Lockdown Protocol

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 sits at rank 70 out of 3,714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 2% of all configurations. This is an exceptionally strong position, though not the absolute top tier, indicating that while the hardware is elite, there are a handful of combinations that deliver even higher frame rates in this specific title.

The ranking reflects the synergy between a high-end 2025 CPU and a flagship 2022 GPU. The RTX 4090's raw compute advantage is the primary driver, but the Ryzen 7 9700F's Zen 5 architecture ensures the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions where frame rates climb well past 300 FPS. Benchmark results show the CPU's average benchmark score of 69,996 places it at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU's average score of 60,347 puts it at the 88th percentile among all GPUs. This combination of top-decile CPU and top-decile GPU explains the high combo ranking.

The data shows the combo's rank is not purely a function of peak FPS, but also of consistency across settings. At 1080p Ultra, the combo delivers 171 FPS average; at 4K Ultra, it still holds 81 FPS average. This wide operating range across resolutions and presets is what separates it from lower-ranked combos that may spike high on one setting but collapse on another. Notably, the rank is measured against all tested combos in the database, which includes many configurations with newer GPUs, so maintaining a top-70 position demonstrates the RTX 4090's enduring competence in this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

Determining which component matters more in Lockdown Protocol requires examining how frame rates scale with resolution and preset changes. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 368 FPS average, which is the highest recorded frame rate across all tests. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 81 FPS average. This represents a 78% reduction in performance from the lightest to the heaviest workload, indicating that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and visual fidelity rise.

At 1080p, the CPU's role is more pronounced. The jump from Low (368 FPS) to Ultra (171 FPS) at 1080p shows a 53% performance drop, but even at Ultra, the frame rate remains far above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ryzen 7 9700F, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, provides enough single-thread throughput — evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4,691 — to keep the RTX 4090 fed at high frame rates. The data indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rates scale smoothly with GPU load.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU's influence strengthens. At 1440p Low, the combo hits 270 FPS average, while at 1440p Ultra it drops to 125 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 54%, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower, suggesting the GPU is now doing more work per frame. At 4K, the GPU is decisively the bottleneck. The transition from 4K Low (174 FPS) to 4K Ultra (81 FPS) represents a 53% drop, but the fact that even 4K Low cannot reach the 1080p Low frame rate indicates the sheer pixel count is taxing the RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 16,384 shading units.

The preset scaling reveals that Lockdown Protocol is primarily GPU-bound across all resolutions. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 36,470 is more than sufficient for the game's FPS genre demands, and the GPU's fp32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS is the decisive factor in frame rate output. At 1080p, the CPU can still influence minimum frame rates, as shown by the Medium preset's min FPS of 222 at 1080p versus 163 at 1440p and 105 at 4K, but the overall trend is clear: higher resolutions amplify GPU importance.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra settings is 81 FPS average, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution, with Ultra achieving an average of 81 FPS.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 368 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the peak performance point in the measured data, showing the combo's ability to push very high frame rates when GPU load is minimized.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69,996, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875), 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163), 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515), and 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700K (69,355). These are marginal differences, indicating the 9700F is performance-equivalent to these alternatives.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 still competitive despite being end-of-life?

A: The RTX 4090's production status is marked as end-of-life, but its benchmark scores remain strong. It achieves a passmark G3D score of 38,194 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223, placing it at the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has a virtually identical average score (60,326 vs 60,347), showing the 4090 remains a top-tier performer.

Q: Does the combo maintain 60 FPS at all resolutions and settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows every resolution and preset combination exceeds 60 FPS. The lowest recorded average is 81 FPS at 4K Ultra, while the highest is 368 FPS at 1080p Low. All verdictByResolution data confirms every setting preset at every resolution is playable.

Q: Which component is more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. The RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS of fp32 performance and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth drive the frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's role is secondary, though its 4,691 single-thread score ensures no bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are all within a 1% performance band. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69,875 (0.2% lower than the 9700F), making it a near-identical match for gaming workloads. The Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70,163 (0.2% higher), which is statistically indistinguishable in real-world terms. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69,515 (0.7% lower) and the Intel Core i7-14700K at 69,355 (0.9% lower) round out the group. For Lockdown Protocol, any of these CPUs would deliver essentially the same frame rates when paired with the RTX 4090, as the game is GPU-bound.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are less obvious. The Intel Arc Pro A60 has an average score of 60,326 (0% delta), which is remarkable given the price difference, but the benchmark is synthetic. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 at 60,140 (0.3% lower) and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M at 61,896 (2.5% higher) are also close in average score. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 at 58,657 (2.9% lower) is the furthest of the group. However, these comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, not game-specific performance. In Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 4090's measured FPS data shows it consistently exceeds 60 FPS even at 4K Ultra, so users considering these alternatives should note that while synthetic scores are similar, real-world game performance may differ.

The practical takeaway is that the combo's performance is not unique to this exact CPU-GPU pairing. A system with a Ryzen 9 7940HX or Core i7-14700KF would produce nearly identical results, as would a system with an Intel Arc Pro A60 or Radeon Pro W6600M if the game's engine is well-optimized for those architectures. However, the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are advantages that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo delivers a range of performance across presets. Low settings produce an average of 174 FPS, Medium settings average 124 FPS with a minimum of 105 and maximum of 142, High settings average 108 FPS, and Ultra settings average 81 FPS. The 4K Ultra figure is the lowest average across all tests, but it still clears the 60 FPS threshold by 35%. The Medium preset's min FPS of 105 indicates strong frame pacing, with no drops below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), performance improves significantly. Low settings hit 270 FPS average, Medium settings average 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 and maximum of 220, High settings average 167 FPS, and Ultra settings average 125 FPS. The 1440p Medium min FPS of 163 is particularly robust, showing that even during intense scenes, the combo maintains well over double the playable threshold. The jump from 4K Ultra (81 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (125 FPS) represents a 54% performance increase, illustrating how resolution scaling benefits this hardware.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo shows its peak capabilities. Low settings achieve 368 FPS average, Medium settings average 261 FPS with a minimum of 222 and maximum of 301, High settings average 228 FPS, and Ultra settings average 171 FPS. The 1080p Medium max FPS of 301 is the highest recorded maximum in the data, showing the combo can burst past 300 FPS in favorable conditions. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 171 FPS average is nearly triple the playable threshold, making this resolution the most comfortable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the most complete data, with min and max values recorded. The pattern shows that min FPS scales with resolution: 222 at 1080p, 163 at 1440p, and 105 at 4K. This indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute capacity are the limiting factors at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains adequate frame delivery.

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol, and it does so with authority at every resolution and preset. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p, with the 60 FPS threshold cleared by a substantial margin in every case.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Ultra, which delivers an average of 81 FPS. This is 35% above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience on 4K displays. Users who prefer higher frame rates can drop to High (108 FPS average) or Medium (124 FPS average) for a more responsive feel. At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, with an average of 125 FPS — more than double the playable threshold. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, as even Ultra settings leave ample headroom for competitive play. At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra with an average of 171 FPS, which is ideal for 165 Hz or 240 Hz monitors.

The data shows that the combo never falls below 81 FPS average in any tested configuration, meaning there is no scenario where this hardware struggles with Lockdown Protocol. The weakest point is 4K Ultra, but even there, the frame rate is well above playable. This is a top-tier configuration for this game, and the rank of 70 out of 3,714 combos reflects its elite status. For gamers seeking maximum visual fidelity at 4K or maximum competitive frame rates at 1080p, this combo delivers on both fronts without compromise.