Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a strong showing in Lockdown Protocol, ranking in the top 23% of all tested combos. With the CPU sitting at the 87th percentile and the GPU at the 81st percentile among their respective categories, this pairing is well-balanced for a fast-paced FPS, though the data reveals that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 845th out of 3,714 tested combinations, placing it in the top 22.8% of all systems evaluated for Lockdown Protocol. That percentile placement is respectable but not elite, reflecting a hardware pairing that excels at high-refresh 1080p and 1440p gaming but begins to strain at 4K Ultra settings.

The CPU's benchmark profile shows it is a powerhouse. Its average benchmark score of 39,768 places it at the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with strong multi-threaded results like a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23,230 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 18,696. Single-thread performance is equally impressive, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2,964 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4,430. The GPU, meanwhile, posts an average benchmark score of 37,648 at the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 26,927 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 174,152.

The ranking suggests this system is well-matched for the game's demands, but it is not a top-tier combo. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,854 for the GPU indicates solid DirectX 12 performance, while the CPU's 3DMark max-threads score of 10,067 suggests it can feed the GPU adequately. In practice, the combo lands in a sweet spot for competitive play, where frame rates above 90 FPS at 1440p Ultra are achievable, but it falls short of the very highest echelons reserved for more powerful GPUs.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 122.6 FPS. This is the clear choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The gap between Ultra and High is notable — 122.6 FPS versus 160.3 FPS — but both are far above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 90.7 FPS. This is the ideal balance for this resolution, as it provides a high level of detail while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS floor. Dropping to High yields 118.2 FPS, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often worth the 27.5 FPS trade-off for a more immersive experience.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is High, averaging 77.2 FPS. Ultra falls to 55.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold, so it is not recommended. Medium runs at 85.5 FPS, and Low at 122.5 FPS, but High provides the best combination of visual quality and performance. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is simply too heavy for this GPU, while High remains comfortably playable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals a clear pattern: the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, while the GPU's workload scales dramatically with resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 259.9 FPS, which is a CPU-bound scenario where the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1,212, Passmark single-thread of 4,430) shines. As resolution increases to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 194.2 FPS, and at 4K Low it is 122.5 FPS — a reduction of 52.9% from 1080p Low to 4K Low, indicating the GPU is taking on more work.

The settings scaling further confirms this. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 137.3 FPS (from 259.9 to 122.6), a 52.8% reduction. At 1440p, the same settings change costs 103.5 FPS (from 194.2 to 90.7), a 53.3% reduction. At 4K, the drop is 67.3 FPS (from 122.5 to 55.2), a 54.9% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions indicates that the GPU is the primary performance driver in all scenarios.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves nearly 260 FPS, a figure that is only possible with a CPU that can process game logic and draw calls quickly. The 8-core, 16-thread design with a 96 MB L3 cache is well-suited for this task. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU's raw compute limits the system to 55.2 FPS, regardless of CPU headroom. The data shows that for this game, the RTX 4070 is the limiting factor at high resolutions, while the 9800X3D provides ample headroom for competitive frame rates at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals based on average benchmark scores are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39,603 average score, 0.4% slower), the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (40,081 average score, 0.8% faster), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40,048 average score, 0.7% faster), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39,485 average score, 0.7% slower). These chips would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol, meaning frame rates at 1080p Low would be within a few percent of the 259.9 FPS recorded here. The Ryzen 7 7700, being a desktop part, is the most logical alternative for a similar build, while the mobile-oriented chips would be more relevant for laptop comparisons.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37,628 average score, 0.1% slower), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37,507 average score, 0.4% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38,135 average score, 1.3% faster), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37,157 average score, 1.3% slower). In practice, the Tesla P4 and RX Vega 56 would produce nearly identical frame rates to the RTX 4070 in this game, with the RTX 4080 Mobile offering a marginal improvement of about 1.3%. The RX Vega 56, despite being an older architecture, would be a surprisingly close match, while the PRO W6400 would be slightly slower.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Ultra: 122.6 FPS average
• High: 160.3 FPS average
• Medium: 183.4 FPS average
• Low: 259.9 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Ultra: 90.7 FPS average
• High: 118.2 FPS average
• Medium: 138.0 FPS average
• Low: 194.2 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Ultra: 55.2 FPS average
• High: 77.2 FPS average
• Medium: 85.5 FPS average
• Low: 122.5 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step down in settings yields a significant frame rate increase. At 1080p, the jump from Ultra to High is 37.7 FPS, from High to Medium is 23.1 FPS, and from Medium to Low is 76.5 FPS. The Low setting at 1080p is particularly notable, nearly doubling the Ultra frame rate. At 1440p, the jumps are 27.5, 19.8, and 56.2 FPS respectively, while at 4K they are 22.0, 8.3, and 37.0 FPS. The smaller absolute differences at 4K indicate that the GPU is nearing its limits, while the large Low-setting gains at lower resolutions highlight the CPU's ability to push very high frame rates when the GPU is not overloaded.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 90.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 4K resolution?

A: High settings at 3840x2160 average 77.2 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. Ultra averages 55.2 FPS, which falls below the threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 259.9 FPS at 1080p to 122.5 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 137.4 FPS. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 122.6 FPS to 55.2 FPS, a reduction of 67.4 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, as shown by consistent percentage drops when increasing resolution. The CPU matters most at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 259.9 FPS, indicating strong single-thread capability.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 845th out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the top 22.8% of all systems tested for Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 160.3 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.