Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol places this AMD Ryzen 7 7700X + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination at rank 3166 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the database. The percentile position is heavily influenced by the graphics card, which sits at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, while the processor is a top-tier part at the 85th percentile. This pairing represents a classic bottleneck scenario where the CPU's potential is largely untapped by the GPU's output capabilities at most settings. The data confirms that the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor, as the Ryzen 7 7700X has enough headroom to push far higher frame rates than the GPU can physically render in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 3166 out of 3714 puts it in the bottom 15% of all tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol. This is a surprisingly low position given the individual components' benchmark scores. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is an exceptionally strong processor, with an average benchmark score of 35,909 and a percentile rank of 85 against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35,802, 0.3% slower), Intel Core 7 250H (35,728, 0.5% slower), and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 (35,719, 0.5% slower). The CPU is clearly not the issue.

The problem is the GPU. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 12,986, placing it at the 53rd percentile. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12,940, 0.4% faster), AMD Radeon RX 580 (12,928, 0.4% faster), and AMD Radeon 740M (12,870, 0.9% slower). This mid-range GPU, while adequate for many titles, struggles to keep up with the demands of Lockdown Protocol at higher resolutions. The rank disparity between the CPU's 85th percentile and GPU's 53rd percentile highlights that the system's overall performance is capped by the graphics card. In practical terms, this combo ranks where it does because the GPU cannot translate the CPU's massive computational lead into playable frame rates at demanding settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive component in this configuration. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The memory operates at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the core runs at a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. This Turing-architecture chip (TU116) has 1,408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, delivering a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 5.027 TFLOPS.

For Lockdown Protocol, these specifications translate into a GPU that performs adequately at lower settings but quickly becomes the bottleneck as resolution and quality increase. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p gameplay but may be strained at higher resolutions. The measured data shows the GPU's behavior clearly: at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 123 FPS, but dropping to Ultra settings at the same resolution yields only 57 FPS — a reduction of over 50%. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. The card lacks ray tracing and tensor cores, which is not a factor in this game's benchmark but underscores its age. The 12 nm process node and 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die highlight that this is an older design compared to the CPU's 5 nm Zen 4 architecture.

FAQ

Q: Why does this combo rank so low (3166/3714) despite having a top-tier CPU?

A: The rank is determined by combined performance in Lockdown Protocol, and the GPU's 53rd percentile score severely limits overall frame rates. The CPU's 85th percentile score cannot compensate for the GPU's mid-range capabilities, resulting in a system that is bottlenecked at the graphics card.

Q: What is the best performance this combo can achieve in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 123 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 90 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 58 FPS. These are the only configurations that exceed 60 FPS on average.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER sufficient for 1440p gaming in this title?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo achieves 90 FPS on Low settings and 56 FPS on High settings. Medium settings yield 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS. This indicates that 1440p is playable but only at lower quality presets; Ultra settings drop to 42 FPS, which is below ideal smoothness.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12,986 on average, which is 0.4% slower than the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12,940) and 0.4% slower than the RX 580 (12,928). It is 0.9% faster than the AMD Radeon 740M (12,870). These margins are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the CPU's multithreaded performance relative to its competitors?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700X scores 19,088 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 35,686 in Passmark multithread. Its average benchmark score of 35,909 is 0.3% higher than the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.5% higher than both the Intel Core 7 250H and Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350. It leads the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by 0.7%.

Q: Does the combo ever achieve playable FPS at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the best result is 58 FPS on Low settings. Medium settings yield 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High settings produce 36 FPS, and Ultra drops to 27 FPS. Only Low settings at 4K are marginally playable, while other presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of this combo's performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are strongest: Low settings achieve 123 FPS average, Medium reaches 87 FPS (min 74, max 100), High delivers 76 FPS, and Ultra drops to 57 FPS. This shows a clear gradient where the GPU can handle 1080p with some headroom at lower presets but struggles to maintain high refresh rates at Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease predictably. Low settings yield 90 FPS, Medium produces 64 FPS (min 54, max 73), High achieves 56 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that the GTX 1660 SUPER is operating near its limits at this resolution; even the Medium preset's minimum of 54 FPS suggests occasional dips below smooth gameplay. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 48 FPS, highlighting the GPU's sensitivity to graphical quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low settings are the only playable option at 58 FPS average. Medium settings produce 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High yields 36 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 27 FPS. These 4K numbers confirm that the GPU is not designed for this resolution in Lockdown Protocol, as even the lowest quality preset barely maintains 60 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step up (1080p to 1440p to 4K) costs roughly 30-40% of the frame rate at the same settings, with the GPU becoming the dominant limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a Zen 4 architecture processor built on TSMC's 5 nm process node, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. It operates at a base clock of 4.50 GHz and boosts to 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 105W. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 32 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, providing 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive: Cinebench R23 multicore reaches 19,088, Geekbench multicore hits 12,451, and Passmark multithread scores 35,686. Single-thread performance is also strong, with 3DMark single-thread at 1,090 and Passmark single-thread at 4,190.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain frame rates. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 7700X is never the limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the combo achieves 123 FPS — this is likely close to the CPU's maximum frame rate capability for this game, but the GPU still keeps up. At higher resolutions, the frame rates drop due to GPU load, not CPU limitations. The processor's 16 threads and high boost clock ensure that even at 4K Ultra (27 FPS), the CPU has ample headroom. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and its nearest rivals being within 0.7% of its average score confirm that it is a high-end part that would pair well with a much stronger GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and frame rate target. For 1080p, the Medium preset at 87 FPS (min 74) offers the best balance of visual quality and smoothness, staying comfortably above 60 FPS with a minimum that never dips below 70. High settings at 76 FPS are also viable if slightly better visuals are desired. Ultra at 57 FPS is borderline, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold, while Low at 123 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is paramount.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 64 FPS (min 54) is the best choice for a playable experience, though the minimum frame rate suggests occasional stutters. Low settings at 90 FPS provide a smoother experience with a significant frame rate boost. High at 56 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS are not recommended for consistent gameplay, as they fall below the 60 FPS target. For 4K, the only viable option is Low settings at 58 FPS, which is marginal. Medium at 41 FPS, High at 36 FPS, and Ultra at 27 FPS are all too slow for a smooth experience in a fast-paced FPS.

The data indicates that the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings, delivering 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS. This configuration provides a solid 60+ FPS experience with reasonable visual quality. If a higher resolution is required, 1440p Low at 90 FPS is the next best option. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, 1080p High at 76 FPS is acceptable, but the drop from Medium is noticeable without a proportional visual gain.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 123 FPS at 1080p to 90 FPS at 1440p (a 27% decrease) and then to 58 FPS at 4K (a 53% decrease from 1440p). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the pixel count increase directly impacts the GPU's workload. The CPU can handle the additional draw calls, but the GPU cannot render more pixels at the same rate.

At Medium settings, the drop is from 87 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 1440p (26% decrease) and then to 41 FPS at 4K (36% decrease). The High settings show a similar trend: 76 FPS to 56 FPS (26% decrease) and then to 36 FPS (36% decrease). Ultra settings drop from 57 FPS to 42 FPS (26% decrease) and then to 27 FPS (36% decrease). The consistent ~26% drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter, as the resolution increase proportionally affects the pixel fill rate.

The drop from 1440p to 4K is larger (36-53% depending on settings), which indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated at 4K. The 6 GB VRAM may also be a factor, as higher resolutions require more memory for textures and buffers. The data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being impractical except at the lowest settings. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal; even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would be most likely to bottleneck, the GPU still produces 123 FPS, suggesting that the Ryzen 7 7700X has significant headroom for future GPU upgrades.