Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 presents a distinct performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-released FPS title. The benchmark data shows a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but begins to strain under the demands of 4K. The measured results place this combination in the 2293rd position out of 3714 tested combos, indicating that while it performs solidly in absolute terms, a significant portion of the tested hardware pool delivers higher frame rates. The data reveals a clear scaling pattern where resolution is the primary determinant of playability, with the CPU emerging as less of a bottleneck than the GPU at higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo reveal a clear hierarchy across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates strong headroom. With the Low preset, the average FPS is 168. The Medium preset yields an average of 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 and a maximum of 137. The High preset averages 104 FPS, and the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains an average of 78 FPS. All four presets at this resolution perform well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales predictably downward. The Low preset achieves an average of 123 FPS. The Medium preset produces an average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 100. The High preset delivers an average of 76 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls to an average of 57 FPS. This marks the first instance where a preset dips below the 60 FPS playability threshold, specifically at 1440p with Ultra settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The Low preset is the only setting that clears the playable threshold, with an average of 79 FPS. The Medium preset drops to an average of 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. The High preset averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 37 FPS. The data shows a steep performance cliff between the Low and Medium presets at 4K, suggesting that the increase in rendering complexity at Medium settings is not sustainable for this GPU. The gap between 1080p and 4K at the High preset is substantial, moving from 104 FPS to 49 FPS, a reduction of more than half the frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame data places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at rank 2293 out of 3714 tested combinations. This puts the system in the lower portion of the overall distribution, specifically within the 38th percentile of all tested combos. This ranking is a global indicator across all resolutions and presets, suggesting that while the system is fully capable of running the game, many other hardware pairings deliver higher peak performance.

The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 94 indicates that the Ryzen 7 9700F is a high-performing processor relative to the entire CPU database. Its average benchmark score of 69996 is strong. Conversely, the GPU's percentileVsAllGpus is 66, with an average benchmark score of 21035. This discrepancy is telling: the processor is a top-tier part, but the graphics card is only moderately above the median. The system's rank in-game is therefore heavily influenced by the GPU, which aligns with the FPS data showing the GPU as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The combination's rank reflects a bottleneck profile where the CPU has significant untapped potential at lower resolutions, but the GPU's limits are reached as resolution increases.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear shift in component responsibility depending on the resolution. At 1920x1080, the performance gap between the Low and Ultra presets is significant—168 FPS versus 78 FPS—which indicates that the GPU is still doing substantial work, but the CPU is capable of feeding it enough data to maintain high frame rates even at lower settings. The Ryzen 7 9700F, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, appears to have ample headroom at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the scaling between presets remains similar in pattern but with lower absolute numbers. The difference between Low and Ultra is 66 FPS (123 versus 57). This suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor, but the CPU is still keeping up with the demands of the game's logic and draw calls.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes dominant. The performance drop from Low to Medium is 23 FPS (79 to 56), and the drop from Medium to Ultra is another 19 FPS (56 to 37). This severe scaling with preset quality at 4K is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is no longer the bottleneck; the RTX 5050's rendering throughput is the sole constraint. The fact that the 4K Low preset (79 FPS) is higher than the 1440p Ultra preset (57 FPS) is particularly instructive. It shows that reducing the render load at a higher resolution yields better performance than increasing the load at a lower resolution, confirming that the GPU's pixel-pushing capability is the deciding factor, not the CPU. The CPU's role is effectively saturated at 4K, meaning its performance headroom is irrelevant to the final frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 168, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings?

A: No. The average FPS at 1440p Ultra is 57, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at this resolution is High, with an average of 76 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 the main performance limiter at 4K?

A: The GPU is the main limiter at 3840x2160. The frame rates drop sharply with preset quality—from 79 FPS at Low to 37 FPS at Ultra—which indicates the graphics card's rendering capacity is the bottleneck, not the CPU.

Q: How does the GPU's overall benchmark score compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153, which is 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, which is 1.6% lower. Performance is therefore very closely matched with these parts.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1920x1080?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is 101 FPS, with a maximum of 137 FPS.

Q: At which resolution and preset combination does the system first drop below the 60 FPS threshold?

A: The first instance where the average FPS falls below 60 is at 2560x1440 resolution with the Ultra preset, which averages 57 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Low, which achieves an average of 79 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 56 FPS, so Low is the recommended setting for a 4K display.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher is High, with an average of 76 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS, so High is the optimal choice for 1440p.

At 1920x1080, all presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. The most demanding setting, Ultra, provides an average of 78 FPS, making it the recommended configuration for 1080p gaming.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience is heavily dependent on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, as every preset from Low to Ultra maintains an average FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is smooth and represents the best visual experience available. At 2560x1440, the system remains playable at High settings, with the average of 76 FPS providing a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, as it dips to 57 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system is only playable at Low settings, which yields 79 FPS. Any increase in preset quality at this resolution results in sub-60 FPS averages, making 4K gaming a limited experience. The verdict is clear: this is a 1080p and 1440p machine for Lockdown Protocol, with 4K support reserved for the lowest quality settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, are all within a narrow performance band. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, which is 0.2% higher than the 9700F. The Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70163, which is 0.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 69355, which is 0.9% higher. These four processors would deliver a nearly identical CPU performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, meaning the frame rates at lower resolutions would be indistinguishable.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar level of parity. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL scores 21153, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 5050. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M scores 21237, which is 1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, which is 1.6% lower, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile scores 21379, which is 1.6% higher. A system built with any of these GPUs paired with the 9700F would produce frame rates within a few percent of the RTX 5050's results across all resolutions, with the most significant differences appearing at 4K where the GPU's limits are most exposed.