Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER sits at rank 1172 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places this pairing in the lower-middle portion of the database, meaning it will clear the bar for playable frame rates but won't lead any charts. The CPU itself is a strong performer relative to other processors in the database, ranking in the 89th percentile, while the GPU sits in the 63rd percentile. The bottleneck here is clearly the graphics card, and the benchmark data confirms it: the i7-12700KF has enough headroom to push far higher frame rates if paired with a faster GPU, but the RTX 2060 SUPER caps the experience.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 1172nd out of 1637 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the 71st percentile of all combos, which sounds worse than the individual component percentiles might suggest. The reason is straightforward: the i7-12700KF is a high-end CPU from 2021, while the RTX 2060 SUPER is a mid-range GPU from 2019. The GPU's age shows in this game's results, pulling the overall combo rank down despite the CPU's strength.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are all within a hair of its average benchmark score. The i5-14400 scores 35336, just 0.1% behind the i7-12700KF's 35355 average. The i7-13800H is 0.2% ahead, the i9-12900HX is 0.2% behind, and the i5-13600T trails by 0.3%. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning the i7-12700KF is performing exactly where its silicon should. The GPU's nearest rivals tell a similar story: the GTX TITAN is 0.3% behind, the RTX 2070 is 0.5% behind, and the Quadro K5200 trails by 0.8%. The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774 puts it in a tight cluster, but the 63rd percentile ranking shows it is outclassed by a significant portion of modern GPUs.

GPU Role

The RTX 2060 SUPER brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective. The GPU's base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz. These specifications are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the memory capacity and bandwidth become limiting factors at higher resolutions.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for Lockdown Protocol's modern rendering features. The 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores provide ray tracing and DLSS support, though the data in this test does not include those features enabled. The FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS is the raw compute figure, and it shows in the measured frame rates. The GPU's pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s are the throughput limits that the CPU will frequently hit against.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of GPU limitation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 156.7 FPS. At 1440p Low, that drops to 116.8 FPS, a 25.5% reduction. At 4K Low, it falls to 72.9 FPS, another 37.6% drop from 1440p. This steep decline indicates the GPU is the primary constraint, especially at higher pixel counts.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K on High settings shows a similar trend: 102 FPS at 1080p, 74.6 FPS at 1440p, and 44.5 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 56.4%, which is substantial. This pattern tells us that the i7-12700KF is not the limiting factor at these resolutions. The CPU's 20 threads and 12 cores provide ample processing power, but the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 256-bit memory bus are being saturated as resolution climbs. The fact that the FPS drops are nearly proportional to the pixel count increase confirms the GPU-bound nature of this combo in Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

The sweet spot for this combo is Medium settings at 1440p, where it delivers 85.8 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay while maintaining a reasonable visual quality. At 1080p, Medium settings yield 112.7 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Low settings at 1440p push 116.8 FPS, which is even smoother but sacrifices visual fidelity.

For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, Low settings at 1080p delivers 156.7 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data shows that High settings at 1080p still produce 102 FPS, which is playable, but the step down to Medium costs only about 10 FPS while improving visuals. At 4K, the only viable option is Low settings at 72.9 FPS; Medium drops to 55.5 FPS, and High falls to 44.5 FPS. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution, as even at 1080p they only reach 76.8 FPS, which is below what Medium achieves at 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce 156.7 FPS, Medium produces 112.7 FPS, High produces 102 FPS, and Ultra produces 76.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 79.9 FPS, showing that the GPU's processing power is heavily taxed by the higher-quality presets.

At 2560x1440, the numbers are 116.8 FPS on Low, 85.8 FPS on Medium, 74.6 FPS on High, and 53.5 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 25-30% of the frame rate across all settings. The Ultra preset at 1440p dips below 60 FPS, making it a poor choice for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the performance is 72.9 FPS on Low, 55.5 FPS on Medium, 44.5 FPS on High, and 36.3 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset maintains playable frame rates at 4K. The Ultra preset at 4K delivers less than half the frame rate of Low at 1080p, which highlights the GPU's limitations at high pixel densities.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1440p in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes, on Medium settings the combo delivers 85.8 FPS at 1440p, and on High settings it hits 74.6 FPS. Both exceed the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings at 1440p fall short at 53.5 FPS.

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

A: 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. Medium settings at 1440p provide 85.8 FPS, which is smooth and looks noticeably better than 1080p. 4K is only playable on Low settings at 72.9 FPS.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K?

A: At 4K, Low settings produce 72.9 FPS, Medium produces 55.5 FPS, High produces 44.5 FPS, and Ultra produces 36.3 FPS. Only Low settings are recommended for 4K gaming.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The i7-12700KF ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 SUPER ranks in the 63rd percentile of GPUs. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are proportional to the pixel count increase, confirming the GPU limits performance.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured frame rate is 156.7 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. This is the only preset that breaches 150 FPS. Medium settings at 1080p reach 112.7 FPS.

Q: Should I use High or Medium settings at 1080p?

A: Medium settings at 1080p deliver 112.7 FPS, while High settings deliver 102 FPS. The 10.7 FPS difference is minor, so choosing between them depends on whether visual fidelity or frame rate consistency matters more. Both are above 100 FPS.