Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER pairing, with the data indicating a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases, moving from a playable experience at 1080p to a marginal one at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes the combo's standing, and offers guidance on optimal settings based strictly on the data provided.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs, a classic indicator of a GPU-limited scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 123.3 FPS, which drops to 92.6 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 24.9% reduction) and further to 58.8 FPS at 3840x2160 (a 52.3% reduction from the 1080p figure). This pattern holds across all settings presets, but the severity of the drop intensifies with higher graphical loads. For instance, moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings reduces the average from 86.7 FPS to 43.4 FPS, a 50% loss, while at Ultra settings, the frame rate plummets from 59.7 FPS to 27.7 FPS, a 53.6% loss.

The data strongly suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting component in this configuration. The Intel Core i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, provides substantial processing headroom that is not being fully utilized at higher resolutions where the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth of the GPU become the bottleneck. The incremental FPS gains from lowering settings are more pronounced at 4K, where the GPU is struggling most. For example, at 3840x2160, switching from Ultra to Low yields a 31.1 FPS improvement, whereas the same settings change at 1080p yields a 63.6 FPS improvement. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is better able to feed the GPU, allowing the graphics card to work closer to its potential, whereas at 4K, the GPU's limits are the primary barrier to higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol, this particular CPU-GPU pairing sits firmly in the lower tier. The comboRankInGame data places it at rank 1415 out of 1637 total combos, meaning it outperforms only a small fraction of the tested systems. This low ranking is unsurprising given that the GTX 1660 SUPER, while a competent card for its generation, is now eclipsed by more modern hardware. The GPU's own percentileVsAllGpus of 55 indicates it performs better than just over half of all GPUs in the database, but its pairing with a high-end CPU like the i7-12700KF does not boost the overall gaming experience in this title.

When examining the CPU's nearest rivals, the data shows the i7-12700KF is in a tight performance cluster. It sits a mere 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14400 and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-12900HX in average benchmark scores, while trailing the Intel Core i7-13800H by 0.2%. This suggests that the CPU is not the differentiating factor in this combo's low rank; even a marginally faster processor would not meaningfully change the outcome for this game. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, which is further evidenced by its own nearestRivals data showing it is statistically tied with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, differing by only -0.2% in average score. The combination of a top-tier CPU from 2021 with a mid-range GPU from 2019 creates a significant imbalance that the game's engine exposes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive factor in this combo's Lockdown Protocol performance. Its specifications paint a picture of a card that was designed for 1080p gaming in its era, and the benchmark data confirms this. The GPU features a 6 GB GDDR6 memory pool on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This is a critical limitation at higher resolutions where the demand for texture data and frame buffer memory increases exponentially. The card's boost clock of 1785 MHz and base clock of 1530 MHz are respectable for its architecture, but the raw compute power, measured at 5.027 TFLOPS FP32, is simply insufficient for the demands of 4K Ultra settings in a modern FPS.

The data shows that the GPU's performance scales poorly with resolution increases. At 1080p Medium, it manages 86.7 FPS, but at 4K Medium, it falls to 43.4 FPS. This 50% drop highlights the card's inability to maintain adequate fill rates at higher pixel counts. The 6 GB VRAM is also likely a contributing factor to the severe performance degradation at 4K, as the game may be forced to use slower system memory for texture swapping when the VRAM is exhausted. The GPU's 55th percentile ranking among all GPUs, alongside its close statistical proximity to integrated graphics solutions like the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, underscores that while it is a functional piece of hardware, it is positioned at the lower end of the performance spectrum for contemporary titles like Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance for this combo is found at 1920x1080 with High settings, which yields an average of 76.2 FPS. This provides a smooth, playable experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for an FPS title. Pushing to 1080p Ultra increases the visual load but drops the average to 59.7 FPS, which is still technically playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. For players who prioritize maximum frame rates, dropping to 1080p Low provides a substantial boost to 123.3 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, though it sacrifices visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that High settings are the ceiling for a reasonable experience, with an average of 58.8 FPS. Selecting Medium at this resolution drops the average to 63.9 FPS, which is a minor improvement, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often significant. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, as the 45 FPS average falls below the ideal smoothness threshold. At 3840x2160, the data is unequivocal: the GTX 1660 SUPER is not capable of delivering a satisfactory experience. Even on Low settings, the average FPS is 58.8, which is on the edge of playability, but the visual compromises are severe. The Medium and High presets at 4K, with averages of 43.4 and 36.2 FPS respectively, are not recommended for an enjoyable gaming session. The practical recommendation is to target 1080p High for the best overall experience, or 1080p Low for maximum smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset of measured frame rates provides a clear picture of this combo's capabilities across different resolutions and settings presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is the strongest, with the Low preset achieving an average of 123.3 FPS. The Medium preset follows at 86.7 FPS, with High at 76.2 FPS and Ultra at 59.7 FPS. This range shows a 63.6 FPS difference between the lowest and highest settings, indicating that the CPU and GPU can scale well at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop across the board. The Low preset achieves 92.6 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium drops to 63.9 FPS, while High manages 58.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 45 FPS, which is the first point where the experience starts to feel compromised. At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly hampered. The Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, with an average of 58.8 FPS. Medium falls to 43.4 FPS, High to 36.2 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 27.7 FPS. This final tier shows a 31.1 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, but all values are below the 60 FPS target, confirming that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this hardware in Lockdown Protocol. The progression from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra shows a total performance drop of 95.6 FPS, which is a stark illustration of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.