Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a performance profile that is strongly resolution-dependent in Lockdown Protocol, with measured data showing a clear progression from unplayable at 4K Ultra to comfortably smooth at 1080p Ultra. The benchmark results, collected via direct measurement, reveal that this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K requires significant settings compromises to maintain playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination shows its strongest performance. With Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 151.3 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. Medium settings produce an average of 109.3 FPS, while High settings deliver 96.4 FPS. The most demanding preset at this resolution, Ultra, still maintains an average of 69.1 FPS. This represents a scaling pattern where dropping from Ultra to Low nearly doubles the frame rate, with a 82.2 FPS difference between the two extremes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably but remains respectable. Low settings yield an average of 110.9 FPS, which is still well above the playable threshold. Medium settings produce 80.3 FPS, and High settings deliver 71.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls to 51.0 FPS, which sits below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The step from 1080p to 1440p represents a significant load increase, with the Low preset losing 40.4 FPS and the Ultra preset losing 18.1 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes dramatically. Low settings produce an average of 74.2 FPS, which is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 52.1 FPS, High settings reach 42.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 33.5 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a reduction of 40.7 FPS, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. No min or max FPS values were recorded for any configuration, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B580 is the primary performance driver across all resolutions, but the CPU becomes relatively more important at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 82.2 FPS spread, which suggests that the GPU is being pushed harder as settings increase. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, appears sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution, as evidenced by the high 151.3 FPS result at Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the GPU load increases, and the performance gap between settings narrows. The spread from Low to Ultra is 59.9 FPS, compared to 82.2 FPS at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck more consistently, as the resolution increase adds pixel-pushing work that the Arc B580 must handle. The CPU's role diminishes relative to the GPU, though the 8-core Zen 5 architecture still provides enough throughput to avoid becoming a limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the dominant component. The frame rate spread from Low to Ultra is 40.7 FPS, and even the Low preset only reaches 74.2 FPS. This pattern shows that the Arc B580's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated by the 4K resolution. The CPU's influence is minimal at this resolution, as the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates regardless of settings. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700X would not meaningfully improve 4K performance if paired with a stronger GPU, but at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU headroom is evident.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, which maintains an average of 69.1 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays above the 60 FPS threshold, and it delivers a smooth experience without sacrificing visual quality. The High preset at 96.4 FPS and Medium at 109.3 FPS are also viable, but Ultra represents the optimal balance of quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, with an average of 71.3 FPS. The Medium preset at 80.3 FPS is also playable, but High offers better visual fidelity while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 51.0 FPS falls short of playability, so users should avoid it at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, which achieves an average of 74.2 FPS. This is a significant compromise, as Medium at 52.1 FPS and High at 42.6 FPS fall below the playable threshold. The data shows that 4K gaming is only viable with the lowest settings, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is modest.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear: this combination can run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p and 1440p without issue, but 4K requires substantial settings reductions. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra delivering 69.1 FPS and Low reaching 151.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, three of four presets are playable, with High at 71.3 FPS being the best option and Ultra at 51.0 FPS being the only failure. At 3840x2160, only Low is playable at 74.2 FPS, while Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS.

The data indicates that the 60 FPS playable threshold is comfortably met at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings. Users targeting 4K will need to accept Low settings, which still delivers a playable experience but sacrifices visual quality. The combination is well-balanced for mainstream gaming, with the CPU providing ample headroom and the GPU being the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943, which places it just ahead of the Intel Core i9-14901E at 37911 (0.1% difference) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at 37904 (0.1% difference). The Intel Core 5 211E at 37829 is 0.3% behind, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 at 37804 is 0.4% behind. These processors would perform nearly identically in Lockdown Protocol, as the CPU is not the bottleneck at most resolutions.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is very close to the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP at 23061 (-0.2% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 at 23172 (-0.7% difference). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 at 22895 is 0.6% behind, and the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23249 is 1% ahead. These GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, though architectural differences could cause minor variations in specific scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2841 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower portion of the ranking, which is consistent with the 4K performance struggles. The CPU itself sits in the 86th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 68th percentile among all GPUs. The ranking suggests that while each component is individually capable, the combination is not optimized for the highest-end gaming workloads, particularly at 4K resolution.

The rank of 2841 out of 3714 indicates that there are 873 combos that perform better in this game. This is likely due to the GPU being the limiting factor, as many higher-ranked combos would feature more powerful graphics cards. The CPU's strong performance does not compensate for the GPU's mid-range positioning, resulting in a combo that is solid for 1080p and 1440p but not competitive at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on 1080p Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 69.1 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that works at 1440p?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 71.3 FPS, making it the most demanding playable preset at that resolution. Ultra falls short at 51.0 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this combination?

A: Only with Low settings, which achieve 74.2 FPS at 3840x2160. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 52.1, 42.6, and 33.5 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to the RTX 3080 in this game?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, while the RTX 3080 scores 23172, a difference of -0.7%. Their performance in Lockdown Protocol would be very similar.

Q: Which component is more important at 1080p resolution?

A: The data shows a wide FPS spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p, indicating the GPU is the primary factor. The CPU provides sufficient headroom, but the Arc B580 dictates the frame rate.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + Intel Arc B580 ranks 2841 out of 3714 total combos tested in Lockdown Protocol.