Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, a combination that lands at rank 936 out of 1637 tested combos in this database. The 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 5 part on the AM5 socket, boosting to 5.50 GHz, while the RX 6700 XT is a 12 GB RDNA 2 card with a 2581 MHz boost clock. The measured data shows this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates competitive at 1080p. The 9700X sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36029, putting it within 1% of rivals like the Intel Core i5-14500HX and Intel Core Ultra 9 185H. The GPU, in the 77th percentile, delivers an average score of 33721, closely matching the AMD Radeon RX 6800. For a fast-paced FPS, this combo delivers playable frame rates across most settings, though the gap between Low and Ultra presets is substantial.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) exceeding 90 FPS on average. At 2560x1440, only Low (139.4 FPS) and Medium (98.8 FPS) stay above 90 FPS, while High drops to 84.5 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 100 FPS, with Ultra averaging just 40.3 FPS.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 36029, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-14500HX and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by 0.4% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H by 0.8%, meaning performance is effectively tied across these four processors.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 4K?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the RX 6700 XT produces 53.6 FPS on High and 63.9 FPS on Medium, but only 40.3 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low (91.7 FPS) to Medium (63.9 FPS) is a 27.8 FPS drop, indicating the GPU's 12 GB memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are strained at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking?

A: This pairing ranks 936th out of 1637 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This reflects a balanced but not exceptional setup, where the CPU outperforms the GPU in relative percentile terms (89th vs 77th).

Q: How much faster is the CPU at single-threaded tasks?

A: The 9700X scores 1280 in 3dMark single-thread and 4459 in Cinebench R23 single-core. For comparison, its multithread scores (9771 in 3dMark max threads and 31588 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are roughly 7.6x and 7.1x higher respectively, showing strong scaling across its 8 cores.

Q: Which preset offers the most consistent experience at 1440p?

A: Medium is the most balanced choice, delivering 98.8 FPS average. Low offers 139.4 FPS but with reduced visual detail, while High drops to 84.5 FPS and Ultra falls to 66.3 FPS. For a competitive FPS, Medium provides the best compromise between frame rate and visual quality.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data indicates that the optimal experience depends heavily on your target resolution. At 1920x1080, every preset exceeds 90 FPS, so High (118.5 FPS) or even Ultra (91.7 FPS) is viable for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The step from Low (191.4 FPS) to Medium (137.2 FPS) costs 54.2 FPS, which is a significant hit for modest visual gains—so High is the recommended preset for 1080p users who want quality without dropping below 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. Medium (98.8 FPS) is the only preset that combines playable frame rates with decent visuals, as High (84.5 FPS) and Ultra (66.3 FPS) fall below the 90 FPS threshold that competitive FPS players typically prefer. Low (139.4 FPS) remains an option for esports-focused play, but the visual compromise is steep. For 3840x2160, only Low (91.7 FPS) is recommended for serious play; Medium (63.9 FPS) and High (53.6 FPS) are borderline, and Ultra (40.3 FPS) is not suitable for a fast-paced shooter.

The data suggests a clear pattern: this combo is best utilized at 1080p with High settings, or 1440p with Medium settings. Pushing to 4K Ultra is counterproductive, as the 40.3 FPS average indicates the GPU is overwhelmed. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p Medium is the standout choice, offering 98.8 FPS while maintaining reasonable detail levels.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It features 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's single-thread performance is critical, and the data shows it scores 1280 in 3dMark single-thread and 4459 in Cinebench R23 single-core—both strong results for an FPS title.

The 9700X's multithread capabilities are also robust, with a 3dMark max threads score of 9771 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 31588. This translates to an average benchmark score of 36029, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the 9700X is essentially tied: it is 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i5-14500HX and 0.6% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, but 0.4% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and 0.8% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H.

In practice, the CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock ensures that frame rates at 1080p are not CPU-limited. The measured 191.4 FPS at 1080p Low settings demonstrates that the 9700X can feed the GPU efficiently, as this is well above the GPU's capability at higher settings. The 8-core/16-thread configuration also prevents bottlenecking in scenes with many AI actors or physics calculations, which are common in FPS titles. However, the data shows that the CPU's advantage diminishes at higher resolutions, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RX 6700 XT ranks 936th out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 57th percentile of all tested pairings, meaning roughly 43% of combinations perform better. The rank reflects a significant imbalance: the CPU is in the 89th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 77th percentile of all graphics cards. This suggests the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

The ranking also indicates that while the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU is mid-range, and this is visible in the measured FPS. At 1080p, the combo achieves 191.4 FPS on Low, which is excellent, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 40.3 FPS, showing the GPU's limitations. Compared to the database average, this combo sits in the lower-middle range, meaning there are many setups that deliver higher frame rates, particularly those with stronger GPUs.

The 936th rank is not a condemnation—it simply reflects that this pairing is optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K. The CPU's high percentile (89th) means it has headroom for future GPU upgrades, but as tested, the RX 6700 XT holds the combo back from higher rankings. For a builder targeting 1440p Medium at 98.8 FPS, this rank is acceptable; for 4K enthusiasts, it is insufficient.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 22 chip, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. It operates at a base clock of 2321 MHz and a boost clock of 2581 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz. The card has 2560 shading units and 40 ray tracing cores, delivering 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its average benchmark score is 33721, placing it in the 77th percentile of all GPUs.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution. At 1920x1080, it delivers 191.4 FPS on Low and 91.7 FPS on Ultra, showing a 99.7 FPS spread between the lowest and highest presets. At 2560x1440, the spread narrows to 73.1 FPS (139.4 FPS on Low vs 66.3 FPS on Ultra). At 3840x2160, the spread is 51.4 FPS (91.7 FPS on Low vs 40.3 FPS on Ultra), indicating that the GPU's 12 GB memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K Ultra.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 6700 XT is 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6800 but 1.0% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7950 and AMD Radeon RX 480. It is also 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA RTX A5000. These deltas are minor, meaning the RX 6700 XT performs within a tight band of similar GPUs. The 77th percentile ranking confirms it is a solid mid-range card, but not a high-end performer.

The GPU's 230 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU are reasonable for a dual-slot card. Its 12 GB VRAM is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result (40.3 FPS) suggests memory bandwidth is the limiting factor. For Lockdown Protocol, the GPU is best utilized at 1080p High (118.5 FPS) or 1440p Medium (98.8 FPS), where it provides a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RX 6700 XT delivers 91.7 FPS on Low settings, 63.9 FPS on Medium, 53.6 FPS on High, and 40.3 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 27.8 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is 10.3 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 13.3 FPS. This indicates that the GPU struggles with higher preset settings at 4K, with Ultra falling below playable thresholds for an FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results improve significantly. Low settings yield 139.4 FPS, Medium delivers 98.8 FPS, High produces 84.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 66.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 40.6 FPS, which is the largest single-preset jump at this resolution. Medium is the only preset that maintains frame rates above 90 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 1440p.

At 1920x1080, the combo reaches its peak performance. Low settings hit 191.4 FPS, Medium achieves 137.2 FPS, High delivers 118.5 FPS, and Ultra still manages 91.7 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 99.7 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to handle all presets comfortably. Even Ultra stays above 90 FPS, which is the minimum for a competitive FPS experience.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step down from 4K to 1080p roughly doubles the frame rate on the same preset. For example, Low goes from 91.7 FPS at 4K to 139.4 FPS at 1440p to 191.4 FPS at 1080p. Similarly, Ultra goes from 40.3 to 66.3 to 91.7 FPS. This confirms that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p, with 4K reserved for Low settings only.