Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a versatile 60+ FPS experience across all tested resolutions in Lockdown Protocol, though the ceiling of that experience varies sharply with resolution. At 4K the system is limited to High settings, while at 1440p and 1080p it can push Ultra presets with substantial headroom. The data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint only at 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is High, which produces an average of 63 FPS. This is a narrow margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the data indicates that stepping up to Ultra drops the average to 47 FPS, a 25% reduction that places it firmly below playability. The Medium preset at this resolution averages 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, making it a viable alternative if smoother frame pacing is preferred over the slight visual gain from High. Low settings at 4K average 101 FPS, but the benchmark data suggests High is the optimal balance for visual fidelity while staying just above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the system can run Ultra settings at an average of 73 FPS, which is the best possible preset that clears 60 FPS. This represents a 55% performance uplift over the 4K Ultra result, and the margin above the playable threshold is comfortable. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 111 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS, showing that even mid-tier settings provide well over double the playable threshold. High settings at this resolution average 97 FPS, while Low averages 157 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU has significant headroom at 1440p.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, averaging 99 FPS. This is the only resolution where the system can run the maximum preset at nearly 100 FPS, with a 65% margin above the playable threshold. The Medium preset averages 152 FPS with a minimum of 129 FPS and a maximum of 175 FPS, while High averages 133 FPS and Low averages 214 FPS. The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is never close to being constrained by the playable threshold, even at the highest settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal a shifting balance between CPU and GPU influence across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The average FPS drops from 101 FPS at Low to 63 FPS at High and 47 FPS at Ultra, a 53% reduction from Low to Ultra. This steep decline with increasing settings is characteristic of GPU-bound rendering, where pixel throughput and shading load scale directly with resolution. The Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, provides sufficient CPU headroom at this resolution, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding preset still achieves playable frame rates at High.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly toward the CPU, but the GPU remains the primary driver. The scaling from Low (157 FPS) to Ultra (73 FPS) shows a 53% performance drop, similar to 4K. However, the absolute frame rates are higher across all settings, indicating that the GPU has more headroom at this resolution. The CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing the 1440p Low result (157 FPS) to the 1080p Low result (214 FPS) — a 27% difference that cannot be attributed to GPU load alone, suggesting the CPU begins to contribute more meaningfully as resolution decreases.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes more significant, though the GPU still carries the primary load. The scaling from Low (214 FPS) to Ultra (99 FPS) shows a 54% drop, similar to other resolutions, but the absolute numbers are high enough that the CPU's 16 threads are likely being exercised more heavily. The Ryzen 7 9700X’s single-thread performance, as indicated by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1280 and Geekbench single-core score of 3023, suggests it can keep up with the GPU’s output at this resolution. The data shows that at 1080p, the system is balanced enough that neither component is a clear bottleneck, whereas at 4K, the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 101 FPS.
• Medium: Average 72 FPS, minimum 61 FPS, maximum 83 FPS.
• High: Average 63 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 47 FPS.

The Medium preset at 4K is the only one with a recorded minimum below the average, at 61 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold. The High preset’s average of 63 FPS has no recorded minimum, but the narrow gap between High and Medium averages suggests that frame pacing is consistent.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 157 FPS.
• Medium: Average 111 FPS, minimum 95 FPS, maximum 128 FPS.
• High: Average 97 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 73 FPS.

The Medium preset’s minimum of 95 FPS is well above the playable threshold, and the maximum of 128 FPS shows good burst performance. The Ultra preset’s average of 73 FPS is 22% above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a comfortable margin.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 214 FPS.
• Medium: Average 152 FPS, minimum 129 FPS, maximum 175 FPS.
• High: Average 133 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 99 FPS.

The Medium preset’s minimum of 129 FPS is more than double the playable threshold, and the maximum of 175 FPS shows the system can handle high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset’s average of 99 FPS is the highest recorded for any preset at any resolution in this test set, demonstrating the system’s capability at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1588 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested configurations, at approximately the 57th percentile of the dataset. The ranking reflects the RTX 3070’s age — it was released in 2020 and is now end-of-life — but the Ryzen 7 9700X’s modern architecture helps compensate. The CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 86, indicating it is in the top 14% of processors, while the GPU’s percentile vs all GPUs is 61, placing it in the top 39% of graphics cards.

The rank of 1588 suggests that while this combo is capable of running the game at playable frame rates in most scenarios, there are many other tested combinations that achieve higher performance. The gap between the CPU’s high percentile and the GPU’s moderate percentile indicates that the RTX 3070 is the limiting factor in this pairing. Upgrading the GPU would likely improve the rank more than upgrading the CPU, based on the data showing the CPU has substantial headroom at all resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has nearest rivals that perform nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks. The Intel Core i9-14901E has an average score of 37911, which is 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 7 9700X’s 37943. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores 37904, also 0.1% lower. The Intel Core 5 211E scores 37829, a 0.3% difference, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 scores 37804, a 0.4% difference. In practice, any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the RTX 3070, as the CPU is not the bottleneck at 4K and only marginally more relevant at 1080p.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has nearest rivals that bracket its performance. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3070’s 17208. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, a 1% difference, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, a 1.1% difference. On the higher side, the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% higher. These small deltas mean that swapping the RTX 3070 for a RX 7600 XT would result in nearly identical performance in Lockdown Protocol, while the Tesla K40c would offer a marginal improvement.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates across all tested resolutions, but the settings ceiling varies. At 3840x2160, the system is playable at High settings with an average of 63 FPS, and also at Low (101 FPS) and Medium (72 FPS), but not at Ultra (47 FPS). At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 73 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 99 FPS. The verdict is clear: for 4K gaming, stick to High or Medium; for 1440p and 1080p, Ultra is viable. The data shows that the RTX 3070’s 8 GB memory capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this game at 4K up to High settings, but not beyond.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The best settings preset at 3840x2160 that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is High, which averages 63 FPS. Ultra is not playable, averaging 47 FPS.

Q: Can this system run the game at 1440p Ultra settings?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943. Its nearest rivals — the Intel Core i9-14901E (37911), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37904), Intel Core 5 211E (37829), and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (37804) — all score within 0.4% of it.

Q: What is the frame rate range for Medium settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 152, with a minimum of 129 FPS and a maximum of 175 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at 3840x2160. The average FPS drops from 101 FPS at Low to 63 FPS at High and 47 FPS at Ultra, showing that the RTX 3070 is heavily loaded at this resolution.

Q: How many tested combinations does this system rank above?

A: This combo ranks 1588 out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, meaning it outperforms approximately 2126 other tested combos.