Lockdown Protocol

Resolution Scaling

The performance curve from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that remains remarkably capable at every resolution, but the scaling pattern exposes where the bottleneck shifts. At 1080p Low, this combination produces 303.9 FPS, while the same settings at 1440p yield 221.8 FPS—a 27% drop. Moving to 4K Low reduces the frame rate to 145.7 FPS, another 34% reduction. This steep decline as resolution increases indicates that the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as the limiting factor.

The Ultra preset tells an even clearer story. At 1080p Ultra, the system delivers 144.2 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 106.1 FPS—a 26.4% decrease. The 4K Ultra result of 65.2 FPS represents a 38.5% drop from 1440p. These consistent, large percentage losses with each resolution step confirm that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the primary constraint once pixel count rises.

High settings follow the same trajectory: 186.4 FPS at 1080p, 140.6 FPS at 1440p (down 24.6%), and 92.2 FPS at 4K (down 34.4%). The pattern is uniform across all presets—resolution scaling takes a heavy toll, which is typical for a fast first-person shooter where geometry and draw calls scale with pixel density.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the processor has enough headroom to let the GPU stretch its legs fully. The gap between 1080p and 1440p results narrows slightly at higher presets, implying that the graphics card is already working harder at Ultra even before resolution increases. At 4K, the RTX 4070 Ti's 12 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus become the definitive ceiling, with every preset showing substantial drops compared to lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D brings eight cores and 16 threads to this test, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its 3D V-Cache design—96 MB of shared L3 cache—is the standout feature for gaming workloads. The benchmark data shows a processor that ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37780.

In 3DMark tests, the 16-thread score of 10081 and the max-thread score of 10067 are nearly identical, indicating that the chip maintains performance across all cores without throttling. The single-thread score of 1212 and the 2-thread score of 2394 show strong per-core efficiency. Cinebench R23 results reinforce this: 34004 multi-core and 4800 single-core.

The nearest rivals in the database are close in average score—the Intel Xeon 6353P at 37811 (delta -0.1%), the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 at 37831 (delta -0.1%), the Intel Core i9-13900HK at 38020 (delta -0.6%), and the Intel Core i5-13600KF at 38028 (delta -0.7%). The 9800X3D sits essentially at parity with these chips in aggregate benchmarks, yet the game performance data shows it is not the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol.

At 1080p Low, the 303.9 FPS result demonstrates that the CPU can feed the GPU far beyond typical display refresh rates. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution changes indicates the processor is delivering frames faster than the graphics card can render them at higher pixel counts. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration is ample for this title, and the boost clock of 5.20 GHz provides the single-thread responsiveness that competitive FPS games require.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It operates at a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, with 7680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 21 Gbps effective across a 192-bit bus, yielding 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU ranks in the 85th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 44900. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile at 45152 (delta -0.6%), the Intel Arc A730M at 45592 (delta -1.5%), the AMD Radeon Pro 580 at 44195 (delta +1.6%), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT at 45642 (delta -1.6%). The 4070 Ti sits in a tight cluster with these parts in synthetic tests, but its real-world gaming results in Lockdown Protocol show a capable 1440p performer.

The 40.09 TFLOPS FP32 compute throughput and 208.8 GPixel/s pixel rate explain why the card handles 1440p High at 140.6 FPS. The texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s supports the 161.6 FPS result at 1440p Medium. However, the 4K results—92.2 FPS at High and 65.2 FPS at Ultra—show the memory bandwidth ceiling. At 504.2 GB/s, the 192-bit interface cannot sustain the fill rates demanded by 3840x2160 with high detail settings.

The RTX 4070 Ti's 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are present, but Lockdown Protocol's measured data does not isolate ray tracing or DLSS effects. The raw rasterization performance is what drives these frame rates, and the card's 80 ROPs are the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti ranks 172nd out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the top 10.5% of all configurations in the database. The rank reflects the system's strong 1440p performance and its ability to maintain high frame rates even at 4K with adjusted settings.

The ranking is notable because the GPU is not the absolute fastest in the database—it sits in the 85th percentile—yet the combo outperforms many pairings with more powerful graphics cards. This is likely due to the CPU's 90th percentile standing and its 96 MB L3 cache, which reduces memory latency in game workloads. The 172nd position out of 1637 indicates that this is a well-balanced pairing for a fast-paced FPS title.

Compared to other combos in the database, this system's 1440p High result of 140.6 FPS and 1080p Ultra result of 144.2 FPS are competitive figures. The 4K Ultra result of 65.2 FPS is the weakest showing, but it remains playable. The data positions this combo as a high-refresh-rate 1440p machine that can handle 4K with some settings compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full preset range is covered. Low settings produce 303.9 FPS, Medium produces 218.5 FPS, High produces 186.4 FPS, and Ultra produces 144.2 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 28.1% reduction, Medium to High is a 14.7% reduction, and High to Ultra is a 22.6% reduction. The largest single drop occurs between Low and Medium, suggesting that the Medium preset introduces significant shading and texture work.

At 2560x1440, the results are 221.8 FPS for Low, 161.6 FPS for Medium, 140.6 FPS for High, and 106.1 FPS for Ultra. The Low-to-Medium drop is 27.1%, Medium-to-High is 13.0%, and High-to-Ultra is 24.5%. The pattern mirrors 1080p, with the Medium preset creating the biggest jump in workload relative to Low.

At 3840x2160, the numbers compress: 145.7 FPS at Low, 106.1 FPS at Medium, 92.2 FPS at High, and 65.2 FPS at Ultra. The Low-to-Medium drop is 27.2%, Medium-to-High is 13.1%, and High-to-Ultra is 29.3%. The Ultra preset takes the largest relative penalty at 4K, confirming that the GPU's memory bandwidth and ROP count are stretched thin.

The Medium preset at 1440p produces the same 106.1 FPS as the Ultra preset at 4K. This cross-resolution parity is a useful reference point: the system delivers identical average frame rates when the GPU workload is similar, regardless of whether the detail level is high at a lower resolution or lower at a higher resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 140.6 FPS is the optimal balance. It delivers smooth gameplay well above the 100 FPS threshold that competitive FPS players expect, while maintaining visual quality. The Ultra preset at 106.1 FPS is still playable, but the 24.5% frame rate cost over High is hard to justify for the incremental visual gains.

For 1080p users, the High preset at 186.4 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides a large margin above 144 Hz refresh rates, and the Ultra preset at 144.2 FPS remains viable for those who prioritize image quality. The Low preset at 303.9 FPS is unnecessary for most displays and sacrifices too much visual fidelity.

For 4K, the data recommends the Medium preset at 106.1 FPS as the best experience. It clears the 60 FPS bar by a wide margin and is 15.1% faster than High at 92.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 65.2 FPS is playable but sits close to the edge; any demanding scene could push it lower. The Low preset at 145.7 FPS is available for maximal frame rates, but the visual compromise is severe at this resolution.

The measured rows show that Medium is the most consistent preset across all resolutions. It produces 218.5 FPS at 1080p, 161.6 FPS at 1440p, and 106.1 FPS at 4K—each a strong result for its respective resolution. For users who switch between resolutions or want a single preset for all situations, Medium is the safest choice.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High at 140.6 FPS as the strongest balance of frame rate and visual quality. At 1080p High, the system reaches 186.4 FPS, and at 4K Medium it delivers 106.1 FPS, but 1440p provides the most headroom above typical refresh rate targets.

Q: How does the 9800X3D compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 37780, placing it in the 90th percentile. Its closest rival, the Intel Xeon 6353P, scores 37811 (delta -0.1%), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores 37831 (delta -0.1%). The Core i9-13900HK is 0.6% ahead and the Core i5-13600KF is 0.7% ahead.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: At 4K Medium, the card produces 106.1 FPS, and at 4K High it produces 92.2 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 65.2 FPS is playable but close to the lower bound for smooth FPS. The GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for Medium settings at 4K.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, Low produces 303.9 FPS and Ultra produces 144.2 FPS—a 52.5% reduction. At 1440p, Low produces 221.8 FPS and Ultra produces 106.1 FPS—a 52.2% reduction. At 4K, Low produces 145.7 FPS and Ultra produces 65.2 FPS—a 55.3% reduction.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 172nd out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 10.5% of all systems in the database. The CPU's 90th percentile and GPU's 85th percentile standings contribute to this strong overall position.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p. The 303.9 FPS Low result shows the CPU can feed frames far beyond what most displays support, and the 52.5% drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p is driven by GPU workload increases, not CPU constraints.