Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 7 9700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination sits at the very top of the measured leaderboard for Lockdown Protocol, ranking 1st out of 1,637 tested combos. This pairing of AMD's Zen 5 desktop processor with NVIDIA's Blackwell flagship delivers frame rates that range from a minimum of 85.1 FPS at 4K Ultra to a maximum of 365.1 FPS at 1080p Low. The data reveals a system that is consistently fast across all settings, but the relationship between CPU and GPU workload shifts dramatically depending on resolution and quality preset.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on Zen 5 architecture 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 that suggests efficient power delivery. The processor's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory is handled via dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, and the CPU supports PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes.

Benchmark data places this CPU in the 89th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 36,029. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H at 36,165 (0.4% ahead), the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H at 36,328 (0.8% ahead), the Intel Core i5-14500HX at 35,940 (0.2% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 at 35,802 (0.6% behind). These deltas are small, indicating that the 9700X sits in a tightly contested performance band.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's influence is most visible at lower resolutions where the GPU is less burdened. At 1080p Low, the system produces 365.1 FPS, while at 4K Low it drops to 181.8 FPS. The gap between these two numbers is largely attributable to the GPU becoming the limiting factor at higher pixel counts, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance helps sustain high frame rates even at 1080p. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,280 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,459 indicate solid per-core capability, which matters for a fast-paced FPS where draw calls and game logic can bottleneck at extreme frame rates.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB202 chip manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It packs 92,200 million transistors across a 750 mm² die, with a transistor density of 122.9 million per mm². The GPU runs at a base clock of 2017 MHz and boosts to 2407 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). Memory configuration is substantial: 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's compute resources include 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. Pixel rate is 423.6 GPixel/s, texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s, and FP32 throughput is 104.8 TFLOPS. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, with display outputs including 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b. Power requirements are listed at 575 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 950 W.

The RTX 5090 ranks in the 94th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 84,306. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D at 84,241 (0.1% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile at 84,171 (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 at 83,209 (1.3% behind), and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX at 85,637 (1.6% ahead). The tiny deltas between these scores suggest the 5090's benchmark position is competitive but not dominant in synthetic tests.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's massive memory pool and bandwidth prove decisive at high resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the system still manages 85.1 FPS, which is remarkably playable for a flagship card. The 32 GB VRAM capacity is far beyond what this game requires at any settings, meaning memory capacity is unlikely to ever be a constraint. Instead, the GPU's raw rasterization and compute power drive the frame rates, particularly at 4K where the difference between Low (181.8 FPS) and Ultra (85.1 FPS) settings shows a 96.7 FPS swing.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Examining the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers a compelling balance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 273.8 FPS, which is only 91.3 FPS below the Low preset but provides significantly better visual quality. At 1440p Medium, the frame rate is 202.1 FPS, still comfortably above high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at 4K Medium, the system manages 130.2 FPS, which is well within playable territory for competitive FPS gaming.

The High preset is also viable but shows a steeper performance cost. At 1080p High, the system produces 235.8 FPS, dropping to 176.3 FPS at 1440p and 110.8 FPS at 4K. These numbers are still respectable, but the step from Medium to High costs roughly 38-70 FPS depending on resolution. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 178.6 FPS at 1080p, 133.4 FPS at 1440p, and 85.1 FPS at 4K. For players with 240 Hz or higher refresh displays, the Low preset at 1080p (365.1 FPS) or 1440p (282.7 FPS) may be preferable to maximize frame rates.

Given the measured data, Medium at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot: 202.1 FPS is high enough for smooth competitive play, and the visual upgrade over Low is substantial. For 4K users, Medium at 130.2 FPS offers the best trade-off between fidelity and responsiveness, as Ultra at 85.1 FPS may feel less fluid in a fast-paced FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves the top rank in Lockdown Protocol, placing 1st out of 1,637 tested combos. This is a notable achievement given the breadth of hardware configurations in the database. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, indicating that this pairing consistently outperforms other CPU-GPU combinations in this game.

The fact that the combo ranks first suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700X's 8-core/16-thread configuration with its high boost clock does not bottleneck the RTX 5090 even at low resolutions where CPU load is typically highest. The 365.1 FPS result at 1080p Low is evidence that the processor can feed the GPU enough data to sustain very high frame rates. Meanwhile, at 4K Ultra, the combo still delivers 85.1 FPS, showing that the GPU's capabilities are fully utilized without the CPU becoming a limiting factor.

The delta between this combo's performance and the rest of the field is not directly provided, but the top rank implies it leads all other pairings. The CPU's 89th percentile standing and GPU's 94th percentile standing individually are strong, but their combined rank of 1 suggests synergistic performance in this specific game workload.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 365.1, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes, at 4K Ultra the system delivers 85.1 FPS average, while 4K Low reaches 181.8 FPS. All 4K presets are playable.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 36,029, placing it 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14500HX and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by 0.4% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225H by 0.8%.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5090?

A: The RTX 5090 has a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, using 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus.

Q: Which settings preset provides the best balance of FPS and visual quality at 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 deliver 202.1 FPS, offering a strong balance between performance and visual fidelity.

Q: How many combos does this pairing rank ahead of in the database?

A: This combo ranks 1st out of 1,637 tested combos, meaning it outperforms all 1,636 other combinations in Lockdown Protocol.

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

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance capabilities. Low settings yield 365.1 FPS, Medium produces 273.8 FPS, High achieves 235.8 FPS, and Ultra delivers 178.6 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 186.5 FPS, indicating that settings choice has a profound impact on frame rate at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected decline. Low settings produce 282.7 FPS, Medium delivers 202.1 FPS, High achieves 176.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 133.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 149.3 FPS, which is narrower than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is beginning to exert more influence.

At 3840x2160, the system still performs admirably. Low settings reach 181.8 FPS, Medium delivers 130.2 FPS, High achieves 110.8 FPS, and Ultra produces 85.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 96.7 FPS, the smallest spread across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as pixel count rises.

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

Examining the scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about system balance. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 365.1 FPS at 1080p to 282.7 FPS at 1440p (a 82.4 FPS reduction) and then to 181.8 FPS at 4K (a 100.9 FPS further reduction). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low is 183.3 FPS, representing a 50.2% reduction.

At Medium settings, the progression is 273.8 FPS at 1080p, 202.1 FPS at 1440p, and 130.2 FPS at 4K. The total reduction is 143.6 FPS, or 52.4%. At High settings, the numbers are 235.8 FPS, 176.3 FPS, and 110.8 FPS, for a total drop of 125.0 FPS (53.0%). Finally, at Ultra settings, the frame rates go from 178.6 FPS at 1080p to 133.4 FPS at 1440p and 85.1 FPS at 4K, a total reduction of 93.5 FPS (52.4%).

The consistency of roughly 50-53% reduction from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that neither the CPU nor GPU is dramatically out of balance. If the CPU were the primary limiter, the percentage drop would be steeper at lower settings where CPU overhead is relatively larger. Instead, the uniform scaling suggests that both components scale reasonably with resolution, though the GPU's workload increases proportionally with pixel count. The RTX 5090's 1.79 TB/s bandwidth and 32 GB capacity ensure that even at 4K Ultra, the GPU is not starved for data, while the Ryzen 7 9700X's strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1,280) prevents CPU bottlenecks at high frame rates. The result is a system that maintains playable performance at every resolution and settings combination, with the lowest recorded average being 85.1 FPS at 4K Ultra.