Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 236th out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 6.4% of all configurations. This is a strong position, but the data reveals a more nuanced story when examining how the combo behaves across different resolutions and settings. The ranking reflects a system that is overwhelmingly capable of running the game at high frame rates, yet the specific performance deltas between presets suggest that the game's optimization and the components' scaling characteristics are worth investigating closely. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: this combo excels at delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains playable but demands a careful choice of settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 236 out of 3714 places it in the 94th percentile of all tested systems, which is an exceptional position. To put this in context, the CPU itself sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. This suggests that while both components are individually high-performers, their combination in this particular game produces a result that is slightly better than what their individual percentiles might predict, indicating good synergy for Lockdown Protocol. The data shows that this system is not merely adequate but is positioned to handle the game's demands with substantial headroom.

However, the ranking alone doesn't tell the whole story. The combo's performance is bounded by the relationship between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 329.1 at Low settings to 156.9 at Ultra, which is a massive spread. This indicates that at lower resolutions, the system is likely CPU-bound, as the GPU has excess capacity. At 4K, the spread narrows significantly, from 159.3 at Low to 73.5 at Ultra, suggesting the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The rank of 236 reflects a system that can dominate at lower resolutions but sees its advantage compress as resolution increases, which is typical for high-end hardware in a fast-paced FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with the highest settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 73.5, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data confirms that Ultra is listed among the playable settings at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from Ultra to Low at 1440p?

A: The average FPS increases from 112.8 at Ultra to 244.2 at Low, representing a gain of 131.4 FPS, or roughly 116% more performance. This is a substantial jump that could be relevant for players using high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Is the system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 1080p?

A: The data implies a CPU bottleneck at 1080p. The average FPS at Low settings is 329.1, which is extraordinarily high. The fact that the FPS drops to 156.9 at Ultra (a 52% reduction) suggests that the GPU is being pushed harder, but the absolute numbers at Low indicate the CPU is capable of feeding frames far beyond what most displays can show.

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

A: The verdict data shows Ultra is the best settings option, with an average FPS of 112.8. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, so players can max out the game's visuals without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does this combo compare to the closest CPU rival in terms of average score?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 at 46971 (a delta of -0.2%). The difference is negligible, meaning the CPU performance is effectively on par with its nearest rival.

Q: Does the game support ray tracing or other advanced features on this GPU?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which includes ray tracing capabilities. The RTX 4080 SUPER also has 80 RT cores, indicating it is fully capable of handling hardware-accelerated ray tracing if the game implements it.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates. The average FPS at Low settings is 329.1, which drops to 234.2 at Medium, 205.4 at High, and 156.9 at Ultra. This represents a performance scaling factor of approximately 2.1x from Ultra to Low, indicating that the system has immense headroom at this resolution. The difference between Medium and High is relatively small (28.8 FPS), but the jump from High to Ultra is more pronounced (48.5 FPS), suggesting that Ultra settings introduce a significant load on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very strong but shows a tighter spread. The average FPS at Low is 244.2, at Medium it is 170.7, at High it is 150.5, and at Ultra it is 112.8. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 2.17x, which is similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. The gap between Medium and High narrows to 20.2 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 37.7 FPS. This pattern suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases, but the CPU still has enough power to maintain high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly, but it remains playable across all settings. The average FPS at Low is 159.3, at Medium it is 112.8, at High it is 97.8, and at Ultra it is 73.5. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 2.17x, which is consistent with the other resolutions, but the absolute numbers are much lower. The difference between Medium and High is 15.0 FPS, and the difference between High and Ultra is 24.3 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU's high single-thread performance cannot compensate for the increased pixel count.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol. The verdict by resolution lists all settings (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra) as playable at every tested resolution, meaning the system never drops below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS by a massive margin, with even the most demanding Ultra preset achieving an average of 156.9 FPS. This makes the combo ideal for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p, as it can push well beyond 144 FPS on most settings. At 2560x1440, the performance is equally strong, with Ultra settings averaging 112.8 FPS, which is nearly double the playable threshold and sufficient for smooth gameplay on 144Hz monitors. At 3840x2160, the system still clears 60 FPS on Ultra with an average of 73.5 FPS, but this is the closest to the threshold. Players targeting 4K at the highest settings will have some headroom, but the margin is thinner. For those who prefer maximum frame rates at 4K, dropping to High settings yields an average of 97.8 FPS, which is a significant improvement. Overall, the system is more than capable of running the game at high frame rates across all resolutions, with the only caveat being that 4K Ultra is playable but not overly future-proof for demanding scenarios.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals based on average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, delta -0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, delta -0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, delta 0.5%), and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653, delta 0.5%). These processors have nearly identical average scores, meaning they would deliver similar CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol. The delta percentages are all within 0.8% of the i7-13700K's score of 46881, so the choice between them would likely come down to platform features rather than raw gaming performance. For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (54247, delta -0.1%), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828, delta -1.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698, delta -2.7%), and the AMD Radeon 8060S (55757, delta -2.8%). The RTX 4080 is essentially a match for the RTX 4080 SUPER, with a negligible 0.1% difference. The other GPUs are slightly faster in raw benchmark scores, but the differences are small, ranging from 1.1% to 2.8%, which would translate to a few FPS in practice. Players with these alternative components can expect similar performance characteristics in terms of resolution scaling and settings behavior.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 156.9 FPS. This is the most demanding preset, and it still provides a frame rate that is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. There is no reason to lower settings at this resolution for the sake of performance. At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 112.8 FPS. This is a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, so players can enjoy the game's highest visual quality without compromising on smoothness. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra as well, with an average of 73.5 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, but the margin is slim. Players who prioritize a higher frame rate at 4K might consider dropping to High settings, which yields an average of 97.8 FPS, but Ultra is technically playable. The data suggests that the system is capable of running the game at its maximum quality settings at all three resolutions, which confirms the hardware's strength.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component roles as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a dominant role. The average FPS at Low settings is 329.1, which is extraordinarily high and indicates that the CPU is feeding frames at a rate far beyond what the GPU needs to render. As settings increase to Ultra, the FPS drops to 156.9, which suggests the GPU is becoming more involved, but the CPU still has substantial headroom. This is characteristic of a CPU-bound scenario, where the processor's single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1136) and multi-thread performance (cinebench_r23_multicore score of 30745) are more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly toward the GPU. The average FPS at Low is 244.2, which is still very high, but the drop to Ultra at 112.8 FPS shows a more significant impact from the GPU's rendering load. The scaling between settings is similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower, indicating that the GPU is starting to constrain performance. The CPU is still not the limiting factor, but its advantage is less pronounced. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The average FPS at Low is 159.3, which is lower than at 1440p, and the drop to Ultra at 73.5 FPS shows that the GPU is working hard to render the increased pixel count. The CPU's role diminishes because the frame rate is limited by the GPU's fill rate and shading power. This is consistent with the GPU's specs, which include 10240 shading units and a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s. The data implies that for players using this combo, the CPU will rarely be a limiting factor, even at high frame rates, while the GPU will determine performance at 4K and higher settings.