Lockdown Protocol

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

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake-S desktop processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Built on Intel's 10 nm process, this CPU carries a 125 W TDP and uses the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 25 MB L3 cache. Memory support spans both DDR4 and DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, with PCIe Gen 4 connectivity providing 20 CPU lanes.

In synthetic workloads, the i7-12700K demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability. It scores 9,979 in 3DMark at max threads, 19,784 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 34,404 in PassMark multi-thread tests. Single-thread performance is equally respectable, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043, a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,850.5, and a PassMark single-thread score of 4,013. The processor's average benchmark score sits at 35,287, placing it at the 84th percentile among all tested CPUs.

Against its nearest rivals, this chip is effectively tied in overall performance. The Intel Core i5-13600T averages 35,305 (0.1% ahead), the i7-12700KF averages 35,365 (0.2% ahead), the i7-13700T averages 35,403 (0.3% ahead), and the Intel Core 5 213PE averages 35,428 (0.4% ahead). These sub-1% deltas mean the 12700K is functionally indistinguishable from its immediate competitors in aggregate scoring.

For Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the measured FPS data reveals how this CPU behaves under game load. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 145 FPS average, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently at lower graphical loads. The drop from Low to Medium settings at 1080p reduces average FPS to 103, a 42 FPS decrease, while High settings yield 90 FPS and Ultra drops further to 67 FPS. The pattern across settings indicates that the i7-12700K's 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game's physics and logic, as the bottleneck shifts to the GPU as graphical intensity rises.

The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9,276 and 8-thread score of 7,202 show that the CPU scales well with thread count, which is relevant for modern FPS titles that increasingly leverage multi-core processors. The PassMark physics score of 1,790 and data compression score of 446,595 further indicate solid computational throughput. With a max-thread score of 9,979 versus a 2-thread score of 2,065, the scaling factor is roughly 4.8x, demonstrating that the hybrid architecture (performance and efficiency cores) handles both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads competently.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on TSMC's 12 nm process, featuring 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die. It comes with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is rated at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, with 1,920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. Ray tracing is supported via 30 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores handle AI-accelerated workloads.

The RTX 2060's measured performance in synthetic benchmarks shows a PassMark G3D score of 14,111 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,242. Its average benchmark score is 15,290, placing it at the 58th percentile among all GPUs. In DirectX API tests, the card scores 98 in DX10, 110 in DX11, and 53 in DX12 on PassMark, with a G2D score of 745 and a GPU compute score of 5,488. Geekbench results show 65,014 in OpenCL and 65,846 in Vulkan.

The nearest rivals for this GPU are extremely close in aggregate performance. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 averages 15,283 (0.0% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M averages 15,270 (0.1% ahead of the 2060), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM averages 15,199 (0.6% ahead), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 averages 15,171 (0.8% ahead). This grouping suggests the RTX 2060 sits in a tightly contested performance tier where no single card has a decisive advantage.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth become critical factors at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo manages only 32 FPS average, indicating the GPU is severely stressed. The 6 GB frame buffer may also be a limiting factor at 4K with Ultra textures, though the measured data does not include VRAM utilization. The GPU's pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s provide theoretical ceilings that align with the observed 4K performance. At 4K Medium, the average FPS rises to 49 with a minimum of 41 and maximum of 56, showing that even moderate settings relief helps the GPU significantly.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At Low settings, the combo delivers 145 FPS at 1080p, drops to 106 FPS at 1440p, and falls to 69 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 35% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 76 FPS, or 52% of the original frame rate.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar but with slightly different magnitudes. The combo achieves 103 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 27 FPS (26%), while the 1440p to 4K drop is 27 FPS (36%). At High settings, the numbers are 90 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 4K, with percentage drops of 27% and 35% respectively. Ultra settings show 67 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K, representing drops of 27% and 35%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets is striking. Regardless of whether the game runs at Low or Ultra, the relative performance degradation from resolution scaling remains nearly identical. This uniformity strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component across the entire resolution spectrum. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller absolute FPS drops at lower resolutions where the CPU has more influence, and larger drops at higher resolutions where the GPU takes over. Instead, the proportional scaling suggests the RTX 2060 is consistently the constraining factor.

The 1440p to 4K transition is particularly punishing, with FPS roughly halving at every settings level. This is consistent with the pixel count quadrupling, though the actual FPS reduction is less than 75%, indicating some scaling efficiency. The 1080p to 1440p drop is less severe in absolute terms but still substantial. At 1080p Low, the 145 FPS result shows the i7-12700K is more than capable of driving high frame rates, but the RTX 2060 cannot sustain those rates as resolution increases. The data suggests that for this combo, 1080p is the sweet spot for high refresh rate play, while 1440p and 4K require settings compromises to maintain playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2,941 out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the bottom 21% of all configurations tested for this game. The rank reflects the RTX 2060's position as an older, entry-level-to-midrange GPU in a game that appears to favor more modern graphics hardware.

The GPU's 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with the CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs, creates an imbalanced pairing. The i7-12700K is clearly the stronger component in this duo, but its capabilities are largely wasted when paired with a GPU that ranks in the lower half of the performance distribution. The combo rank of 2,941 out of 3,714 suggests that most other tested configurations deliver better performance in Lockdown Protocol, likely due to more powerful graphics cards.

This ranking becomes more understandable when examining the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 32 FPS, which would be considered marginal for a competitive FPS title. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 67 FPS average is below what many FPS players would consider ideal for fast-paced gameplay. The GPU's nearest rivals — the GTX 580, Radeon 680M, RTX 3050 OEM, and RX 7600 — all have average scores within 0.8% of the RTX 2060, meaning this entire performance tier clusters together in the lower portion of the combo rankings.

The CPU's proximity to its rivals (all within 0.4% in average score) means that swapping the i7-12700K for a slightly different CPU would not meaningfully change the combo's rank. The bottleneck is overwhelmingly the GPU. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium-to-high settings, where it achieves 90-103 FPS, rather than pushing higher resolutions or maximum quality presets.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 103 FPS average with a minimum of 88 FPS and maximum of 119 FPS. This frame rate is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay in an FPS title, and the minimum FPS of 88 ensures that dips remain playable.

At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 76 FPS average with a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 87 FPS. This is still a respectable frame rate for a competitive shooter, though the 64 FPS minimum approaches the lower boundary of what most players would consider acceptable. At 4K Medium, the combo drops to 49 FPS average with a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 56 FPS, which is marginal for an FPS but playable for less demanding scenarios.

High settings at 1080p produce 90 FPS average, which is 13 FPS lower than Medium. The visual improvement from Medium to High may not justify this frame rate cost, especially in a fast-paced FPS where higher frame rates provide a competitive advantage. At 1440p High, the 66 FPS average is still playable but noticeably lower than Medium's 76 FPS. At 4K High, the 43 FPS average becomes difficult to recommend for an FPS.

Ultra settings are the least favorable option for this combo. At 1080p Ultra, the 67 FPS average is below what many FPS players would target, and at 1440p Ultra, the 49 FPS average is borderline. At 4K Ultra, the 32 FPS average is essentially unplayable for a competitive FPS. Low settings offer the highest frame rates — 145 FPS at 1080p and 106 FPS at 1440p — but the visual compromise may be too significant for players who prioritize image quality.

The recommended approach is to use Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p, depending on the player's monitor resolution and preference for higher frame rates versus higher resolution. The Medium preset at 1080p provides the best overall experience, with 103 FPS average and a tight 88-119 FPS range that indicates consistent performance without major frame time spikes.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p):

At Low settings, the combo achieves 145 FPS average. This is the highest measured result in the entire dataset and indicates that the i7-12700K has substantial headroom when the GPU is not heavily taxed. Medium settings produce 103 FPS average with a minimum of 88 FPS and maximum of 119 FPS, providing a balanced experience. High settings yield 90 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 67 FPS average.

The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a consistent decline: 145 → 103 → 90 → 67 FPS. The largest single drop occurs between Low and Medium, a 42 FPS reduction that reflects the GPU's sensitivity to increased graphical load. The Medium to High drop is 13 FPS, and the High to Ultra drop is 23 FPS. The 1080p Medium result's minimum FPS of 88 and maximum of 119 indicate a frame time distribution that is relatively stable, with no severe stuttering indicated by the data.

2560x1440 (1440p):

At Low settings, the combo delivers 106 FPS average. This is a 39 FPS drop from 1080p Low, confirming that the GPU becomes more constrained at higher resolutions. Medium settings produce 76 FPS average with a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 87 FPS. High settings yield 66 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 49 FPS average.

The 1440p progression is 106 → 76 → 66 → 49 FPS from Low to Ultra. The Low to Medium drop is 30 FPS, Medium to High is 10 FPS, and High to Ultra is 17 FPS. The 1440p Medium result's minimum FPS of 64 is notably lower than the 1080p Medium minimum of 88, indicating that frame pacing becomes less consistent as resolution increases. The 1440p Ultra result of 49 FPS is identical to the 4K Medium result, suggesting that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at this level of pixel throughput.

3840x2160 (4K):

At Low settings, the combo achieves 69 FPS average. This is a 37 FPS drop from 1440p Low and a 76 FPS drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings produce 49 FPS average with a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 56 FPS. High settings yield 43 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 32 FPS average.

The 4K progression is 69 → 49 → 43 → 32 FPS from Low to Ultra. The Low to Medium drop is 20 FPS, Medium to High is 6 FPS, and High to Ultra is 11 FPS. The 4K Medium result's minimum FPS of 41 and maximum of 56 show that even at this resolution, the combo can maintain a relatively narrow frame time range, though the average FPS is below what most FPS players would consider ideal. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is the lowest measurement in the entire dataset, confirming that this combo is not suited for maximum quality 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol.

Across all resolutions, the Medium settings preset consistently provides the best balance, with 103 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The data shows that players targeting 60 FPS or higher should stick to 1080p with Medium or High settings, or 1440p with Low or Medium settings.