Lockdown Protocol

Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 in Lockdown Protocol represents a high-refresh-rate pairing that scales predictably across resolutions. The benchmark data shows this combo lands at rank 874 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it comfortably in the top quarter of systems. The measured frames per second reveal a configuration that excels at 1080p and 1440p but begins to show its limits at 4K, where the GPU becomes the primary constraint. This analysis breaks down the resolution scaling, optimal settings, and component behavior using only the measured data.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 260 FPS at 1920x1080 to 191 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 123 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 26.5% reduction moving to 1440p, followed by a 35.6% drop when jumping to 4K. The pattern is similar across all presets, confirming that the RTX 4070's rendering load scales almost linearly with pixel count.

At High settings, the averages are 161 FPS at 1080p, 118 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K transition costs 42 FPS, which is a 35.6% decrease—identical to the Low preset's relative drop. This consistency suggests the game's engine is not introducing any resolution-specific bottlenecks beyond raw pixel throughput. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution climbs, and the data supports this: at 1080p Low, the i5-12600KF can push 260 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, the average collapses to 57 FPS, a 78.1% reduction from that peak.

The limiting component shifts clearly between resolutions. At 1080p, the high frame rates across Low and Medium presets (260 and 185 FPS respectively) indicate the CPU is still feeding the GPU adequately, but the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p (260 vs 121 FPS) shows the GPU is already the main constraint even at this resolution. At 4K, the spread narrows in absolute terms—123 FPS at Low versus 57 FPS at Ultra—but the percentage gap widens, reinforcing that the RTX 4070's 12 GB memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily. The 5 nm AD104 chip with a 1920 MHz base and 2475 MHz boost clock is doing the heavy lifting, but it cannot overcome the pixel count at 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, Medium settings at 1440p provide the most compelling data point. The measured average of 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 156 FPS shows a stable experience that stays well above 100 FPS even in dips. This is the sweet spot for competitive play on a 144Hz monitor, as the min FPS never threatens to drop below refresh rate territory. At 1080p, Medium delivers 185 FPS average with a 157 FPS minimum, which is excellent for high-refresh 240Hz displays, though the jump to Low at 260 FPS is noticeable for esports purists.

High settings at 1440p are also viable, with 118 FPS average, but the lack of a recorded minimum means the frame pacing is less certain than Medium's 115 FPS floor. At 4K, the choice is more constrained. Medium at 87 FPS average with a 74 FPS minimum is the only 4K preset with full min/max data, and it is the recommended starting point for 60Hz displays. Ultra at 4K drops to 57 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced FPS action. Low at 4K offers 123 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial given the resolution's purpose.

The data suggests avoiding Ultra entirely at 1440p and above. At 1440p Ultra, the average falls to 89 FPS, which is only 2 FPS above the 4K Medium result, while at 1080p Ultra the 121 FPS average is still playable but loses 64 FPS compared to Low. For most users, Medium is the performance-per-frame winner: it delivers 135 FPS at 1440p and 185 FPS at 1080p, with the only recorded min/max values in the dataset confirming stability. The 74 FPS minimum at 4K Medium also makes it the only 4K preset that can hold a 60 FPS floor without dipping below.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 874 out of 3714 tested combinations places it in the 76.5th percentile overall—a strong showing that reflects the balance of the i5-12600KF and RTX 4070. The CPU itself sits at the 79th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 27799, while the GPU is at the 81st percentile with an average score of 37648. Both components are slightly above their nearest rivals in average score, though the deltas are small. The i5-12600KF scores 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE and 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-10900K, indicating it is right in the middle of its performance class.

The GPU comparison shows similar tight margins: the RTX 4070's 37648 average score is 0.1% above the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 1.3% below the RTX 4080 Mobile. This near-parity with mobile and older desktop parts is notable—it means the combo's in-game rank is not driven by component dominance but by how well they work together in Lockdown Protocol specifically. The game's FPS numbers support this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 260 FPS, which is 2.15 times the 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS, showing the CPU and GPU scale efficiently across the resolution range.

Compared to the 3714 other combos, this pairing is positioned for high-refresh 1440p gaming. The 118 FPS at 1440p High is a benchmark that many lower-ranked combinations would struggle to reach, and the 135 FPS at 1440p Medium puts it ahead of most systems in the database. The rank of 874 means roughly 2900 combos are slower, which aligns with the component percentiles—both are above the 75th percentile, so the aggregate rank is slightly below the individual component averages due to game-specific behavior.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full preset ladder shows a clear hierarchy. Low averages 260 FPS, Medium averages 185 FPS with a minimum of 157 and maximum of 213, High averages 161 FPS, and Ultra averages 121 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 75 FPS, while Medium to High costs another 24 FPS, and High to Ultra drops 40 FPS. The min/max data for Medium (157-213) indicates a wide variance, but the average stays high enough that even the minimum is above 144Hz.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages compress but remain strong. Low hits 191 FPS, Medium averages 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 and maximum of 156, High averages 118 FPS, and Ultra drops to 89 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 115 FPS is the only recorded floor at this resolution, and it suggests that any preset below Medium will likely stay above 150 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 102 FPS, which is a 53.4% reduction—slightly less severe than at 1080p, where the same comparison shows a 53.5% drop.

At 3840x2160, the numbers fall off sharply. Low averages 123 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 101, High averages 76 FPS, and Ultra averages 57 FPS. The Medium data is the only complete set at 4K, and its 74 FPS minimum is the lowest recorded in the entire dataset. The step from Low to Medium costs 36 FPS, then Medium to High costs 11 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 19 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS is below 60, making it the only preset across all resolutions that cannot sustain a 60 FPS average.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is the defining feature for Lockdown Protocol at high resolutions. The 4K results show that memory bandwidth is not the bottleneck—the card maintains 123 FPS at Low settings—but texture fill and shading become limiting at higher presets. The 184 texture mapping units and 64 ROPs handle the game's geometry, while the 5888 shading units process the pixel work. The 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores are present but do not appear to influence the measured FPS, as the data shows no ray tracing-specific benchmarks.

The GPU's clock behavior is consistent with its 2475 MHz boost target. The 1920 MHz base clock suggests the card can downclock under load, but the high FPS numbers across all resolutions indicate it is boosting properly in Lockdown Protocol. The 200 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU are not directly reflected in FPS, but they inform the stability of the results—the card has sufficient power headroom to maintain boost clocks during extended sessions. The 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the theoretical ceiling, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3854 shows the card's raw DX12 capability, which aligns with the game's modern API support.

The GPU's percentile rank of 81 and average benchmark score of 37648 place it slightly above the RTX 4080 Mobile in average score, which is notable given the desktop card's 240 mm length and dual-slot design. In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU is the clear performance limiter at 4K, but at 1080p the CPU still contributes—the 260 FPS at Low settings shows the i5-12600KF can feed the GPU effectively. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for all tested presets, as no settings combination shows signs of memory capacity throttling, only bandwidth and compute limits.

FAQ

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

A: 2560x1440 with Medium settings provides the best balance, averaging 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS. This resolution keeps frame rates above 100 FPS even in dips, while 4K Medium drops to an 87 FPS average with a 74 FPS minimum.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. Low averages 123 FPS at 3840x2160, while Medium averages 87 FPS with a 74 FPS minimum. Ultra at 4K drops to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play.

Q: How does the i5-12600KF perform relative to its rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 27799 is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE and 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-10900K, placing it in the 79th percentile overall. It has 10 cores and 16 threads with a 4.90 GHz boost clock.

Q: Is the RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM enough for this game?

A: Yes, the benchmark data shows no VRAM-related performance drops at any resolution or setting. The 12 GB GDDR6X memory with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth handles all presets, though compute limits appear at 4K Ultra.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: Low averages 260 FPS, while Ultra averages 121 FPS—a difference of 139 FPS, or a 53.5% reduction. Medium sits in between at 185 FPS with a 157 FPS minimum.

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

A: It ranks 874 out of 3714 combinations, putting it in the top 23.5% of all tested setups. The GPU is at the 81st percentile and the CPU at the 79th, with the combo rank reflecting their combined performance in Lockdown Protocol.