Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical fidelity. For the Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, the measured data reveals a configuration that is capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p but becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution climbs to 4K. The transition from 168 FPS at 1080p Low to 49 FPS at 4K High illustrates a classic performance curve where the rendering load outpaces the GPU's capabilities, while the CPU maintains enough headroom to feed the graphics card effectively at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across the three measured resolutions shows a predictable and steep decline in average frame rates as pixel count increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 168 FPS, which drops to 123 FPS at 1440p and further to 79 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 53% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern indicates that at 1080p, the system is likely not fully saturated, as the jump to 1440p only costs a quarter of the performance, suggesting the CPU and GPU are working in balance.

Moving to High settings, the frame rates are 104 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K here is 36%, which is steeper than the Low settings drop of 36% as well, but the absolute values are lower. This suggests that as settings increase, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. The Ultra preset further emphasizes this trend, with 78 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling, as it falls below the 40 FPS threshold, indicating a heavy load on the RTX 5050's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 2560 shading units.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts based on resolution. At 1080p, the combination of a 4-core, 8-thread CPU with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz is sufficient to drive the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates even at Ultra settings. However, at 4K, the GPU's raw throughput becomes the bottleneck. The RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are taxed heavily by the 3840x2160 resolution, resulting in a 37 FPS average on Ultra. The scaling from Medium to Ultra at 4K shows a 34% performance drop, from 56 FPS to 37 FPS, which aligns with the increased shading and texture demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest average FPS is 168, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting that pushes the frame rate above 160 FPS, indicating a clear ceiling for this configuration.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. This suggests a playable experience for most users, though the min FPS indicates some frame time variance.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 capable of 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the average FPS ranges from 79 on Low to 37 on Ultra. While Low settings are playable, the High and Ultra presets fall below 60 FPS, suggesting that 4K gaming requires significant settings compromises for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 168 on Low to 78 on Ultra, a 53% reduction. This indicates that the Ultra preset nearly halves the frame rate compared to Low, making it a significant trade-off between visual fidelity and performance.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1739 out of 2828 tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle tier of results, indicating that while it is not a top performer, it is far from the bottom of the list.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: For the 2560x1440 Medium preset, the minimum FPS is 74, with an average of 87 FPS. This minimum is 15% lower than the average, showing that frame pacing can dip under load, but not drastically.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide a solid foundation for gaming, though its 58 W TDP and 10 nm process node are modest by modern standards. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is evident in the scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the 168 FPS result suggests the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the GPU is able to render frames quickly with minimal load.

The benchmark data for the CPU shows a single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark and a multi-thread score of 4051 in the 16-thread test. These numbers, combined with a PassMark single-thread score of 3444, indicate that the i3-12100F has strong per-core performance, which is critical for FPS games that rely on a few threads. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 further confirms that the 4-core design can handle moderate multi-threaded workloads, but it is not a high-core-count processor.

In the context of this game, the CPU’s performance is adequate at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the frame rates staying above 100 FPS on High settings at 1080p. However, the 4-core, 8-thread configuration may limit performance in scenarios with heavy physics or AI calculations, though the measured data does not show a clear CPU bottleneck. The CPU's percentile ranking of 68 versus all CPUs suggests it outperforms the majority of processors, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, has a nearly identical average score, indicating that the i3-12100F is a competitive entry-level option.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 achieves a rank of 1739 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 61st percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 61% of tested systems but lags behind the top tier. The rank is influenced by both the CPU's 68th percentile ranking and the GPU's 66th percentile ranking, suggesting a balanced pairing where neither component drastically drags down the overall score.

Compared to other combos, this system is positioned in the lower-middle segment. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, has a 0.6% higher average score, while the AMD Radeon HD 8970M is 1% higher, indicating that the RTX 5050 is competitive with older or integrated solutions. On the CPU side, the i3-12100F's nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, has a 0% delta, meaning they perform identically in synthetic benchmarks. This rank suggests that for a budget-conscious build, the combo offers reasonable performance but is not optimized for maximum frame rates in demanding titles.

The data shows that the combo's performance is more heavily influenced by the GPU at higher resolutions, as the CPU's capabilities are sufficient to avoid bottlenecks. At 1080p, the system can achieve refresh rates that satisfy competitive gamers, but at 4K, the rank would likely be lower due to the GPU's limitations. The 1739th rank reflects a system that is capable of 1080p gaming at high settings but requires settings adjustments for 1440p or 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 104 FPS on average, which is a strong balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset offers 119 FPS, a 14% increase over High, making it a good choice for players who prioritize higher frame rates over minor graphical improvements. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is still playable but represents a 25% drop from High, so it is recommended only for those who value maximum fidelity.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides an average of 87 FPS, which is the best balance for this resolution. The High preset at 76 FPS is also viable, but the 13% reduction in frame rate may be noticeable in fast-paced gameplay. The Low preset at 123 FPS is the only option that exceeds 120 FPS, making it suitable for high refresh rate monitors, though it sacrifices visual detail. At 4K, the Low preset at 79 FPS is the only setting that approaches 60 FPS, while the Medium preset at 56 FPS is borderline acceptable. The High and Ultra presets at 49 and 37 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The data indicates that the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium or High settings, where the combo delivers frame rates above 100 FPS. For 1440p, Medium is the sweet spot, and for 4K, Low is the only playable option. The measured minimum FPS values, such as 101 FPS at 1080p Medium and 74 FPS at 1440p Medium, suggest that the system maintains consistent performance without major dips.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 168 on Low to 78 on Ultra. Specifically, Low achieves 168 FPS, Medium achieves 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS, High achieves 104 FPS, and Ultra achieves 78 FPS. This shows a clear hierarchy where each higher preset reduces performance by roughly 20-30 FPS, with the largest drop occurring from Medium to High.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 123 on Low to 57 on Ultra. The Low preset delivers 123 FPS, Medium delivers 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS, High delivers 76 FPS, and Ultra delivers 57 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p results in a 27% reduction on Low, a 27% reduction on Medium, a 27% reduction on High, and a 27% reduction on Ultra, indicating a consistent resolution scaling factor.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 79 on Low to 37 on Ultra. The Low preset achieves 79 FPS, Medium achieves 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, High achieves 49 FPS, and Ultra achieves 37 FPS. The jump from 1440p to 4K causes a 36% reduction on Low, a 36% reduction on Medium, a 36% reduction on High, and a 35% reduction on Ultra. The minimum FPS values at 4K, such as 48 FPS on Medium, indicate that the system can experience noticeable frame dips, which may impact gameplay smoothness.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently shows the most stable frame times, as evidenced by the recorded minimum and maximum values. At 1080p Medium, the range is 101-137 FPS, at 1440p Medium, the range is 74-100 FPS, and at 4K Medium, the range is 48-65 FPS. This stability suggests that Medium is the most reliable preset for consistent performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is a key component in this combo, and its specifications directly influence the measured FPS results. The GPU features 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. These specifications, combined with its 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, determine how well it handles the rendering demands of Lockdown Protocol.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks shows a PassMark G3D score of 17326 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502. Its percentile ranking of 66 versus all GPUs places it above the median, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, has a 0.6% higher average score. This indicates that the RTX 5050 is a mid-tier graphics card that competes with older high-end mobile solutions.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the GPU is able to deliver high frame rates, but the 8 GB VRAM may be a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s is taxed. The data shows that the GPU's performance scales linearly with settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 37 FPS highlights the card's limitations in the most demanding scenarios. The GPU's pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the fill rate becomes a bottleneck, as evidenced by the significant FPS drop.