Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 presents a distinct performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS. This analysis examines the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings, the balance between CPU and GPU workload, and how this specific combination stacks up against other tested hardware. The data indicates a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions, with performance scaling that reveals the GPU as the primary limiting factor as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combination shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system achieves an average of 124 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High settings, the average drops to 91 FPS, a reduction of 33 frames. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 59 FPS. This progression demonstrates that the rendering load scales significantly with pixel count.

The scaling pattern becomes more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset. At 1920x1080 Low, the system produces an average of 200 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, this drops to 147 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 95 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 26%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is about 35%. This indicates that the performance penalty for increasing resolution is not linear, but rather accelerates at higher pixel densities.

The behavior observed across all settings presets points strongly to the GPU being the limiting component in this configuration. When the resolution increases, the number of pixels that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 must process grows substantially, directly impacting its output. The CPU, which is responsible for preparing frames, does not face a proportionate increase in workload when resolution changes. The fact that FPS drops consistently across every settings preset as resolution climbs is classic evidence of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

The difference between the 1080p and 4K results also highlights the headroom available in the system. At 1080p, the high frame rates suggest that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU more work than it can handle, but the GPU is still the bottleneck. At 4K, the GPU's workload becomes so heavy that the frame rate drops below the 60 FPS threshold on High settings, which is a critical consideration for a competitive FPS where smoothness is paramount.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, is the primary driver of graphical performance in this pairing. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This substantial memory allocation is likely a factor in the card's ability to handle high-resolution textures and complex scenes in Lockdown Protocol without running out of video memory.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant to the measured results. The card has a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The boost clock represents the maximum frequency the card can reach under load, and the difference between base and boost clocks indicates the card's ability to scale its performance dynamically. The measured FPS at various settings suggests that the card is operating within its expected performance envelope.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7700 achieved a Passmark G3D score of 20974 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 58, placing it in the upper half of the performance spectrum. Its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (with a deltaPct of -1) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (with a deltaPct of -1.7). This indicates that the RX 7700 is positioned competitively within its performance class.

The data shows that the GPU's role in this game becomes more dominant as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 44, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 200, showing the GPU can render frames quickly when the pixel workload is low. The variance between these two extremes is 156 FPS, which illustrates the GPU's sensitivity to rendering load. The card's 96 ROPs and 160 TMUs are the units responsible for pixel output and texture filtering, respectively, and they are the hardware that processes the increasing workload at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K provides the processing foundation for this system. It has 12 cores (8 performance and 4 efficiency) and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This Alder Lake architecture processor has a 25 MB shared L3 cache, which is used for storing frequently accessed data. The CPU's multi-threading capabilities are demonstrated in its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and its Passmark multithread score of 34404.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and frame preparation. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The evidence for this is that frame rates scale with resolution, which is a GPU-centric factor. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively constant regardless of resolution, as the CPU's workload would be the same.

The CPU's single-thread performance is also notable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4013. For a game like Lockdown Protocol, which likely relies on a few main threads for core game simulation, strong single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates. The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz enables it to handle these single-threaded tasks efficiently.

The i7-12700K's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 84, indicating it is in the top 16% of all processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-12700KF (with a deltaPct of -0.2) and the Intel Core i7-13700T (with a deltaPct of -0.3). The negligible difference in scores between these rivals indicates that the 12700K is a very well-established performer. The data suggests that the CPU has ample headroom to support the GPU, and at 1080p resolution, where the GPU load is lower, the CPU is able to push frame rates to 200 FPS on Low settings, showing the high end of the system's capability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 in Lockdown Protocol is comprehensive, covering four settings presets at three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 200 FPS on Low settings, 142 FPS on Medium, 124 FPS on High, and 93 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset also provides a minimum FPS of 121 and a maximum of 163, showing the variance in frame times during gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the performance decreases as expected. The Low preset yields an average of 147 FPS. The Medium preset averages 104 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS. The High preset averages 91 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS. This resolution is where the system begins to show its limits on the highest settings, but it still maintains playable frame rates on all presets.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 95 FPS, which is still a solid result. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. The High preset averages 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target that many players consider the baseline for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset averages only 44 FPS, which would likely be considered too low for a competitive FPS experience.

The data reveals that the Medium preset offers a balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 142 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. At 1440p, it provides 104 FPS, which is still very smooth. At 4K, it maintains an average of 67 FPS, which is playable. The High preset, while visually superior, costs a significant number of frames. The difference between Medium and High at 1080p is 18 FPS, at 1440p is 13 FPS, and at 4K is 8 FPS. This suggests that the visual upgrade from Medium to High is relatively expensive in terms of performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination is ranked 1275 out of 2828 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This places the combo in the 45th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms 45% of the other configurations in the database. This ranking provides a context for the measured FPS, showing that while this is not a top-tier system, it is also not a low-end one.

The ranking is a holistic measure that takes into account performance across all resolutions and settings. The system's ability to deliver high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p likely contributes positively to its ranking. However, its performance at 4K Ultra, where it only averages 44 FPS, may have a negative impact, as it shows the system struggling with the most demanding scenarios.

The individual component rankings provide additional context. The CPU is ranked in the 84th percentile, while the GPU is in the 58th percentile. This imbalance suggests that the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU is. The GPU's lower percentile ranking, combined with its nearest rivals being the Radeon RX 9060 and GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, indicates that it is a mid-range part. The combo rank of 1275 suggests that the pairing is well-balanced, with the CPU's strength compensating somewhat for the GPU's mid-range positioning.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals are all within 1.7% of its score, which shows that the RX 7700 is in a tightly contested performance bracket. For the CPU, the deltaPct values are even smaller, with all rivals within 0.4% of the i7-12700K's score. This indicates that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class, while the GPU is also performing as expected.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combination depends on the resolution and the user's performance goals. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 93 FPS, which is a high frame rate that will satisfy most users. The High preset at 124 FPS is also an excellent choice, offering a significant FPS boost with a likely minor visual difference. The Medium preset at 142 FPS is the best choice for users with high-refresh-rate monitors seeking maximum smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS, which is playable but may not be smooth enough for competitive play. The High preset at 91 FPS is a better option, providing a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 104 FPS is the recommended choice for this resolution, as it offers a high frame rate that is suitable for fast-paced gameplay while maintaining a reasonable level of visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the system is under significant load. The Ultra preset at 44 FPS is not recommended for a competitive FPS. The High preset at 59 FPS is borderline, as it is just under the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 67 FPS is the clear recommendation for 4K gaming, as it is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The Low preset at 95 FPS is an option for users who prioritize frame rate above all else.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset is the most versatile across all resolutions. It provides an average of 142 FPS at 1080p, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K. These numbers indicate that the Medium preset is the "sweet spot" for this hardware combination, delivering a smooth and responsive experience without sacrificing too much visual quality. Users targeting the highest visual fidelity should use the High preset at 1440p or below, but should be prepared for the FPS cost.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 124 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: Can this combination maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only on select presets. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS, while the Low preset averages 95 FPS. The High preset averages 59 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 44 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 104 FPS. The High preset at 91 FPS is also a viable option if visual quality is prioritized over maximum frame rate.

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

A: This combination is ranked 1275 out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the 45th percentile of all systems tested in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 57 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. This indicates the frame rate can dip below the average in demanding scenes.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions. The FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, which is a sign of GPU bottlenecking. The CPU's strong single-thread performance allows it to keep up with the GPU's demands.