Lockdown Protocol

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Lockdown Protocol with this Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination reveal a classic GPU-bound scaling curve. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 175 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 128 FPS, a 27% reduction, and 3840x2160 Low lands at 83 FPS, a further 35% drop. This aggressive falloff from 1080p to 4K indicates that pixel throughput is the dominant constraint at lower quality presets; the GPU is working progressively harder as resolution climbs, while the CPU has ample headroom.

The scaling pattern shifts meaningfully when settings rise. At High settings, the average frame rate goes from 109 FPS at 1080p to 80 FPS at 1440p (a 27% decline) and then to 51 FPS at 4K (a 36% decline from 1440p). The relative drops are nearly identical to those seen at Low, which suggests that the GPU remains the bottleneck across all tested resolutions at this preset. The Ultra preset tells a similar story: 81 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling — it falls below 40 FPS, which is a severe hit to playability for a fast-paced FPS.

Looking at the Medium preset, which has the only complete min/max data in the pack, the trend is consistent. At 1080p Medium, the average is 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS. The minimum frame times scale proportionally with the averages, indicating no sudden stuttering or frame-time spikes that would suggest CPU limitations at lower resolutions. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Medium is 33 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K Medium is 32 FPS — an almost perfectly linear resolution penalty.

This linearity is the key takeaway. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect the 1080p-to-1440p drop to be smaller than the 1440p-to-4K drop, because at lower resolutions the CPU has to feed frames faster. Instead, the consistent percentage drops (27-36%) across all resolution steps point squarely at the Radeon RX 9060's pixel and fill-rate limits. The data shows no evidence of a CPU ceiling even at 1080p Low where the combo produces 175 FPS; had the i5-12400 been the constraint, the 4K Low result would not have been exactly half of the 1080p Low result, which it is (83 vs 175 is roughly 47%).

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the primary driver of these results, and its specifications align with the observed resolution scaling. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is modest for 4K gaming, and the data supports that assessment. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 39 FPS — below the 60 FPS threshold that most FPS players would consider acceptable. The 8 GB frame buffer is likely a contributing factor, as 4K textures and high-detail geometry can exceed this capacity, causing the GPU to fall back on slower memory access patterns.

Clock speeds tell a more positive story. The RX 9060 has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. The boost clock is exceptionally high, and the measured results at 1080p reflect this. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 175 FPS, which is a strong result for a GPU that sits in the 59th percentile of all GPUs according to the benchmark database. The high boost clock helps maintain frame rates at lower resolutions where the shader units (1792 shading units) and texture units (112 TMUs) can be fully utilized.

The GPU's compute capabilities also matter. The card delivers 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s. These figures explain why the card performs respectably at 1440p Medium (91 FPS) but struggles at 4K Ultra (39 FPS). The pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s becomes the limiting factor at 4K, where the GPU must fill over 8 million pixels per frame. With 64 ROPs, the card's fill-rate ceiling is reached quickly at 4K, particularly with the heavier shading loads of Ultra settings.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database, the RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, which is 0.7% higher. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862 (1% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 15852 (1% lower). This places the RX 9060 in a tight cluster of mid-range GPUs. The measured FPS in Lockdown Protocol at 1080p High (109 FPS) is consistent with this positioning — it is neither a standout nor a laggard in its class. The GPU's RDNA 4.0 architecture and 4 nm process node (TSMC) give it efficiency advantages, but those do not translate into higher frame rates when the memory bus width of 128 bits and 8 GB capacity cap 4K performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1647 out of 2828 combos. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested combinations — slightly below the midpoint, which is a fair reflection of its performance profile. The combo is not a top-tier performer, but it is also far from the bottom. The rank is driven primarily by the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU is relatively stronger in its own benchmarks.

The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683 and sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, 0.1% higher), Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, 0.3% higher), AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811, 0.7% higher), and Intel Core i3-14100F (18519, 0.9% lower). This CPU is clearly above average in the general benchmark pool, ranking better than 72% of all CPUs. The GPU, by contrast, ranks better than 59% of all GPUs. The combo's overall rank of 1647 out of 2828 (58th percentile) is almost exactly the average of the two components' individual percentiles, suggesting that neither component is dragging the other down significantly.

However, the combo rank in this specific game is lower than the average of the component percentiles would suggest. This indicates that Lockdown Protocol is somewhat more demanding on the GPU relative to the CPU. The game's FPS results at 4K Ultra (39 FPS) pull the combo's ranking down, as many other combinations with similar CPU performance but stronger GPUs would achieve higher frame rates at that resolution. Conversely, at 1080p Low (175 FPS), the combo performs well enough to compete with higher-ranked pairings, but the database rank is an aggregate across settings and resolutions, and the 4K results weigh heavily. The rank of 1647 out of 2828 means the combo outperforms roughly 58% of all tested pairings in this game — a solid mid-pack result that aligns with the GPU's 59th percentile standing.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the strongest resolution. At Medium settings, the combo averages 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS, which is well above playable thresholds. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 91 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Medium, it falls to 59 FPS. For consistent high frame rates, 1080p is the safest choice.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 0.7% higher at 16129, the AMD Radeon R9 370X is 1% lower at 15862, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is 1% lower at 15852. The RX 9060 sits in the middle of this cluster, with no rival more than 1% away in either direction.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU in this game?

A: No. The resolution scaling data shows consistent frame rate drops from 1080p to 1440p to 4K (roughly 27-36% per step), which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, and its 6 cores and 12 threads with a 4.40 GHz boost clock provide sufficient processing power. The 175 FPS result at 1080p Low confirms the CPU can feed frames well above typical monitor refresh rates.

Q: What settings preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance?

A: The Medium preset is the most balanced. At 1080p, it delivers 124 FPS average with a 106 FPS minimum, which is smooth. At 1440p, it maintains 91 FPS average with a 77 FPS minimum. High settings are also viable at 1080p (109 FPS) and 1440p (80 FPS), but Ultra drops to 81 FPS at 1080p and 60 FPS at 1440p, which is borderline for competitive play.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested combinations in this game?

A: It ranks 1647 out of 2828 tested combos, placing it in the 58th percentile. This is consistent with the GPU's 59th percentile ranking and slightly below the CPU's 72nd percentile ranking, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor for the combo's overall position.

Q: What is the 4K performance like for this setup?

A: At 4K, the combo is only suitable for Low settings, where it averages 83 FPS. Medium settings drop to 59 FPS, High falls to 51 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 39 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus of the RX 9060 are the primary constraints at this resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 plays a supporting but crucial role in this combo. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU has enough parallelism to handle modern game engines, and its boost clock of 4.40 GHz (base 2.50 GHz) provides strong single-thread performance. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration is well-suited for gaming workloads, which typically rely on moderate thread counts and high single-thread throughput.

Benchmark data confirms the CPU's strength. In Cinebench R23, the i5-12400 scores 15989 in multicore and 2257 in single-core. The single-core score is particularly relevant for Lockdown Protocol, as FPS games often have a primary game thread that cannot be fully parallelized. The CPU's 3DMark scores reinforce this: 1692 in the 2-thread test, 3012 in 4-thread, 4745 in 8-thread, and 5890 in max-thread. The scaling from 2 to 8 threads is nearly linear (1692 to 4745 is a 180% increase with 4x the threads), indicating the CPU can effectively use its cores.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role is to keep the GPU fed. The measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU starvation. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 175 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that would stress most CPUs. The fact that the i5-12400 can sustain this without bottlenecking is evidenced by the smooth resolution scaling — if the CPU were the limit, we would see a plateau at higher frame rates across different resolutions. Instead, the frame rates scale inversely with resolution, which is the signature of a GPU-bound system.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the general benchmark database include the AMD EPYC 7643 (0.1% higher average score), Intel Core i7-1355U (0.3% higher), and Intel Core i3-14100F (0.9% lower). The i5-12400's 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms the majority of processors in the database. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, this CPU is more than adequate. The game's demands on the CPU are clearly lower than on the GPU, as the combo's 4K performance collapses to 39 FPS at Ultra while the CPU would have no trouble processing game logic at that resolution. The CPU's 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 platform are standard for a mid-range desktop build, and its DDR4/DDR5 memory support offers flexibility, though the measured results do not isolate memory type impact.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of playable settings for Lockdown Protocol with this combo. The primary goal should be maintaining an average frame rate above 60 FPS, with minimums above 50 FPS for smooth gameplay. Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset is the recommended baseline across all resolutions.

At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 124 FPS average with a minimum of 106 FPS and maximum of 143 FPS. This is an excellent experience for a fast-paced FPS, providing headroom above 144 Hz displays. High settings at 1080p drop to 109 FPS average, which is still very good, and the visual uplift may be worth the 15 FPS cost for some players. Ultra at 1080p averages 81 FPS, which is playable but noticeably lower; the drop from High to Ultra is 28 FPS, a steep price for the extra visual fidelity. Low at 1080p produces 175 FPS, which is overkill for most displays but useful for competitive players with 165 Hz or 240 Hz monitors.

At 2560x1440, Medium is the sweet spot with 91 FPS average and a 77 FPS minimum. This keeps the experience above 60 FPS at all times. High at 1440p averages 80 FPS, which is acceptable but with less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 1440p drops to 60 FPS average, which is exactly at the threshold but will likely dip below in intense firefights. Low at 1440p gives 128 FPS, which is surprisingly strong and indicates the GPU can handle this resolution well when effects are reduced.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings (83 FPS average) provide a comfortable experience. Medium at 4K averages 59 FPS with a 50 FPS minimum, which is borderline — it will be playable but may feel stuttery during action sequences. High at 4K drops to 51 FPS, and Ultra is not recommended at 39 FPS. For 4K users, the recommendation is to stick with Low for competitive play or Medium if visual quality is prioritized over frame rate consistency.

The overall recommendation is to use Medium settings as the default for this combo. It provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with 124 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K. For players with 144 Hz monitors at 1080p, High settings (109 FPS) are also viable. The data does not support using Ultra at any resolution for a competitive FPS experience, as even at 1080p it only reaches 81 FPS, and the minimum frame data for Ultra is not measured, which introduces uncertainty about frame-time consistency. Low settings are only recommended for players seeking maximum frame rates on high-refresh displays, where the 175 FPS at 1080p and 128 FPS at 1440p will maximize display utilization.