Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a dominant performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, with measured frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across every resolution and preset combination tested. The data shows a system capable of maximum settings at 4K with substantial headroom, making it one of the top-performing configurations among the 3,714 combos tracked in the database.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 Ultra is 81 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a comfortable margin.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest measured average is 368 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. Even at 4K Low, the combo produces 174 FPS on average.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: It ranks 70th out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 2% of all configurations in the database.

Q: Which component is more demanding on this system?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. Dropping from 4K Ultra (81 FPS) to 4K High (108 FPS) yields a 33% performance increase, while the CPU remains largely unaffected by resolution changes.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 overkill for this game?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the frame rates are exceptionally high (171-270 FPS at Ultra), suggesting the CPU begins to limit performance at lower resolutions. At 4K, the GPU workload scales more significantly, with a 47 FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings.

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

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 125 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that still maintains a high frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear division of labor between the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. At 1920x1080, the system produces 368 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 171 FPS on Ultra—a 197 FPS swing that indicates the GPU becomes more stressed as visual fidelity increases. However, the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom, as evidenced by the 3dmark max threads score of 13,929 and the passmark multithread score of 54,643.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues with Low settings hitting 270 FPS and Ultra settling at 125 FPS. The 145 FPS difference between these presets demonstrates that the RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the limiting factor when pixel count rises. The GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures texture streaming never becomes a constraint, even at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes even more pronounced. Low settings yield 174 FPS, while Ultra drops to 81 FPS—a 93 FPS reduction. This 4K scaling shows that the RTX 4090, despite being the second-fastest GPU in the database with an 88th percentile ranking, still faces meaningful workload increases at 8.3 million pixels. The CPU's contribution diminishes at this resolution, as evidenced by the relatively smaller frame rate gaps between Low and Medium (174 to 124 FPS) compared to the 1080p gap between the same presets (368 to 261 FPS).

The benchmark data indicates that for competitive play at 1080p, the Ryzen 9 9900X's single-thread performance (3dmark single thread score of 1,286) becomes more relevant, as frame rates above 300 FPS require rapid draw call processing. At 4K, the RTX 4090's raw rasterization power dominates, with the CPU's role reduced to maintaining a stable frame pacing floor above 80 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 368 FPS, representing the absolute ceiling for this configuration. Medium settings yield 261 FPS with a minimum of 222 and maximum of 301 FPS, showing tight frame pacing. High settings average 228 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage 171 FPS—nearly three times the 60 FPS playability threshold.

The 2560x1440 results show a predictable step down but maintain high frame rates throughout. Low settings average 270 FPS, dropping to 192 FPS on Medium (minimum 163, maximum 220). High settings produce 167 FPS, and Ultra remains highly playable at 125 FPS. The consistency between resolutions suggests the system scales gracefully with pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of 4K rendering. Low settings average 174 FPS, while Medium settings hit 124 FPS with a minimum of 105 and maximum of 142 FPS. High settings produce 108 FPS, and Ultra settings still deliver 81 FPS on average. The 4K Ultra result is particularly notable because it clears the 60 FPS threshold by 35%, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

The minimum FPS data available for Medium settings across all resolutions shows no dips below 105 FPS at 4K, 163 FPS at 1440p, and 222 FPS at 1080p. These minimums indicate that the combo maintains consistent frame delivery without stutters or hitches, even during intense gameplay sequences.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 70th out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This placement puts it in the 98th percentile of all configurations, reflecting the exceptional performance of both components. The CPU alone ranks in the 92nd percentile against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 57,498—nearly matching the AMD EPYC 9015 (57,555, -0.1% delta) and slightly trailing the Intel Core i9-14900 (58,115, -1.1% delta).

The GPU's 88th percentile ranking against all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 60,347, places it just ahead of the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, 0% delta) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140, 0.3% delta). The RTX 4090's passmark G3D score of 38,194 and 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 demonstrate its raw capabilities, though the nearest rival comparisons suggest the database includes several workstation-class GPUs with similar aggregate scores.

Within the context of Lockdown Protocol specifically, the 70th rank out of 3,714 combos means only 69 configurations deliver higher frame rates. This places the combo in the top 1.9% of all tested systems, a remarkable achievement given the game's relatively recent release in March 2024. The rank reflects the synergy between the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32,172) and the GPU's massive memory bandwidth and compute throughput.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol, and the data supports maximum settings at every resolution tested. At 3840x2160, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS playability threshold, with Ultra averaging 81 FPS. The 2560x1440 results are even more decisive, with Ultra averaging 125 FPS and Low hitting 270 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system produces 171 FPS on Ultra and 368 FPS on Low, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

The verdict by resolution confirms that every resolution and preset combination is playable. The minimum FPS figures available for Medium settings—105 FPS at 4K, 163 FPS at 1440p, and 222 FPS at 1080p—all remain well above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating consistent frame delivery without drops below playability. The combo's 70th rank out of 3,714 configurations further validates its capability, though the top 69 combos likely feature even more extreme hardware configurations.

For users with 4K displays, the ability to run Ultra settings at 81 FPS means no compromises are necessary. For esports-focused players at 1080p, the 368 FPS Low setting result provides a competitive advantage, while the 171 FPS Ultra result still exceeds the refresh rate of most gaming monitors.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average FPS of 81. This is the optimal choice for visual fidelity at 4K, as it delivers the highest quality while maintaining a 35% margin above the playability threshold. Medium settings at 124 FPS offer a higher frame rate for those prioritizing smoothness, but Ultra remains the recommended setting given the ample headroom.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings produce 125 FPS on average, making it the clear best choice. This resolution benefits from the RTX 4090's 24 GB memory capacity, and the 125 FPS result provides a smooth experience on 144Hz monitors. Low settings at 270 FPS are available for competitive play, but the visual quality trade-off is unnecessary given the Ultra preset's strong performance.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 171 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that maintains 60+ FPS. This result is particularly impressive because it exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate common on 1080p monitors, allowing for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The 368 FPS Low setting result is available for players with 360Hz displays, but for most users, Ultra provides the best balance of image quality and frame rate.