Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an exceptionally high-end combination that delivers a flawless experience in Lockdown Protocol, clearing the 60 FPS threshold with substantial headroom even at the most demanding settings. Benchmark data shows this pairing ranks 21st out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top tier of all configurations. Across all three tested resolutions, the system maintains playable frame rates at every preset, with the Ultra setting at 4K still achieving a robust 88 FPS average. This is a configuration built for maximum fidelity and smoothness, leaving very little performance on the table.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data indicates that this combo can run the game at the highest visual quality preset, Ultra, at or above 60 FPS across all tested resolutions. At 3840x2160 (4K), the Ultra preset yields an average of 88 FPS, making it the most demanding setting that remains playable. At 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset produces an average of 137 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold. The performance scales as expected at 1920x1080 (1080p), where the Ultra preset delivers an average of 187 FPS.

The data shows a significant performance jump when moving from Ultra down to High at 4K, with the average FPS increasing from 88 to 118. Given the headroom, players at 4K could opt for Ultra and still enjoy a smooth experience, but those with high-refresh-rate monitors might prefer High or Medium for higher frame rates. At 1440p and 1080p, the Ultra preset provides sufficient performance to maximize most high-refresh-rate displays, as the 137 FPS and 187 FPS averages at these resolutions are well above the 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

Both components are clearly overqualified for this game, but the benchmark data reveals how the CPU and GPU share the workload. The frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, showing a clear GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 187 at 1080p to 137 at 1440p, a 27% decrease, and then to 88 at 4K, a further 36% decrease. This steep scaling shows that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D becomes the primary performance limiter as the resolution increases, as the CPU can maintain a high frame rate but the GPU must render more pixels.

The CPU's strong performance is evident in the low-resolution results. At 1080p Low settings, the combo hits an average of 340 FPS, suggesting that the Intel Core i7-13700K is more than capable of feeding the GPU at these high frame rates. The gap between the 1080p and 1440p Low settings results (340 vs 295 FPS) is smaller than the gap between the 1440p and 4K Low settings (295 vs 190 FPS), further indicating that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. Conversely, the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p (340 to 187 FPS) shows that both components are taxed as the graphical load increases, but the CPU still holds its ground effectively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a detailed look at the performance across resolutions and settings, with the most complete data available for the Medium preset, which includes min and max frame numbers.

At 1920x1080, the system is remarkably fast. The Low preset averages 340 FPS, making it the highest average recorded. The Medium preset averages 285 FPS, with a minimum of 243 and a maximum of 328 FPS. The High preset averages 249 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 187 FPS. All settings at this resolution are far above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating the game runs exceptionally well.

At 2560x1440, performance remains extremely high. The Low preset averages 295 FPS, which is a slight decrease from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 209 FPS, with a minimum of 178 and a maximum of 241 FPS. The High preset averages 183 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 137 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium shows a 86 FPS drop, a significant reduction from the 25 FPS drop seen at 1080p, showing the increasing strain on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still very strong but shows the expected scaling. The Low preset averages 190 FPS, which is a large drop from the 295 FPS at 1440p. The Medium preset averages 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 and a maximum of 155 FPS. The High preset averages 118 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 88 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 115 FPS for the Medium preset is still well above the playability threshold, ensuring a smooth experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark data includes scores for the CPU and GPU, and the nearest rivals provide an idea of what other hardware would perform similarly. For the Intel Core i7-13700K, the closest comparable components are the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535. The Ryzen 9 5900 and the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 have average scores that are 0.2% and 0.3% lower, respectively, while the Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Xeon w3-2535 are 0.5% higher. These differences are minimal, meaning that these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in the game.

On the graphics card side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is closely matched by the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, which has an average score 1.1% higher. More interestingly, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB have scores that are 1.6%, 2.1%, and 2.4% lower, respectively. The RX 6850M XT would produce performance very close to the RTX 5090 D, with a slight deficit that might be visible in the 4K Ultra setting. The Tesla P100 options are less relevant for gaming, but the data suggests that the Radeon RX 6850M XT would be a suitable alternative for a similar experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 21st out of 3714 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol. This top-tier ranking indicates that a very small fraction of all tested systems outperform this setup. The high percentile rankings of the individual components, with the CPU in the 89th percentile and the GPU in the 92nd percentile, are consistent with this excellent overall ranking. The measured frame rates show that this ranking is well-earned, as the system delivers the highest playable settings at all resolutions with significant margin.

The Verdict

This PC configuration is unequivocally capable of running Lockdown Protocol at the highest settings with excellent performance. The verdict by resolution confirms that all resolutions are fully playable at every setting. The system achieves a flawless rating across the board:

• At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 88 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold.
• At 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 137 FPS, offering a smooth experience high refresh rates.
• At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 187 FPS, providing a very high frame rate.

The only consideration for users is whether they need to use the Ultra preset. The data shows that the Medium preset at 4K offers 135 FPS, which is a significant increase over Ultra, and has a minimum frame rate of 115 FPS. For competitive play, the 4K Medium setting might be more attractive, but for single-player or visually focused gameplay, the Ultra preset delivers a stable and playable experience. Ultimately, this is a top-tier gaming machine that handle the game with ease, leaving performance headroom for future titles or higher refresh rate monitors.