Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B570 pairing delivers playable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol across all three tested resolutions, but the margin narrows sharply as resolution climbs. Benchmark data shows the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p Ultra, 1440p High, and 4K Low, with the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's 10 GB frame buffer defining the limits. The CPU, an 8-core/16-thread Zen 5 part with a 96 MB shared L3 cache, posts a 87th percentile standing among all CPUs, while the GPU, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, sits at the 65th percentile. This asymmetry explains why the combo ranks 2987th out of 3714 tested configurations: the processor has ample headroom, but the graphics card becomes the binding constraint at higher presets and resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: Ultra settings average 63 FPS at 1080p, making it the highest preset that clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. Lower presets are faster: Low averages 136 FPS, Medium 96 FPS, and High 84 FPS.

Q: Does this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which average 64 FPS. Medium drops to 46 FPS, High to 40 FPS, and Ultra to 30 FPS, all below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How close are the nearest CPU rivals in benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D averages 39768 in the benchmark suite. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 scores 40081 (within 0.8%), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048 (0.7% apart), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS scores 39603 (0.4% apart), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 scores 39485 (0.7% apart).

Q: What is the GPU's average benchmark score and percentile?

A: The Intel Arc B570 averages 20556 across all GPU benchmarks, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534, a 0.1% difference.

Q: What are the launch MSRPs for the CPU and GPU?

A: The CPU has a launch MSRP of $479, and the GPU has a launch MSRP of 219 USD.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: It ranks 2987th out of 3714 combos, placing it in the lower 20% of all configurations tested for Lockdown Protocol.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear division of labor between the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the Arc B570. At 1920x1080, the CPU's strength dominates: Low settings hit 136 FPS, and even Ultra maintains 63 FPS. The processor's 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with a 96 MB L3 cache, provide enough throughput to feed the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions. In contrast, the GPU's 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factor as resolution increases. Scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low drops frame rates from 136 to 64 FPS, a 53% reduction, while scaling from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra drops from 63 to 30 FPS, a 52% reduction. This consistent ~50% penalty across presets indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role is even more pronounced. High settings average only 40 FPS, Medium 46 FPS, and Ultra 30 FPS, all well below the 60 FPS threshold. The CPU, with a 87th percentile standing and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230, is unlikely to be the constraint at 4K; rather, the Arc B570's 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs simply cannot sustain the pixel load at high quality settings. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU's headroom is evident—the gap between Low (136 FPS) and Ultra (63 FPS) is 73 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is still the limiting factor even at the lowest resolution, but the CPU's strong single-thread score (Geekbench single-core 2964) ensures no CPU-induced stutter. The data indicates that for this game, the GPU is the dominant component at every resolution, with the CPU's influence most visible in the high frame rates achievable at 1080p Low.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 63 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that meets the playability threshold, and it does so with a comfortable margin. Medium averages 96 FPS, High 84 FPS, and Low 136 FPS, all well above 60 FPS, but Ultra is the only preset that combines maximum visual fidelity with playable performance.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, averaging 62 FPS. Medium runs at 71 FPS and Low at 100 FPS, but High is the most demanding setting that stays above the 60 FPS line. Ultra falls to 46 FPS, which is not playable. The 1440p High result is notably close to the 60 FPS threshold, with a minimum of 60 FPS recorded on Medium, indicating that the GPU is nearing its limit at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, averaging 64 FPS. Medium averages 46 FPS (with a minimum of 39 FPS and maximum of 52 FPS), High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS—all below the 60 FPS target. The 4K Low result is the only option that clears the threshold, and it does so by a slim 4 FPS margin. Users seeking 4K will need to accept significant visual compromises to maintain smooth frame rates.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol? Yes, but with caveats at higher resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable across all presets: Low (136 FPS), Medium (96 FPS), High (84 FPS), and Ultra (63 FPS) all exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 2560x1440, the system clears 60 FPS on Low (100 FPS), Medium (71 FPS), and High (62 FPS), but Ultra falls short at 46 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve playable performance at 64 FPS; Medium (46 FPS), High (40 FPS), and Ultra (30 FPS) all miss the mark. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p offers full flexibility, 1440p offers high-quality playability with a single preset excluded, and 4K is playable only on the lowest settings. The 60 FPS threshold is met at every resolution, but the settings ceiling drops significantly as resolution rises.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest CPU rivals, based on average benchmark scores, are all within a single percentage point of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (average 40081, 0.8% difference) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048, 0.7% difference) would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39603, 0.4% difference) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39485, 0.7% difference) are equally close. Swapping to any of these processors would yield frame rates within a few percent of the 9800X3D, assuming the same GPU.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc A750 (average 20582, 0.1% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, 0.1% difference) are the closest matches. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, 0.4% difference) and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662, 0.5% difference) also fall within half a percent. These alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates at each resolution and preset, meaning a system with any of these GPUs paired with the 9800X3D would behave almost exactly the same in Lockdown Protocol. The data suggests that the combo's performance is tightly clustered with these rivals, so users seeking a drop-in replacement would see no meaningful change in playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2987th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 20% of all configurations, which is a notable result given the CPU's high standing. The CPU itself ranks in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with a Geekbench multicore score of 18696 and a Passmark multithread score of 40009. The GPU, however, ranks in the 65th percentile, with a Passmark G3D score of 14195. The mismatch between the CPU's strong performance and the GPU's mid-range capability drags the overall combo rank down. In practical terms, the system achieves playable frame rates at all resolutions, but the GPU's limitations prevent it from competing with higher-end combinations. The rank indicates that while this setup is functional, a majority of tested configurations—likely those with more powerful GPUs—deliver better overall performance in this FPS title. The data confirms that the Arc B570 is the bottleneck; upgrading the GPU while keeping the 9800X3D would substantially improve the combo's standing, but as configured, it sits in the lower quintile of tested hardware.