Lockdown Protocol

The data for Lockdown Protocol on the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB reveals a system that is highly capable of delivering smooth frame rates across most configurations, but with distinct performance ceilings that shift depending on the resolution and preset. The measured frames per second (FPS) across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K paint a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies and how the component pairing behaves under varying load.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and follows a predictable pattern tied to pixel count. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 221.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset drops that figure to 160.1 FPS, a reduction of roughly 28%. The jump to 4K Low further compresses performance to 104.8 FPS, which is a 35% decline from the 1440p result and a 53% decline from the 1080p baseline. This scaling indicates that at lower resolutions, the graphics card is not the primary limiter; the CPU has enough headroom to push very high frame rates, and the GPU is still able to keep pace.

However, the scaling profile changes dramatically when settings are raised. At Ultra settings, the 1080p average is 101.2 FPS, which drops to 73.8 FPS at 1440p (a 27% decrease) and then to 48.6 FPS at 4K (a 34% decrease from 1440p). The absolute FPS loss from 1080p to 4K is larger at Ultra (52.6 FPS lost) than at Low (117.1 FPS lost), but the percentage drop is similar. This suggests that the GPU is becoming the dominant constraint as resolution increases, especially with more demanding settings. The fact that 4K Ultra still manages to hold above 48 FPS average indicates the RTX 4060 Ti has enough raw power to run the game at that resolution, though it will not be a high-refresh-rate experience. The data implies that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p Low to the GPU at 4K Ultra, with the crossover point somewhere in the 1440p High or Medium range.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process node. It features a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2535 MHz, with 4352 shading units and 136 tensor cores. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a notable factor in the game's results. The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 2913, and its percentile rank among all GPUs is 17. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB, scores 2907, showing a delta of just 0.2%, indicating that for this game, the additional VRAM of the 16 GB variant does not translate into a measurable performance advantage in this benchmark.

The GPU's role in Lockdown Protocol is evident in the frame rate scaling. At 1080p Low, the system hits 221.9 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show, suggesting the GPU is not fully taxed. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 48.6 FPS, showing the GPU is working near its limit. The memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s might be a contributing factor at higher resolutions where texture data demands are higher. The pixel rate of 121.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 344.8 GTexel/s are sufficient for the game's visuals, but the 8 GB capacity could be a bottleneck in Ultra settings at 4K, where the system is likely swapping or compressing textures. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences between settings, as seen by the consistent FPS drops when moving from Low to Ultra at any given resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S family, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has a 18 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are solid, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a single-core score of 2332. The CPU's percentile rank is 77, and its average benchmark score is 19221, placing it very close to the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 (a 0.1% delta). This proximity suggests the i5-12400F is a strong performer for its class.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's impact is most visible at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 221.9 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame generation capability. The fact that the FPS drops to 160.1 FPS at 1440p Low and 104.8 FPS at 4K Low, despite the same settings, indicates that the GPU is scaling with resolution, but the CPU is able to feed it frames without becoming a major constraint until very high FPS are reached. The 12 threads are sufficient for the game's workload, as the 3DMark 16-thread score of 5895 and the max-thread score of 5912 show little difference, suggesting that the game does not fully utilize all threads but benefits from the six physical cores. The CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz likely helps maintain high minimum frame rates, though the data does not include minFps values. The CPU's role is to keep up with the GPU's demands, and in this pairing, it seems capable of doing so, as the FPS at 1080p High (134.2) is still high, indicating the CPU is not holding back the GPU in that scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is ranked 702 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This rank places it in the upper-middle tier of all possible pairings. The rank is a holistic measure that likely considers performance across all resolutions and settings. With a percentile rank of 77 for the CPU and 17 for the GPU, the CPU is a strong point of this combo, while the GPU is relatively lower in the overall GPU landscape. However, the measured FPS results are strong, with the system exceeding 100 FPS at 1080p in all settings except Ultra, and exceeding 60 FPS at 1440p in all settings except Ultra. The 4K results are lower, but still playable at Low and Medium settings. The rank of 702 suggests that while this combo is not at the top tier, it outperforms a significant number of other systems, likely due to the balanced nature of the CPU and GPU. The data implies that this pairing is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, but it is not a top-tier 4K system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 221.9 FPS on Low, 154.1 FPS on Medium, 134.2 FPS on High, and 101.2 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 67.8 FPS, indicating that Medium settings introduce a significant load increase. The drop from High to Ultra is 33.0 FPS, which is a 25% reduction, showing that Ultra settings are particularly demanding.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 160.1 FPS on Low, 117.3 FPS on Medium, 99.6 FPS on High, and 73.8 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings shows a consistent reduction of about 28% for Low, 24% for Medium, 26% for High, and 27% for Ultra. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the FPS drops are proportional to the pixel count increase (1.78x more pixels).

At 3840x2160, the averages are 104.8 FPS on Low, 76.1 FPS on Medium, 62.2 FPS on High, and 48.6 FPS on Ultra. The jump from 1440p to 4K represents a 2.25x increase in pixels, and the FPS drops are 35% for Low, 35% for Medium, 38% for High, and 34% for Ultra. The fact that the percentage drops are similar across settings indicates that the GPU is consistently the bottleneck at 4K, regardless of the preset. The 4K Low result of 104.8 FPS is notably high, suggesting that the game is well-optimized at lower settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 48.6 FPS is near the threshold of playability for many users.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to maintain a high refresh rate?

A: At 1080p, the system achieves over 134 FPS on High settings and over 101 FPS on Ultra, making it capable of driving a 144Hz display at most settings. At 1440p, the High preset yields 99.6 FPS, which is still smooth, but Ultra drops to 73.8 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB compare to the 16 GB version in this game?

A: The benchmark data shows the 8 GB version scores 2913 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, while the 16 GB version scores 2907, a delta of 0.2%. This indicates no meaningful performance difference for this game's workload.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: The system hits 221.9 FPS at 1080p Low, which is a very high frame rate. The CPU's single-thread and multi-thread scores are strong, and the data suggests the GPU is still able to keep up, so the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at this setting.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low, it averages 104.8 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it averages 76.1 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 48.6 FPS, which may not be ideal for fast-paced gameplay.

Q: What is the performance drop from High to Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, High settings average 99.6 FPS, while Ultra averages 73.8 FPS. This is a reduction of 25.8 FPS, or roughly 26%, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant additional load on the GPU.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: The combo is ranked 702 out of 1637 combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier. The CPU is in the 77th percentile, while the GPU is in the 17th percentile, showing a stronger CPU relative to the GPU in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 134.2 FPS offers an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, easily supporting high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 101.2 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visuals, as it remains above the 100 FPS threshold. For 1440p, the High preset at 99.6 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as it approaches 100 FPS. The Medium preset at 117.3 FPS offers even higher frame rates with a modest visual compromise. The Ultra preset at 73.8 FPS is still playable but may not be ideal for competitive play where higher frame rates are preferred.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the Low preset at 104.8 FPS is the only option that delivers a high-refresh-rate experience. The Medium preset at 76.1 FPS is a good middle ground for those who want better visuals while maintaining a reasonable frame rate. The High preset at 62.2 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay, but the Ultra preset at 48.6 FPS is likely too low for most users. The best overall experience for this system is to target 1440p with High settings, which provides a strong balance of visual fidelity and performance, or 1080p with Ultra settings for maximum detail. The data shows that the system is most comfortable at 1080p and 1440p, and users should avoid 4K Ultra unless they can tolerate frame rates below 50 FPS.