Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a solid, high-refresh-rate experience in Lockdown Protocol, with performance scaling that clearly shifts from GPU-bound at 4K to CPU-bound at 1080p. The data shows a combo that is well-suited for competitive play at lower resolutions, while still maintaining playable frame rates at 4K with adjusted settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a system where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 191 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 140 FPS, a 26.7% decrease. At 4K Low, the average falls to 90 FPS, representing a 52.9% drop from the 1080p Low figure. This steep decline indicates that the RX 6700 XT's rendering throughput is being increasingly taxed as pixel count grows.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 118 at 1080p, to 87 at 1440p, and finally to 56 at 4K. This represents a 26.3% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 52.5% drop from 1080p to 4K. The similarity in relative scaling across presets suggests that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the determining factors, rather than any specific setting option.

At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with the Low preset hitting 191 FPS. This suggests that at this resolution, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to keep it fully utilized, but the GPU is still the bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, has ample headroom for this title at 1080p. The high frame rates at 1080p, combined with the sharp drop-off at higher resolutions, indicate a classic GPU-bound scenario at 1440p and 4K, and a more balanced situation at 1080p where the GPU's limits are still the ceiling.

The 4K Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in an average of just 42 FPS. This is a 52.4% reduction from the 4K Medium preset's 64 FPS. The data suggests that for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, the Medium preset is the maximum viable option, as the High preset averages 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks 1473 out of 2828 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 52nd percentile of all tested systems, indicating it is an above-average performer, but not at the top tier. The ranking suggests that while this combo is more than capable for this game, there are many other pairings that deliver higher frame rates.

This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the GPU's position in the overall hierarchy. The RX 6700 XT has a percentile score of 72 versus all GPUs, indicating it is better than 72% of all GPUs. The CPU, on the other hand, is a high-end part, with a percentile score of 92 versus all CPUs. The combo's rank is likely dragged down by the GPU's relative mid-tier status, even though the CPU is top-tier.

The data implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D's benchmark scores are excellent, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228. These scores indicate a powerful processor that is unlikely to bottleneck the RX 6700 XT in most scenarios. The combo's rank is therefore a reflection of the GPU's absolute performance level rather than any system imbalance.

This ranking is a useful reference point, but the actual measured FPS provides a more practical view of what to expect in-game. A rank of 1473 out of 2828 means that a significant portion of tested systems will perform better, but a larger portion will also perform worse. For a 1440p high-refresh-rate monitor, this combo is a capable match, but for 4K gaming, it will require careful settings management to achieve playable frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the central component in determining this combo's performance in Lockdown Protocol. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's textures and assets at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU's clock speeds are a key factor in its performance, with a base clock of 2321 MHz and a boost clock of 2581 MHz.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks aligns with its in-game results. It scores 19786 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which has an average score of 27565 and a deltaPct of -0.5 relative to the RX 6700 XT's average score of 27425. This indicates that the RX 6700 XT performs nearly identically to an RTX 3090 in these aggregate benchmarks, a surprising result given the RTX 3090's higher tier. However, this is an aggregate score, and in-game performance can vary.

The GPU's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are the workhorses for pixel processing. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is able to push frame rates well above 100 FPS on all presets, with the Low preset reaching 191 FPS. At 1440p, the GPU still delivers high frame rates, but the extra pixel count begins to show, with the Ultra preset dropping to 65 FPS. At 4K, the GPU's limits are clearly reached, with the Ultra preset only managing 42 FPS.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor at the tested settings, as the game does not appear to exceed this amount. The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU that is compute-bound rather than memory-limited. The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.21 TFLOPS is a good indicator of its raw shader throughput, which is the primary driver of frame rates in a fast-paced FPS like Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal preset depends heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p gaming, all presets are highly playable. The Low preset averages 191 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor. The High preset averages 118 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 89 FPS. For maximum smoothness, the Low preset is the best choice, but the High preset offers a good balance of visual quality and performance for most players.

At 1440p, the High preset averages 87 FPS, which is a good target for a 144Hz monitor. The Medium preset averages 99 FPS, providing a slight performance boost with a minor visual fidelity reduction. The Ultra preset averages 65 FPS, which is playable but may not be smooth enough for highly competitive play. For a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset is the best option to ensure frame rates stay consistently above the refresh rate.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. The Medium preset is the only one that averages above 60 FPS, with an average of 64 FPS. The High preset averages 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The Low preset averages 90 FPS, but with significant visual compromises. For a 60Hz 4K monitor, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it is the only one that provides a consistently smooth experience without requiring a drop to Low settings.

The data shows a clear pattern: the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality across all resolutions. At 1080p, it averages 135 FPS; at 1440p, it averages 99 FPS; and at 4K, it averages 64 FPS. This makes it the most versatile choice for players who want a good experience without needing to adjust settings per resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all tested configurations.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average FPS 191
• Medium: Average FPS 135, Minimum FPS 115, Maximum FPS 156
• High: Average FPS 118
• Ultra: Average FPS 89

2560x1440:

• Low: Average FPS 140
• Medium: Average FPS 99, Minimum FPS 84, Maximum FPS 114
• High: Average FPS 87
• Ultra: Average FPS 65

3840x2160:

• Low: Average FPS 90
• Medium: Average FPS 64, Minimum FPS 54, Maximum FPS 74
• High: Average FPS 56
• Ultra: Average FPS 42

The Medium preset is the only one that includes minimum and maximum FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 115 to 156 FPS, indicating a variance of 41 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 84 to 114 FPS, a variance of 30 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 54 to 74 FPS, a variance of 20 FPS. The decreasing variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is becoming more consistently saturated, which reduces frame time spikes.

The jump from Low to Medium at each resolution is substantial. At 1080p, it is a 56 FPS difference (191 to 135). At 1440p, it is a 41 FPS difference (140 to 99). At 4K, it is a 26 FPS difference (90 to 64). This indicates that the Medium preset adds a significant amount of visual complexity that impacts the GPU. The jump from High to Ultra is also significant, with a 29 FPS drop at 1080p and a 23 FPS drop at 1440p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D serves as the foundation for this system, and its capabilities are more than sufficient for Lockdown Protocol. With 8 cores and 16 threads, it provides ample parallel processing power. Its base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz are high, ensuring strong single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game logic and physics.

The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its high-end status. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and single-core score of 2228 are excellent. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4704, and its multithread score is 41318. These scores place it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900, which has an average score of 58115 and a deltaPct of 0.5 relative to the 9850X3D's average score of 58386.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game state. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 191 FPS. This high frame rate is a strong indicator that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau regardless of GPU load. The fact that frame rates scale down significantly at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint.

The CPU's large L3 cache of 96 MB shared is a benefit for gaming, as it can store more of the game's working set, reducing memory latency. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth. This is ample for the CPU's needs. The 8 cores and 16 threads are more than required for Lockdown Protocol, as most modern FPS titles are optimized for fewer cores, but the extra headroom ensures there are no CPU-related stutters.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 118 FPS.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, but only with the Medium preset, which averages 64 FPS. The High preset averages 56 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 42 FPS.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Lockdown Protocol?*

A: This combo ranks 1473 out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the 52nd percentile.

Q: What is the GPU's boost clock speed?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has a boost clock of 2581 MHz.

Q: What is the CPU's L3 cache size?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D has 96 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Which preset provides the highest minimum FPS at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 has a minimum FPS of 84, which is the only preset with reported minimum FPS data at this resolution.