Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, but the data shows a clear ceiling at 4K. This combination ranks 878th out of 1637 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier. The benchmark results indicate that while the CPU has ample headroom, the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases, particularly on higher presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosts up to 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. In synthetic tests, this CPU posts a strong multi-threaded score of 29241 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 4128. These numbers place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end part relative to the broader market.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 195.3 FPS average, which is far beyond what a 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display needs. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and max-thread score of 9979 suggest the processor can handle high thread counts without bottlenecking. Even at 4K Ultra, where the frame rate drops to 45.5 FPS, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor; the workload shifts heavily to the GPU.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700K is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (deltaPct of -0.3%) and the Intel Core i5-14500HX (deltaPct of -0.7%). It is marginally ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700T (deltaPct of 0.6%) and the Intel Core i7-13800H (deltaPct of 0.8%). These differences are negligible in gaming, meaning the CPU choice here is not the deciding factor for Lockdown Protocol performance. The data shows that the processor’s 20 threads and high boost clock are more than adequate for this FPS title, even in busy scenes with many players.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip. It features a boost clock of 3130 MHz and a game clock of 2530 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivering 322.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs give it a pixel rate of 200.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 400.6 GTexel/s. Its FP32 compute is rated at 25.64 TFLOPS.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s role is dominant at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 195.3 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 45.5 FPS. This scaling pattern points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows that at 4K with Ultra settings, the frame rate falls below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are stretched thin. The GPU sits at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, which is a mid-range position, and its performance in this title reflects that.

The 322.3 GB/s memory bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the demand on memory bandwidth increases. The benchmark results indicate that the RX 9060 XT struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, which is consistent with its mid-range positioning. For this game, the GPU is the component that limits the experience when pushing resolution and quality settings upward.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, average frame rates drop significantly. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 121.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate falls to 91.1 FPS, a drop of about 25%. At 4K High, the average drops to 54.6 FPS, which is a 55% reduction from the 1080p High result. This steep decline is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

The Low preset tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 195.3 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 142 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 93 FPS. Even at the lowest settings, the 4K result is less than half of the 1080p result. This indicates that the GPU’s raw throughput is the limiting factor, not the CPU. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4128 are strong enough to handle the game’s logic, but the GPU cannot keep up with the pixel count at 4K.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly harsh. At High settings, the drop from 91.1 FPS to 54.6 FPS represents a 40% loss. At Ultra settings, the 1440p result of 67.3 FPS falls to 45.5 FPS at 4K, a 32% reduction. These numbers confirm that the RX 9060 XT is not designed for 4K gaming in this title, and the i7-12700K’s performance headroom is wasted at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured rows, the best experience depends on the target resolution. For 1080p, the High preset at 121.5 FPS is an excellent choice, as it provides a smooth frame rate well above 100 FPS without sacrificing too much visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 93.1 FPS, which is still playable, but the 30% performance hit over High may not be worth the marginal visual gains.

For 1440p, the High preset at 91.1 FPS is the sweet spot. It delivers near-90 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, and it stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 100.5 FPS offers a small boost, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable. The Ultra preset at 67.3 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for dips in busy scenes.

For 4K, the data suggests that even the Low preset at 93 FPS is a stretch, and the High preset at 54.6 FPS is below the ideal 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 45.5 FPS is not recommended for competitive play. The best 4K experience per the measured rows is the Low preset, which at 93 FPS is surprisingly smooth, but this comes at a significant visual cost. For most users, 1440p High is the best overall balance of performance and image quality.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i7-12700K + AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB combination ranks 878th out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This puts it in the 46th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms slightly less than half of the tested setups. This ranking is dominated by the GPU’s mid-range performance, as the CPU is a high-end part that ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

The ranking reflects the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions. While the combo is capable at 1080p and 1440p, it falls behind combos with more powerful GPUs at 4K. The 878th rank suggests that this is a balanced mid-range pairing, but it is not a top-tier performer. The data shows that the i7-12700K has the processing power to support a stronger GPU, so users looking for higher frame rates at 4K would benefit from a GPU upgrade rather than a CPU upgrade.

In practical terms, this combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Lockdown Protocol, where it delivers frame rates ranging from 91.1 FPS at 1440p High to 195.3 FPS at 1080p Low. The ranking indicates that it is a dependable choice for mainstream gaming, but it does not compete with high-end configurations that prioritize 4K performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The combo delivers 121.5 FPS at 1080p High, which is a strong result for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is this combo suitable for 4K gaming?

A: The data shows 54.6 FPS at 4K High and 45.5 FPS at 4K Ultra, which are below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Low preset at 93 FPS is the only playable option, but it requires significant visual compromises.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-12700K is within 0.8% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and Intel Core i7-13700T, making the performance differences negligible.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: The High preset at 91.1 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 67.3 FPS is also playable but leaves less headroom.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the 8 GB VRAM is sufficient. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 45.5 FPS, which suggests the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute are limiting factors, though the VRAM size itself is not directly measured as a bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 878th out of 1637 combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier. The CPU is high-end, but the GPU’s mid-range performance holds the combo back at higher resolutions.