Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT delivers a robust performance profile for Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-released FPS title. The benchmark data, which is measured rather than estimated, shows this combination is capable of running the game at 60 FPS or higher across all tested resolutions and settings, with the sole exception of Ultra settings at 4K. The CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 5 architecture, and the GPU, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, form a balanced pairing that scales well from 1080p to 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. At 3840x2160, High settings produce an average of 61.3 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings deliver 72.5 FPS, and Low settings reach 103.5 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K fall below the playable threshold at 47.5 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that remains playable, achieving an average of 75 FPS. This means the system has enough headroom to run the game at its highest visual quality without dropping below 60 FPS at this resolution.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 39768, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS with a score of 39603, which is just 0.4% behind. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 scores 40081, putting it 0.8% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 is 0.7% behind with a score of 40048.

Q: What GPU performance tier does the RX 7700 XT occupy?

A: The Radeon RX 7700 XT sits in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22549. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile, scores 22435, making the RX 7700 XT 0.5% faster. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is 0.8% slower with a score of 22729, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 trails by 1.5% at 22895.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings yield an average of 218.5 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 100.4 FPS. This represents a substantial 118.1 FPS drop when moving to maximum quality, yet the game remains highly playable at both extremes since even the Ultra preset maintains over 100 FPS.

Q: Does the game run better at higher resolutions with this hardware?

A: The data shows a clear inverse relationship between resolution and frame rate. At 4K Ultra, the average is 47.5 FPS, which is unplayable. Dropping to 1440p Ultra raises the average to 75 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it reaches 100.4 FPS. This indicates the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's average benchmark score of 39768 places it in close competition with several AMD processors. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS is nearly identical in performance with a score of 39603, a mere 0.4% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048, which is 0.7% higher, while the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 scores 39485, just 0.7% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is the closest sibling, scoring 40081, only 0.8% above the 9800X3D. These rivals would deliver nearly interchangeable CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol, though the 9800X3D's larger L3 cache of 96 MB could influence specific gaming workloads.

On the GPU side, the Radeon RX 7700 XT's average score of 22549 is closely matched by several NVIDIA and AMD offerings. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 22435, representing a 0.5% margin. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile comes in at 22729, which is 0.8% behind the RX 7700 XT. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, showing a 1.5% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 completes the group with a score of 22170, lagging by 1.7%. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, with differences of only a few FPS at most settings.

The combination of the 9800X3D with any of these rival GPUs would likely shift the bottleneck dynamics. Since the CPU is already in the 87th percentile and the GPU in the 67th, swapping to a slightly weaker GPU like the RTX 5060 Mobile would maintain similar overall performance, while pairing the 9800X3D with a stronger GPU would likely improve 4K performance where the GPU is the limiting factor.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Lockdown Protocol reveals a clear pattern in how the CPU and GPU contribute to performance across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 218.5 FPS on Low settings and 100.4 FPS on Ultra, indicating that the GPU is fully utilized but the CPU is capable of feeding it frames efficiently. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 118.1 FPS, which suggests the GPU is the primary constraint when visual quality increases.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease across all settings: Low drops from 218.5 to 160.6 FPS, and Ultra drops from 100.4 to 75 FPS. This scaling is consistent with GPU-bound performance, where increasing pixel count directly reduces frame rate. The CPU's role becomes less prominent as resolution rises, since the GPU must process more pixels per frame.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. Ultra settings produce only 47.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, while Low settings still achieve 103.5 FPS. The difference between 1440p Ultra (75 FPS) and 4K Ultra (47.5 FPS) is a 27.5 FPS drop, which is a 36.7% reduction. This indicates that the RX 7700 XT's 12 GB memory buffer and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for lower resolutions but become strained at 4K with maximum quality settings.

The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with a boost clock of 5.20 GHz, ensure it is not the bottleneck in most scenarios. The data shows that even at 1080p with 218.5 FPS, the CPU can sustain high frame delivery. The GPU, with 3456 shading units and a boost clock of 2544 MHz, is the component that determines playability at 4K Ultra, where it falls short of the 60 FPS target.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates across all tested resolutions, with specific limitations at 4K Ultra. At 1920x1080, all four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 100.4 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same four presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 75 FPS. At 3840x2160, three presets are playable: High at 61.3 FPS, Medium at 72.5 FPS, and Low at 103.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS, averaging 47.5 FPS.

The verdict by resolution confirms that 1080p and 1440p offer full flexibility in settings selection. For 4K, users must choose between High settings at 61.3 FPS or lower presets for smoother performance. The 61.3 FPS at 4K High is a marginal pass, leaving little headroom for demanding in-game scenes that might cause frame dips. The 1440p Ultra result of 75 FPS provides a more comfortable margin, while 1080p Ultra at 100.4 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates are as follows: High settings produce 61.3 FPS, Low settings reach 103.5 FPS, Medium settings achieve 72.5 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 47.5 FPS. These measurements show a clear progression, with Ultra being 13.8 FPS below the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are notably higher: High settings deliver 99.3 FPS, Low settings reach 160.6 FPS, Medium settings produce 116 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 75 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 85.6 FPS, indicating significant scaling based on visual quality.

At 1920x1080, the system performs strongly across all presets: High settings average 135.3 FPS, Low settings hit 218.5 FPS, Medium settings produce 156.5 FPS, and Ultra settings reach 100.4 FPS. The difference between the highest and lowest preset is 118.1 FPS, demonstrating that Lockdown Protocol is highly scalable. No minimum or maximum frame rate data is provided in the measurements, so the analysis relies solely on average FPS values.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best settings preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is High, which achieves an average of 61.3 FPS. This is the most demanding playable option at this resolution. Medium settings provide a safer margin at 72.5 FPS, but the data indicates High is the optimal choice for visual quality while still meeting the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 75 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable 15 FPS margin. Users can confidently select Ultra without concerns about average performance dropping below playable levels.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are the clear winner, with an average of 100.4 FPS. This provides substantial headroom above the 60 FPS playable threshold, allowing for consistent performance even in demanding scenes. The 1080p Ultra preset is the most visually demanding option that remains highly playable, making it the recommended configuration for users prioritizing image quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 1471 out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the 60.4th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly 60% of configurations while being outperformed by the remaining 40%.

The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong 87th percentile standing and the GPU's more modest 67th percentile position. The 12 GB memory capacity of the RX 7700 XT, while sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, limits 4K Ultra performance, which likely contributes to the mid-pack ranking. The CPU's 96 MB L3 cache provides a gaming advantage that keeps frame rates high at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Given the measured FPS data, this ranking suggests that many other configurations achieve better 4K performance, likely through more powerful GPUs. However, the combo's strong 1080p and 1440p results, with 100.4 FPS and 75 FPS on Ultra respectively, demonstrate that it is well-suited for the majority of gaming scenarios where high refresh rate monitors at lower resolutions are common. The rank of 1471 out of 3714 indicates a solidly mid-pack performer that excels at standard gaming resolutions but falls short of top-tier 4K capabilities.