Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 produces a consistently playable experience in Lockdown Protocol, but the data reveals a clear performance ceiling dictated by the graphics card rather than the processor. At 1080p, the combo delivers exceptional frame rates that scale down predictably as resolution increases, with the most balanced performance found at 1440p where the system avoids both the CPU-bound limits of lower resolutions and the GPU-heavy strain of 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent drop as resolution climbs, which strongly indicates that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 260 FPS, but this falls to 191 FPS at 1440p and 123 FPS at 4K. That represents a 26.5% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 35.6% drop from 1440p to 4K. This pattern is typical of a system where the GPU is doing the heavy lifting — as pixel count increases, the graphics card struggles to maintain the same output, while the CPU has ample headroom to spare.

The High settings row tells a similar story: 161 FPS at 1080p, 118 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are slightly less severe than the Low settings case, but the trend remains clear. The gap between 1080p and 1440p High is 26.7%, while moving from 1440p to 4K High costs another 35.6%. This consistency across settings suggests that the scaling is driven primarily by resolution rather than by any particular graphics option.

The Ultra settings curve is the most telling. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 121 FPS, which drops to 89 FPS at 1440p and 57 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the RTX 4070 simply runs out of raw shading power at this extreme. The fact that 4K Ultra (57 FPS) is nearly half the 1080p Ultra score (121 FPS) quantifies the GPU bottleneck — the 9700F is not the constraint here.

Looking at the Medium settings, which is the only preset with recorded minimum and maximum frame times, the data reinforces the GPU-bound conclusion. At 1080p Medium, the average is 185 FPS with a minimum of 157 FPS, while at 1440p Medium it averages 135 FPS (min 115) and at 4K Medium it drops to 87 FPS (min 74). The minimum frame rates track closely with the averages, suggesting stable performance without sudden CPU-related stutters. The 4K Medium minimum of 74 FPS is still comfortably above 60, confirming that even the heavier preset remains playable at 4K, albeit not at high refresh rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 639th out of 2828 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 77.4th percentile of all tested systems. This is a strong showing, but it is not near the top — the data suggests that there are many other combinations that deliver higher frame rates in this specific title. The rank reflects the balance between the Ryzen 7 9700F and the RTX 4070; while the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU is mid-to-high tier, and the game appears to favor systems with more graphics horsepower.

The CPU itself sits at the 94th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 69996. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163, delta -0.2%), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, delta 0.7%), and the Intel Core i7-14700K (69355, delta 0.9%). These deltas are all within one percent, meaning the 9700F is effectively tied with these other high-end chips in overall CPU performance. This confirms that the processor is not a weak link in the combo.

The GPU, in contrast, sits at the 81st percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, delta 0.1%), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, delta 0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135, delta -1.3%), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157, delta 1.3%). These deltas are similarly small, showing that the RTX 4070 is a mid-pack performer in the broader GPU landscape. The 16-percentage-point gap between the CPU's percentile and the GPU's percentile is the key takeaway: the processor punches well above the graphics card, which is why the combo's in-game rank (77.4th percentile) falls between the two.

The implication for Lockdown Protocol is that this combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p or solid 1440p play, but it will not dominate at 4K. The 639th rank out of 2828 combinations places it firmly in the upper quartile, but users seeking top-tier 4K performance would need a more powerful GPU to pair with this capable CPU.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 brings 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective. The GPU is built on the AD104 chip using a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These specifications position the card as a capable 1440p performer, and the measured data in Lockdown Protocol aligns with that expectation.

The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 29.15 TFLOPS, with a texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s. The card has 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, along with 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores. The 12 GB VRAM is not fully stressed by Lockdown Protocol at the measured settings, as evidenced by the fact that even 4K Ultra produces a playable 57 FPS average — a result that would be far lower if the memory capacity were a bottleneck.

The GPU's 200 W TDP and dual-slot design require a 550 W suggested power supply, and the card uses a single 16-pin connector. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth for this game. The card's end-of-life production status and its 599 USD launch MSRP indicate it was a mainstream high-end offering in its generation, but the benchmark scores show it is not a top-tier part — its 81st percentile ranking places it below many newer or more powerful alternatives.

The relationship between the GPU's clock speeds and the game's results is straightforward. The boost clock of 2475 MHz allows the card to reach 260 FPS at 1080p Low, but the same clock cannot sustain that output at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS, which is less than a quarter of the 1080p Low score, demonstrates that the shading units and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, not the clock speed itself. The 12 GB frame buffer is sufficient for this game, as no configuration shows a catastrophic drop that would indicate VRAM exhaustion.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 260 FPS, which is the highest measured score in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 185 FPS with a minimum of 157 FPS and a maximum of 213 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 161 FPS, while Ultra drops further to 121 FPS. The spread from 260 to 121 FPS across the four presets shows that the game's settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution, but even the lowest Ultra score is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play.

At 2560x1440, the scores decrease but remain highly playable. Low settings average 191 FPS, Medium averages 135 FPS (min 115, max 156), High averages 118 FPS, and Ultra averages 89 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 26-27% of the frame rate across all settings, which is a typical penalty for a 77% increase in pixel count. The 1440p Ultra score of 89 FPS is still excellent for a high-fidelity experience, and the Medium preset's 135 FPS average with a 115 FPS minimum ensures there are no noticeable dips.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly but remains usable for most presets. Low settings average 123 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS (min 74, max 101), High averages 76 FPS, and Ultra averages 57 FPS. The 4K Low result is the only configuration that breaks the 120 FPS barrier at this resolution, while 4K Ultra is the only measured result below 60 FPS. The Medium preset's 87 FPS average with a 74 FPS minimum shows that the card can handle 4K at moderate settings without severe frame pacing issues.

Comparing across resolutions, the 1080p Low score of 260 FPS is more than double the 4K Low score of 123 FPS, and the 1080p Ultra score of 121 FPS is just above the 4K Low score. This overlap highlights the GPU's dominance in determining frame rates — the difference between the lowest and highest settings at a given resolution is often smaller than the difference between resolutions at the same setting.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At High settings it produces 118 FPS, while Ultra still achieves 89 FPS. This resolution avoids the CPU-bound limits of 1080p and the GPU strain of 4K, where Ultra drops to 57 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. Low settings at 4K deliver 123 FPS, and Medium delivers 87 FPS (min 74). However, High drops to 76 FPS and Ultra falls to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Users should stick to Medium or Low at 4K for a consistent experience.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996 on average, which is within 1% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875), Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515), and Intel Core i7-14700K (69355). The 9700F is effectively tied with these chips, sitting at the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests this. The GPU sits at the 81st percentile among all graphics cards, while the CPU is at the 94th percentile. The frame rate drops of 26-36% when moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K indicate the RTX 4070 is the limiting factor, not the Ryzen 7 9700F.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, Low scores 260 FPS and Ultra scores 121 FPS, a difference of 139 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is 102 FPS (191 vs 89). At 4K, the gap narrows to 66 FPS (123 vs 57). The smaller absolute difference at 4K shows the GPU is more constrained at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the combo maintain stable frame times?

A: The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, shows consistent performance. At 1080p, the average is 185 FPS with a minimum of 157 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS. At 4K, the average is 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS. The minimums are always within 15-20% of the averages, indicating smooth frame pacing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to the High preset as the optimal choice for most users, as it provides the best balance between visual fidelity and frame rate across all three resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 161 FPS, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. At 1440p, High still produces 118 FPS, comfortably above the 100 FPS mark for smooth competitive play. Even at 4K, High yields 76 FPS, which is playable on a standard 60 Hz display.

For users with 1080p monitors, the Ultra preset is also a strong option. The 121 FPS average at 1080p Ultra is well above the 60 FPS threshold and only 25% lower than the High preset. The jump from High to Ultra at this resolution costs 40 FPS (from 161 to 121), which is a significant reduction for what may be a marginal visual improvement. However, for those who prioritize image quality over raw frame rate, the Ultra preset remains viable.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice for competitive play. The 135 FPS average with a 115 FPS minimum ensures that frame rates never dip below the 100 FPS mark, which is important for fast-paced FPS action. The High preset at 118 FPS is also acceptable, but the 17 FPS difference between Medium and High may not be worth the visual gains for highly competitive players. The Ultra preset at 89 FPS is best reserved for single-player or less demanding scenarios.

For 4K users, the Medium preset is the clear winner. The 87 FPS average and 74 FPS minimum provide a smooth experience that stays above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes. The Low preset at 123 FPS is suitable for users with 120 Hz 4K displays, but the visual compromises may be too severe for many. The High preset at 76 FPS is borderline, while the Ultra preset at 57 FPS should be avoided for any serious play due to its sub-60 FPS average.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize the High preset at 1080p or 1440p, and to use Medium at 4K. The Low preset is only necessary for extreme refresh rate chasing at 1080p (260 FPS) or for maintaining high frame rates at 4K (123 FPS). The Ultra preset is never essential for this combo in Lockdown Protocol, as the performance cost is too steep relative to the measured frame rate gains. The data shows that this system is best utilized at 1440p High or Medium settings, where it delivers a premium experience without pushing the GPU to its limits.