Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a dominant performance in Lockdown Protocol, clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold at every preset and resolution tested. Benchmark data confirms this pairing is overkill for the title, with the most demanding Ultra preset still achieving an average of 73 FPS at 4K. The system ranks 241st out of 3,714 hardware combinations tested for this game, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations, which underscores its high-end capability. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, optimal settings, and the specific roles the CPU and GPU play in delivering these results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a performance curve that scales predictably with resolution and graphics settings. At 3840x2160 (4K), the system demonstrates its strength by maintaining high frame rates even under heavy load. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 157, which is a substantial jump from the 97 FPS average seen at High settings. The Medium preset provides a balanced middle ground with an average of 111 FPS, and this is the only setting at this resolution where min and max frame data was recorded, showing a range of 95 to 128 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K produce an average of 73 FPS, which is the lowest recorded figure across all resolutions but still comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving down to 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance improves significantly across all presets. Low settings yield an average of 243 FPS, while High settings produce 151 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution averages 172 FPS, with a recorded range of 147 to 198 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p achieve an average of 113 FPS, which represents a 55% improvement over the same preset at 4K. This indicates that the resolution scaling heavily favors the GPU’s capabilities, as the RTX 4080 SUPER has ample bandwidth and compute power to handle lower pixel counts with ease.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system truly unlocks its potential, with frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Low settings produce an astonishing average of 331 FPS, while Medium settings average 235 FPS with a range of 200 to 270 FPS. High settings reach 205 FPS, and even Ultra settings maintain a robust 154 FPS average. The jump from 1440p to 1080p is substantial, with the Ultra preset improving by 36% from 113 to 154 FPS. This data suggests that the CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions where the graphics card is not the primary bottleneck.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdict by resolution data clearly identifies the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS for each resolution. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 73 FPS. This is a critical finding because it means users do not have to compromise on visual fidelity to enjoy a smooth experience at 4K. The Ultra preset at this resolution is the highest quality option available, and it still delivers a 13 FPS margin above the playable threshold.

For 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 113 FPS. This is a comfortable margin that allows for high-refresh-rate gaming on 1440p monitors, which are typically rated at 144Hz or 165Hz. The data shows that this resolution is the sweet spot for the RTX 4080 SUPER, as it balances visual quality with performance headroom.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra as well, achieving an average of 154 FPS. This is a remarkable result for the most demanding preset, as it indicates the system can easily drive 1080p displays with maximum settings while maintaining frame rates that are more than double the playable threshold. Across all three resolutions, the recommendation is consistent: enable Ultra settings for the best experience, as the hardware has the headroom to handle the highest quality options without dropping below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and RTX 4080 SUPER run Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows an average of 73 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it still delivers a smooth experience.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum frame rates recorded for this system?

A: The only min and max data recorded is for the Medium preset. At 3840x2160, the range is 95 to 128 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 147 to 198 FPS; and at 1920x1080, it is 200 to 270 FPS. No min or max data is available for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p compared to 4K?

A: The performance scales significantly with resolution. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 154 FPS, while at 4K, the same preset averages 73 FPS. This represents a 111% improvement when moving from 4K to 1080p, indicating the GPU is the primary scaling factor.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER the bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU is well-utilized at all resolutions, but the CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p, frame rates exceed 300 FPS on Low settings, which requires strong single-thread performance from the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, indicating the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output.

Q: What is the playable threshold for this game, and is it exceeded at all settings?

A: The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the measured data confirms that every preset at every resolution exceeds this threshold. The lowest recorded average is 73 FPS at 4K Ultra, which still provides a 13 FPS margin.

Q: How does this system rank compared to other hardware combinations for this game?

A: The combination ranks 241st out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations. This high percentile indicates that the hardware is among the best-performing setups for Lockdown Protocol.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context on what other hardware would deliver similar performance in this game. For the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, the closest competitors are the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M with a delta of 0.1%, the Intel Core i9-14900 with a delta of 0.5%, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with a delta of -0.7%. These processors have average benchmark scores within a fraction of a percent of the Ryzen 7, meaning they would likely produce similar frame rates in game. The Intel Xeon w5-2545 is also a close match with a delta of -0.2%. For gaming, the Intel Core i9-14900 is a more realistic alternative, as the Xeon processors are server-grade and may lack the single-thread performance needed for optimal FPS in this title.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER’s nearest rival is the standard RTX 4080, with a delta of -0.1%, indicating nearly identical performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X has a delta of -1.1%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S have deltas of -2.7% and -2.8%, respectively. These deltas suggest that the RTX 4080 SUPER is slightly ahead of its closest competitor, but the differences are minimal. In practice, a system with an RTX 4080 would behave almost identically in Lockdown Protocol, while the AMD alternatives would be slightly slower but still likely capable of exceeding the 60 FPS threshold at most settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU in this game. At 4K, the GPU is the dominant factor, as the frame rate drops from 157 FPS on Low to 73 FPS on Ultra, a 54% reduction. This heavy scaling with settings indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER’s compute and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at this resolution. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 256-bit bus and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 4K textures, but the shading units and ray tracing cores are taxed by the higher settings.

At 1440p, the GPU still plays a major role, but the CPU begins to show its influence. The drop from Low to Ultra is from 243 to 113 FPS, a 53% reduction, which is similar to 4K. However, the absolute frame rates are higher, suggesting the GPU has more headroom. At 1080p, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent. The Low preset achieves 331 FPS, while Ultra drops to 154 FPS. The fact that the system can reach over 300 FPS at Low settings indicates the Ryzen 7 9850X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, are capable of delivering high instruction throughput. The CPU’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache likely helps with game logic and physics calculations, preventing bottlenecks at high frame rates.

The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution, as even at 1080p Low, the system maintains a smooth experience. The GPU is the primary scaling factor across resolutions, as evidenced by the consistent performance drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K. For example, the Ultra preset drops from 154 to 113 to 73 FPS as resolution increases, which aligns with the GPU’s rendering workload scaling.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol, and it does so with exceptional headroom. The verdict by resolution is unequivocal: at 3840x2160, all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with Ultra achieving 73 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true, with Ultra reaching 113 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 154 FPS, and Low settings reach an extraordinary 331 FPS. The system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every single data point measured, with the lowest margin being 13 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a top-tier pairing for this game. The CPU’s strong single-thread and multi-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores of 2228 single-core and 22807 multi-core, ensures it keeps pace with the GPU at all settings. The GPU’s 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 80 ray tracing cores provide ample compute for the game’s demanding effects. Users can confidently enable Ultra settings at any resolution without worrying about frame rate drops below the playable threshold. For those seeking the highest possible frame rates for competitive play, the 1080p Low preset at 331 FPS offers an unmatched experience, though even the most visually demanding configuration remains well above the 60 FPS standard.