Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-03-11 release in the FPS genre, is tested here with the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. Measured data shows this combination clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution and preset tested. The CPU, an 8-core 16-thread Zen 5 part with a 96 MB L3 cache, and the GPU, a 12 GB Ada Lovelace card, deliver average frame rates ranging from 67 FPS at 4K Ultra to 305 FPS at 1080p Low. The data is measured, not estimated, and the combo ranks 428th out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the upper tier of systems.

FAQ

Q: What is the playable threshold for Lockdown Protocol in this dataset?

A: The playable threshold is set at 60 FPS. All measured settings at all three resolutions exceed this threshold, meaning the system is playable across the board.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that remains playable at 3840x2160?

A: Ultra is playable at 4K, with an average of 67 FPS. This is the highest preset tested, and it still clears the 60 FPS line.

Q: How does the CPU rank relative to all CPUs in the database?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D sits in the 92nd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 58386. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900, scores 58115, a delta of 0.5%.

Q: How does the GPU rank relative to all GPUs in the database?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti sits in the 84th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 44795. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 44075, a delta of 1.6%.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 428 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places it in the top 12% of all systems tested, well above the median.

Q: What are the launch MSRP values for the CPU and GPU?

A: The CPU has a launch MSRP of $499, and the GPU has a launch MSRP of $799 USD.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 305 FPS. This extreme value indicates that the CPU, with its 8 cores, 16 threads, and boost clock of 5.60 GHz, is fully capable of feeding the GPU at high rates. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and single-core score of 2228 support this, showing strong per-thread and multi-threaded performance. As the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then 3840x2160, the average FPS at Low settings drops to 224 and 144 respectively. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions, where the RTX 4070 Ti's 12 GB GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factor.

The settings scaling within each resolution further illustrates the GPU's dominance. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 305 at Low to 142 at Ultra, a drop of over half. At 1440p, the same progression goes from 224 to 104, and at 4K it goes from 144 to 67. The consistent pattern across all resolutions is that the GPU's load increases with both resolution and preset, while the CPU maintains enough headroom to avoid becoming the primary constraint. The CPU's 96 MB L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth help sustain high minimum frame rates, though min/max data is only available for Medium settings. For example, at 4K Medium, the min FPS is 87 and max is 118, while at 1080p Medium, the min is 184 and max is 249. These figures suggest the CPU is not causing frame drops, as the minimums remain well above the playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is organized by resolution and preset. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 90 FPS, Low averages 144 FPS, Medium averages 103 FPS with a minimum of 87 and maximum of 118, and Ultra averages 67 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is 23 FPS, indicating that Ultra's additional effects cost a noticeable portion of performance at 4K. At 2560x1440, High averages 139 FPS, Low averages 224 FPS, Medium averages 159 FPS with a minimum of 135 and maximum of 183, and Ultra averages 104 FPS. The transition from 4K to 1440p provides a substantial uplift: at Ultra, the average rises from 67 to 104 FPS, a 37 FPS gain. At 1920x1080, High averages 189 FPS, Low averages 305 FPS, Medium averages 217 FPS with a minimum of 184 and maximum of 249, and Ultra averages 142 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 305 FPS is the highest measured value in the entire dataset, demonstrating the CPU's ability to push extremely high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily loaded.

Looking at the Medium preset specifically, the min/max values provide insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the min of 184 and max of 249 show a spread of 65 FPS, which is tight given the high average of 217. At 1440p Medium, the min of 135 and max of 183 show a spread of 48 FPS, with an average of 159. At 4K Medium, the min of 87 and max of 118 show a spread of 31 FPS, with an average of 103. These spreads indicate that the system maintains consistent frame delivery, with no severe stutters or drops below the playable threshold.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: this PC can run Lockdown Protocol at every resolution and preset tested. At 3840x2160, all four presets (High, Low, Medium, Ultra) are playable, with Ultra delivering an average of 67 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets are playable, with Ultra delivering an average of 104 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra delivering an average of 142 FPS. The playable threshold of 60 FPS is cleared by the lowest measured value across the board — the 4K Ultra average of 67 FPS is still 7 FPS above the threshold. The data indicates that users can enable the highest quality settings at any resolution without sacrificing playability. The best settings per resolution are Ultra at all three, with the average FPS at 4K being 67, at 1440p being 104, and at 1080p being 142.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly. For the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, the average benchmark score is 58386. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M with an average score of 58323 (delta 0.1%), the Intel Xeon w5-2545 with 58504 (delta -0.2%), the Intel Core i9-14900 with 58115 (delta 0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with 58826 (delta -0.7%). These deltas are all within 0.7% of the CPU's score, meaning any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the same GPU. For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, the average benchmark score is 44795. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile with an average score of 45152 (delta -0.8%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT with 45384 (delta -1.3%), the NVIDIA RTX A6000 with 44075 (delta 1.6%), and the Intel Arc A730M with 45592 (delta -1.7%). These deltas are within 1.7% of the GPU's score, so any of these GPUs paired with the 9850X3D would produce similar average FPS in this game. The data suggests that a system using any of these CPU or GPU alternatives would land in the same performance band, with the CPU alternatives having a slightly tighter range than the GPU alternatives.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in Lockdown Protocol is 428 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti in the upper 11.5% of all systems tested, though the exact percentage is not stated in the data. The rank reflects the combined capabilities of the CPU and GPU: the CPU's 92nd percentile standing and the GPU's 84th percentile standing contribute to a system that is well above average. The measured FPS data confirms this ranking, as the system achieves playable frame rates at all settings, including the most demanding 4K Ultra preset. The rank of 428 out of 3714 means there are 427 combinations that perform better, but the vast majority of tested systems (3286) fall below this combo. This is a strong result for a desktop combination that pairs a high-end Zen 5 processor with a mid-to-high-end Ada Lovelace GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra at every resolution. At 3840x2160, Ultra yields an average of 67 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra yields an average of 104 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra yields an average of 142 FPS. These figures represent the highest quality settings available in the test data, and they all exceed the playable threshold. For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, Ultra is the recommended choice at all three resolutions. The data shows no need to drop to High or Medium to maintain playability, as even the most demanding preset clears the 60 FPS line by a comfortable margin. The margin is smallest at 4K, where the 67 FPS average is 7 FPS above the threshold, but it is still a safe margin. At 1440p and 1080p, the margins are 44 FPS and 82 FPS respectively, providing ample headroom for any potential frame drops.