Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a solid, if not spectacular, showing in Lockdown Protocol. The data reveals a system that is capable of high-refresh-rate play at mainstream resolutions, but which begins to show its limitations as pixel counts climb. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, interpreting what the numbers mean for the balance between CPU and GPU load.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three resolutions paint a clear picture of a system that is progressively more GPU-bound as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 212.9 FPS. Dropping the resolution to 2560x1440 at Low settings reduces that figure to 159.1 FPS, a decrease of roughly 25%. Moving to 4K at Low settings yields 100.1 FPS, which is another significant step down of about 37% from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern is typical for a game where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts.

When the settings are raised to High, the scaling trend remains consistent but with lower absolute numbers. The system achieves 132.6 FPS at 1080p, 100.2 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K. The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is a substantial 51.7%, indicating that the graphics card is working progressively harder. The most demanding configuration tested, Ultra at 4K, yields only 48.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays. The data suggests that the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor at 4K, as the frame rate differences between Low and Ultra settings are massive, showing the GPU has little headroom to spare.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit bus. This configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is a critical resource for a fast-paced FPS at higher resolutions. The card's 5888 shading units and 96 ROPs are tasked with the heavy lifting of rendering the game's visuals. Its boost clock is rated at 1725 MHz, and the memory runs at a 1750 MHz base with 14 Gbps effective data rate. These specs contribute to the card's average benchmark score of 28238, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is clearly defined by the scaling data. At 1080p, the card is not fully taxed, as evidenced by the jump from 100.9 FPS at Ultra to 212.9 FPS at Low. This 111% performance increase shows that the GPU has significant headroom when the resolution is low. However, this headroom disappears at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is a 51.6 FPS gap, but the absolute scores remain low, with even the Low preset only reaching 100.1 FPS. The RTX 3070's 8 GB frame buffer may also be a factor at 4K Ultra, as the 48.5 FPS result indicates the card is struggling to maintain a playable framerate with the highest visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU posts an average benchmark score of 19221, which puts it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its multithreaded capabilities are demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332. These numbers suggest a solid mid-range processor for gaming.

The CPU's role in this game becomes apparent when examining the 1080p data. While the GPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution, the CPU still needs to keep up with the high frame rates. The system manages 212.9 FPS at Low settings, but this is likely near the practical limit for this processor in this game. The data shows that the CPU can feed the GPU sufficiently at 1080p, as the frame rates scale almost linearly with GPU load. However, the CPU's performance is not a limiting factor at higher resolutions, where the GPU's workload becomes dominant. The processor's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 909, helps ensure that frame times remain consistent even when the GPU is under less pressure.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested systems, this combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 760th out of 1637 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all configurations, which is a reasonable position for a mid-range CPU paired with a previous-generation high-end GPU. The rank suggests that while this system is far from the top of the charts, it outperforms a majority of other tested pairings.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU is a close match for several rivals. The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-8700K's 19210, a delta of just 0.1%. It also performs similarly to the Intel Core i5-1335U, which scores 19167, a 0.3% difference. On the GPU side, the RTX 3070's average score of 28238 is slightly higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT's 27985, a 0.9% advantage. These close margins indicate that the system's overall ranking is well-earned, as neither component drastically underperforms its direct competitors.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings at each resolution. For players targeting 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for high-refresh-rate play, delivering an average of 100.1 FPS. Moving to Medium drops the average to 70.6 FPS, which is still playable but a significant compromise. The High preset at 4K yields 64 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48.5 FPS, making both less suitable for a competitive FPS.

At 1440p, the High preset offers an excellent balance, producing an average of 100.2 FPS. This is a strong result that matches the 4K Low performance but with significantly better visual quality. Players seeking maximum frame rates can use the Low preset for 159.1 FPS, but the High preset is recommended for most users. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 75.4 FPS, which is a considerable sacrifice for the extra visual fidelity. At 1080p, the High preset again provides a great experience with 132.6 FPS, while those with 144Hz or higher monitors can opt for Low to reach 212.9 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a middle ground at 153.3 FPS. For the best overall experience, the High preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot, providing high frame rates without pushing the GPU to its limits.