Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is an FPS where the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination delivers a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions. The measured data shows that 1080p and 1440p are fully playable at maximum settings, while 4K requires a preset reduction to maintain fluid frame rates. This analysis breaks down exactly which settings to use, where the CPU versus GPU bottleneck shifts, and how this specific pairing compares to other tested hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which produces an average of 66 FPS. The data shows that stepping up to Ultra drops the average to 49 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium also clears 60 FPS with an average of 76 FPS, and Low reaches 106 FPS, but High is the optimal balance for visual fidelity while maintaining smooth gameplay. The measured frame range for Medium at 4K is 64 to 87 FPS, meaning even the minimum stays above the playable line, but High is the recommended ceiling for this resolution.

For 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 77 FPS. This is a notable jump from 4K, where Ultra only managed 49 FPS. Every preset at 1440p clears the 60 FPS threshold: High runs at 102 FPS, Medium at 117 FPS, and Low at 165 FPS. The Medium preset shows a measured range of 99 to 135 FPS, confirming that even the lowest dips stay well above playable levels. Since Ultra maintains a 77 FPS average, there is no reason to sacrifice visual quality at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are also Ultra, delivering an average of 105 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it still provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The full preset ladder at 1080p shows High at 139 FPS, Medium at 160 FPS, and Low at 225 FPS. The Medium preset has a measured range of 136 to 184 FPS, so even the minimum frame rate is more than double the playable threshold. For competitive play, the Low preset at 225 FPS offers the highest refresh rate potential, but Ultra remains fully playable for those prioritizing image quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals how the RTX 3070 Ti becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, while the Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides ample headroom at lower settings. At 1920x1080, the gap between Low (225 FPS) and Ultra (105 FPS) is substantial, with a difference of 120 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is heavily engaged at higher presets, but the CPU is capable of feeding it enough data to reach very high frame rates at Low settings. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, shows strong single-thread performance in benchmarks like the 3dmark_single_thread score of 1269 and cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 6739, which supports high-FPS scenarios.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 165 FPS from 225 FPS at 1080p, a reduction of 60 FPS. This demonstrates that the GPU is now more dominant, as the same CPU workload at Low settings cannot sustain the same frame rates when pixel count increases. The Ultra preset at 1440p (77 FPS) versus 1080p (105 FPS) shows a 28 FPS drop, further confirming that the RTX 3070 Ti’s 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth are being stressed more at higher resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the GPU bottleneck becomes pronounced. The Low preset at 4K (106 FPS) is only 59 FPS behind the 1080p Low result (225 FPS), while the Ultra preset at 4K (49 FPS) is 56 FPS behind the 1440p Ultra result (77 FPS). The CPU’s role diminishes significantly at 4K; even with the powerful Ryzen 9 9900X3D, the RTX 3070 Ti cannot push past 106 FPS at Low settings. The data shows that the GPU’s percentile rank of 75 versus the CPU’s 91 percentile highlights that the graphics card is the weaker link for this game, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU’s 3dmark_max_threads score of 13795 and passmark_multithread score of 56154 suggest it would not bottleneck even at 1080p Low, where frame rates approach 225 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured results are as follows: Low averages 106 FPS with no recorded min or max values, Medium averages 76 FPS with a range of 64 to 87 FPS, High averages 66 FPS with no range data, and Ultra averages 49 FPS with no range data. The transition from Medium to High costs 10 FPS on average, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 17 FPS, making Ultra the only preset that fails the 60 FPS requirement. The Medium preset’s minimum of 64 FPS is notable because it stays above the playable threshold, but High’s higher average suggests better sustained performance for most scenes.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 165 FPS, Medium averages 117 FPS with a range of 99 to 135 FPS, High averages 102 FPS, and Ultra averages 77 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 88 FPS, indicating a wide performance envelope. The Medium range shows that the minimum of 99 FPS is still far above 60 FPS, so even the most demanding moments in this preset remain fluid. High sits between Medium and Ultra, offering a 25 FPS advantage over Ultra but 15 FPS behind Medium.

At 1920x1080, Low averages 225 FPS, Medium averages 160 FPS with a range of 136 to 184 FPS, High averages 139 FPS, and Ultra averages 105 FPS. The Low preset’s 225 FPS average is the highest recorded across all resolutions and presets, demonstrating that the CPU can drive very high frame rates when the GPU load is light. The Medium range of 136 to 184 FPS shows excellent consistency, with the minimum still exceeding the Ultra preset’s average at this resolution. High offers a middle ground, while Ultra remains playable but requires the GPU to work harder.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s nearest rivals provide similar compute performance. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF has an average benchmark score of 55093, which is 0.6% lower than the Ryzen’s 54762 average score, meaning it would behave nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54053, which is 1.3% higher than the Ryzen, so it could offer a marginal improvement in frame rates at low resolutions where the CPU matters more. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, 2% higher than the Ryzen, and the Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620, 2.1% higher. These differences are small enough that any of these CPUs would produce similar results in Lockdown Protocol, especially at 1440p and 4K where the GPU is the primary constraint.

For the GPU, the RTX 3070 Ti’s nearest rivals show tight performance clustering. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 has an average score of 30095, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 3070 Ti’s 29945 average score, so it would deliver nearly identical frame rates. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile scores 29928, just 0.1% lower, and the RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, 0.5% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, which is 1.6% higher, making it the strongest alternative in this group. When considering the measured FPS data, a system with any of these GPUs paired with the Ryzen 9 9900X3D would likely see the same preset recommendations: Ultra at 1080p and 1440p, and High at 4K.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol with playable performance at all three tested resolutions, provided the right settings are chosen. At 3840x2160, the verdict indicates that High, Low, and Medium settings are playable, with High being the best choice at 66 FPS average. Ultra at 4K is not recommended because it averages 49 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with Ultra achieving 77 FPS average. This means players can enable maximum settings at 1440p without worrying about frame rate drops. At 1920x1080, every preset is also playable, with Ultra at 105 FPS average providing a comfortable experience. The Low preset at 225 FPS offers the highest frame rates for competitive play, but the Ultra preset’s 105 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS minimum.

The data confirms that the RTX 3070 Ti is the limiting factor at 4K, where even High settings only produce 66 FPS, but the CPU’s strength ensures that 1080p and 1440p are not bottlenecked. For a 60 Hz display at 4K, High settings are the practical maximum, while for 144 Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, 1440p Ultra or 1080p Ultra are viable options. The minimum FPS data for Medium presets at each resolution—64 FPS at 4K, 99 FPS at 1440p, and 136 FPS at 1080p—shows that even the lowest recorded frames stay playable, which is a strong indicator of consistent performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1324 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the upper-middle range of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU’s position as a mid-range to upper-mid-range card from its generation. The CPU’s high percentile rank of 91 versus the GPU’s 75 percentile suggests that this combo is CPU-heavy, meaning the graphics card is the primary constraint in most scenarios. In practical terms, this ranking means the system outperforms roughly 64% of tested combinations but lags behind top-tier GPUs like more recent high-end models.

The rank of 1324 out of 3714 reflects the RTX 3070 Ti’s age and performance class. While the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a flagship-class processor, the GPU holds back the overall combination from reaching higher ranks. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, this rank is still solid because the game’s requirements are met at 1080p and 1440p with Ultra settings, and even 4K is playable at High. The measured data shows that the combo’s performance is more than adequate for the game’s demands, and the rank should be interpreted as a general comparison across all games and workloads, not a judgment on this specific title. Players with this system can expect smooth gameplay at most resolutions, with the caveat that 4K Ultra is not achievable at 60 FPS.