Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol: Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB — Benchmark Analysis

This configuration delivers solid 1080p and 1440p performance in Lockdown Protocol, with the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and quality presets. The measured data shows a clear pattern: frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, but the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and mid-range positioning limit ultra-preset playability at 4K. The Intel Core i7-12700K provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the significant FPS gains when lowering graphical load, indicating that CPU limitations are rarely the binding constraint in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 135 FPS at 1920x1080 to 99 FPS at 2560x1440 — a 27% reduction — and then to 64 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a further 35% decline. This steep scaling curve is characteristic of a graphics card that is being pushed to its limits, with the RTX 5060 Ti’s 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 128-bit bus becoming increasingly strained as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

Low settings exhibit a similar but less dramatic pattern. The average FPS at 1920x1080 is 217, dropping to 159 at 2560x1440 (27% lower) and 103 at 3840x2160 (35% lower than 1440p). The proportional consistency between High and Low presets suggests that resolution scaling is primarily driven by raw pixel throughput rather than specific effect complexity. However, the absolute margins — 82 FPS difference at 1080p between Low and High, versus 39 FPS at 4K — indicate that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that quality settings have a diminished relative impact on performance.

Ultra settings provide the clearest evidence of GPU limitation. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS collapses to 48, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players consider minimum for a competitive FPS. Even at 2560x1440, Ultra settings yield only 74 FPS average, while 1080p Ultra achieves 101 FPS. The gap between Ultra and High at 4K is 16 FPS (48 vs 64), while at 1080p it is 34 FPS (101 vs 135). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions confirms that the RTX 5060 Ti’s compute resources — 23.70 TFLOPS FP32 and 36 RT cores — are exhausted before quality settings can fully express their cost.

The data suggests that 2560x1440 is the practical ceiling for this combination if targeting 60+ FPS across most presets, with only Ultra falling short. At 1080p, even Ultra remains playable, indicating that the Core i7-12700K’s 12 cores and 20 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and multi-thread score of 9979 (max threads) corroborate that CPU throughput is not the limiting factor in this title’s resolution scaling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K, with its 12 cores (8 performance, 4 efficiency) and 20 threads, provides robust multi-threaded capability that Lockdown Protocol can leverage. The benchmark data shows a 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and a max-thread score of 9979, indicating strong sustained performance under parallel workloads. Cinebench R23 multicore results of 19784 reinforce this, while single-core performance is equally respectable at 1850.5 in Cinebench R23 and 2308 in Geekbench single-core.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role becomes apparent when examining FPS differences across settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, raising from Low to High costs 82 FPS (217 to 135), while at 4K the same setting change costs only 39 FPS (103 to 64). This divergence implies that at lower resolutions, the GPU is less burdened, allowing the CPU to push higher frame rates — but the ceiling is still set by GPU capabilities rather than CPU limits. The Core i7-12700K’s boost clock of 5.00 GHz and base clock of 3.60 GHz provide sufficient single-thread speed for game logic and physics, as evidenced by the PassMark single-thread score of 4013.

The CPU’s 25 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache contribute to low-latency access for frequently used game data. The 84th percentile ranking versus all CPUs places this processor well above average, and its nearest rivals — the Intel Core i5-13600T (avg score 35305, -0.1% delta), Intel Core i7-12700KF (35365, -0.2%), Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, -0.3%), and Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, -0.4%) — all perform within a fraction of a percent, confirming that this CPU is not a differentiator in game performance.

The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2065 and 4-thread score of 4011 suggest that even lightly threaded game tasks are handled efficiently. The PassMark physics score of 1790 indicates adequate physics processing capability for a fast-paced FPS. Importantly, the CPU’s memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 with dual-channel bus allows flexible system configurations without becoming a bottleneck. The PCIe Gen 4 interface with 20 lanes provides sufficient bandwidth for the RTX 5060 Ti’s PCIe 5.0 x8 connection, though the GPU’s interface is backward-compatible.

Given that the measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 217, the CPU is demonstrably capable of driving frame rates well beyond what the GPU can sustain at higher settings. This suggests that any CPU-related frame pacing issues would only emerge at frame rates above 200 FPS, which is beyond the practical target for most players. The Core i7-12700K’s 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier offer overclocking potential, but even at stock settings, the data shows no CPU-induced performance ceiling in Lockdown Protocol at the tested resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB is the decisive component in this configuration’s Lockdown Protocol performance. With a boost clock of 2572 MHz and 4608 shading units, the card delivers 23.70 TFLOPS FP32 compute, but its 8 GB GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus (448.0 GB/s bandwidth) creates a capacity and bandwidth constraint at higher resolutions. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4019 places this GPU in the 29th percentile versus all GPUs, indicating mid-range positioning.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the AMD FirePro W5130M (avg score 4904, -0.1% delta), NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4893, +0.2%), AMD Radeon R7 M265 (4929, -0.6%), and AMD Radeon R7 M360 (4931, -0.6%). These comparisons highlight that the RTX 5060 Ti’s average benchmark score of 4901 is tightly clustered with significantly older or lower-tier parts, which is surprising given its modern architecture. This suggests that the PassMark GPU metrics may not fully capture gaming performance, as the measured FPS in Lockdown Protocol shows respectable results.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at 4K Ultra where the average FPS drops to 48. At this resolution and preset, texture data and geometry likely approach or exceed the 8 GB limit, causing the GPU to manage memory more conservatively. The 48 ROPs and 144 TMUs provide adequate pixel and texture throughput, but the 128-bit memory bus limits effective bandwidth scaling. The pixel rate of 123.5 GPixel/s and texture rate of 370.4 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but become strained at 4K.

The GPU’s 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores support ray tracing and DLSS features, though the measured data does not include RT-enabled benchmarks. The 180 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU indicate reasonable power requirements. The card’s dual-slot design and 241 mm length make it compatible with most mid-tower cases. The 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs support modern displays, and the 1750 MHz memory clock (28 Gbps effective) provides the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth that becomes a limiting factor at 4K.

The PassMark G3D score of 21981 and GPU compute score of 11365 provide additional context for the GPU’s raw compute capabilities. The DirectX 12 score of 82 in PassMark suggests strong DX12 support, consistent with the 12 Ultimate (12_2) API support. At 1080p, the GPU delivers 217 FPS on Low settings, indicating that it can handle high refresh-rate gaming when graphical demands are moderate. However, the 4K Ultra result of 48 FPS clearly demonstrates that this GPU is not intended for maximum-quality 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 154 with a minimum of 131 and maximum of 178, providing a smooth experience on 144Hz displays. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 113 FPS with a range of 96 to 130, which remains highly playable. Even at 4K Medium, the average of 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84 keeps gameplay above the 60 FPS threshold, making this the only 4K preset that maintains consistent playability.

High settings are a viable alternative for players prioritizing visual fidelity, but with caveats. At 1080p High, the 135 FPS average is excellent, and 1440p High’s 99 FPS is acceptable. However, 4K High’s 64 FPS average is marginal for competitive play, and the lack of minimum FPS data makes it unclear how stable performance is during intense scenes. Players targeting 4K should prefer Medium over High, as the 9 FPS difference (73 vs 64) is less impactful than the stability gained from the measured minimum of 62 FPS at Medium.

Ultra settings are only recommended for 1080p gaming, where the 101 FPS average provides a good experience. At 1440p Ultra, the 74 FPS average is borderline, and at 4K Ultra, the 48 FPS average is below the playability threshold for a fast-paced FPS. The absence of minimum FPS data for Ultra presets at all resolutions except 1440p Medium suggests potential frame time spikes that could affect gameplay consistency.

For competitive players prioritizing frame rate, Low settings at 1080p deliver 217 FPS, which is sufficient for 240Hz displays. At 1440p Low, the 159 FPS average supports high refresh-rate monitors, while 4K Low’s 103 FPS is acceptable for less demanding players. The Low preset’s performance scaling indicates that it removes GPU bottlenecks, allowing the Core i7-12700K to push higher frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Only at Medium settings, where the average FPS is 73 with a minimum of 62. At High settings, the average drops to 64 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 48 FPS — both below the 60 FPS target. Low settings achieve 103 FPS at 4K but with significantly reduced visual quality.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play?

A: 1080p with Low settings provides 217 FPS average, which is ideal for high refresh-rate monitors. At 1440p Low, the average is 159 FPS, also suitable for competitive play. Both options keep frame rates well above 144 FPS, minimizing input latency.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 4901 is within 0.6% of the AMD FirePro W5130M (4904), NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4893), AMD Radeon R7 M265 (4929), and AMD Radeon R7 M360 (4931). However, the measured gaming performance in Lockdown Protocol is substantially better than these legacy parts suggest.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K a bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores show it performs within 0.4% of its nearest rivals, and the measured FPS at 1080p Low (217) demonstrates that the CPU can drive frame rates far beyond what the GPU sustains at higher settings. The CPU is not the limiting component in any tested configuration.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144Hz 1440p monitor?

A: Medium settings are recommended, as they produce a 113 FPS average with a minimum of 96 FPS. High settings achieve 99 FPS average, which is also workable, but Medium’s measured minimum ensures fewer drops below 100 FPS. Ultra at 74 FPS average is not ideal for 144Hz displays.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit 4K performance?

A: The data suggests so. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 48, a 25% reduction from 4K High’s 64 FPS. This steep decline when increasing from High to Ultra at 4K indicates that memory capacity or bandwidth constraints are impacting performance at higher quality settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB is as follows:

At 1920x1080 resolution, the Low preset achieves an average of 217 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 154 FPS average, with a minimum of 131 and maximum of 178. High settings produce 135 FPS average, while Ultra settings result in 101 FPS average.

At 2560x1440 resolution, Low settings yield 159 FPS average. Medium settings provide 113 FPS average, with a minimum of 96 and maximum of 130. High settings achieve 99 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 74 FPS average.

At 3840x2160 resolution, Low settings produce 103 FPS average. Medium settings deliver 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84. High settings achieve 64 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 48 FPS average.

Minimum and maximum FPS data is only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 131 to 178 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 96 to 130 FPS; and at 4K Medium, 62 to 84 FPS. This absence of variance data for other presets limits the ability to assess frame time stability, but the Medium preset data indicates acceptable consistency across all resolutions.

The overall combination ranks 1091 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 39% of configurations. This ranking, combined with the measured FPS data, positions this system as capable for 1080p and 1440p gaming with medium-to-high settings, while 4K gaming requires reduced quality settings to maintain playable frame rates.