Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a playable but not dominant experience in Lockdown Protocol. This combination ranks in the 29th percentile, sitting at position 2630 out of 3714 tested combos. That places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, meaning a significant portion of other system configurations will outperform it, though it remains far from the bottom. The data indicates this is a balanced pairing where neither component completely bottlenecks the other in most scenarios, but the overall performance ceiling is limited by the GPU's age and the CPU's mid-range standing relative to the current market.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2630 out of 3714 tested configurations places it in the 29th percentile of all systems tested in Lockdown Protocol. This is a modest result, indicating that while this setup can handle the game, it will not be leading any performance charts. The ranking reflects a system that is capable of running the game smoothly at lower resolutions and settings, but which will struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum graphical fidelity.

Benchmark results show that the CPU itself is a solid performer, with an average benchmark score of 35287 and a percentile ranking of 84 against all CPUs. It sits within 0.4% of its nearest rivals, which include the Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core i7-12700KF, Intel Core i7-13700T, and Intel Core 5 213PE. The deltaPct values are negligible, ranging from -0.1 to -0.4, meaning the i7-12700K is effectively tied with these processors in synthetic tests. This suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo's overall ranking.

On the GPU side, the RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093 and sits at the 62nd percentile against all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, AMD Radeon Pro 5700, AMD Radeon RX 460, and Intel Arc A770M, with deltaPct values between -0.4 and -1.6. The GPU is clearly the weaker link in this pairing, which aligns with the combo's overall low ranking. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield a more substantial improvement in Lockdown Protocol performance than swapping the CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. Memory is handled by 8 GB of GDDR6 across a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective.

In Lockdown Protocol, these specifications translate to a GPU that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming reasonably well, but which begins to show its limits at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this title at lower settings, but at higher resolutions and Ultra settings, the frame rates indicate the GPU is under significant load. The 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are present, but this game does not appear to leverage them heavily based on the measured performance.

The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 7.181 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 105.6 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s. These figures are modest by modern standards, and the benchmark data reflects this. The RTX 2060 SUPER is an end-of-life product, and its performance in Lockdown Protocol shows that it is adequate for competitive play at lower settings but not for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The card's TDP is 175 W, and it requires a single 8-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 450 W.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 159 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 117 FPS, a reduction of 42 FPS or roughly 26%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 75 FPS, which is another 42 FPS drop, or 36% lower than the 1440p result.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 113 at 1080p, to 83 at 1440p, to 53 at 4K. At High settings, it goes from 99 at 1080p, to 72 at 1440p, to 47 at 4K. At Ultra settings, it goes from 74 at 1080p, to 54 at 1440p, to 35 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is significant in every case, ranging from a 53% reduction at Low settings to a 53% reduction at Ultra settings.

This consistent scaling pattern strongly suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU's fixed resources become the constraint. The 4K results, particularly the 35 FPS average at Ultra settings, show that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming at high quality. The data indicates that 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots for this pairing, with 1080p offering the most consistent high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 159. Medium settings produce an average of 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130. High settings yield 99 FPS on average. Ultra settings drop the average to 74 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system can easily handle competitive play at Low and Medium settings, and even High settings remain playable. Ultra settings are still above 60 FPS on average, making it a viable option for those who prioritize visual quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings average 117 FPS. Medium settings average 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 95. High settings average 72 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 54 FPS. At this resolution, the system is still capable of delivering smooth gameplay at Low and Medium settings, but High and Ultra settings start to approach the edge of playability. For a fast-paced FPS like Lockdown Protocol, the 72 FPS average at High is acceptable, but the 54 FPS at Ultra may feel less responsive.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Low settings average 75 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a competitive shooter. Medium settings average 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 62. High settings average 47 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 35 FPS. None of these 4K results are ideal for a fast-paced FPS, and the 35 FPS average at Ultra is below what most players would consider playable. The data shows that 4K is not a practical resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol, except perhaps at Low settings where the frame rate is still respectable.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 99 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making it a solid choice for 1080p High settings.

Q: Is this system suitable for 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Not really. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 75 at Low settings to 35 at Ultra settings. Only Low settings approach playable frame rates, and even then, the 75 FPS average is not ideal for a competitive FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, which is within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core i7-12700KF, Intel Core i7-13700T, and Intel Core 5 213PE. The deltaPct values range from -0.1 to -0.4, indicating these processors are effectively equivalent in performance.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, is only 0.4% faster, making the performance difference negligible.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 96 and the maximum is 130, with an average of 113. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 70 and the maximum is 95, with an average of 83. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 45 and the maximum is 62, with an average of 53.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU has a 84th percentile ranking, while the GPU sits at the 62nd percentile. The FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12th Gen desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It features 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The CPU has a 125 W TDP and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. Cache is substantial, with 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU is unlocked for overclocking and uses the Intel Socket 1700.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's performance is more than adequate for this GPU. The 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample processing power, and the high boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance, which is often critical in FPS titles. The CPU's benchmark results support this, with a single-thread score of 1043 in 3dmark and 1850.5 in Cinebench R23. Multi-threaded performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and a Geekbench multicore score of 15790.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 84 against all CPUs places it in the upper tier, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.4% in average score. This means that in synthetic benchmarks, the i7-12700K is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core i7-12700KF, Intel Core i7-13700T, and Intel Core 5 213PE. The data suggests that the CPU is not holding back the system in Lockdown Protocol, as the performance scaling with resolution points firmly at the GPU as the limiting factor.

The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provides flexibility, though the benchmark data does not specify which memory type was used in the FPS measurements. The PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes from the CPU ensures the GPU has sufficient bandwidth, though the RTX 2060 SUPER itself uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant for gaming with a discrete GPU. Overall, the i7-12700K provides a strong foundation for this combo, and its performance headroom suggests it could support a more powerful GPU without becoming a bottleneck.