Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a consistently strong performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, with the data showing this combo ranks 818th out of 3714 tested combinations. Across all tested resolutions and presets, the system never dips below an average of 55.5 FPS, making it a versatile option for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and solid 4K performance at medium-to-high settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, with the RTX 3080 Ti showing its strength at 1080p and 1440p. At 1920x1080, the combo produces 261.4 FPS on Low settings, 186.4 FPS on Medium, 163.4 FPS on High, and 120.1 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that even the most demanding preset at 1080p leaves substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate displays, as the 120.1 FPS average on Ultra comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally strong. Low settings yield 193.1 FPS, Medium produces 136.9 FPS, High delivers 120.7 FPS, and Ultra maintains 86.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is approximately 106.8 FPS, showing that the GPU scaling across presets is consistent and predictable. The 86.3 FPS average on Ultra at 1440p is particularly notable, as it suggests the system can handle maximum settings while still providing a smooth experience on most high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes significantly. Low settings produce 125.3 FPS, Medium drops to 90.4 FPS, High falls to 74.7 FPS, and Ultra dips to 55.5 FPS. This represents the only preset where the combo falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Ultra at 4K being the sole configuration that struggles. The drop from High to Ultra at 4K is 19.2 FPS, which is a steeper penalty than the 34.4 FPS difference seen between the same presets at 1440p. This suggests that the 4K Ultra preset imposes a particularly heavy load on the GPU.

The scaling efficiency across resolutions is worth noting. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p costs 68.3 FPS, while the move from 1440p to 4K costs another 67.8 FPS. At Ultra settings, the corresponding drops are 33.8 FPS and 30.8 FPS respectively. This pattern indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately even at lower resolutions, where frame rates are highest.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals an interesting dynamic between the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. At 1080p, where the CPU typically becomes the limiting factor in many titles, this combo achieves 261.4 FPS on Low settings. This exceptionally high frame rate suggests that the 16-core, 24-thread processor with its 5.40 GHz boost clock is providing ample headroom, and the GPU is not being starved of data.

The resolution scaling provides clear evidence of GPU-bound behavior as resolution increases. At 4K, the average FPS across all presets drops to 86.5 FPS, compared to 140.2 FPS at 1440p and 182.8 FPS at 1080p. This represents a 56.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is a strong indicator that the RTX 3080 Ti's rendering workload is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth appear sufficient for the demands of Lockdown Protocol at 4K, as even the High preset maintains 74.7 FPS.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the preset scaling at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 141.3 FPS, while at 1440p it is 106.8 FPS, and at 4K it narrows to 69.8 FPS. This tightening gap with increasing resolution is classic evidence of the CPU becoming less relevant as the GPU takes on more work. The i7-13700K's performance in synthetic benchmarks, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116, supports its ability to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p.

For players using 1440p or 1080p displays, the data indicates that this combo is balanced enough that neither component is a clear bottleneck. At 4K, however, the GPU is decisively the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 55.5 FPS result on Ultra settings. The RTX 3080 Ti's 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 80 RT cores are being fully utilized at this resolution, while the CPU has capacity to spare.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 818 out of 3714 tested combinations places it in the top 22% of all systems evaluated for Lockdown Protocol. This positioning is consistent with the component-level benchmarks: the i7-13700K ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 3080 Ti sits in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs. The combination of two high-percentile components results in a system that performs well above the median tested configuration.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 46881 places it within 0.5% of several close rivals. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654 (0.5% lower), the Intel Xeon w3-2535 also scores 46653 (0.5% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 manages 46971 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 reaches 47022 (0.3% higher). These margins are negligible in real-world gaming, and the i7-13700K's strong single-thread performance — evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 4333 — likely contributes to its effectiveness in Lockdown Protocol.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3080 Ti's average benchmark score of 41187 places it near several interesting alternatives. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870 (0.8% lower), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB reaches 41707 (1.2% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 manages 40377 (2.0% lower). The RTX 3080 Ti's Passmark G3D score of 26896 and DirectX 12 score of 110 demonstrate its capability in modern rendering workloads.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 55.5 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable setting at 4K is High, which maintains 74.7 FPS.

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

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 achieve 86.3 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to the RTX 5070 in this context?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41187, which is 2.0% higher than the RTX 5070's 40377. This indicates the 3080 Ti provides slightly better overall performance in the synthetic benchmarks relevant to this analysis.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for 1080p performance?

A: The data suggests the CPU plays a significant role at 1080p, where the combo achieves 261.4 FPS on Low settings. The i7-13700K's 24 threads and high boost clock appear sufficient to keep the GPU well-fed at this resolution.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 90.4 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates across all tested presets?

A: Yes, with one exception. All presets at 1080p and 1440p remain above 60 FPS, as do Low, Medium, and High at 4K. The only configuration that falls below 60 FPS is 4K Ultra at 55.5 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU nearest rivals provide context for what other hardware would deliver similar performance in Lockdown Protocol. On the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971 in average benchmarks, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-13700K's 46881. This makes the Ryzen 9 5900 a nearly identical performer in terms of overall capability. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022 (0.3% higher), while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654 (0.5% lower). These four alternatives would likely produce frame rates within a few FPS of the i7-13700K in Lockdown Protocol.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, which is 0.8% lower than the RTX 3080 Ti's 41187. The NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB scores 41707 (1.2% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 reaches 41897 (1.7% higher). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 scores 40377, which is 2.0% lower. The tight grouping of these scores — all within 2% of the RTX 3080 Ti — suggests that swapping to any of these GPUs would result in similar gameplay performance, though the Tesla cards lack the consumer-oriented features of the GeForce lineup.

The practical implication is that a system with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900 or a Ryzen 9 7845HX paired with the RTX 3080 Ti would perform nearly identically to the i7-13700K configuration. Similarly, keeping the i7-13700K but swapping the GPU to an RTX 5070 would cost roughly 2% in average performance, which translates to approximately 1-2 FPS in the measured scenarios. These alternatives offer a reference point for builders who may find one component easier to source than the other.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 120.1 FPS, making it the clear choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. Even at this demanding preset, the frame rate is more than double the 60 FPS playable threshold, leaving ample room for future content updates or additional background tasks.

For 2560x1440, Ultra settings maintain 86.3 FPS, which remains comfortably above the playable threshold. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for this combo, as it allows for maximum settings while still providing a high-refresh-rate experience on most monitors.

At 3840x2160, the situation requires more careful consideration. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which achieves 74.7 FPS. While Ultra dips to 55.5 FPS and fails the playability test, the High preset provides a playable experience with only a modest visual compromise. Players with 4K displays should select High settings for the best balance of quality and performance, as the data shows a 19.2 FPS penalty from High to Ultra that pushes the system below the threshold.