Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and AMD Radeon RX 580 combination delivers its highest average framerate on Low settings at 40 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 29 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 24 FPS and maximum of 33 FPS. High settings drop the average to 25 FPS, while Ultra settings bottom out at 19 FPS. None of these 4K presets reach the 60 FPS playability threshold, and the gap between the best and worst preset is substantial: Low runs more than twice as fast as Ultra in average terms.

Moving to 2560x1440, the picture improves noticeably. Low settings achieve an average of 62 FPS, which is the only 1440p preset that clears the 60 FPS line. Medium settings average 44 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and maximum of 51 FPS. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution shows a 33 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as image quality demands increase.

At 1920x1080, the combo reaches its most playable state. Low settings average 85 FPS, which is the highest recorded average across all resolutions and settings in the database. Medium settings average exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS. High settings average 53 FPS, while Ultra averages 40 FPS. The 1080p data reveals a clear pattern: the step from Low to Medium costs 25 FPS on average, while the step from Medium to High costs 7 FPS, and High to Ultra costs another 13 FPS. The framerate curve flattens somewhat in the middle presets but drops sharply at Ultra.

Notably, min and max FPS values were only recorded for Medium settings at each resolution. At 4K Medium, the spread is 9 FPS between min and max; at 1440p Medium, the spread is 13 FPS; at 1080p Medium, the spread is 18 FPS. This suggests that framerate variance increases as resolution decreases, likely because the CPU has more headroom to push frames when the GPU is less burdened.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific CPU-GPU combination at 3384 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the lower portion of the ranking distribution, roughly in the 9th percentile of all tested configurations. The ranking reflects aggregate performance across all resolutions and presets, and the data indicates that while the CPU is exceptionally strong, the GPU holds this combo back significantly.

To put this in context, the CPU alone sits in the 91st percentile when compared against all CPUs in the database. The GPU, however, sits in the 53rd percentile when compared against all GPUs. This mismatch is stark: a top-tier processor paired with a mid-tier graphics card produces a combo that ranks near the bottom quarter of tested systems for this particular game. The bottleneck is clearly on the graphics side, especially at higher resolutions where the RX 580's 8 GB GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus cannot sustain demanding rendering loads.

The rank of 3384 out of 3714 means that roughly 330 other combos perform worse, while over 3,300 perform better. For a game released in 2024, this places the setup in the lower tier of playable configurations, though not completely unplayable at lower settings and resolutions. The data suggests that if the GPU were upgraded to a more modern part, the combo rank would improve dramatically given the CPU's headroom.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with playable framerates?

A: Yes. The measured data shows Low settings average 85 FPS and Medium settings average 60 FPS at 1080p. Both presets meet or exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold, though High (53 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) fall short.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 2560x1440?

A: Low settings is the only playable preset at 1440p, averaging 62 FPS. Medium (44 FPS), High (39 FPS), and Ultra (29 FPS) all fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: No. The highest average framerate at 3840x2160 is 40 FPS on Low settings, which is well below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average only 19 FPS, making 4K effectively unplayable across all presets.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 9 7900X has an average benchmark score of 53288. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7313P, scores 53206 (0.2% lower), while the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620 (0.6% higher). The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469 (0.3% higher), and the Intel Xeon 634 scores 52974 (0.6% lower).

Q: What GPU performance class does the RX 580 belong to?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 12928, placing it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, 0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (12986, 0.4% higher), the AMD Radeon 740M (12870, 0.5% lower), and the AMD FirePro W5100 (12847, 0.6% lower).

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU limits performance much more. At 1080p Low the combo hits 85 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 19 FPS, a 66 FPS swing driven almost entirely by graphics load. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking versus the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking confirms the imbalance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.6% of the Ryzen 9 7900X's average benchmark score. The AMD EPYC 7313P scores 0.2% lower, the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 0.3% higher, the Intel Xeon 634 scores 0.6% lower, and the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 0.6% higher. Any of these processors would deliver essentially identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol, though the EPYC and Xeon parts are server-oriented and may have different platform requirements.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are clustered tightly around the RX 580's average score. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and GTX 1660 SUPER score 0.1% and 0.4% higher respectively, while the AMD Radeon 740M and FirePro W5100 score 0.5% and 0.6% lower. In practical terms, swapping the RX 580 for any of these would produce nearly identical framerates in this game. The GTX 1660 SUPER is the most directly comparable desktop alternative, while the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and Radeon 740M are mobile or integrated parts that would not fit in a standard desktop build.

It is important to note that these rival comparisons are based on aggregate benchmark scores, not game-specific measurements. The actual performance in Lockdown Protocol could vary slightly due to driver optimizations, but the data suggests that any of these GPUs would land in the same general framerate range as the RX 580.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so there is no recommended setting. The highest average framerate is 40 FPS on Low, but this still falls 20 FPS short of the playability threshold. Users at 4K would need to accept sub-60 FPS gameplay or lower the resolution.

At 2560x1440, Low settings is the only playable option, averaging 62 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold by a narrow margin of 2 FPS. Medium settings at 44 FPS, High at 39 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS are all below the threshold, making Low the definitive choice for 1440p.

At 1920x1080, Medium settings is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging exactly 60 FPS. Low settings averages 85 FPS, which is higher but less demanding. High (53 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) both fall below the threshold. For users who prefer higher visual quality, Medium is the ceiling; for those who prioritize framerate stability, Low offers a 25 FPS margin above the threshold.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: the RX 580 can only sustain 60 FPS at lower settings, and the settings ceiling drops as resolution increases. At 1080p, Medium is viable; at 1440p, only Low works; at 4K, nothing works.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, the combo clears 60 FPS on Low (85 FPS) and Medium (60 FPS) settings, making 1080p the most viable resolution for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, only Low settings reach the threshold with 62 FPS, which is playable but offers limited visual fidelity. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS, with the best result being 40 FPS on Low.

The verdict is therefore mixed: the system is playable at 1080p and marginally playable at 1440p, but not at 4K. The playability threshold of 60 FPS is met at exactly two presets across all resolutions: 1080p Medium and 1440p Low. Users who want to play at higher settings will need to stay at 1080p, and even then, High and Ultra are out of reach.

For a game released in 2024, this represents a modest level of performance. The CPU is more than capable, but the GPU's age and mid-tier positioning limit the overall experience. Players who accept 1080p Medium or 1440p Low will find the game playable, though not with high-end visual quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Lockdown Protocol. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 85 FPS, which is the highest recorded framerate in the dataset. This suggests that at low graphical demands, the CPU has enough headroom to push frames efficiently. However, as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the framerate drops disproportionately: 62 FPS at 1440p Low and 40 FPS at 4K Low. This scaling indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises.

The CPU's benchmark standing reinforces this interpretation. With a 91st percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 53288, the Ryzen 9 7900X is clearly not the limiting factor. Its nearest rivals, all within 0.6% in score, would produce nearly identical results. The GPU, by contrast, sits at the 53rd percentile with an average score of 12928, and its nearest rivals are all within 0.6% as well. The GPU's mid-tier standing means it cannot keep pace with the CPU's capabilities in graphically intensive scenarios.

The framerate scaling between presets at each resolution further clarifies the GPU's role. At 1080p, the drop from Low (85 FPS) to Medium (60 FPS) is 25 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is only 7 FPS, and High to Ultra is 13 FPS. This nonlinear scaling suggests that certain settings (like shadows or textures) disproportionately impact the GPU. At 4K, the drop from Low (40 FPS) to Medium (29 FPS) is 11 FPS, and Medium to Ultra is 10 FPS, showing that the GPU is saturated even at Low settings.

At higher resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes further. The framerate differences between presets at 4K are relatively small in absolute terms (19 to 40 FPS range), indicating that the GPU is working near its limits regardless of settings. At 1080p, the wider framerate range (40 to 85 FPS) suggests that the CPU can still feed the GPU effectively at lower graphical loads, but the GPU's ceiling caps performance at higher presets.

In summary, the CPU matters more at lower resolutions and settings where it can drive high framerates, while the GPU dominates performance at higher resolutions and settings where its rendering capacity becomes the limiting factor. For this specific combo, upgrading the GPU would yield far larger gains than upgrading the CPU, which already ranks among the top 10% of all processors in the database.