Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, an FPS released in 2024, responds predictably but not uniformly to resolution scaling when paired with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows signs of CPU influence at the lowest settings. This analysis breaks down the data from the benchmark runs, examining how the frame rate drops as pixel count increases, the role of the GPU's specifications, and how this specific combination ranks against other tested pairings.

Resolution Scaling

The most direct way to understand this combo's behavior is to trace average FPS across the three tested resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 220.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 160.6 FPS, a significant reduction of 59.9 FPS. Pushing further to 4K brings the average down to 100.9 FPS, another 59.7 FPS loss. This pattern shows a clear and substantial performance cost as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at lower quality presets.

The scaling at Ultra settings tells a similar story, though the absolute numbers are lower. Starting at 99.9 FPS in 1080p, the frame rate falls to 75.8 FPS at 1440p and then to 50 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 50% at Ultra, which is a steeper relative decline than the approximately 54% drop seen at Low settings. This suggests that at Ultra, the sheer pixel workload of 4K overwhelms the GPU, making the resolution the primary limiting component.

However, the data also reveals a nuance in the 1080p results. At that resolution, the gap between Low (220.5 FPS) and Medium (153.8 FPS) is 66.7 FPS. The gap between Medium and High (133.8 FPS) is 20 FPS, and the gap between High and Ultra (99.9 FPS) is 33.9 FPS. The large jump from Low to Medium indicates that even at 1080p, the GPU is still the main bottleneck, as raising settings immediately impacts performance. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS across the lower settings, which is not the case here.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the system is closer to a balance, but the GPU still holds the reins. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor, as the FPS drops in near-lockstep with the increase in pixel count. For a user targeting high refresh rates, 1080p is the only resolution where the combo can approach the 200+ FPS mark, and only at the Low preset. At 4K, even the Low preset yields just over 100 FPS, showing that this resolution is demanding for this hardware.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is a critical factor in the 4K results. The VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's assets at 4K, but the bandwidth is a likely contributor to the FPS drop from 1440p to 4K, as the GPU must feed more pixels and textures through the same bus.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant. The card has a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. The boost clock is the maximum theoretical speed, but the game clock is a more realistic indicator of sustained performance during gaming. The difference between the game and boost clocks suggests that the card has some thermal and power headroom, but the measured FPS shows it is still consistently challenged by Lockdown Protocol at higher resolutions. The GPU's rendering capabilities, rated at 35.17 TFLOPS FP32, are substantial, but they are not enough to keep the game at maximum settings and high resolutions simultaneously.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the RX 7700 XT's average benchmark score of 30097 is virtually identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which scores 30109, a delta of 0%. This means that in synthetic tests, the two cards are near-perfect peers. The data also shows the AMD Radeon RX 570 scoring 30158, which is a 0.2% higher score, and the NVIDIA Tesla M60 scoring 29969, which is 0.4% lower. These are all within a very tight margin, but the actual in-game FPS will be determined by driver optimization and game-specific rendering paths, not just raw compute.

The CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, has a boost clock of 4.60 GHz across its 8 cores and 16 threads. Its own benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22620, are solid, and its percentile ranking of 83 against all CPUs indicates strong performance. However, the FPS data suggests that this CPU is not the primary constraint in this game. The smooth scaling of FPS with resolution points to the GPU as the main arbiter of performance. The CPU's job is to feed the GPU, and with a 16-thread processor, it is likely doing so without becoming a bottleneck at the tested settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average FPS observed is 220.5, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with the highest quality settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 50. This is the most demanding configuration tested and yields the lowest frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1080p. The FPS drops from 220.5 at Low to 153.8 at Medium, a clear sign that GPU workload is the bottleneck. A CPU bottleneck would show a smaller difference between these presets.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 111.8 FPS, while the High preset averages 100.2 FPS. This is a difference of 11.6 FPS, showing a moderate performance cost for the visual upgrade.

Q: Is this combo better than a system with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060?

A: Based on average GPU benchmark scores, the RX 7700 XT and RTX 5060 are effectively tied. The RX 7700 XT has an average score of 30097, while the RTX 5060 has 30109, a delta of 0%. Performance in Lockdown Protocol would likely be very similar.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X + AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination ranks 731 out of 1637 tested combos for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 731 out of 1637 places it in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems for Lockdown Protocol. This is a position that reflects the balanced nature of the hardware. The CPU, with a percentile rank of 83 against all CPUs, is a strong performer, but the GPU, with a percentile rank of 73 against all GPUs, is slightly less exceptional. This balance means the combo is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and playable frame rates at 1440p, but it is not an elite-tier setup for 4K gaming.

The ranking also needs to be understood in the context of the GPU's rivals. The RX 7700 XT is statistically tied with the RTX 5060 in synthetic benchmarks. This means that a system with the Ryzen 7 5700X and an RTX 5060 would likely achieve a very similar rank. The deltaPct of 0% between the two GPUs underscores that the choice between them is not a matter of raw performance, but rather of other factors like drivers or specific game optimizations. The ranking of 731 suggests that there are 730 faster combos, but also that this setup outperforms over 900 other combinations, making it a solid mid-range to upper-mid-range choice for this title.

Settings Recommendations

For a 1080p monitor with a high refresh rate, the Low preset is the only option that provides headroom above the 200 FPS threshold, delivering 220.5 FPS. For gamers who prefer a balance between visual quality and smoothness, the Medium preset at 153.8 FPS is a strong choice, offering a significant fidelity boost with a manageable FPS cost. The High preset at 133.8 FPS is also viable for 1080p, still clearing the 120 FPS mark for most displays.

At 1440p, the situation changes. The Low preset offers 160.6 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. The Medium preset at 111.8 FPS is the best choice for a high-refresh experience without sacrificing too much visual quality. The High preset at 100.2 FPS is still playable but begins to dip below the 120 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 75.8 FPS should be avoided if aiming for high refresh rates, but it is acceptable for a slower-paced visual experience.

At 4K, the priority is maintaining a playable frame rate. The Low preset at 100.9 FPS is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 75.4 FPS is also playable, offering better visuals. The High preset at 62.2 FPS is right at the edge of the 60 FPS standard. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience, as it falls below the 60 FPS baseline. The data suggests that for a consistent experience, users should stick to Low or Medium at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete listing of the measured average frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT combination in Lockdown Protocol.

1920x1080:

• Low: 220.5 FPS
• Medium: 153.8 FPS
• High: 133.8 FPS
• Ultra: 99.9 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 160.6 FPS
• Medium: 111.8 FPS
• High: 100.2 FPS
• Ultra: 75.8 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 100.9 FPS
• Medium: 75.4 FPS
• High: 62.2 FPS
• Ultra: 50 FPS

These numbers show a consistent pattern of performance degradation as both resolution and settings increase. The most efficient settings for maintaining high frame rates are Low and Medium, while High and Ultra are best reserved for lower resolutions or users who prioritize visual fidelity over raw FPS. The data confirms that this combo is capable of delivering a high-refresh experience at 1080p and a solid 60+ FPS experience at 1440p on Medium settings, but it struggles to maintain that standard at 4K except on the lowest presets.