Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT

The pairing of the 6-core Intel Core i5-12400 with the 16GB AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT produces a system that handles Lockdown Protocol across the board, but the data reveals a clear split: at 1080p this combo pushes well past 200 FPS on low settings, while at 4K it struggles to maintain a smooth 60 FPS on ultra. The measured rows show a system that is decidedly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet the CPU's modest 6-core/12-thread configuration still manages to keep pace. The combo ranks 1235th out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested for this title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings six physical cores and twelve threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process, offers an 18 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5. The CPU's benchmark profile shows a single-thread score of 910 in 3dmark and a multi-thread score of 5890 in 3dmark_max_threads, while Cinebench R23 results reach 2257 single-core and 15989 multi-core. These numbers place the i5-12400 at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683.

The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database are instructive. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697, a mere 0.1% delta, while the Intel Core i7-1355U sits at 18730, 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 reaches 18811, 0.7% above, and the Intel Core i3-14100F trails at 18519, 0.9% lower. What this suggests is that the i5-12400's compute capability is not a bottleneck for Lockdown Protocol at most settings — the game appears to scale more significantly with GPU load, especially as resolution increases.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the CPU's role becomes clearer when examining the 1080p Low setting, which delivers 235 FPS average. That number is high enough that even a stronger CPU would likely not push it much further, given that the GPU is still doing the heavy lifting of rendering frames. However, at 1080p Ultra, the system drops to 109 FPS, a 126 FPS decrease from Low. This dramatic swing is not a CPU limitation — the i5-12400's single-thread performance (910 in 3dmark_single_thread, 3456 in passmark_single_thread) is sufficient to handle the game's logic even at lower resolutions. The data implies that Lockdown Protocol's frame rate is primarily dictated by the graphics pipeline, with the CPU providing a stable foundation rather than a ceiling.

The 3dmark 2-thread score of 1692 and 4-thread score of 3012 suggest that the game likely benefits from the CPU's ability to handle multiple threads, but the 8-thread score of 4745 and max-thread score of 5890 show diminishing returns. For a FPS title like Lockdown Protocol, the 6-core/12-thread configuration appears well-matched, as evidenced by the fact that the system never falls below 52 FPS even at the most demanding 4K Ultra setting, where GPU load is highest.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and the data confirms it. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card offers 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that becomes relevant at 4K resolutions where texture data grows. The GPU's clocks are set at a base of 1295 MHz, a boost of 2430 MHz, and a game clock of 2124 MHz. Built on the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture and a 5 nm process from TSMC, the card packs 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 60 ray tracing cores.

The GPU's benchmark results show a passmark_g3d score of 24176 and a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 4157. The percentileVsAllGpus of 51 places it right at the median of all GPUs, which is surprising given its 16GB VRAM. The nearest GPU rivals are instructive: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 scores 11680 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M scores 11528 (0.9% lower), the NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11479 (1.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 11842 (1.8% higher). These deltas are tiny, suggesting that raw benchmark averages don't capture the RX 7800 XT's real-world performance in Lockdown Protocol.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's true character. At 4K High, the system hits 69 FPS average; at 4K Medium, 79 FPS; at 4K Low, 111 FPS; and at 4K Ultra, 52 FPS. The 16 GB VRAM is almost certainly a factor in maintaining playable frame rates at 4K, as the card can hold the textures and geometry needed for the game's environments without spilling into system memory. The 256-bit bus and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth support this, providing enough throughput to feed the 3840 shading units at high resolutions.

The GPU's memory clock of 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) is notably high, and the data suggests it helps at 1440p as well. At 2560x1440, the system delivers 172 FPS on Low, 122 FPS on Medium, 107 FPS on High, and 80 FPS on Ultra. The step from High to Ultra at 1440p costs 27 FPS, a 25% drop, which indicates that Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU's compute units rather than its memory subsystem. The FP32 performance of 37.32 TFLOPS is the likely culprit — ultra settings may involve more complex shaders that push the shading units harder.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data tells a clear story about which component limits this system. From 1080p Low (235 FPS) to 1440p Low (172 FPS), the drop is 63 FPS, or about 27%. From 1440p Low to 4K Low (111 FPS), the drop is another 61 FPS, or about 35%. This pattern — roughly linear scaling with pixel count — indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at lower settings. The pixel count from 1080p to 1440p increases by 77%, and the FPS drops by 27%, which is less than proportional, suggesting some headroom in the GPU. From 1440p to 4K, the pixel count increases by 125%, and the FPS drops by 35%, again less than proportional, meaning the GPU still has resources to draw upon.

At High settings, the scaling is steeper: 146 FPS at 1080p, 107 FPS at 1440p, 69 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 39 FPS (27%), and the 1440p to 4K drop is 38 FPS (36%). This is a more consistent pattern, and the 4K High result of 69 FPS is still playable but approaching the 60 FPS threshold. At Ultra settings, the system hits 109 FPS at 1080p, 80 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, making it the only tested configuration that fails to maintain a smooth experience.

The limiting component analysis points to the GPU at all resolutions above 1080p Low. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions at the same settings, because the CPU's work doesn't change with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops consistently as resolution rises, which is the signature of GPU limitation. Even at 1080p, where the CPU has the most relative influence, the difference between Low (235 FPS) and Ultra (109 FPS) is 126 FPS, driven by GPU load. The i5-12400's 72nd percentile ranking among CPUs is sufficient to avoid being the limiting factor in this game, at least for the tested settings.

FAQ

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-12400 bottleneck the RX 7800 XT in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 235 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it drops to 52 FPS. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is a GPU-limited pattern. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking and 5890 max-thread 3dmark score suggest it has enough headroom for this game.

Q: Is 16 GB of VRAM on the RX 7800 XT necessary for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The measured results show playable frame rates at 4K High (69 FPS) and 4K Medium (79 FPS), which would be difficult to achieve with less VRAM. The 624.1 GB/s bandwidth and 256-bit bus support these high-resolution results, indicating that the 16 GB capacity is beneficial for this game's 4K demands.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, the system delivers 107 FPS on High settings, which is smooth and responsive. At 4K, the High preset yields 69 FPS, still playable, but Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The 1440p High setting appears to be the sweet spot for balanced performance.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RX 7800 XT's nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 7800 XT's average benchmark score of 11627 is within 1.8% of its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11680), AMD Radeon Pro 5500M (11528), NVIDIA Tesla K20c (11479), and AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT (11842). However, the measured FPS in Lockdown Protocol shows strong real-world performance that these benchmark averages don't fully capture.

Q: Is the i5-12400's 6-core/12-thread configuration enough for this game?

A: The 3dmark scores show a progression from 1692 (2 threads) to 5890 (max threads), indicating the CPU scales well with thread usage. Lockdown Protocol's FPS results, which never drop below 52 FPS even at 4K Ultra, suggest that 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for this title's CPU demands.

Q: Why does the 4K Ultra setting drop to 52 FPS?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 imposes the heaviest load on the GPU, as evidenced by the 52 FPS average. The RX 7800 XT's 37.32 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is likely being saturated by the game's ultra-level effects, while the CPU's role remains secondary, as shown by the fact that lower settings at 4K still achieve over 100 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs exceptionally well across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 235 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings deliver 167 FPS average, with a minimum of 142 FPS and a maximum of 192 FPS. High settings produce 146 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 109 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 126 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload increases significantly with visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down proportionally. Low settings hit 172 FPS average, Medium reaches 122 FPS (104 min, 141 max), High achieves 107 FPS, and Ultra settles at 80 FPS. The 1440p Medium result of 122 FPS with a 104 FPS minimum suggests that this resolution is still well within the system's comfortable range. The drop from High (107 FPS) to Ultra (80 FPS) is 27 FPS, which is a 25% reduction, indicating that Ultra settings are noticeably more demanding.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits. Low settings still manage 111 FPS average, which is impressive for 4K. Medium settings deliver 79 FPS (67 min, 91 max), High settings reach 69 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 52 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration below 60 FPS in the entire dataset. The Medium preset's minimum of 67 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold, but the High preset's average of 69 FPS leaves little margin for demanding scenes.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K at each setting is consistent: Low drops from 235 to 111 FPS (53% reduction), Medium from 167 to 79 FPS (53% reduction), High from 146 to 69 FPS (53% reduction), and Ultra from 109 to 52 FPS (52% reduction). This uniform scaling across settings reinforces the GPU-bound nature of this system.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to 1440p High as the best overall experience for this combo. At 107 FPS average, it provides smooth, responsive gameplay that takes advantage of the RX 7800 XT's capabilities without pushing into the diminishing returns of Ultra settings. The 4K High setting at 69 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize resolution over frame rate, but the 1440p High configuration offers a better balance of visual quality and performance.

For players who prioritize maximum frame rates, 1080p Low at 235 FPS is the clear choice, though this sacrifices visual fidelity. The 1440p Medium setting at 122 FPS (104 min, 141 max) is a strong middle ground for competitive play, offering a high frame rate with a minimum that stays well above 100 FPS. The 4K Medium setting at 79 FPS (67 min, 91 max) is the best 4K option if you want to stay above 60 FPS, as the High preset's 69 FPS average leaves less headroom.

The Ultra presets are not recommended for this combination. At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. Even at 1440p Ultra (80 FPS), the gain over High (107 FPS) is not worth the 27 FPS loss, and at 1080p Ultra (109 FPS), the visual improvement over High (146 FPS) comes at a significant frame rate cost. The data suggests that High settings provide the optimal balance of visual quality and performance at all three resolutions, with Medium as a viable alternative for higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 1235th out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top third of all systems. This ranking is notably higher than what the individual component percentiles might suggest — the CPU sits at the 72nd percentile and the GPU at the 51st percentile — indicating that this pairing works particularly well for this specific game.

The synergy between the CPU and GPU is evident in the measured results. The i5-12400's 6-core/12-thread configuration with a 4.40 GHz boost clock provides enough single-thread performance (910 in 3dmark_single_thread) to keep the GPU fed at 1080p and 1440p, while the RX 7800 XT's 16 GB VRAM and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth handle the 4K demands. The combo rank of 1235 out of 3714 suggests that many other systems with higher-priced components don't perform as well in this title, likely due to the game's specific engine characteristics.

The ranking also implies that Lockdown Protocol is more GPU-intensive than CPU-intensive. A system with a stronger CPU but weaker GPU would likely rank lower because the game's frame rates are dictated by the graphics card, as shown by the uniform 52-53% FPS drops from 1080p to 4K across all settings. Conversely, this combo's solid 4K performance — even at 69 FPS on High — confirms that the RX 7800 XT is the primary driver of its 1235th place ranking, with the i5-12400 providing reliable support without becoming a bottleneck.