Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination lands at rank 2009 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This pairing demonstrates a significant imbalance: the CPU is a high-end performer while the GPU is decidedly mid-range, and the benchmark data shows the RTX 4060 becoming the primary constraint as resolution and settings increase.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3714 tested processor and graphics card combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing sits at position 2009. That places it just past the halfway point, which is a modest result given the components involved. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities; the RTX 4060's 61st percentile standing among all GPUs (with an average benchmark score of 17639) is the bottleneck, while the i7-12700KF's 85th percentile among all CPUs (average benchmark score of 35365) is clearly not holding the system back.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database illustrate its performance class. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, a 0.1% delta, while the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.2% delta. The Intel Core 5 213PE is 0.2% ahead at 35428, and the Intel Core i7-12700K is 0.2% behind at 35287. These are all effectively identical scores, meaning the i7-12700KF is performing exactly as expected for a high-end Alder Lake desktop chip. The GPU, however, sits in a different league: its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666 (a 0.2% delta), and the AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind at 17588. The RTX 4060 is the clear weak link in this combo's overall ranking.

The combination's rank of 2009 suggests that many other processor/GPU pairings in the database achieve better Lockdown Protocol performance, likely by pairing more balanced components. The data indicates this setup is GPU-bound in most scenarios, which is a critical consideration for anyone evaluating this configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD107 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU's memory clock operates at 2125 MHz, translating to 17 Gbps effective, while its base clock is 1830 MHz and boost clock reaches 2460 MHz. These specifications define a card that is capable but not exceptional by modern standards.

In Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 4060's role becomes clear through the measured FPS data. At 1080p with Low settings, it delivers 189 avg FPS, but this drops to 88 avg FPS at Ultra. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows it struggling at 4K Ultra, where it manages only 42 avg FPS. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's compute power — 15.11 TFLOPS FP32, 236.2 GTexel/s texture rate, and 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate — is adequate for high refresh rates at lower resolutions but falls short at higher demands.

The GPU's 61st percentile ranking versus all GPUs underscores its position. Its PassMark G3D score of 19545 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 place it in the mid-range. The RTX 4060 is not a high-end card, and the data shows it as the limiting factor in this combo, particularly at 4K and at higher settings levels. The GPU's 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores do not translate into Lockdown Protocol performance gains that would overcome its raw throughput limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 117 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p, then to 55 at 4K. That is a 53% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop is even steeper: 189 FPS at 1080p, 138 at 1440p, and 89 at 4K, a 53% reduction as well. This consistent proportional drop indicates the GPU is the bottleneck across all settings.

The pattern is identical at Medium and Ultra settings. Medium sees 134 FPS at 1080p, 98 at 1440p, and 63 at 4K — a 53% drop from 1080p to 4K. Ultra yields 88 FPS at 1080p, 64 at 1440p, and 42 at 4K, again a 52% reduction. These figures point to a system where the CPU is not the limiting factor; if the CPU were the constraint, the FPS would remain more constant as resolution increases. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with pixel count, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation.

The data suggests that the i7-12700KF has ample headroom at all resolutions. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would be most likely to bottleneck, the system reaches 189 FPS without issue. The CPU's 3DMark max-threads score of 9983 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 indicate it can feed the GPU well beyond what the RTX 4060 can render. For users targeting 4K, the GPU will be the clear constraint, while 1080p and 1440p users will see the GPU's limits rather than the CPU's.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4060 delivers strong performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 189 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings drop to 134 FPS with a minimum of 114 and maximum of 154. High settings yield 117 FPS, while Ultra settings bring the average down to 88 FPS. All of these figures indicate smooth gameplay at 1080p, with even the most demanding settings maintaining playable frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable but shows the GPU's strain. Low settings deliver 138 FPS, Medium averages 98 FPS (ranging from 83 to 113), and High settings produce 86 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 64 FPS, which is still playable but begins to test the limits of smoothness for fast-paced FPS action. The 1440p results show a clear step down from 1080p, with the RTX 4060 starting to struggle at higher quality presets.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become pronounced. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium drops to 63 FPS (with a minimum of 54), High yields 55 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. None of the 4K results are particularly strong; even Low settings barely break 90 FPS, and Ultra is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider minimum for a competitive FPS. The 4K Medium data, with a minimum of 54 FPS, shows that frame pacing can become inconsistent under load.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor from the Alder Lake generation, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosts to 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The CPU has 25 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and its PCIe Gen 4 interface provides 20 lanes from the CPU itself.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with frames, and the data shows it does this without issue. The i7-12700KF's single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071 and Geekbench single-core score of 2255. Its multi-thread capabilities are equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 34092. These figures indicate the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics without becoming a bottleneck.

The benchmark results suggest that the i7-12700KF is not the limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p Low, the system hits 189 FPS, which is likely near the GPU's maximum output rather than the CPU's. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and 2-thread score of 2065 demonstrate it can process game instructions quickly. Even in the most CPU-intensive scenarios, the i7-12700KF's 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom, and its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a high-end processor that will not hold back the RTX 4060.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: This combo ranks 2009 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 perform at different resolutions in this game?

A: At 1080p, it delivers 189 FPS on Low and 88 FPS on Ultra. At 1440p, it ranges from 138 FPS on Low to 64 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, it drops to 89 FPS on Low and 42 FPS on Ultra.

Q: Is the i7-12700KF or the RTX 4060 the main bottleneck?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The FPS drops proportionally with resolution increases, which indicates GPU saturation. The CPU's high benchmark scores and the FPS pattern show it is not limiting performance.

Q: What are the CPU's key specifications?

A: The i7-12700KF has 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It has 25 MB of L3 cache and a 125 W TDP.

Q: What is the RTX 4060's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s and a memory clock of 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective).

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i7-12700KF scores 35365 on average, with the i7-13700T at 35403 (0.1% higher), the i5-13600T at 35305 (0.2% lower), and the i7-12700K at 35287 (0.2% lower). All are effectively identical.