Lockdown Protocol

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-12700KF compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The data shows the i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, scores 35403, which is a delta of -0.1% relative to the i7-12700KF. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a delta of 0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, also a delta of 0.2%. These differences are negligible, indicating near-identical synthetic performance among these four CPUs.

Q: What is the performance gap between the RTX 4080 SUPER and its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 scores 54247, a delta of -0.1%, meaning they are virtually tied. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, a delta of -1.1%, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, a delta of -2.7%. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, a delta of -2.8%, showing the 4080 SUPER trails these AMD cards by small margins in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU hold a higher percentile ranking among all components?

A: The CPU percentile vs all CPUs is 85, while the GPU percentile vs all GPUs is 86. This means the i7-12700KF sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs tested, and the RTX 4080 SUPER sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs tested. Both components are high-tier performers, with the GPU having a slight edge in percentile ranking.

Q: What are the memory specifications for this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel memory bus. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s and a memory clock of 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). This high-bandwidth memory is crucial for feeding the GPU's 10240 shading units at high resolutions.

Q: Is the i7-12700KF a current production CPU?

A: Yes, the i7-12700KF has an "Active" production status, and its release date is 2021-11-03. It is part of the Core 12th Gen series based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node with a die size of 215 mm². It supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only) and has an unlocked multiplier.

Q: What is the power requirement for the RTX 4080 SUPER in this system?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has a TDP of 320 W and requires a suggested PSU of 700 W. It uses a single 16-pin power connector and is a triple-slot card measuring 310 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width. These figures are part of the GPU's core specifications.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a combo rank of 270 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places this pairing in the top 7.3% of all combinations tested, which is a strong showing for a 12th-gen CPU paired with a 40-series GPU. The data is measured, not estimated, so these results reflect actual gameplay performance.

The combo rank of 270 is notable because it puts this system well ahead of the median combo, but it is not at the absolute top. The i7-12700KF's 85th percentile among CPUs and the RTX 4080 SUPER's 86th percentile among GPUs suggest that this pairing is balanced, with neither component dramatically bottlenecking the other. In a game like Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, this balance is often more important than raw component strength alone.

The rank of 270 out of 3714 also indicates that there are 269 other combos that perform better in this specific game. Those combos likely pair newer or higher-tier CPUs (e.g., 13th or 14th gen) with the same or better GPUs, or they may use the RTX 4080 SUPER with a faster processor. However, the delta between this combo and those above it is likely small, based on the close rival scores for both the CPU and GPU. For a builder targeting high-refresh 1440p or solid 4K, this combo sits in a sweet spot of measured performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver of frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, and its specifications explain the measured results. The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is ample for 4K textures and high-detail settings, which is why the card sustains playable frame rates at 3840x2160 across all settings presets. The boost clock of 2550 MHz (base 2295 MHz) allows the 10240 shading units to push pixel rates up to 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rates to 816.0 GTexel/s.

In practice, the GPU's role is most evident in the resolution scaling. At 1920x1080, the RTX 4080 SUPER delivers 313 FPS on Low settings, but that drops to 154 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the range is 243 FPS (Low) to 113 FPS (Ultra). At 3840x2160, the range is 157 FPS (Low) to 73 FPS (Ultra). This scaling shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, as the CPU's role diminishes when the pixel workload increases. The 16 GB VRAM ensures that even at 4K Ultra, there is no memory capacity bottleneck, as evidenced by the 73 FPS average being a compute-bound result rather than a memory-swap issue.

The GPU's benchmark scores support its strong game performance. With a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 and a Passmark G3D score of 34245, the RTX 4080 SUPER is clearly a high-end part. Its 86th percentile among all GPUs means it outperforms 86% of tested graphics cards, and its nearest rival, the RTX 4080, is only 0.1% faster in aggregate benchmarks. This means the 4080 SUPER is essentially the same silicon as the non-SUPER variant, with the difference being the clock speeds and memory configuration. The data shows that in Lockdown Protocol, the 4080 SUPER's VRAM and clock speeds are well-utilized, producing frame rates that are consistently smooth at 1440p and playable at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, the RTX 4080 SUPER is never below 154 FPS, even on Ultra settings. The average frame rates are 313 FPS (Low), 235 FPS (Medium), 205 FPS (High), and 154 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 200 FPS and a maximum of 270 FPS, indicating frame time consistency. This resolution is clearly CPU-bound in many scenarios, as the GPU has headroom to produce over 300 FPS on Low.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The averages are 243 FPS (Low), 172 FPS (Medium), 151 FPS (High), and 113 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset has a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 198 FPS. The jump from High (151 FPS) to Ultra (113 FPS) is a 25% drop, which is significant but still leaves the game playable on high-refresh 1440p monitors. The 1440p results suggest that this resolution is the sweet spot for the combo, as it balances GPU load with the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The averages are 157 FPS (Low), 111 FPS (Medium), 97 FPS (High), and 73 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K at each setting is roughly 35-40%, which is consistent with the pixel count increase (2.25x more pixels). The 4K Ultra result of 73 FPS is still playable, but it is below the 90+ FPS that many FPS players prefer. The Low preset at 4K (157 FPS) shows that the GPU can handle high frame rates even at 2160p when settings are reduced.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 205 FPS is the best balance, as it provides a high frame rate that exceeds most 144Hz monitors' refresh rates while maintaining visual quality. Ultra at 154 FPS is also viable for 144Hz displays, but the 51 FPS difference between High and Ultra is a large cost for marginal visual gains. The Low preset (313 FPS) is unnecessary unless targeting a 240Hz+ monitor with esports-level settings.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 151 FPS is the recommended choice for 144Hz displays. It offers a 38 FPS improvement over Ultra (113 FPS) while still delivering high detail. The Medium preset at 172 FPS is also excellent for 165Hz or 180Hz monitors, as it provides a smoother experience with a minimum of 147 FPS. For those with 240Hz 1440p displays, the Low preset at 243 FPS is the only way to fully utilize the refresh rate, but this sacrifices visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 111 FPS is the best experience for 4K gaming. It delivers over 100 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The High preset (97 FPS) is also playable but drops below the 100 FPS threshold. Ultra at 73 FPS is only recommended for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate and have a 60Hz or 75Hz 4K display. The Low preset at 4K (157 FPS) is a viable option for competitive play, but it negates the purpose of 4K resolution by reducing detail. In summary, the data suggests that High at 1080p, High at 1440p, and Medium at 4K provide the best frame rate-to-quality ratio for this combo.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF plays a supporting but critical role in Lockdown Protocol, particularly at lower resolutions and settings. The CPU has 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It is built on the Alder Lake architecture using a 10 nm process, with a 25 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core. The 3DMark scores show strong scaling: 2065 (2 threads), 4011 (4 threads), 7211 (8 threads), 9282 (16 threads), and 9983 (max threads). This indicates that the CPU scales well up to 8 threads, which is typical for FPS games like Lockdown Protocol.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the GPU is not fully utilized. The 313 FPS result at 1080p Low is likely near the CPU's maximum frame generation capability, as the 12 cores and 20 threads handle the game's physics and AI logic. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's role diminishes. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071 indicate that the i7-12700KF has strong per-core performance, which is essential for FPS games that rely on a few heavily-threaded processes.

The CPU's percentile of 85 vs all CPUs places it in the top 15% of processors, and its nearest rivals are within 0.2% in average benchmark score. This means the i7-12700KF is not a limiting factor in this combo; it provides more than enough processing power to feed the RTX 4080 SUPER in most scenarios. The 125 W TDP and Socket 1700 compatibility make it a practical choice for a gaming build, and the unlocked multiplier allows for overclocking, though the measured data does not include overclocked results. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's 12 cores are sufficient to maintain high frame rates without bottlenecking the GPU, as evidenced by the 4K results where the GPU is clearly the primary constraint.