Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a demanding FPS, and the combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 produces a very specific set of trade-offs. The data shows a system that can deliver playable framerates, but only when settings are managed carefully. This pairing is heavily constrained by the GPU, so the path to a smooth experience lies in understanding what each settings preset costs in performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data is clear: the "Low" preset is the only setting that consistently provides a framerate that feels responsive across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 75.7 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset to cross the 60 FPS threshold. This is the baseline for a playable experience. While the Medium preset at 1080p delivers 53.3 FPS, which is playable, the jump to High at 44.4 FPS and Ultra at 35.1 FPS shows a steep cost for visual fidelity that this GPU cannot comfortably absorb. The recommendation is to start with Low settings at 1080p. If you have a 1440p monitor, the Low preset drops to 57.6 FPS, which is borderline but still the only viable option at that resolution, as Medium falls to 39.4 FPS. For 4K, the data shows this combination is not suitable for gameplay, with even the Low preset averaging only 38.1 FPS. The most practical experience is achieved by prioritizing framerate over visual detail, meaning Low settings are the recommended choice for this hardware pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's performance ceiling is the limiting factor, not the CPU. The GTX 1650 is a 4 GB GDDR5 card with a 128-bit memory bus and 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1485 MHz with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. This hardware, with its 896 shading units, is simply not designed for the high-end demands of a modern FPS at high resolutions. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the framerate collapses. This is a classic sign of a GPU hitting its pixel and texture fill rate limits. The GPU's percentile rank of 43 places it in the lower half of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 8713 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 550X, which is 0.4% faster, and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200, which is 0.5% slower. This confirms that the GTX 1650 is a low-to-mid-range part that struggles under the load of Lockdown Protocol. The 4 GB VRAM is also a factor; while not explicitly tested, the dramatic performance drop at 4K suggests the card is running out of memory bandwidth and capacity to manage the textures required at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1584 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 3% of all systems tested, which is a poor result. The ranking reflects the fact that while the CPU is highly capable, the GPU is severely holding the system back. The CPU, which ranks in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, is paired with a GPU in the 43rd percentile. This massive imbalance means the system's overall gaming performance is dragged down to the level of its weakest component. The combo's rank is a direct consequence of this bottleneck. In practical terms, this means that most other CPU and GPU pairings tested will deliver a better experience in this game. The data shows that the GPU is not just a minor limitation; it is the defining characteristic of this build's performance profile in Lockdown Protocol.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 75.7 FPS average
• Medium: 53.3 FPS average
• High: 44.4 FPS average
• Ultra: 35.1 FPS average

Moving up to 2560x1440, the framerate drops significantly:

• Low: 57.6 FPS average
• Medium: 39.4 FPS average
• High: 34.8 FPS average
• Ultra: 25.4 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the system is overwhelmed:

• Low: 38.1 FPS average
• Medium: 27.3 FPS average
• High: 20.6 FPS average
• Ultra: 19.2 FPS average

The data shows that the delta between Low and Ultra settings is significant at every resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 40.6 FPS, while at 4K it narrows to 18.9 FPS, which indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings yields diminishing returns. The most usable performance is clearly at 1080p with Low settings, where the system is able to produce a smooth, competitive framerate.

Resolution Scaling

The framerate scaling from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 75.7 at 1080p to 57.6 at 1440p, and finally to 38.1 at 4K. This represents a 24% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 50% drop from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline is a textbook example of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the framerate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU workload would stay the same. Instead, the framerate falls in near proportion to the increase in pixel count. The jump from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, showing a further 34% reduction in performance. This indicates that the GTX 1650's memory bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s and its 4 GB of VRAM are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering. The system is not CPU-limited in any meaningful way; the Intel Core i5-12600KF has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high multi-threaded benchmark scores like 23444 in Cinebench R23, but the GPU cannot translate that headroom into higher framerates. The limiting factor is the GPU's raw processing power and memory subsystem.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which averages 75.7 FPS. At 1440p with Low settings, the average is 57.6 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. No other settings or resolution combination in the data achieves a 60 FPS average.

Q: What is the best preset to use for a balance of quality and performance?

A: The data does not show a good balance. Medium at 1080p yields 53.3 FPS, which is a significant drop from Low. The step from Low to Medium costs 22.4 FPS. Given the steep performance penalty, sticking with Low is the only way to maintain a consistently high framerate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this setup?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The framerate drops dramatically as resolution increases, from 75.7 FPS at 1080p Low to 38.1 FPS at 4K Low. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited system. The CPU is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 43rd percentile, showing a massive performance imbalance.

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

A: This combo ranks 1584 out of 1637 tested combinations. This puts it in the bottom 3% of all systems, indicating that the GPU is severely limiting the gaming experience, despite the capable CPU.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: No. The highest average framerate at 3840x2160 is 38.1 FPS on the Low preset. All other settings at 4K fall below 30 FPS, with Ultra averaging only 19.2 FPS. This is not a playable experience for a fast-paced FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of overall GPU score?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713. This is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 550X, which is 0.4% faster, and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200, which is 0.5% slower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is also a close rival, being 0.4% faster. This shows the GTX 1650 is performing exactly as expected for its class.