Lockdown Protocol

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache, supporting DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. It was released on 2024-08-07 with a launch MSRP of $359.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9700X shows strong scaling from 2 to 8 threads. Its 3DMark scores progress from 2525 with 2 threads to 4869 with 4 threads, then to 8184 with 8 threads, and finally to 9771 with max threads. The single-thread score of 1280 indicates solid per-core performance. Cinebench R23 results show 4459 for single-core and 31588 for multi-core, while Geekbench reports 3353 single-core and 17002 multi-core. PassMark multi-thread score is 37161, with a single-thread score of 4654. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36029.

For Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's capability to drive high frame rates matters most at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is less of a bottleneck. The benchmark data shows that at 1920x1080 Low, the combo reaches 125.5 FPS, while at 3840x2160 Low, it drops to 59.3 FPS. This nearly 2x difference (from 59.3 to 125.5 FPS) indicates that at 1080p Low, the system is not entirely GPU-limited; the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with high single-thread performance, allow the GTX 1660 SUPER to stretch toward its limits. The 9700X's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14500HX with a deltaPct of 0.2% (the 9700X is effectively tied), the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H at -0.4%, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 at 0.6%, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H at -0.8%. These margins are within 1%, meaning the 9700X's processing power is neither a unique advantage nor a deficit in this pairing.

The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 9824 and max-thread score of 9771 are nearly identical, suggesting that Lockdown Protocol's workloads are unlikely to fully saturate 16 threads, but the 8-core design ensures no thread starvation. The PassMark physics score of 2241 reflects the CPU's ability to handle game physics calculations, which are often single-thread-bound in FPS titles.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU (chip TU116) built on TSMC's 12 nm process. It features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). It has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 performance is 5.027 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s. The card is dual-slot, uses a single 8-pin power connector, and has a 125 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 300 W.

In synthetic tests, the GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12699 in PassMark G3D and 5076 in PassMark GPU compute. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1278, with Geekbench OpenCL at 62664 and Vulkan at 59933. The GPU ranks in the 55th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14286. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.7%: the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 at -0.2%, Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics at -0.2%, AMD Radeon Vega 11 at -0.5%, and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT at -0.7%.

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo delivers only 26.2 FPS, while at 1920x1080 Ultra it reaches 59.5 FPS. The 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the GPU's raw compute (5.027 TFLOPS) cannot sustain high settings. The 336.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient for the medium and high presets at 1440p, where the combo hits 64.5 and 57.2 FPS respectively, but the Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 39.4 FPS, indicating the shading units and ROPs are overwhelmed.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1438 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 12% of all pairings tested for this game. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range status (55th percentile) rather than the CPU's strong position (89th percentile). The data suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER, despite being matched with a capable CPU, cannot boost this combo into the upper echelons of Lockdown Protocol performance.

In relative terms, the combo's rank is consistent with what one would expect from a GPU that sits at the 55th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU's high percentile (89th) does not translate into a better combo rank because the game's frame rates are predominantly constrained by the graphics card. This is evident from the FPS data: at 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 125.5 FPS, which is respectable, but at 3840x2160 Ultra, it falls to 26.2 FPS. The gap between the CPU's strength and the GPU's limitation is the defining characteristic of this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce 125.5 FPS, which is the highest average FPS across all tested configurations. Medium settings yield 87.2 FPS, High settings give 74.9 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 59.5 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 53% reduction in frame rate (from 125.5 to 59.5 FPS), indicating that each preset tier imposes a meaningful load on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease substantially. Low settings deliver 90.6 FPS, Medium produces 64.5 FPS, High gives 57.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39.4 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 27.8% (from 125.5 to 90.6 FPS), reflecting the increased pixel count's impact on the GTX 1660 SUPER's fill rate and memory bandwidth.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings achieve 59.3 FPS, which is borderline for a fast-paced FPS. Medium drops to 43.8 FPS, High to 35.9 FPS, and Ultra to 26.2 FPS. The 4K results show that the GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit bus are insufficient for high-density rendering, as the memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s becomes a bottleneck when pushing 8.3 million pixels per frame.

Comparing settings across resolutions, the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference is 66 FPS (125.5 vs 59.5). At 1440p, the difference is 51.2 FPS (90.6 vs 39.4). At 4K, the difference narrows to 33.1 FPS (59.3 vs 26.2), because the GPU is already near its limits even at Low settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60+ FPS consistently?

A: At 1920x1080, all settings except Ultra deliver above 60 FPS, with Low at 125.5, Medium at 87.2, and High at 74.9. At 2560x1440, only Low (90.6 FPS) and Medium (64.5 FPS) exceed 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, no setting reaches 60 FPS, with Low maxing out at 59.3 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 14286. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, scores 14314, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics also scores 14315 (0.2% higher), while the AMD Radeon Vega 11 scores 14352 (0.5% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 14389 (0.7% higher). All rivals are within 1% of the GTX 1660 SUPER's performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 55th percentile. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases (e.g., 125.5 FPS at 1080p Low vs 59.3 FPS at 4K Low), which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, not CPU-bound ones.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested combinations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + GTX 1660 SUPER combo ranks 1438 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 12% of all pairings, reflecting the GPU's mid-tier status.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the combo achieves 59.5 FPS, which is close to 60 FPS but not consistently above it. At 2560x1440 Ultra, it drops to 39.4 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Ultra, it falls to 26.2 FPS. Ultra settings are only marginally playable at 1080p.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 31588, while single-core is 4459, giving a ratio of about 7.1x. The 3DMark 16-thread score (9824) is nearly identical to the max-thread score (9771), suggesting that the 8-core, 16-thread design is fully utilized in synthetic workloads.

Settings Recommendations

For a balance of visual quality and performance, the data suggests that 1920x1080 High is the optimal configuration. At 74.9 FPS, it provides smooth gameplay for an FPS title while maintaining a higher visual fidelity than Medium (87.2 FPS). The jump from High to Ultra costs 20.6% performance (74.9 to 59.5 FPS) for what is typically a marginal visual improvement in most games.

If the user prefers 2560x1440, Medium is the recommended preset. At 64.5 FPS, it stays above the 60 FPS threshold, whereas High drops to 57.2 FPS and Ultra falls to 39.4 FPS. The 1440p Medium setting represents the highest resolution at which the combo can consistently deliver playable frame rates without sacrificing too much detail.

For 3840x2160, only Low is viable, delivering 59.3 FPS. Medium (43.8 FPS) and High (35.9 FPS) are below playable thresholds for a competitive FPS, and Ultra (26.2 FPS) is unplayable. Users prioritizing 4K should accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution.

The measured data shows that the GTX 1660 SUPER's sweet spot is 1080p, where it can handle High settings comfortably. At higher resolutions, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit bus become constraints, forcing users to compromise on quality. The combo's overall rank (1438/1637) suggests that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can leverage the CPU's strength to maintain high frame rates.