Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a 2024 FPS that stresses system balance, and the pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a decidedly lopsided experience. The data shows this combination ranks 1537 out of 1637 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 6 percent of configurations. The benchmark results indicate that the processor has ample headroom for this title, but the graphics card becomes the primary constraint, particularly as resolution and quality settings scale upward.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF 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. Released in November 2021 with a launch MSRP of $384, it features a 25 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on Intel Socket 1700. The CPU's benchmark profile shows strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 9983. Its single-thread capabilities are also solid, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2526 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4091.

Relative to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF sits in a tight cluster. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14400, which has an average score of 35336, and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-12900HX (35289). The processor trails the Intel Core i7-13800H by a 0.2% margin, with that chip averaging 35416. The i7-12700KF's average benchmark score of 35355 places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end part for gaming workloads. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears to be one of consistent frame delivery headroom; the measured frame rates are likely not limited by processor throughput, given its 3Dmark 16-thread score of 9282 and Passmark multithread score of 34092. The processor's 20 threads and 5.00 GHz boost clock provide more than enough compute to feed the RX 580, meaning performance is dictated by the GPU side of the equation.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is an end-of-life Polaris 20 part on the GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process. It carries 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz, and memory runs at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). Its compute resources include 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, yielding a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s. The card supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, which are sufficient for modern titles, but its FP32 throughput of 6.175 TFLOPS is modest by current standards.

In the benchmark database, the RX 580's average score of 13559 places it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are closely matched: it is statistically tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0% delta, score 13564) and trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 by 0.1% (score 13549). The RX 580 does outperform the AMD Radeon Pro 455 by 1.1% and is 1.1% behind the NVIDIA P106-090 (score 13716). The measured FPS data in Lockdown Protocol reveals the GPU's limitations clearly. At 1920x1080, the RX 580 manages 83.3 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 61.3 FPS on Medium, 55.4 FPS on High, and 38.8 FPS on Ultra. The pattern worsens at higher resolutions: at 2560x1440, Low yields 60.3 FPS, while Ultra falls to 28.3 FPS. At 3840x2160, the card is overwhelmed, with High producing 23.2 FPS and Ultra just 18.7 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RX 580's 8 GB VRAM and 256-bit bus are sufficient for lower presets, but the shading and texturing throughput cannot sustain high frame rates at demanding settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The best measured result is 83.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this pairing run the game at 4K with playable performance?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 39.9 on Low settings, and Ultra drops to 18.7 FPS, which is below smooth playability.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its closest GPU rival in raw score?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559, which is exactly level with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564) and only 0.1% behind the GTX 950 (13549).

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings deliver 60.3 FPS, which is the only preset that reaches the 60 FPS threshold. Medium produces 44.3 FPS, High 38.2 FPS, and Ultra 28.3 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this pairing?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU has strong multi-threaded scores, while the GPU falls below 40 FPS on Ultra at 1080p, indicating the RX 580 cannot keep pace with the processor's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 1537 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the bottom 6 percent of all configurations, which is a poor result for a system with a high-end CPU. The disparity is stark: the processor sits in the 89th percentile of CPUs, while the GPU resides in the 53rd percentile of GPUs. The measured FPS data confirms this mismatch. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 83.3 FPS on Low but only 38.8 FPS on Ultra, showing that the GPU's 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput and 32 ROPs are insufficient for high-fidelity rendering. The 8 GB VRAM is not the issue at lower resolutions, but the texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s cap performance. Relative to other combos, this ranking suggests that users would see far better results pairing the i7-12700KF with a more powerful GPU, as the CPU has 0.1% delta performance compared to the i5-14400 and 0.2% compared to the i9-12900HX, indicating it is not holding back the system. The GPU, however, is a legacy part from 2017, and its end-of-life status is reflected in the frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 83.3 FPS, which is the only setting that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. Medium yields 61.3 FPS, which is still playable for most users, while High drops to 55.4 FPS and Ultra falls to 38.8 FPS. For 1080p, Medium presents the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it maintains a 60+ FPS average without the visual degradation of Low. At 2560x1440, the options are more constrained. Low settings produce 60.3 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that reaches the 60 FPS mark. Medium drops to 44.3 FPS, High to 38.2 FPS, and Ultra to 28.3 FPS. For a smoother experience at 1440p, Low is the recommended choice, as it provides playable frame rates without sacrificing resolution. At 3840x2160, the data indicates that all settings are below playable thresholds for fast-paced FPS action: Low yields 39.9 FPS, Medium 28 FPS, High 23.2 FPS, and Ultra 18.7 FPS. Given these numbers, 4K should be avoided entirely with this combo. The optimal experience is at 1080p with Medium settings, which offers 61.3 FPS and retains most visual features, or at 1440p with Low settings for users who prefer higher resolution over graphical fidelity. The RX 580's 8 GB VRAM and 256 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for these presets, but the card's computational limits become apparent beyond Medium at 1080p.