Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a broadly capable Lockdown Protocol experience, but the data reveals a sharp divide between 4K and lower resolutions. At 3840x2160, the combination is only playable up to Medium settings, while at 2560x1440 and 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset clears the 60 FPS threshold. The benchmark results, measured directly, show this system is a high-refresh 1080p champion and a solid 1440p performer, but 4K demands significant graphical compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data for this configuration covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a complete picture of performance scaling.

1920x1080: At the lowest preset, the system produces an average of 191 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 118 FPS. Ultra, the most demanding setting, still maintains an average of 89 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, representing a 102 FPS difference, but every setting remains far above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

2560x1440: Performance remains strong, though the scaling from 1080p shows a clear cost. Low settings deliver an average of 140 FPS. Medium produces 99 FPS average, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 87 FPS. Ultra drops to a 65 FPS average. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 27% of the average frame rate at the Ultra preset, but all settings remain playable.

3840x2160: This is where the hardware starts to struggle. Low settings provide a 90 FPS average. Medium settings average 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. High settings fall to a 56 FPS average, and Ultra drops further to 42 FPS. The data shows only Low and Medium presets at 4K meet the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Medium's average of 64 FPS being the best playable result.

The min/max data is sparse, but the available figures indicate frame pacing is stable at Medium settings. At 1440p Medium, the spread between average (99 FPS) and minimum (84 FPS) is 15 FPS, while at 4K Medium, the spread between average (64 FPS) and minimum (54 FPS) is 10 FPS. This suggests consistent performance without severe stutters in the measured scenarios.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions, while the Intel Core i7-13700K provides ample headroom. The evidence lies in the scaling between resolutions and presets.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 191 FPS on Low. This is a frame rate that would stress many CPUs, yet the i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is clearly not the bottleneck. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and multi-thread score of 12412 for the CPU, combined with the GPU's Passmark G3D score of 19786, indicate a balanced pairing at this resolution.

The transition to 2560x1440 shows a proportional decline in performance. The Ultra preset drops from 89 FPS at 1080p to 65 FPS at 1440p, a 27% reduction. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario, where the increased pixel count directly impacts the rendering workload. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases, which is confirmed by the 4K results.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The Ultra preset falls to 42 FPS, and even High settings only reach 56 FPS. The i7-13700K's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and single-core score of 2116 are far beyond what Lockdown Protocol requires at 4K, as the frame rate collapses regardless of CPU capability. The 4K Medium result of 64 FPS versus the 1080p Medium result of 135 FPS demonstrates that the GPU is handling less than half the workload at the higher resolution.

The preset scaling within each resolution further confirms the GPU bottleneck. At 4K, moving from Low (90 FPS) to Ultra (42 FPS) reduces performance by 53%. This is a GPU-heavy workload, as the CPU would not show such dramatic swings from graphical settings changes alone. The data shows that Lockdown Protocol at this resolution is almost entirely GPU-limited.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for how this system compares to other hardware combinations.

The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, placing it at the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest performance match is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46971, a difference of -0.2%. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, also -0.3% relative to the i7-13700K. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654, which is 0.5% lower, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 scores 46653, also 0.5% lower. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver near-identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, as the performance deltas are all within one percentage point.

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 27425, placing it at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile, which scores 27435, a delta of 0%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 27565, which is -0.5% relative to the RX 6700 XT. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 27135, a 1.1% difference, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores 27839, which is -1.5%. The RX 6700 XT essentially trades blows with the RTX 3090 in synthetic benchmarks, despite the latter being a higher-tier product in other contexts. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, a system with an RTX 4070 Mobile or RTX 3090 would produce nearly identical FPS figures to the measured results.

The combination rank of 1950 out of 3714 total combos indicates that this pairing sits in the upper-middle tier of all tested configurations. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking is significantly higher than the GPU's 72nd percentile, reinforcing the notion that the graphics card is the weaker link in this pairing.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the playable experience depends entirely on the chosen resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold with ease across all presets. The Ultra preset maintains an average of 89 FPS, providing a fully playable experience at maximum quality settings. Even the most demanding settings leave 29 FPS of headroom above the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the system remains fully playable at every preset. The Ultra preset averages 65 FPS, which is just 5 FPS above the threshold. This means 1440p Ultra is technically playable, but with minimal margin. Those seeking a more comfortable buffer can drop to High settings, which average 87 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on Low and Medium presets. The Medium preset averages 64 FPS, which clears the threshold by just 4 FPS. The High preset averages 56 FPS, falling short of the 60 FPS requirement, and Ultra averages 42 FPS, which is a significant miss. The data shows that 4K gaming requires either Low or Medium settings for a smooth experience.

The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: 1080p and 1440p are fully playable at Ultra, while 4K is limited to Medium settings as the best playable option.

Best Settings per Resolution

The optimal settings for each resolution are determined by the highest preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS.

3840x2160: The best playable setting is Medium, which delivers an average of 64 FPS. Low settings achieve 90 FPS but at reduced visual quality, while High (56 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) fail to meet the threshold.

2560x1440: The best playable setting is Ultra, averaging 65 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that still clears the 60 FPS bar. High settings provide 87 FPS, Medium provides 99 FPS, and Low provides 140 FPS, all of which are also playable but with lower visual fidelity.

1920x1080: The best playable setting is Ultra, averaging 89 FPS. This provides the maximum visual quality with substantial performance headroom. The next tier down, High, averages 118 FPS, but there is no need to compromise given the Ultra result.

For each resolution, the Medium preset at 4K and Ultra at both 1440p and 1080p represent the sweet spot balancing visual quality and frame rate. The 64 FPS at 4K Medium is the tightest margin, while the 89 FPS at 1080p Ultra offers the most comfortable playable configuration.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 42 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best 4K setting for this PC?

A: Medium settings provide the best playable experience at 4K, with an average of 64 FPS. Low settings achieve 90 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual presentation while still clearing the threshold.

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

A: The GPU is the primary limiter. The Intel Core i7-13700K ranks in the 89th percentile of CPUs, while the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks in the 72nd percentile of GPUs. Performance scaling between resolutions shows a classic GPU-bound pattern, especially at 4K where the frame rate drops significantly regardless of CPU capability.

Q: Is 1440p Ultra playable on this hardware?

A: Yes, but with a narrow margin. The average FPS at 2560x1440 Ultra is 65 FPS, which is just 5 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. It is playable, but High settings at 87 FPS provide a more comfortable buffer.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to the RTX 3090 for this game?

A: The RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 27425, while the RTX 3090 scores 27565, a delta of -0.5%. In practice, both GPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the system averages 89 FPS. This is the highest preset and still leaves ample performance headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.