Lockdown Protocol

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal a GPU-bound configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 123 FPS average, which drops to 90 FPS at 1440p and 58 FPS at 4K. The scaling pattern from 1080p to 1440p shows a 26.8% reduction in average FPS, while the jump from 1440p to 4K produces a 35.6% reduction. This progressive decline indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary limiting component as pixel count increases.

The High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p High, the system produces 76 FPS average. Moving to 1440p High drops the average to 56 FPS, a 26.3% decrease. At 4K High, the average falls to 36 FPS, representing another 35.7% reduction from the 1440p figure. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets suggests a linear relationship between resolution scaling and GPU workload, characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

Ultra settings amplify this effect. The 1080p Ultra average of 57 FPS drops to 42 FPS at 1440p Ultra, then to 27 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 30 FPS threshold commonly associated with playable frame rates, indicating that this combination cannot sustain fluid gameplay at maximum quality settings and maximum resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial: at 1080p, the difference is 66 FPS; at 1440p, it is 48 FPS; at 4K, it is 31 FPS.

The Intel Core i7-12700K with 12 cores, 20 threads, and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz provides ample processing headroom for this FPS title. The CPU's multi-threaded performance, demonstrated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784 and a 3DMark max threads score of 9979, far exceeds what Lockdown Protocol requires at these settings. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution changes rather than showing CPU-related stalls or inconsistent frame pacing.

The Medium preset includes minimum and maximum FPS values in the measured data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and maximum of 47 FPS. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS narrows as resolution increases, which is consistent with GPU-bound behavior where frame time variance becomes more uniform under sustained load.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this combination at 3166 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER pairing in the lower 15% of all tested configurations. The rank reflects the GPU's position in the broader hardware landscape, as the GTX 1660 SUPER sits at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs in the database's aggregate benchmark suite.

The GTX 1660 SUPER's average benchmark score of 12986 places it near several comparable graphics cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 12940, which is 0.4% lower than the GTX 1660 SUPER. The AMD Radeon RX 580 scores 12928, also 0.4% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 scores 13075, which is 0.7% higher. The AMD Radeon 740M scores 12870, 0.9% lower. These near-identical aggregate scores indicate that the GTX 1660 SUPER performs competitively with its immediate peers in synthetic benchmarks, though the game-specific results may differ.

The Intel Core i7-12700K holds the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13600T at 35305 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-12700KF at 35365 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-13700T at 35403 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Core 5 213PE at 35428 (0.4% higher). The CPU's performance class is clearly above what the GTX 1660 SUPER can utilize in this game, reinforcing the GPU-bound analysis from the resolution scaling data.

The combination rank of 3166 out of 3714 suggests that Lockdown Protocol favors more powerful GPUs. The game's release in 2024 means it likely targets graphics hardware from a later generation than the GTX 1660 SUPER, which launched in 2019 and is now marked as end-of-life in the database. The 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth may also constrain performance at higher resolutions, particularly with texture-heavy presets.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1080p produces the highest frame rates across all settings. At Medium settings, 1080p delivers 87 FPS average, while 1440p Medium delivers 64 FPS and 4K Medium delivers 41 FPS. The 1080p resolution keeps the average above 57 FPS even at Ultra settings, making it the only resolution where all presets maintain playable frame rates.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate performance?

A: The database's aggregate benchmark scores show the GTX 1660 SUPER at 12986, with the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 12940 (0.4% lower), the RX 580 at 12928 (0.4% lower), the Tesla M2090 at 13075 (0.7% higher), and the Radeon 740M at 12870 (0.9% lower). The differences are small, indicating similar overall performance levels.

Q: Is the Core i7-12700K holding back the GTX 1660 SUPER in this game?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2308, significantly exceed what the GPU can feed. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a GPU-bound pattern, with consistent percentage drops across resolutions for each preset.

Q: What frame rates does the Medium preset produce at each resolution?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the average is 87 FPS with a range of 74 to 100 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 64 FPS with a range of 54 to 73 FPS. At 4K, the average is 41 FPS with a range of 35 to 47 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: The data shows Ultra settings produce 57 FPS average at 1080p, 42 FPS average at 1440p, and 27 FPS average at 4K. The 1080p Ultra result is the only one above 30 FPS, while the 4K Ultra result falls below the playability threshold.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect results?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER uses 6 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed. The 4K High and Ultra presets produce 36 and 27 FPS averages respectively, which may reflect memory bandwidth limitations at higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains measured FPS values for four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160). All measurements are average FPS unless otherwise noted.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 123 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS. The High preset delivers 76 FPS average. The Ultra preset delivers 57 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a stepwise decline: 123 to 87 to 76 to 57 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is the largest single-preset drop at 36 FPS, while the Medium to High drop is 11 FPS and the High to Ultra drop is 19 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 90 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers 64 FPS average, with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS. The High preset delivers 56 FPS average. The Ultra preset delivers 42 FPS average. The pattern mirrors the 1080p results but at lower absolute values. The Low to Medium drop is 26 FPS, the Medium to High drop is 8 FPS, and the High to Ultra drop is 14 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 58 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers 41 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 FPS and maximum of 47 FPS. The High preset delivers 36 FPS average. The Ultra preset delivers 27 FPS average. The Low to Medium drop is 17 FPS, the Medium to High drop is 5 FPS, and the High to Ultra drop is 9 FPS.

Comparing across resolutions for each preset reveals consistent scaling factors. For Low, the 1080p to 1440p ratio is 123 to 90 (0.732), and the 1440p to 4K ratio is 90 to 58 (0.644). For Medium, the ratios are 87 to 64 (0.736) and 64 to 41 (0.641). For High, the ratios are 76 to 56 (0.737) and 56 to 36 (0.643). For Ultra, the ratios are 57 to 42 (0.737) and 42 to 27 (0.643). The near-identical ratios across presets confirm that resolution scaling affects all quality levels equally, pointing to a uniform GPU limitation rather than preset-specific bottlenecks.

The Medium preset's recorded minimum FPS values provide additional insight into frame consistency. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 74 FPS is 85.1% of the average. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 54 FPS is 84.4% of the average. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 35 FPS is 85.4% of the average. The maximum FPS values are 114.9%, 114.1%, and 114.6% of the averages respectively. This consistency suggests stable frame pacing without severe spikes or drops.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER uses the TU116 chip on a 12 nm process from TSMC, with 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die. The transistor density is 23.2 million per square millimeter. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. The 6 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed across a 192-bit bus, yielding 336.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

The GPU's compute resources include 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operations units. The pixel rate is 85.68 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 157.1 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 5.027 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 10.05 TFLOPS using a 2:1 ratio. These specifications place the GTX 1660 SUPER firmly in the mainstream segment, and the measured game results reflect this positioning.

The passmark benchmarks show a DirectX 12 score of 50, a DirectX 11 score of 104, and a DirectX 9 score of 189. The GPU compute score is 5076, and the G3D score is 12699. The Geekbench OpenCL score is 52490 and the Vulkan score is 57102. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1278. These synthetic scores correlate with the game's performance: the GPU handles DirectX 12 workloads adequately but lacks the headroom for high-resolution, high-preset combinations in a 2024 FPS title.

The memory configuration deserves attention. At 4K resolution, the 6 GB VRAM capacity combined with 336.0 GB/s bandwidth may become a limiting factor. The 4K High preset produces 36 FPS average, which is only 62.1% of the 1440p High result of 56 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset at 27 FPS is 64.3% of the 1440p Ultra result of 42 FPS. These ratios are slightly lower than the pixel count ratios, suggesting that memory pressure compounds the raw computational load at 4K.

The GPU's production status is end-of-life, with a release date of 2019-10-28. Its predecessor is the GeForce 10 series and its successor is the GeForce 20 series. The GPU supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The power configuration includes a 125 W TDP, a single 8-pin connector, and a suggested power supply of 300 W. The card is dual-slot with dimensions of 229 mm length, 111 mm height, and 35 mm width.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 123 FPS average, which is well above any refresh rate threshold. The Medium preset at 87 FPS average offers a substantial improvement in visual quality while maintaining high frame rates. The High preset at 76 FPS remains smooth, and the Ultra preset at 57 FPS is still playable. For players prioritizing frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p is the fastest option. For balanced quality and speed, the Medium preset at 1080p appears optimal given its 87 FPS average and stable frame range of 74 to 100 FPS.

At 1440p, the Low preset produces 90 FPS average, which is acceptable for most displays. The Medium preset at 64 FPS average with a range of 54 to 73 FPS offers a reasonable compromise, though the minimum of 54 FPS may be noticeable during intense scenes. The High preset at 56 FPS and Ultra preset at 42 FPS are lower but still above 30 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the most balanced choice for this resolution, providing 64 FPS average while the minimum stays above 50 FPS.

At 4K, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with a 58 FPS average. The Medium preset at 41 FPS average and 35 FPS minimum is the highest quality setting that stays above 30 FPS. The High preset at 36 FPS and Ultra preset at 27 FPS fall below smooth playability thresholds. For 4K usage, the Low preset is the only setting that approaches high refresh rate performance, while Medium is the maximum quality setting that maintains playable frame rates.

The resolution scaling analysis shows that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting component, so settings adjustments have a larger impact than CPU-side optimizations. The Core i7-12700K's single-thread performance, measured at 1850.5 in Cinebench R23 and 1043 in 3DMark single thread, ensures that CPU-bound scenarios are unlikely. The game's frame rates scale almost purely with GPU workload, as evidenced by the consistent resolution scaling ratios across all presets.

The Medium preset's recorded minimum FPS values across all three resolutions (74 at 1080p, 54 at 1440p, 35 at 4K) provide the only consistency data in the measured set. These values suggest that Medium is the only preset with documented frame pacing behavior, making it the most predictable choice. The absence of minimum and maximum values for Low, High, and Ultra presets means the database cannot confirm frame stability for those settings, though the average FPS figures remain useful for comparative purposes.

For players using displays with variable refresh rates, the 1080p Medium preset with its 87 FPS average and 74 FPS minimum provides a comfortable margin above typical 60 Hz refresh rates. The 1440p Medium preset with a 54 FPS minimum may dip below 60 FPS at times, which could be noticeable without adaptive sync. The 4K Medium preset with a 35 FPS minimum requires a display capable of operating below 40 FPS to maintain smooth visuals.

The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 57 FPS average, which is only 9 FPS lower than the High preset at 76 FPS. This relatively small gap between High and Ultra at 1080p suggests that the Ultra preset's additional quality features have a modest performance cost at this resolution. At 1440p, the High to Ultra gap is 14 FPS (56 to 42), and at 4K, it is 9 FPS (36 to 27). The inconsistent gaps between High and Ultra across resolutions indicate that certain Ultra features may have resolution-dependent costs.

The data supports a settings hierarchy based on resolution targets. At 1080p, any preset from Low through Ultra is viable, with Medium offering the best balance of quality and speed. At 1440p, Low through High are viable, with Medium being the recommended middle ground. At 4K, only Low and Medium maintain averages above 30 FPS, with Medium being the highest quality option that stays within playable limits. The GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB memory capacity and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p at most presets, but the 4K results indicate that this GPU is not designed for maximum resolution gaming in this title.