Lockdown Protocol

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

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT reveals a clear and steep resolution scaling curve. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 156 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings drops that to 114 FPS, a reduction of 42 FPS (approximately 27%). Stepping up to 3840x2160 at Low settings yields 74 FPS, which is 82 FPS below the 1080p figure — a dramatic 53% decrease from the starting point.

This scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At High settings, the progression goes from 97 FPS at 1080p, to 71 FPS at 1440p, down to 46 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset follows the same trajectory: 111 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings show 72 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K.

The data strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The RX 5700 XT, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, appears to be the bottleneck when pixel count rises. The FPS drops between 1440p and 4K are proportionally larger than those between 1080p and 1440p, which is characteristic of a GPU that is increasingly saturated at higher resolution workloads.

Notably, the CPU has headroom. The Ryzen 7 9700F, with 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 5 architecture, posts a PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and a multithread score of 36470. These figures indicate strong processing capability that is unlikely to constrain the RX 5700 XT at any resolution tested. The fact that 1080p Low reaches 156 FPS while 4K Low only reaches 74 FPS points directly to the GPU's rendering limits rather than any CPU bottleneck.

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

The Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor from AMD's 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The processor includes 32 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's single-thread performance is often critical for game logic and frame pacing. The PassMark single-thread score of 4691 places this processor in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. Its multithread score of 36470 reflects strong parallel capability, but for an FPS game, the single-thread figure is more relevant for maintaining consistent frame delivery.

The benchmark results for the Ryzen 7 9700F show it competing closely with several high-end rivals. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875 (a 0.2% delta), the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70163 (a -0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515 (a 0.7% delta), and the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 69355 (a 0.9% delta). These deltas are all within 1% of the 9700F's average benchmark score of 69996, suggesting this CPU is well-matched against some of the fastest processors available.

Given the resolution scaling observed, the CPU does not appear to be the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 156 FPS, and with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, the processor has ample single-core speed for high frame rates. The fact that FPS scales downward consistently with resolution increases indicates that the CPU is delivering frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. The GPU has a base clock of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. Memory operates at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed across an 8 GB GDDR6 frame buffer on a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 19.51 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio). Pixel rate is 121.9 GPixel/s and texture rate is 304.8 GTexel/s. The card has a 225 W TDP and requires a 550 W power supply. It supports PCIe 4.0 x16 and offers display outputs of 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

In the PassMark G3D benchmark, the RX 5700 XT scores 16277, placing it in the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 16361. The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M at 16351 (0.1% delta), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell at 16408 (-0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 at 16415 (-0.3% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 at 16504 (-0.9% delta). These extremely tight deltas — all under 1% — indicate the RX 5700 XT's performance level sits in a competitive band of GPUs.

The measured FPS data in Lockdown Protocol shows this GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo only manages 34 FPS, which is barely playable. The 8 GB VRAM capacity may also be a factor at 4K with higher settings, as the game is likely consuming more memory at that resolution. The bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, while substantial for its era, is stretched when pushing 8.3 million pixels at 3840x2160.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 156 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded across all tested configurations. Medium settings yield 111 FPS with a minimum of 94 FPS and a maximum of 127 FPS. High settings achieve 97 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 72 FPS average. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 84 FPS, showing that settings have a substantial impact even at the lowest resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases across the board. Low settings average 114 FPS, which is still quite playable. Medium settings average 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS. High settings average 71 FPS. Ultra settings average 53 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 42 FPS, while at Ultra settings the drop is 19 FPS. Interestingly, the absolute FPS reduction is larger at lower settings, but the percentage reduction is more significant at higher settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly struggling. Low settings average 74 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that breaks the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS. High settings average 46 FPS. Ultra settings average 34 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 40 FPS, indicating that even at this resolution, settings choices matter greatly for playability.

The Medium preset across all resolutions shows the most complete data with min and max values recorded. At 1080p Medium, the range is 94 to 127 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 69 to 93 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 44 to 60 FPS. This data suggests that frame pacing is relatively stable, with the min FPS staying within roughly 15-20% of the average.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 2105 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 74th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly 74% of combos perform better and 26% perform worse.

This ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual component benchmarks. The CPU is in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is only in the 59th percentile among all GPUs. The combo's overall ranking of 2105 out of 2828 (approximately 74th percentile) is pulled down significantly by the GPU's lower relative standing. This aligns with the resolution scaling analysis, which identified the GPU as the limiting factor.

The ranking suggests that in a game like Lockdown Protocol, the GPU is the primary determinant of overall performance for this combo. The CPU's high percentile ranking does not translate to a similarly high combo ranking because the game's frame rate is capped by what the RX 5700 XT can deliver, particularly at higher resolutions.

Given that the GPU's nearest rivals all have average scores within 1% of the RX 5700 XT, the combo ranking is likely representative of what other similar GPU pairings would achieve. The 0.2% delta with the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and -0.3% delta with the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell suggest these GPUs would produce nearly identical results in this game.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates, with Low settings reaching 156 FPS and Ultra settings reaching 72 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low settings (114 FPS) and Medium settings (81 FPS) exceed 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low settings (74 FPS) exceed 60 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the drop is from 156 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 82 FPS. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 72 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 38 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck for this combo?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU has a PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470, placing it in the 94th percentile. The GPU is in the 59th percentile with a G3D score of 16277. The steep FPS drops with increasing resolution point to GPU saturation.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 2105 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking distribution.

Q: What settings preset provides the most stable frame pacing?

A: The Medium preset has the most complete data with min and max values. At 1080p, it ranges from 94 to 127 FPS (average 111). At 1440p, it ranges from 69 to 93 FPS (average 81). At 4K, it ranges from 44 to 60 FPS (average 52).

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration and how does it affect performance?

A: The RX 5700 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The data shows significant performance degradation at 4K, where the VRAM capacity and bandwidth may be insufficient for higher settings.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, all settings presets are playable. Low settings deliver 156 FPS for competitive play, Medium settings offer 111 FPS with a stable range of 94 to 127 FPS, and High settings provide 97 FPS. Ultra settings at 72 FPS are still smooth for most players. The data suggests Medium or High settings at 1080p offer the best balance between visual quality and performance, with High providing a 97 FPS average while maintaining higher fidelity.

For 2560x1440, the choices narrow. Low settings at 114 FPS are ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings at 81 FPS with a range of 69 to 93 FPS are also viable for smooth gameplay. High settings at 71 FPS approach the threshold where some players may notice frame pacing issues. Ultra settings at 53 FPS are borderline for fast-paced FPS action. The recommendation is Medium settings at 1440p for the best compromise.

For 3840x2160, only Low settings (74 FPS) provide a consistently smooth experience. Medium settings at 52 FPS dip to 44 FPS minimum, which may cause noticeable stuttering in intense combat sequences. High settings at 46 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS are not recommended for this game's fast-paced nature. Players targeting 4K should use Low settings and accept the visual trade-off, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for better frame rates.

The data shows that the Medium preset offers the most consistent frame pacing across all resolutions, with documented min and max values that stay within a reasonable range of the average. This preset appears to be the best overall recommendation for players who want a balanced experience without sacrificing too much visual quality.