Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a capable Lockdown Protocol experience across most resolutions, with the sweet spot at 1080p where even Ultra settings hold above 60 FPS. At 1440p, High settings remain playable, while 4K demands Low settings to stay fluid. This combo ranks 2293rd out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of systems evaluated, with the CPU contributing a stronger relative standing (85th percentile among all CPUs) than the GPU (66th percentile among all GPUs).

How This Combo Ranks

The combination sits at rank 2293 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places it above the midpoint of the field, but not among the top performers. The CPU is a clear strength: its 85th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, backed by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a single-core score of 4071, shows it can handle demanding workloads. The GPU, meanwhile, ranks in the 66th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 21035 across multiple tests, including a Passmark G3D score of 17326 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 90334. This asymmetry suggests the GPU is the more likely limiting factor when pushing resolution or preset quality, a pattern that becomes evident in the measured frame rates.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark performance include the Intel Core i7-13700T (avg score 35403, -0.1% delta), Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, +0.2%), Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, -0.2%), and Intel Core i7-12700K (35287, +0.2%). All are within a fraction of a percent of the i7-12700KF's average benchmark score of 35365, meaning any of these would deliver essentially identical CPU-bound performance in this game. For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6%), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, -1%), AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, +1.6%), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, -1.6%). These deltas are small enough that, in practice, swapping the RTX 5050 for any of these would likely yield similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming other system components remain unchanged.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as resolution and settings rise. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 168 FPS at 1080p to 123 FPS at 1440p and 79 FPS at 4K—a 53% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This steep scaling points directly to the GPU's rendering workload, not the CPU. The CPU's high single-thread and multi-thread scores (Geekbench single-core 2255, multi-core 14367; 3DMark max threads 9983) indicate it can easily feed the GPU at these frame rates, even at 1080p Low where the CPU would need to deliver 168 frames per second.

Preset scaling further confirms the GPU's role. At 1080p, moving from Low (168 FPS) to Medium (119 FPS) to High (104 FPS) to Ultra (78 FPS) reduces performance by more than half. The same pattern holds at 1440p (Low 123, Medium 87, High 76, Ultra 57) and 4K (Low 79, Medium 56, High 49, Ultra 37). The GPU's specifications—8GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 320 GB/s bandwidth, 2560 shading units, and 20 RT cores—are modest by modern standards, and the data shows they are the limiting factor at higher quality presets. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, remains underutilized in comparison, especially at 4K where even Low settings only reach 79 FPS.

At 1080p, the CPU's contribution is more noticeable: the jump from Low to Medium (168 to 119 FPS) is a 29% drop, while from High to Ultra (104 to 78) is a 25% drop. This suggests the CPU can still keep up at lower resolutions, but the GPU's pixel and texture throughput becomes the wall as settings increase. For competitive play, the 1080p Low preset delivers 168 FPS, which is well above any refresh-rate threshold, while 1440p High at 76 FPS offers a balanced visual-to-performance trade-off.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdict data identifies the most demanding preset that stays at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold for each resolution:

• 3840x2160: Low settings produce an average of 79 FPS. Medium drops to 56 FPS, so Low is the only playable option at 4K.
• 2560x1440: High settings average 76 FPS. Medium (87 FPS) and Low (123 FPS) are also playable, but High offers the best visual quality while clearing 60 FPS.
• 1920x1080: Ultra settings average 78 FPS. All presets—Low (168), Medium (119), High (104), and Ultra (78)—exceed 60 FPS, so Ultra is the best choice.

These numbers indicate that the combo is comfortably playable at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings, but 4K requires a significant compromise to maintain smooth frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700T, i5-13600T, Core 5 213PE, and i7-12700K all have average benchmark scores within 0.2% of the i7-12700KF. In Lockdown Protocol, where the CPU is not the bottleneck at most settings, any of these would produce nearly identical frame rates. The i7-12700K is particularly close (delta +0.2%), making it a drop-in equivalent in performance, though its power characteristics may differ.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (-0.6%), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (-1%), AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (+1.6%), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (-1.6%) are all within a small percentage of the RTX 5050's average benchmark score. Given the GPU-bound nature of Lockdown Protocol at higher resolutions, these alternatives would likely deliver similar FPS numbers, with the RX 5600 XT being the closest in raw score. However, actual game performance can vary due to driver optimizations and architectural differences, so these are approximate equivalences rather than guarantees.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured frame rates for the i7-12700KF + RTX 5050 combo in Lockdown Protocol is as follows:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 49 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 79 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 56 | 48 | 65 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 37 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 76 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 123 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 87 | 74 | 100 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 57 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 104 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 168 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 119 | 101 | 137 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 78 | — | — |

The min/max data is only available for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 101 to 137 FPS, indicating some frame-time variance but still a stable experience. At 1440p Medium, the range is 74 to 100 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 48 to 65 FPS—the latter dipping below the playable threshold. This reinforces that 4K Medium is not viable, while 4K Low remains the only option.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience depends heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, every preset—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—stays at or above 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 78 FPS. At 2560x1440, High, Medium, and Low all clear 60 FPS, with High at 76 FPS being the best visual choice. At 3840x2160, only Low achieves 79 FPS; Medium falls to 56 FPS and is not playable.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: the combo is a strong 1080p performer, a good 1440p option with reasonable settings, and a 4K system that requires sacrificing visual fidelity. The CPU's high percentile ranking ensures it will not hold back the GPU in most scenarios, while the GPU's mid-tier standing limits high-resolution, high-preset play. For gamers targeting 1080p or 1440p, this build delivers smooth frame rates with room to spare; for 4K, it is best reserved for less demanding titles or lower quality settings. The launch MSRP of the CPU is $384, and the GPU carries a launch MSRP of $249 USD, but the measured performance speaks for itself: this is a balanced mid-range setup that excels at mainstream resolutions.