling from 1440p Ultra (102.9 FPS) to 4K Ultra (66.8 FPS) is a 36.1 FPS drop, a significant 35% reduction. In contrast, the drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is much smaller. This pattern confirms that at 3840x2160, the RTX 4070 Ti is the limiting factor, and the i7-12700KF provides more than enough processing power to avoid becoming a constraint. The data clearly shows a system where the CPU is a capable enabler, but the GPU dictates the final performance ceiling at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

When looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-12700KF sits in a tightly contested performance bracket. The data shows it is virtually tied with the Intel Core i7-13700T, with a negligible delta of -0.1%. Similarly, the Intel Core i5-13600T is a near-identical match, scoring 0.2% higher. The Intel Core 5 213PE also falls within this performance cluster, trailing by 0.2%. Even the Intel Core i7-12700K is a direct equivalent, with a 0.2% performance delta. In practical terms, a user with any of these processors would experience nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 Ti's nearest rivals offer similar performance levels, though the comparisons are slightly more varied. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is just 0.8% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT leads by 1.3%. The NVIDIA RTX A6000 is 1.6% slower, and the Intel Arc A730M trails by 1.7%. These deltas are all within a narrow margin, meaning that systems built with these alternative graphics cards would produce very similar benchmark results in this game.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unequivocal: this PC can run Lockdown Protocol with exceptional performance. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at every resolution tested. At 1920x1080, the system achieves a minimum average of 142.6 FPS on the Ultra preset, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset still delivers a commanding 102.9 FPS average. Even at 3840x2160, the most demanding scenario, the Ultra preset maintains an average of 66.8 FPS, clearing the playability bar. There is no configuration in the data where this hardware fails to meet the 60 FPS requirement.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i7-12700KF + RTX 4070 Ti run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, all presets are playable. The most demanding Ultra preset averages 66.8 FPS, while the High preset averages 88.9 FPS, both clearing the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 102.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it the best choice for maximum visual quality.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 1440p on the Low preset?

A: The average frame rate drops from 304.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 226.2 FPS at 2560x1440. This is a reduction of 78.4 FPS, indicating a growing reliance on the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the large frame rate gap between Low (304.6 FPS) and Ultra (142.6 FPS) presets suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU is capable of producing far more frames than the graphics card can render at higher settings.

Q: Which component is more important for performance at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant component. The significant performance drop from 1440p Ultra (102.9 FPS) to 4K Ultra (66.8 FPS) shows that the RTX 4070 Ti is the primary workload driver.

Q: What is the average FPS on the High preset at 1440p?

A: The benchmark data shows an average of 141.2 FPS for the High preset at 2560x1440.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the same for all resolutions: Ultra. The data shows that this system has enough performance headroom to run the game at its maximum visual quality at every resolution tested.

• 3840x2160: Ultra preset, with an average of 66.8 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Ultra preset, with an average of 102.9 FPS.
• 1920x1080: Ultra preset, with an average of 142.6 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti holds a rank of 448 out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the top 12% of all systems evaluated, confirming that it is a high-performing configuration for this title. The combination of a strong 12th-gen processor and a capable 40-series GPU results in a top-tier gaming experience, as reflected by its position in the overall rankings.