Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a formidable Lockdown Protocol experience, landing at rank 102 out of 1,637 tested combos. This places the pairing in the top 6.2% of all configurations, with the CPU sitting at the 89th percentile among all processors and the GPU at the 88th percentile among all graphics cards. The combination of Alder Lake's hybrid architecture and Ada Lovelace's raw throughput produces a system that handles the game's demands with considerable headroom across most resolution and settings combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces 156.6 FPS, but dropping to Low settings at the same resolution pushes the average to 316.4 FPS — more than double the Ultra figure. This substantial gap indicates that at 1080p, the RTX 4080 SUPER is not the limiting factor; instead, the game's visual effects and shading complexity at higher settings throttle performance.

Moving to 1440p, the scaling becomes more moderate but still shows significant headroom. Ultra settings at 1440p deliver 113.5 FPS, while Low settings reach 243.4 FPS. The 129.9 FPS difference between these extremes suggests the GPU is beginning to take on more responsibility, though the CPU remains capable of feeding it adequately. At 4K, the pattern tightens further: Ultra produces 75.2 FPS, Low produces 157.1 FPS, and the gap narrows to 81.9 FPS. This compression of the performance delta as resolution climbs confirms that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while the Intel Core i7-12700K still has capacity to spare at lower resolutions.

The data indicates that Lockdown Protocol scales almost linearly with resolution when settings are held constant. At High settings, 1080p yields 203.3 FPS, 1440p yields 151.5 FPS, and 4K yields 97.4 FPS — a drop of 25.5% from 1080p to 1440p, then another 35.7% from 1440p to 4K. This consistent degradation points to a well-optimized rendering pipeline that distributes load across the GPU's 10,240 shading units efficiently.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K brings 12 cores and 20 threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process, features a hybrid design that combines performance and efficiency cores. Benchmark results show strong multi-threaded capability: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 29,241, while single-core performance reaches 4,128. The 3DMark 16-thread test produces a score of 9,276, indicating robust parallel processing for games that can utilize multiple threads.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes more evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. At 1080p Low settings, the 316.4 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the RTX 4080 SUPER nearly all its available frames. The Passmark multithread score of 34,404 and single-thread score of 4,013 reinforce that this processor has the per-core strength and aggregate throughput to avoid bottlenecking in most scenarios. However, the 12-core, 20-thread configuration may be overkill for this title, as the game's FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K at identical settings shows the GPU becoming the dominant constraint earlier than expected.

The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core help maintain low-latency access to frequently used game data. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2,065 and 4-thread score of 4,011 demonstrate that even lightly threaded workloads see substantial performance, which is relevant for games that primarily rely on a few main threads. The i7-12700K sits in a competitive position relative to its nearest rivals, with a delta of -0.3% against the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and +0.6% against the Intel Core i7-13700T in average benchmark scores.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High settings produce 151.5 FPS, which balances visual quality with high refresh rates. At 1080p Ultra, the combo reaches 156.6 FPS, but 1440p Ultra still delivers 113.5 FPS, making 1440p the sweet spot for both quality and smoothness.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 53,610 is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M. It outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 7700S by 2.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti by 2.9%.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-12700K bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 316.4 FPS, indicating minimal CPU limitation. However, at 1080p Ultra, performance drops to 156.6 FPS, suggesting the game's rendering effects — not the CPU — are the primary constraint, since the GPU has ample headroom at lower settings.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra, 1080p produces 156.6 FPS, 1440p produces 113.5 FPS, and 4K produces 75.2 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 4K results in a 51.9% reduction in average FPS, highlighting the GPU's increasing load at higher resolutions.

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

A: The combination ranks 102nd out of 1,637 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.2% of all pairings tested. This high ranking reflects the balanced capabilities of both components in Lockdown Protocol.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 102 out of 1,637 tested configurations, the Intel Core i7-12700K and RTX 4080 SUPER sit comfortably in the upper echelon of Lockdown Protocol performance. This ranking is particularly noteworthy given that the GPU is marked as end-of-life and the CPU uses the previous-generation Alder Lake architecture. The pair outperforms 93.8% of all tested combos, demonstrating that this hardware combination remains highly competitive for this title.

The GPU's 88th percentile ranking among all graphics cards, coupled with the CPU's 89th percentile standing, suggests a well-matched pairing where neither component dramatically outclasses the other. The nearest CPU rivals — the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-14500HX, and Intel Core i7-13800H — all fall within a 1.5% delta of the i7-12700K's average score, indicating that this processor holds its own against both newer and similarly positioned alternatives. On the GPU side, the RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rivals are all AMD cards or newer NVIDIA parts, yet it maintains a slight edge over each one in average benchmark scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 316.4 FPS, Medium reaches 234.7 FPS, High achieves 203.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 156.6 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 50.5% performance penalty for maximum visual quality, with each settings tier costing roughly 20-30 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably downward. Low settings yield 243.4 FPS, Medium produces 172.7 FPS, High delivers 151.5 FPS, and Ultra settles at 113.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 129.9 FPS, slightly narrower than the 159.8 FPS gap seen at 1080p. This suggests the GPU is becoming more influential in determining overall performance.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4080 SUPER's capabilities are more fully taxed. Low settings still manage a strong 157.1 FPS, Medium produces 110.6 FPS, High achieves 97.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 75.2 FPS. The 4K Low figure remains above 1440p Ultra (113.5 FPS), and the 4K Ultra result of 75.2 FPS is still playable for most users, though it falls below the 100 FPS mark that many competitive players prefer.

Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra follows a consistent pattern: Medium settings typically cost 15-25% of the Low FPS, High adds another 10-15% penalty, and Ultra imposes the heaviest toll. The 4K Ultra figure of 75.2 FPS represents the lowest measured average, but it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a smooth experience even under maximum load.