Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the Intel Core i3-12100F with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, a combination that lands in the 713th position out of 1,637 tested combos. This mid-pack ranking suggests a system that is neither a bottleneck showcase nor a top-tier performer, but rather a balanced pairing where the GPU does most of the heavy lifting in this FPS title. The data reveals a clear story about resolution scaling, settings impact, and where the limits of this hardware configuration lie.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: The Low preset delivers the highest measured average of 216.1 FPS at 1920x1080, while the High preset offers 133.2 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, Medium at 156.7 FPS appears to be the sweet spot, as it provides a substantial frame rate advantage over High without the visual compromises of Low.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The Core i3-12100F scores 893 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1,681 in Cinebench R23 single-core, but its multi-threaded results are significantly higher, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11,912 and a 3dmark_max_threads score of 4,023. This indicates the 4-core, 8-thread processor scales well with additional threads, though its single-core strength remains solid for gaming workloads.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect performance?

A: The Radeon RX 7700 XT features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. This memory subsystem supports the frame rates seen across all tested resolutions, with the 12 GB capacity proving sufficient even at 4K where the High preset still achieves 64 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo holds the 713th rank out of 1,637 tested combinations, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all tested pairings. This mid-field position indicates the i3-12100F and RX 7700 XT work together without either component becoming a severe limiting factor.

Q: What is the difference in performance between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the system achieves 133.2 FPS, but this drops to 101.7 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 64 FPS at 3840x2160. The scaling from 1080p to 4K represents a 51.9% reduction in frame rate, highlighting the GPU's increasing workload at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the CPU's boost clock provide a significant advantage over its base clock?

A: The i3-12100F has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, a 1.0 GHz headroom. The benchmark data shows strong single-thread performance with a Passmark single-thread score of 3,444, suggesting the boost clock is effectively utilized during gaming workloads.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary driver of frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. Its RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process, delivers a boost clock of 2544 MHz and a game clock of 2171 MHz. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 2250 MHz with 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, providing ample data throughput for the game's textures and geometry.

The GPU's 54 ray accelerators and 96 ROPs contribute to its rendering capabilities, while its FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS indicates substantial compute power. Benchmark results show the GPU scoring 22,547 in Passmark G3D and 132,758 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, scores 30,109 in average benchmark, a mere 0% difference, showing these two cards are virtually neck-and-neck in synthetic tests.

The RX 7700 XT's performance in Lockdown Protocol follows a predictable pattern: at 4K Ultra, it manages 48.7 FPS, while dropping to Low settings at the same resolution yields 100.3 FPS. This 51.6 FPS swing demonstrates the GPU's sensitivity to settings changes, with the memory bandwidth and compute units being pushed harder as visual fidelity increases.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 216.1 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but the Medium preset at 156.7 FPS offers a better visual experience while still maintaining high frame rates. The High preset at 133.2 FPS is also viable, though the gap to Medium is relatively small at 23.5 FPS.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 116.4 FPS, which is the best balance of quality and performance at this resolution. High settings at 101.7 FPS remain playable, but Ultra drops to 74.1 FPS, which may feel less responsive in a fast-paced FPS. The Low preset at 162.5 FPS is the clear choice for maximum competitiveness.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. High settings produce 64 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Medium at 76.1 FPS is the best option for maintaining smoother motion, while Ultra at 48.7 FPS is borderline unplayable. Low at 100.3 FPS is the only preset that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 713 out of 1,637 places this configuration in the middle of the pack, suggesting it outperforms roughly 56% of tested combinations. This positioning is interesting given that the CPU ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 73rd percentile. Both components are above average individually, yet their combined rank is lower than either component's individual percentile.

This discrepancy suggests that in Lockdown Protocol, the pairing's performance is limited by the CPU's 4-core, 8-thread configuration. The i3-12100F's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11,912 is respectable, but games that scale well with more threads may not fully utilize this CPU's capabilities. The GPU's benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 22,547, indicate it has more headroom than the CPU provides.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU's average benchmark score of 13,516 is within 1.8% of the Intel Core i7-7700K's 13,280, showing that the i3-12100F competes with older higher-tier processors. The GPU's average score of 30,097 is essentially identical to the RTX 5060's 30,109, a 0% difference that underscores the RX 7700 XT's competitive positioning.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck lies in this system. At High settings, the progression is 133.2 FPS at 1080p, 101.7 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K. This represents a 23.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 37.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. The increasing percentage drops at higher resolutions indicate the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 216.1 FPS at 1080p drops to 162.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 100.3 FPS at 4K. This translates to a 24.8% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 38.3% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the GPU is the primary constraint at all resolutions, with the CPU maintaining sufficient frame delivery at lower resolutions.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 100.4 FPS at 1080p, 74.1 FPS at 1440p, and 48.7 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K here is 34.3%, slightly less than other presets, which may indicate the CPU's influence becomes more apparent at very low frame rates where it can keep up with the GPU's render times.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset achieves 216.1 FPS, followed by Medium at 156.7 FPS, High at 133.2 FPS, and Ultra at 100.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 115.7 FPS, demonstrating the significant impact of settings on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates decrease across the board. Low produces 162.5 FPS, Medium 116.4 FPS, High 101.7 FPS, and Ultra 74.1 FPS. The performance hierarchy remains consistent, with Low maintaining a 88.4 FPS advantage over Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more modest. Low yields 100.3 FPS, Medium 76.1 FPS, High 64 FPS, and Ultra 48.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 51.6 FPS, indicating that at 4K, even the Low preset cannot fully escape the GPU's workload limitations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, plays a supporting role in Lockdown Protocol. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz boosts to 4.30 GHz, and the 12 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. The CPU's benchmark results show a 3dmark_4_threads score of 2,859 and a 3dmark_8_threads score of 4,026, indicating the processor handles moderate thread counts efficiently.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is notable. Its average benchmark score of 13,516 is only 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX's 13,534, a remarkable result for a budget-oriented 4-core chip. Against the Intel Core i7-1250U, the i3-12100F is 0.4% ahead, and it beats the Core i7-7700K by 1.8%.

In gaming scenarios, the CPU's single-thread performance is crucial. Its 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 and Geekbench single-core score of 2,224 indicate strong per-core capability. However, the Passmark physics score of 985 suggests that the CPU may struggle with complex physics calculations, which could impact gameplay in demanding situations. The 58 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a straightforward choice for mainstream builds, and its launch MSRP is $97.