Lockdown Protocol

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process. It runs with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This processor features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The chip also integrates Radeon Graphics, though in this discrete GPU configuration, the iGPU is not leveraged for rendering.

Benchmark results position this CPU at the 81st percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 29,713. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (avg score 29,656, delta 0.2%), the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (avg score 29,868, delta -0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (avg score 29,879, delta -0.6%). The Ryzen 5 9600X effectively trades blows with these parts, sitting within 1% of each in aggregate CPU performance. Single-thread performance is a highlight: Geekbench single-core score of 2,923 and Cinebench R23 single-core of 2,183.5, which supports strong per-core responsiveness.

In Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and maintain frame pacing. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combination achieves 200 FPS average, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 93 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower settings, the CPU is capable of pushing very high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at 1080p as settings increase. The 6-core/12-thread configuration with high boost clocks is well-suited for the game's threading model, as evidenced by the 3DMark 16-thread score of 7,585 versus the max-thread score of 7,590 — indicating near-linear scaling up to the CPU's full thread count. The 4-thread score of 4,649 and 8-thread score of 6,726 show that the processor's performance scales robustly across the core counts typical of modern FPS titles.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture (Navi 32 chip, codename "Wheat Nas") using TSMC's 5 nm process. It packs 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. Memory clock is 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective). The shader configuration includes 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with 40 ray tracing cores. Compute performance is rated at 25.18 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1 ratio). The card is a dual-slot design requiring two 8-pin power connectors and a 550 W suggested PSU, with a 200 W TDP.

In the GPU benchmark suite, this card scores at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15,852. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 370X (avg score 15,862, delta -0.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (avg score 16,014, delta -1%), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (avg score 15,679, delta 1.1%). Notably, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16,129, placing the RX 7700 about 1.7% behind it. In DirectX 12 tests, the card scores 96 on Passmark, while DirectX 11 scores 186, and DirectX 9 scores 261, showing expected scaling across API generations.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is ample for the game's textures at all tested settings, including 4K Ultra. The measured FPS shows that at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 44 FPS, while at 4K Low it reaches 95 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the primary determinants of performance at higher resolutions and settings. The 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth is critical for feeding the 96 ROPs at 4K, where pixel fill rate (236.1 GPixel/s) becomes a bottleneck. The game clock of 2041 MHz and boost of 2459 MHz provide the sustained throughput needed for the 59 FPS average at 4K High, but the card struggles to maintain 60 FPS at that preset, suggesting the need for settings tuning.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Examining the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 124 at 1080p, to 91 at 1440p, to 59 at 4K. This represents a 26.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 35.2% drop from 1440p to 4K. The progression is not linear — the 4K penalty is more severe per pixel than the 1440p penalty, which aligns with the GPU's pixel throughput limits at higher resolutions.

At Low settings, the same resolution scaling shows 200 FPS at 1080p, 147 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K. The drops are 26.5% and 35.4% respectively, nearly identical percentages to the High settings. This consistency indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all settings, as the relative FPS degradation from resolution scaling is independent of the graphics preset. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller FPS drop at lower resolutions where the CPU has more headroom — but the data shows the GPU constrains performance even at 1080p.

The Medium settings row provides additional insight: 142 FPS at 1080p, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K, with min/max FPS recorded only for Medium (121/163 at 1080p, 88/120 at 1440p, 57/77 at 4K). The frame time variance increases with resolution — the spread between min and max FPS grows from 42 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 1440p to 20 FPS at 4K (in absolute terms, but proportionally the variance widens). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is working closer to its limits, causing more consistent frame delivery but at lower average rates.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling: 93 FPS at 1080p, 68 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 52.7%, the largest of any preset. This indicates that Ultra settings amplify the GPU's workload per pixel, making resolution scaling even more punishing. The data strongly suggests that for this CPU+GPU combination, the RX 7700 is the performance limiter in Lockdown Protocol across all tested configurations.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo averages 124 FPS. At 1440p High, it averages 91 FPS. At 4K High, it averages 59 FPS. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, 1440p High is the highest resolution that stays above 90 FPS, while 4K High falls just below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance affect this game?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has a Geekbench single-core score of 2,923 and a Cinebench R23 single-core of 2,183.5. These scores support high FPS ceilings, as shown by the 200 FPS average at 1080p Low, where the CPU is not bottlenecked by GPU load.

Q: Is 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for 4K Ultra?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, and the measured 4K Ultra average is 44 FPS. While VRAM capacity is not the limiting factor in this test, the frame rate is below 60 FPS, indicating that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth (624.1 GB/s) are the constraining resources at this preset.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in overall GPU benchmarks?

A: According to the nearest rival data, the RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 16,129, while the RX 7700 scores 15,852, placing the RX 7700 about 1.7% behind. In Lockdown Protocol, this difference may translate to a few FPS at most.

Q: What settings give the most balanced frame rate at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Medium averages 104 FPS (min 88, max 120), High averages 91 FPS, and Ultra averages 68 FPS. Medium offers the highest frame rate among the balanced presets, while Ultra still provides acceptable performance above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU get saturated at any tested resolution?

A: The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K at all settings shows consistent percentage drops (around 26-35% per step), indicating the GPU, not the CPU, is the limiting component. The CPU's 12 threads and high boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide sufficient headroom for the game's demands.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 95 FPS average
• Medium: 67 FPS average (min 57, max 77)
• High: 59 FPS average
• Ultra: 44 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 147 FPS average
• Medium: 104 FPS average (min 88, max 120)
• High: 91 FPS average
• Ultra: 68 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 200 FPS average
• Medium: 142 FPS average (min 121, max 163)
• High: 124 FPS average
• Ultra: 93 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent hierarchy: Low > Medium > High > Ultra at every resolution. The gaps between presets widen at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 107 FPS (200 vs 93). At 1440p, the gap shrinks to 79 FPS (147 vs 68). At 4K, the gap narrows to 51 FPS (95 vs 44). This pattern confirms that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes increasingly saturated, and the relative impact of settings diminishes. The Medium preset consistently delivers the next-to-highest frame rates, with the only min/max data recorded across all resolutions — providing the most complete picture of frame time stability.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality for this combo. At 1080p, Medium delivers 142 FPS average with a min of 121 FPS — well above the 120 FPS threshold for high-refresh displays, and the frame time variance (121-163 FPS) is tight enough for competitive play. At 1440p, Medium maintains 104 FPS average (min 88, max 120), which is suitable for 100 Hz monitors and provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 4K, Medium drops to 67 FPS average (min 57, max 77), which is playable but may show occasional dips below 60 FPS.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rate, Low settings at 1080p yield 200 FPS, which is ideal for esports-style play where responsiveness trumps visuals. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 58 FPS (200 to 142), which is a significant trade-off. At 1440p, Low gives 147 FPS versus Medium's 104 FPS — a 43 FPS difference that may be worth the visual upgrade on a 144 Hz monitor. At 4K, Low (95 FPS) versus Medium (67 FPS) is a 28 FPS difference, making Low the only preset that comfortably exceeds 90 FPS at this resolution.

High settings are a middle ground: 124 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result falls just shy of 60 FPS, making it borderline for standard 60 Hz displays. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 93 FPS at 1080p, 68 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. Ultra at 4K is not recommended for smooth play, but Ultra at 1440p (68 FPS) and 1080p (93 FPS) are viable for users who prioritize image quality over high refresh rates.

The best experience per the measured rows depends on the target display. For 1080p/144 Hz, Medium (142 FPS) or High (124 FPS) are optimal. For 1440p/144 Hz, Medium (104 FPS) is the highest preset that stays above 100 FPS. For 4K/60 Hz, Low (95 FPS) provides headroom, while Medium (67 FPS) is the most visually rich preset that stays above 60 FPS average, albeit with a 57 FPS minimum.

# How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination — AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with AMD Radeon RX 7700 — ranks 1,275th out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 55th percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the mid-range positioning of both components: the CPU sits at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs. The combo's overall rank is pulled down by the GPU's relative weakness compared to the CPU's strength, particularly at higher resolutions where the RX 7700's performance ceiling becomes evident.

In the context of the measured FPS data, this rank translates to a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming at high settings with ease, but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core 2,183.5) ensures that the system is never CPU-bound in this game, as evidenced by the 200 FPS result at 1080p Low. The GPU's performance, while adequate for mainstream resolutions, limits the combo to mid-tier status in the overall ranking.

Compared to the CPU's nearest rivals (all within 1% aggregate performance), the choice of GPU matters more for this game's results. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals (R9 370X, RX 9060, Pro W5500, RTX 3060 Ti) are all within 1.7% in average benchmark scores, suggesting that the RX 7700's specific performance characteristics — 16 GB VRAM and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth — are more relevant than raw benchmark deltas in determining Lockdown Protocol's frame rates. The combo's rank of 1,275 out of 2,828 indicates that a large number of configurations outperform it, primarily due to more powerful GPUs, but it also means the combo outperforms roughly half of all tested systems, making it a capable mid-range option for this FPS title.