Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a formidable showing in Lockdown Protocol, a competitive FPS where frame rates are king. Across the measured matrix of resolutions and settings, this combination demonstrates a clear pattern: the system is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but shows signs of CPU influence at 1080p with lower graphical loads. The data reveals a configuration capable of exceeding 300 FPS at 1080p Low, yet one that requires careful settings management to maintain high refresh rates at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 169.6. This suggests a strong performance level suitable for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, though not quite reaching the 240Hz territory seen at 1080p.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35,684. It trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 by 0.3% and the Intel Core i5-14500HX by 0.7%, but leads the Intel Core i7-13700T by 0.6% and the Intel Core i7-13800H by 0.8%. This places it in a very tight performance cluster among its peers.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4090 sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 66,473. This indicates it outperforms the vast majority of graphics cards in the database.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 315.7 FPS. At 4K Low, it drops to 173.4 FPS. This represents a significant 45% reduction in frame rate, highlighting the immense load increase from the higher pixel count.

Q: Does the CPU have an unlocked multiplier?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked. This allows for overclocking, which could potentially yield additional performance in CPU-bound scenarios, such as the 1080p Low preset. The processor also features a boost clock of 5.00 GHz.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4090 has a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, paired with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus. This substantial bandwidth is critical for feeding the high frame rates observed in the benchmark data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide substantial single-thread headroom, which is crucial for FPS titles. The processor's synthetic performance scores, such as a Geekbench single-core score of 2,561 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29,241, indicate a strong balance of single and multi-threaded capability.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes most apparent at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is less burdened. The jump from 1080p High (227.8 FPS) to 1080p Low (315.7 FPS) is substantial, but the jump from 1440p High (169.6 FPS) to 1440p Low (272 FPS) is even larger in absolute terms. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is beginning to limit the maximum achievable frame rate, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs even at Low settings. The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide a flexible foundation, but its single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043, is likely the key factor in these high-FPS scenarios. The processor's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms its ability to handle the game's logic and physics without becoming a primary bottleneck in most tested configurations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed centerpiece of this combo, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process from TSMC. Its specifications are massive: 16,384 shading units, 128 RT cores, and 512 tensor cores, all working at a boost clock of 2,520 MHz. The card's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides a staggering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates at 4K resolution. Its raw compute power is reflected in a Passmark G3D score of 38,194 and an FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS.

The GPU's dominance is clear in the benchmark data. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages an average of 81.1 FPS, a demanding scenario that stresses the card's pixel and texture fill rates. The data shows a steep performance gradient as settings increase at 4K: from 173.4 FPS at Low to 125.2 FPS at Medium, then to 106.1 FPS at High, and finally to 81.1 FPS at Ultra. This consistent scaling indicates that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of performance in these higher-resolution scenarios, with each step up in quality imposing a significant but manageable load on the GPU. The card's 91st percentile ranking, despite being close to rivals like the Tesla T4 (-0.4%) and Tesla P40 (+0.5%), shows it is at the very top of consumer-grade performance, making it the clear limiting factor at 4K rather than the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast, starting at 174.4 FPS on Ultra and climbing to 262.7 FPS on Medium, 227.8 FPS on High, and peaking at 315.7 FPS on Low. The non-linear scaling here is interesting; High is actually slower than Medium, which suggests that specific High settings may introduce a particularly heavy effect, such as shadows or reflections, that disproportionately impacts performance.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high, with Ultra delivering 126.8 FPS, High at 169.6 FPS, Medium at 191.2 FPS, and Low hitting 272 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 80.8 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 21.6 FPS, and High to Ultra is 42.8 FPS. This indicates that the Medium to High transition is relatively light on the GPU, while the High to Ultra step is more demanding.

At 3840x2160, the resolution takes its toll. The combo delivers 173.4 FPS on Low, but this drops to 125.2 FPS on Medium, 106.1 FPS on High, and finally 81.1 FPS on Ultra. The performance delta between Low and Ultra is a massive 92.3 FPS, showing a clear and steep scaling curve. The system is clearly GPU-limited here, with the RTX 4090's raw power being the sole determinant of the final output. The data shows that for a 4K 120Hz display, High settings are necessary, while a 4K 60Hz panel could potentially handle Ultra settings with headroom.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is the most telling indicator of the system's bottleneck characteristics. At Low settings, the drop from 315.7 FPS (1080p) to 272 FPS (1440p) is a 13.8% decrease, and then to 173.4 FPS (4K) is a further 36.2% decrease from the 1440p figure. This total 45% loss from 1080p to 4K is significant but not as severe as at higher settings.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The system goes from 174.4 FPS at 1080p to 126.8 FPS at 1440p (-27.3%), and then to 81.1 FPS at 4K (-36.0% from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is 53.5%. This steeper curve at Ultra settings is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the increased pixel count directly translates to a nearly proportional increase in shading and rasterization work. Conversely, the relatively smaller percentage drop at Low settings (45% total) suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is starting to become a more significant factor, limiting the frame rate before the GPU can be fully utilized. The data implies that the RTX 4090 is the primary limiting component at 4K and at High/Ultra settings, while the Core i7-12700K becomes a more relevant partner at 1080p Low.

Settings Recommendations

For a competitive edge at 1080p, the data suggests that Medium settings (262.7 FPS) offer the best balance, as they provide a substantial 88.3 FPS improvement over Ultra (174.4 FPS) while maintaining a visual quality boost over Low (315.7 FPS). The High preset (227.8 FPS) is a poor choice here, as it is slower than Medium, indicating that its specific effects are disproportionately costly.

At 1440p, High settings (169.6 FPS) are the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, offering a clear improvement over Ultra (126.8 FPS) with a 42.8 FPS advantage. For those with 144Hz monitors, Medium (191.2 FPS) provides enough headroom to ensure frame times stay well below the refresh interval. Using Ultra at 1440p is acceptable for slower-paced play, but the 126.8 FPS average leaves little margin for dips.

At 4K, the recommendations are more constrained. High settings (106.1 FPS) are the optimal choice for a 120Hz display, while Medium (125.2 FPS) is a viable alternative for a 144Hz panel if visual fidelity is less critical. Low (173.4 FPS) is recommended only for maximum competitive responsiveness, and Ultra (81.1 FPS) is best reserved for 60Hz displays or cinematic single-player experiences. The data shows that High at 4K is a more efficient choice than Ultra, offering a 25 FPS improvement for a modest visual downgrade.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested combinations, the Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 31st out of 1,637 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 1.9% of all tested systems, evidence of the raw power of the RTX 4090. This high ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's immense capability, which allows the combo to achieve playable frame rates at 4K Ultra and exceptionally high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The CPU's contribution to this ranking is more nuanced. While its 89th percentile standing among all CPUs is impressive, its nearest rivals—such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (-0.3%) and the Intel Core i7-13800H (+0.8%)—show that it is not a class leader in synthetic benchmarks. The ranking suggests that in Lockdown Protocol, the GPU is the star of the show. The 31st position implies that there are 30 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring newer or more overclockable CPUs paired with the same RTX 4090. For instance, a CPU with higher single-thread performance could potentially unlock even more frame rate headroom at 1080p Low, where the i7-12700K may be the bottleneck. The data indicates that while this is an elite-tier setup, the CPU is the component holding it back from the absolute top 10, particularly in the most CPU-sensitive scenarios.