Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + Intel Arc B580

This combo places at rank 2126 out of 2828 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, putting it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The pairing of an 8-core Zen 5 CPU with Intel's Battlemage GPU delivers playable frame rates at 1080p, but the data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling that limits performance at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second range from a high of 154 at 1080p Low to a low of 34 at 4K Ultra, indicating that users will need to make deliberate settings choices to maintain smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2126 out of 2828 places this system in roughly the 25th percentile of all tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol. This is a modest standing, reflecting a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU. The Intel Arc B580's average benchmark score of 23021 puts it in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, while the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. The disparity between CPU and GPU percentile rankings explains the system's overall position: the processor is capable of far more than the graphics card can deliver in this title.

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for its processing headroom. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, a mere 0.2% below the 9700F's 69996 average. The Intel Core i7-14700KF is 0.2% ahead at 70163, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X trails by 0.7% and the Intel Core i7-14700K is 0.9% behind. These margins are negligible, meaning the 9700F is effectively performance-equivalent to several top-tier desktop and mobile processors from the previous generation. The GPU's rival comparisons show a different story: the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP is 0.2% ahead, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is 0.6% behind, the RTX 3080 is 0.7% ahead, and the NVIDIA P106-100 is 1% ahead. This groups the B580 with hardware spanning multiple generations, some of which have significantly different feature sets.

In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the measured results suggest the combo's rank is dragged down by the GPU's inability to sustain high frame rates at 4K. At 1080p, the system achieves respectable numbers, but the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is steep across all settings, which is typical for a GPU with 12 GB of VRAM and a 192-bit memory bus rather than a CPU limitation.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the strongest resolution, with average FPS ranging from 154 at Low settings to 72 at Ultra. At 2560x1440, averages fall to between 52 and 113, while 3840x2160 drops to between 34 and 73.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, placing it 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and 0.7% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. It trails the Intel Core i7-14700KF by 0.2% and the Intel Core i7-14700K by 0.9%.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 closer to the RTX 2080 or the RTX 3080?

A: Based on average scores, the B580 at 23021 is 0.6% ahead of the RTX 2080 at 22895 and 0.7% behind the RTX 3080 at 23172. The B580 sits almost exactly between these two NVIDIA cards.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 80 FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, with minimum and maximum readings of 68 and 92 FPS respectively.

Q: Does the 9700F bottleneck the B580 in this game?

A: The data suggests no CPU bottleneck at higher resolutions. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows consistent percentage drops that align with GPU rendering load, and the CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates substantial headroom.

Q: What is the worst-performing setting for this combo?

A: The lowest measured average is 34 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only configuration in the dataset that falls below 40 FPS on average.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the GPU as the primary limiting component. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 154 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 113 FPS, a reduction of 41 FPS or roughly 26.6%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 73 FPS, which is 81 FPS below the 1080p figure and represents a 52.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where pixel throughput becomes the bottleneck.

The Medium settings row provides the only complete min/max data across all resolutions, which allows for a closer look at frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the average is 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 and maximum of 126, a spread of 33 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 and maximum of 92, a spread of 24 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 59, a spread of 15 FPS. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates that frame times become more consistent as the GPU approaches its rendering limits, which is typical of sustained utilization rather than intermittent stalls.

High settings show a similar scaling pattern. From 95 FPS at 1080p, the average drops to 70 FPS at 1440p (a 25 FPS decrease) and then to 45 FPS at 4K (another 25 FPS decrease). Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic drop: 72 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The percentage reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is approximately 52.8%, nearly identical to the Low setting's 52.6% reduction. This consistency across all four settings presets strongly suggests that the scaling is governed by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth rather than any CPU-side limitation.

The CPU's performance characteristics support this interpretation. With a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, 8 cores, and 16 threads, the Ryzen 7 9700F has ample single-thread and multi-thread capacity for an FPS title. Its PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470 are strong figures. The fact that FPS scales almost perfectly with resolution changes, rather than plateauing due to CPU limits, confirms the GPU is the bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing smooth frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers the highest measured average at 154 FPS. This provides maximum headroom for competitive play and is the only configuration in the dataset that exceeds 150 FPS on average. At 1440p, Low still delivers a respectable 113 FPS average, which remains above the 100 FPS threshold that most FPS players consider comfortable.

The Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, the average of 109 FPS is only 45 FPS below Low, while providing improved visuals. The measured minimum of 93 FPS ensures that even the worst frame times stay above 90 FPS, which is a solid baseline for fast-paced gameplay. At 1440p, Medium produces an 80 FPS average with a 68 FPS minimum, which is playable but may not suit users with high-refresh-rate monitors. The 4K Medium result of 52 FPS average with 44 FPS minimum is marginal for an FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold.

High settings at 1080p yield 95 FPS average, which is still smooth, but the jump to 1440p High reduces this to 70 FPS, and 4K High falls to 45 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution in this title. At 1080p, it produces 72 FPS average, at 1440p it drops to 52 FPS, and at 4K it bottoms out at 34 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra over High is substantial, and with only 12 GB of VRAM, the B580 may also encounter texture memory pressure at 4K Ultra.

The data indicates that Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 109 FPS average with frame times that stay between 93 and 126 FPS. For users who prefer higher resolutions, 1440p Low at 113 FPS provides a better frame rate than 1440p Medium at 80 FPS, suggesting that visual fidelity settings have a larger impact on performance than resolution alone in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results across all settings. Low settings produce the highest average at 154 FPS. Medium settings follow at 109 FPS average, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS. High settings yield 95 FPS average. Ultra settings drop to 72 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a total reduction of 82 FPS, from 154 down to 72, which represents a 53.2% performance penalty for the highest visual preset.

At 2560x1440, the same settings order persists but with lower absolute values. Low settings average 113 FPS. Medium settings average 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS. High settings average 70 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 52 FPS average. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 61 FPS, a 54% reduction, nearly identical to the percentage drop at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the results become more challenging for smooth gameplay. Low settings average 73 FPS. Medium settings average 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS. High settings average 45 FPS. Ultra settings average 34 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 39 FPS, again approximately 53.4% reduction, maintaining the consistent scaling pattern across resolutions.

Comparing identical settings across resolutions reveals the cost of each resolution step. For Low, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 41 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 40 FPS. For Medium, the drops are 29 FPS and 28 FPS respectively. For High, the drops are 25 FPS and 25 FPS. For Ultra, the drops are 20 FPS and 18 FPS. The diminishing absolute reductions at higher settings indicate that the GPU's rendering workload becomes proportionally more complex with each preset level, consuming resources that would otherwise go toward resolution scaling.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F brings substantial processing power to this combo. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC, it offers a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate an efficient yet overclockable design. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3, providing 89.6 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth.

The PassMark results show a processor that excels in both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads. The single-thread score of 4691 places it among the top desktop CPUs, while the multithread score of 36470 demonstrates strong parallel capability. The floating-point math score of 77955 and integer math score of 120788 indicate robust arithmetic performance, and the extended instructions score of 33688 shows good SIMD throughput. The data encryption score of 21488 and data compression score of 421988 round out a balanced profile.

The 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, alongside rival scores within a 1% band of the 9700F's 69996 average, confirms that this processor is not the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol. In an FPS game, the CPU is responsible for game logic, physics, and draw call submission. With 8 full Zen 5 cores, the 9700F has ample headroom to feed the B580 at any resolution. The measured FPS scaling patterns, which show consistent percentage drops with resolution increases, would not occur if the CPU were bottlenecking, as frame rates would plateau regardless of resolution.

The 9700F's release in September 2025 and its compatibility with AMD Socket AM5 make it a current-generation part. Its memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is sufficient for gaming workloads, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface with 24 lanes provides high-bandwidth connectivity for the GPU, although the B580 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die reflect a dense, modern design that balances performance with power efficiency.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is a Battlemage-generation GPU built on TSMC's 5 nm process, featuring the BMG-G21 chip with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. Its Xe2-HPG architecture includes 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, along with 20 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a fixed 2670 MHz base and boost clock, with memory running at 2375 MHz, yielding 19 Gbps effective speed across a 192-bit bus for 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The 12 GB of GDDR6 VRAM is a significant asset for modern games. In Lockdown Protocol, the fact that 4K Ultra produces only 34 FPS average while 4K Low produces 73 FPS suggests that texture and shading complexity, not VRAM capacity, are the limiting factors at high settings. The GPU's pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s provide theoretical ceilings that align with the measured performance drops at higher resolutions.

The B580's benchmark results place it in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 23021. Its closest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP at 23061 (0.2% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 at 22895 (0.6% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 at 23172 (0.7% ahead), and the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23249 (1% ahead). This grouping is notable because it spans multiple generations and price tiers, indicating that the B580 delivers performance comparable to both older high-end cards and newer mid-range parts.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role as the primary bottleneck is evident from the resolution scaling data. The 52.6% to 53.4% FPS reduction from 1080p to 4K across all settings is consistent with a GPU whose rendering pipeline saturates as pixel count increases. The 190 W TDP and suggested 450 W PSU indicate a power-hungry part for its performance class, and the dual-slot cooler with a single 8-pin connector is a standard configuration. The 12 GB VRAM buffer ensures that even at 4K Ultra, memory capacity is unlikely to be the limiting factor, as the frame rate drops are consistent with compute or fill-rate limits rather than memory swapping.