Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a highly variable experience in Lockdown Protocol, one that hinges almost entirely on the chosen graphics preset. The measured data reveals a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings, while the CPU demonstrates its capability to push frame rates much higher when graphical load is reduced.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the RTX 3060 Ti's workload limits. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 156.4 at 1920x1080 to 117.5 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 38.9 FPS. This gap widens significantly when moving to 3840x2160, where the average falls to 75.8 FPS. This pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being tasked heavily as pixel count increases.

Under the High preset, the scaling becomes more aggressive. The transition from 1080p (102.2 FPS) to 1440p (74.6 FPS) results in a 27.6 FPS loss, and the further drop to 4K (44.9 FPS) shows a substantial 29.7 FPS decline from the 1440p figure. The data suggests that at 4K High, the RTX 3060 Ti is operating near its practical ceiling for this title, as the frame rate approaches the 30 FPS threshold.

The most telling observation comes from comparing the Low and Ultra presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (156.4 FPS) and Ultra (74.9 FPS) is 81.5 FPS, while at 4K the gap between the same presets is 39.7 FPS (75.8 vs 36.1). This compression of frame rates at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU becomes the limiting component; the CPU has ample headroom that cannot be utilized when the render resolution saturates the graphics card's bandwidth and processing capacity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this combo for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently exceeds 100 FPS across multiple presets. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset achieves a triple-digit average (117.5 FPS), while High and Medium fall to 74.6 and 83.9 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 3060 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 25120, placing it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (25180) and 0.5% ahead of both the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (25235) and AMD Radeon 890M (25246). It sits 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (25287).

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF a strong match for this game?

A: The CPU's benchmark percentile versus all CPUs is 89, indicating strong overall performance. Its multi-threaded capabilities, evidenced by a 3DMark max threads score of 9983 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979, provide significant headroom that is not fully utilized at higher graphics settings.

Q: What is the performance ranking of this specific combo among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1160 out of 1637 total tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This ranking places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, suggesting that while the components are individually capable, the overall pairing does not yield top-tier results in this specific game.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset if I have a 4K display?

A: The measured data shows an average of 36.1 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is playable but may not be ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset at 4K provides a more balanced 55.4 FPS, while Low offers 75.8 FPS for smoother motion.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance influence the game?

A: The 3DMark single thread score of 1043 and Cinebench R23 singlecore score of 4091 indicate robust single-core performance. This is relevant for FPS games that often rely on a primary processing thread, though the measured FPS data shows that resolution and settings have a more dominant impact on results.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings a 12-core, 20-thread configuration based on the Alder Lake architecture to Lockdown Protocol. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide a wide operating range. The benchmark results show strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R20 multicore score of 12171 and a Passmark multithread score of 34092.

The CPU's role in this game's performance is most evident when examining the frame rate differences between settings at the same resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Ultra (74.9 FPS) to Low (156.4 FPS) represents a 108.8% increase. This dramatic scaling suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than the higher settings allow the GPU to render. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9282 indicates that the processor can handle substantial parallel workloads.

However, the CPU's influence diminishes as resolution increases. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 39.7 FPS, compared to the 81.5 FPS gap at 1080p. This indicates that the RTX 3060 Ti's rendering capacity is the constraining factor at higher resolutions, not the CPU. The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4, DDR5) provide adequate data throughput for the game's demands.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti holds the 1160th position out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the 71st percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 29% of the tested configurations perform worse in this game.

This ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual component scores. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, and the GPU sits in the 69th percentile against all GPUs. The discrepancy between these individual rankings and the combo's overall position in this specific game suggests that Lockdown Protocol may favor different hardware characteristics than those emphasized by the general benchmark suite.

The combo's ranking indicates that while the RTX 3060 Ti is a mid-range performer, the i7-12700KF's processing power cannot overcome the GPU's limitations in this title. The measured FPS data supports this, showing that even at 1080p Low, the system achieves 156.4 FPS, which is respectable but not exceptional compared to what higher-end GPU pairings might achieve.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Low preset offers the most consistent high-refresh-rate experience across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, it achieves 156.4 FPS, which is 50% higher than the High preset's 102.2 FPS. Even at 2560x1440, Low maintains 117.5 FPS, while High drops to 74.6 FPS.

For players with 1080p displays seeking visual fidelity, the High preset at 102.2 FPS provides a solid balance between image quality and smoothness. The Medium preset at 114.6 FPS offers a middle ground, though the difference between Medium and High is only 12.4 FPS at this resolution.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (83.9 FPS) is the highest setting that remains comfortably above 60 FPS. High (74.6 FPS) is also playable, but Ultra (53.3 FPS) falls below the smoothness threshold that many FPS players prefer. For 4K displays, the Low preset (75.8 FPS) is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience; Medium (55.4 FPS) and High (44.9 FPS) are playable but may feel less responsive in fast-paced combat scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its highest frame rates. Low settings yield an average of 156.4 FPS, Medium drops to 114.6 FPS, High reaches 102.2 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 74.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 81.5 FPS range, showing significant performance headroom available through settings adjustments.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across all presets. Low delivers 117.5 FPS, Medium provides 83.9 FPS, High achieves 74.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 53.3 FPS. The range between Low and Ultra here is 64.2 FPS, narrower than at 1080p due to the increased pixel rendering workload.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits become apparent. Low settings produce 75.8 FPS, Medium drops to 55.4 FPS, High manages 44.9 FPS, and Ultra only reaches 36.1 FPS. The total range at 4K is 39.7 FPS, demonstrating that as resolution increases, the gap between presets narrows because the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck regardless of settings. This data confirms that the RTX 3060 Ti is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p with this processor, while 4K requires significant compromises in visual quality to maintain playable frame rates.