Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-12400F + AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, with the measured data showing this combination ranks 1049th out of 1637 tested configurations. The CPU sits at the 77th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands at the 72nd percentile among all graphics cards. This pairing demonstrates balanced performance characteristics, though the frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals distinct bottlenecks that shift depending on the settings preset chosen.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates across four presets and three resolutions provide clear guidance for optimizing the experience. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 165.5 FPS average, which is substantially above the 103.1 FPS seen at High settings. The Medium preset produces 117 FPS, while Ultra drops to 78.5 FPS. For competitive play where frame rate matters most, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest headroom, delivering roughly 60% more frames than High settings.

At 1440p, the pattern shifts slightly. Low settings yield 122.1 FPS, Medium produces 87.2 FPS, and High drops to 74.7 FPS. Ultra falls to 58.7 FPS. The gap between Low and High at 1440p is approximately 39%, which is smaller than the 1080p gap of about 60%. This suggests diminishing returns from lowering settings as resolution increases, since the GPU becomes more stressed at higher pixel counts.

For 4K resolution, the data shows 81.1 FPS at Low settings, 56.6 FPS at Medium, 50.1 FPS at High, and 39.9 FPS at Ultra. The High preset at 4K remains playable but approaches the edge of smoothness for fast-paced FPS gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K provides a reasonable compromise between visual fidelity and performance, delivering 56.6 FPS.

The optimal experience depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, High settings at 103.1 FPS offer a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness, especially on displays with 100Hz or 120Hz refresh rates. At 1440p, Medium at 87.2 FPS provides the best trade-off, while at 4K, Low at 81.1 FPS is the recommended starting point for maintaining high frame rates. The Ultra preset consistently shows the largest performance penalty, dropping below 60 FPS at 1440p and below 40 FPS at 4K, making it suitable only for players prioritizing image quality over responsiveness.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F brings six cores and twelve threads to the Lockdown Protocol workload, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture processor, built on Intel's 10 nm process, features 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. The CPU's benchmark results indicate strong single-threaded performance, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332.

Multi-threaded performance is equally robust, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16518 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 5912. The PassMark multithread score of 19433 places this CPU in the 77th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 19221. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, scores 19210, representing a negligible 0.1% difference, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS scores 19364, putting the i5-12400F 0.7% behind.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears primarily in maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions and settings. The 1080p Low preset achieving 165.5 FPS suggests the processor can feed the GPU sufficiently at this level. However, the relatively small performance gap between the i5-12400F and its nearest rivals indicates that CPU-bound scenarios may not dramatically favor this chip over alternatives. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5895 and 8-thread score of 4779 show good scaling across cores, which benefits games that utilize multiple threads for physics, AI, and game logic.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provide flexibility, though memory bandwidth figures are not available in the data. The lack of integrated graphics means the discrete GPU handles all rendering tasks, which is typical for gaming-focused builds. The processor's 77th percentile ranking suggests it sits comfortably above average, though not at the top tier, which aligns with its position among rivals like the EPYC 7773X, which it edges by 1.3%.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, based on the Navi 23 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, provides 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 280.3 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2055 MHz, a game clock of 2410 MHz, and a boost clock of 2635 MHz. With 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, the card delivers 10.79 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance.

The GPU's benchmark results show a PassMark G3D score of 17166, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 29024 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6800M's 29011 (0% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 470's 28996 (0.1% difference). The Intel Arc A370M scores 29175, putting the RX 6650 XT 0.5% behind, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH scores 29197, showing the 6650 XT trailing by 0.6%.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU demonstrates clear scaling with resolution changes. At 1080p High, the card achieves 103.1 FPS, but this drops to 74.7 FPS at 1440p High (a 27.5% reduction) and further to 50.1 FPS at 4K High (a 51.4% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern indicates the GPU becomes increasingly the limiting factor as pixel count rises. The 8 GB VRAM capacity appears sufficient for the tested settings, though no VRAM usage data is provided.

The GPU's 176 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU requirement indicate moderate power demands. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides adequate bandwidth for this class of card. The 32 ray tracing cores support DirectX 12 Ultimate features, though the measured data does not include ray-traced performance in Lockdown Protocol. The card's dual-slot design and single 8-pin power connector make installation straightforward in most chassis.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The High preset at 1080p delivers 103.1 FPS, which is well above the 78.5 FPS seen at Ultra. For players who prioritize frame rate, Low at 165.5 FPS offers the maximum headroom, but High provides a substantial visual improvement while maintaining smooth performance.

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to its nearest CPU rival?

A: The i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19221 is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-8700K's 19210, showing a 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS scores 19364, putting the i5-12400F 0.7% behind, while the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, which the i5-12400F beats by 1.3%.

Q: Is the RX 6650 XT capable of 4K gaming?

A: At 4K with Low settings, the card achieves 81.1 FPS, which is playable. However, High settings drop to 50.1 FPS and Ultra falls to 39.9 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming requires reduced settings for smooth frame rates.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all graphics cards?

A: The RX 6650 XT sits at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29024. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, scores 29011, representing a 0% difference.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: At High settings, the frame rate drops from 103.1 FPS at 1080p to 74.7 FPS at 1440p, representing a 27.5% reduction. This indicates the GPU is becoming more stressed at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p Low settings?

A: The 1080p Low preset achieves 165.5 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the dataset. The CPU's strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332, suggests the processor can adequately feed the GPU at this level.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how Lockdown Protocol scales across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 165.5 FPS at 1080p to 122.1 FPS at 1440p (a 26.2% reduction) and then to 81.1 FPS at 4K (a 51.0% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU becomes increasingly the bottleneck as resolution increases.

At High settings, the scaling is more pronounced. The 103.1 FPS at 1080p falls to 74.7 FPS at 1440p and 50.1 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 27.5% and 51.4% respectively, showing that higher settings amplify the GPU's load. The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest curve, with 78.5 FPS at 1080p, 58.7 FPS at 1440p, and 39.9 FPS at 4K.

These scaling patterns suggest the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB VRAM and 280.3 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors at higher resolutions and settings. The 4K Ultra result of 39.9 FPS is less than half the 1080p Low result of 165.5 FPS, demonstrating the substantial performance cost of pushing both resolution and visual quality. The GPU's 72nd percentile ranking and its near-tie with the RX 6800M and RX 470 indicate that this card performs predictably for its class, with resolution scaling consistent with its memory bandwidth and compute capabilities.

For players targeting 1440p, the data suggests Medium settings at 87.2 FPS provide a strong experience, while High at 74.7 FPS remains viable. At 4K, the Low preset at 81.1 FPS is the only configuration that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended starting point for high-resolution gaming. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the dominant factor in determining frame rates at 1440p and above.