Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a performance profile that is heavily dependent on resolution and quality settings in Lockdown Protocol. The measured data shows a clear hierarchy: at 1080p the system is overwhelmingly capable, at 1440p it remains highly flexible, and at 4K it requires careful settings management to stay smooth. The benchmark results indicate a system that scales predictably, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 191, providing an exceptionally high refresh rate experience. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS. High settings yield an average of 118 FPS, while Ultra settings still maintain a robust 89 FPS average. This resolution shows the CPU and GPU combination has significant headroom, as even the most demanding preset clears the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload. Low settings produce an average of 140 FPS. Medium settings deliver 99 FPS average, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 87 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p still manage a 65 FPS average, which is above the playable threshold but represents a substantial drop from the 1080p Ultra result. The data shows a consistent pattern of roughly 20-30% performance reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become apparent. Low settings average 90 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 56 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings at 4K average only 42 FPS, which is significantly below the playable threshold. The measured data indicates that 4K resolution requires either Low or Medium settings to maintain consistent frame rates, with Medium being the highest playable preset.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 42 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms that only Low and Medium settings are playable at 4K.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 65 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the highest quality preset that remains playable at this resolution, according to the verdictByResolution data.

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

A: At 1920x1080 Medium settings, the average FPS is 135. At 3840x2160 Medium settings, the average FPS is 64. This represents a reduction of approximately 71 FPS, or roughly half the frame rate, when scaling up to 4K.

Q: Is the minimum FPS ever a problem at playable settings?

A: The only recorded minimum FPS values are at Medium settings. At 1080p the minimum is 115 FPS, at 1440p it is 84 FPS, and at 4K it is 54 FPS. The 4K Medium minimum dips below 60 FPS, indicating occasional stutters even though the average is playable.

Q: How does this system compare to other hardware in the database?

A: The CPU ranks in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57498. The GPU ranks in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27425. The combo ranks 1950 out of 3714 total combinations tested for this game.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded for this system?

A: The highest average FPS is 191, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest maximum FPS recorded is 156, which occurs at 1080p Medium settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which delivers an average of 64 FPS. Low settings also remain playable with an average of 90 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while still clearing the threshold. The minimum FPS at Medium is 54, so there may be occasional dips below 60, but the average is solidly playable.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 65 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available and it remains above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets at 1440p are playable, so users can choose based on their preference for visual fidelity versus higher frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 89 FPS. This provides a high-quality experience with substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. Users who prefer competitive play can drop to Low settings for 191 FPS, but Ultra remains the best balance of quality and performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals provide context for the Ryzen 9 9900X's position. The AMD EPYC 9015 scores 57555, which is 0.1% higher. The AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57399, which is 0.2% lower. The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, which is 1.1% higher. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58323, which is 1.4% higher. These deltas are all within a narrow band, indicating that any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are similarly close. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27435, which is exactly 0% different. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 27565, which is 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 27135, which is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores 27839, which is 1.5% higher. These GPU alternatives would produce frame rates within a few percent of the RX 6700 XT, meaning the playability conclusions at each resolution would remain essentially unchanged.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU responsibility shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves very high frame rates even at Ultra settings (89 FPS), suggesting that neither component is severely bottlenecked. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces the average from 191 FPS to 89 FPS, a drop of 102 FPS, which indicates the GPU is handling the increased graphical load, but the CPU has enough headroom to keep feeding it frames.

At 2560x1440, the scaling pattern is similar but compressed. Low settings produce 140 FPS, while Ultra produces 65 FPS, a difference of 75 FPS. The fact that Ultra still clears 60 FPS suggests the GPU is doing more work but the CPU remains sufficient. The 1440p results are roughly 20-30% lower than 1080p at each settings tier, which is consistent with the increased pixel count placing more demand on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. Low settings average 90 FPS, but Ultra drops to 42 FPS, a reduction of 48 FPS. The gap between Medium (64 FPS) and High (56 FPS) is particularly telling: a single settings tier pushes the system from playable to unplayable. This indicates that at 4K, the RX 6700 XT is the limiting factor, and the Ryzen 9 9900X's processing power cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to render the higher resolution at higher quality settings.

The Verdict

This system can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the verdict data shows all four presets are playable, with Ultra settings averaging 89 FPS. This is a fully capable setup for high refresh rate monitors and maximum visual quality. At 2560x1440, all four presets also remain playable, with Ultra averaging 65 FPS. This provides a great balance of resolution and quality for most users.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on Low and Medium settings. Low averages 90 FPS, while Medium averages 64 FPS. High settings at 56 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold. For 4K gaming, users should stick to Medium settings to maintain smooth frame rates, accepting that the minimum FPS of 54 may occasionally dip below the target. Overall, this PC is a strong 1080p and 1440p performer, and a capable 4K machine when settings are moderated appropriately.