Lockdown Protocol

# How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 with the AMD Radeon RX 570 lands at rank 3544 out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. That places this system in the bottom 5% of all tested combos, a position that reflects the GPU's age more than the CPU's capability. The data shows a combo that will run the game, but with significant compromises required at higher resolutions.

To contextualize this rank, the CPU itself sits in the 72nd percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD EPYC 7643 (deltaPct -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-1355U (deltaPct -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (deltaPct -0.7%), all of which score nearly identically. The GPU, meanwhile, holds the 74th percentile among all graphics cards with an average score of 28766, closely matching the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (deltaPct -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (deltaPct -0.8%). Despite both components ranking near the 74th percentile individually, their combined performance in Lockdown Protocol falls far lower, suggesting the game's demands are heavily weighted toward GPU throughput that the RX 570 cannot sustain at higher settings.

The discrepancy between component-level percentiles and the combo's in-game rank is telling. A 74th-percentile GPU should not typically produce a bottom-5% result, yet the measured frames indicate that this specific title's engine is particularly punishing on older GCN architecture. The RX 570's Polaris 20 chip, built on a 14 nm process with 5,700 million transistors, delivers only 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 compute — a figure that modern titles often struggle to leverage efficiently. The result is a system that can handle competitive FPS gameplay at 1080p with reduced settings, but which falls apart when pushed toward higher resolutions or quality presets.

# Resolution Scaling

Examining the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 77 FPS at 1920x1080 to 56 FPS at 2560x1440, then further to 36 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 27% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 53% total reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is consistent with a GPU that is running out of raw pixel-pushing capability, not a CPU bottleneck.

At Medium settings, the same progression shows 54 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are similar: 26% from 1080p to 1440p and 52% from 1080p to 4K. This consistent proportional decline across settings strongly implies the Radeon RX 570 is the limiting component at every resolution. The Intel Core i5-12400, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting to 4.40 GHz, has ample headroom to feed frames at these rates; the GPU simply cannot render them faster.

The most dramatic scaling appears at Ultra settings, where 1080p yields 36 FPS, 1440p drops to 26 FPS, and 4K collapses to 17 FPS. The 4K result is only 47% of the 1080p figure, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s and 4 GB GDDR5 buffer become severe constraints at higher pixel counts. The 256-bit memory bus helps, but the 7 Gbps effective memory speed cannot compensate for the sheer fill-rate demands of 4K Ultra. Players targeting 4K would need to accept that even Low settings produce only 36 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth competitive play.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience with this hardware. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 77 FPS average, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered the minimum for fluid FPS gameplay. The Medium preset at the same resolution produces 54 FPS average with a minimum of 46 FPS and maximum of 63 FPS, which is playable but with occasional dips below 60.

For players prioritizing frame rate, 1080p Low is the clear choice. The jump from Low to Medium costs 23 FPS (30%) while the visual improvement may not justify that loss in a fast-paced FPS where reaction time matters. The High preset at 1080p yields 47 FPS, and Ultra drops to 36 FPS — both below the 60 FPS target and unlikely to provide a competitive advantage.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset achieves 56 FPS, which is marginally playable, while Medium drops to 40 FPS and High to 35 FPS. The 4K resolution is not viable for serious play: even Low produces only 36 FPS, and Ultra falls to 17 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p Low is the highest resolution this combo can handle with acceptable smoothness, but 1080p Low is the recommended configuration for consistent performance. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a reasonable middle ground for players who prefer some visual fidelity, accepting the 54 FPS average and the 46 FPS minimum as the cost of upgraded textures and effects.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS table for Lockdown Protocol with this hardware combination is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 77 FPS average
• Medium: 54 FPS average, 46 FPS minimum, 63 FPS maximum
• High: 47 FPS average
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 56 FPS average
• Medium: 40 FPS average, 34 FPS minimum, 46 FPS maximum
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 26 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 36 FPS average
• Medium: 26 FPS average, 22 FPS minimum, 30 FPS maximum
• High: 22 FPS average
• Ultra: 17 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in quality preset costs approximately 15-20 FPS at 1080p, with diminishing absolute differences at higher resolutions. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra is only 19 FPS, compared to 41 FPS at 1080p. This compression of frame rates at higher resolutions is characteristic of a GPU that is fully saturated — the pixel pipeline becomes the bottleneck regardless of quality settings. The minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings (46 at 1080p, 34 at 1440p, 22 at 4K) indicate that frame pacing remains relatively stable, with no catastrophic stutters, but the averages are too low for competitive play at higher resolutions.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570's specifications directly explain its performance ceiling in Lockdown Protocol. With 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has sufficient memory for 1080p gaming but struggles when resolutions demand larger frame buffers. The 2048 shading units and 128 texture mapping units operate at a base clock of 1168 MHz and boost up to 1244 MHz, producing a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. These figures are modest by modern standards, and the 5.095 TFLOPS FP32 throughput places the card well below contemporary mid-range offerings.

The GPU's 74th percentile ranking among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 28766, is deceptive in this context. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (deltaPct -0.4%), which is a mobile GPU, and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (deltaPct 0.7%), another older mobile part. This suggests the RX 570's percentile is buoyed by a broad benchmark suite that includes less demanding tests, whereas Lockdown Protocol's specific engine characteristics expose the card's weaknesses. The 14 nm Polaris 20 chip, manufactured by GlobalFoundries with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, lacks the architectural efficiency of newer designs. The GCN 4.0 architecture, while supporting DirectX 12 (12_0), Vulkan 1.3, and OpenGL 4.6, does not implement hardware ray tracing or tensor cores, which are increasingly leveraged by modern game engines.

The 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate the card is power-hungry relative to its performance, but the dual-slot design and 1x 6-pin power connector are standard for its era. The 241 mm length (9.5 inches) makes it compatible with most mid-tower cases. The memory clock of 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) is fixed, meaning there is no memory overclocking headroom beyond what the card ships with. In practice, the 4 GB VRAM capacity is the most limiting factor — at 4K Ultra settings, the card must constantly swap assets, contributing to the 17 FPS average at that configuration.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings achieves 77 FPS average, which is the only configuration exceeding 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 56 FPS, and at 3840x2160, even Low only reaches 36 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: The measured results at 3840x2160 range from 36 FPS at Low settings to 17 FPS at Ultra settings. These frame rates are below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play, and the 4K Ultra setting at 17 FPS is effectively unplayable.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400 perform relative to its rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 18683 places it within 1% of the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, deltaPct -0.1%), the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, deltaPct -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811, deltaPct -0.7%). It is 0.9% faster than the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519).

Q: What is the GPU's performance ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28766, placing it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28874, deltaPct -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996, deltaPct -0.8%).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. FPS drops proportionally from 1080p to 1440p to 4K at every settings preset, suggesting the RX 570's pixel throughput is the constraint, not the CPU's 6-core/12-thread processing power.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 63. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 40 FPS (minimum 34, maximum 46). At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 26 FPS (minimum 22, maximum 30).

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400's specifications suggest it should not be the limiting factor in this combination. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on Alder Lake architecture, the CPU runs at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosts to 4.40 GHz. The 10 nm process node and 65 W TDP make it an efficient mid-range desktop processor, and its benchmark results confirm strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257 are respectable, while the 3DMark results show scaling from 910 (single-thread) to 5890 (max threads).

The CPU's percentile rank of 72 among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 18683, places it in the upper third of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are all within 1% performance, indicating the i5-12400 is well-matched against contemporary competitors. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide ample data storage for game logic and physics calculations. The dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 gives builders flexibility, though the game's performance is unlikely to be memory-bandwidth limited given the GPU's constraints.

In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the CPU's role appears secondary. The measured FPS scaling across resolutions follows a pattern consistent with GPU limitations — at 1080p Low, the 77 FPS average is well below what the CPU could theoretically feed, suggesting the GPU is the bottleneck even at the lowest quality settings. The CPU's 16 PCIe Gen 5 lanes and UHD Graphics 730 integrated GPU are irrelevant for this discrete GPU configuration, but the lack of an unlocked multiplier means overclocking is not an option to squeeze out additional performance. The launch MSRP of $199 positions it as a value-oriented part, though pricing considerations are beyond the scope of the measured data. The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and PassMark multi-thread score of 18747 indicate it can handle the game's threading model, but the RX 570's 5.095 TFLOPS FP32 throughput caps overall system performance in this title.