Lockdown Protocol

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X brings 12 cores and 24 threads to the Lockdown Protocol test bench, built on the Zen 4 architecture with a 5 nm process. Its base clock sits at 4.70 GHz with a boost ceiling of 5.60 GHz, and the chip draws a 170 W TDP. The processor uses the AMD Socket AM5 platform with DDR5 memory support over a dual-channel bus, delivering 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth. With 64 MB of shared L3 cache, the 7900X has ample on-die storage for game assets that need rapid access.

In synthetic workloads, the CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability. Cinebench R23 multi-core results hit 29,300 points, while the single-core test lands at 2,016.5 points. The Geekbench numbers tell a similar story: 19,267 multi-core and 2,617 single-core. These scores place the processor in the 91st percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of desktop processors available.

The nearest rivals in the database show just how tightly grouped this chip is at the top end. The AMD EPYC 7313P is only 0.2% ahead in average score, while the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 trails by 0.3%. The Intel Xeon 634 sits 0.6% behind, and the Intel Core i7-14700F is 0.6% ahead. This positioning means the 7900X delivers essentially identical raw compute performance to its closest competitors, with differences that are statistically negligible.

For Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's high single-thread performance is crucial. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,093 and the 2-thread score of 2,137 suggest the processor can handle game logic and physics calculations with minimal latency. The 8-thread score of 7,798 indicates strong scaling for games that use multiple cores for streaming and AI. The 12-core, 24-thread configuration ensures that background tasks and game threads do not compete for resources, which can help maintain consistent frame pacing.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 GPU is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock runs at 1,900 MHz, with a game clock of 2,041 MHz and a boost clock reaching 2,459 MHz. Memory clocks run at 2,438 MHz, translating to 19.5 Gbps effective.

The GPU's compute resources include 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units. It also features 40 ray tracing cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing in supported titles. The FP32 throughput is rated at 25.18 TFLOPS, and the pixel rate reaches 236.1 GPixel/s. These specifications place the RX 7700 in the 58th percentile among all GPUs in the database.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed profile. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2,865, while Geekbench OpenCL returns 106,028. The PassMark G3D score of 20,974 is notable, but the DirectX 11 score of 186 and DirectX 12 score of 96 suggest newer APIs are better optimized. The GPU compute score of 10,963 indicates solid compute performance for non-graphics workloads.

Rivals in the database are surprisingly close. The AMD Radeon R9 370X is 0.1% behind, the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is 1% ahead, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.1% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 1.7%. This grouping places the RX 7700 in a competitive mid-range tier where small margins separate products.

For Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is generous for an FPS title, potentially allowing high-resolution textures without memory pressure. The 256-bit memory bus provides substantial bandwidth for frame buffer access, which matters at higher resolutions. The boost clock of 2,459 MHz gives the card headroom to push frame rates, though the measured results show that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings.

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

The measured frame rates reveal a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 200 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 147 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 95 FPS. This represents a 26.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 52.5% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling suggests that at Low settings, even 1080p is not fully saturating the CPU's potential, as the 200 FPS ceiling may be limited by game engine constraints or CPU single-thread performance.

At Medium settings, the pattern shifts. 1080p delivers 142 FPS, 1440p delivers 104 FPS, and 4K delivers 67 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 26.8%, and from 1080p to 4K is 52.8%. These percentages are nearly identical to the Low settings, indicating that the GPU load is scaling predictably with pixel count rather than being bottlenecked by other factors.

High settings show a steeper curve. 1080p yields 124 FPS, 1440p yields 91 FPS, and 4K yields 59 FPS. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 26.6%, but the 1080p to 4K drop is 52.4%. Ultra settings compress the frame rates further: 1080p runs at 93 FPS, 1440p at 68 FPS, and 4K at 44 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 26.9%, and to 4K is 52.7%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is striking. Regardless of whether the GPU is running Low or Ultra, the resolution scaling penalty remains roughly 27% for 1440p and 53% for 4K. This suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution; instead, the GPU's fill rate and bandwidth are scaling linearly with pixel count. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as frame rates drop to 44 FPS at Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the Lockdown Protocol benchmark database, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1,275th out of 2,828 tested combos. This places the pairing in the middle of the distribution, at roughly the 55th percentile of all tested systems. Given that the CPU alone ranks in the 91st percentile and the GPU ranks in the 58th percentile, the combo's overall position is dragged down by the GPU's mid-range standing.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher settings and resolutions. The gap between the CPU's high percentile and the combo's mid-pack ranking indicates that Lockdown Protocol is primarily GPU-bound in most tested configurations. Systems with similarly ranked CPUs but higher-tier GPUs would likely occupy significantly better positions.

The combo's rank relative to its ofCombos total means it outperforms roughly 1,553 other combinations tested. This is a solid mid-table finish, but it is not a top-tier result. For players aiming for maximum frame rates, particularly at 1080p or 1440p, the GPU holds the combo back from reaching the upper echelons of the ranking table.

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

At 1080p, the combo demonstrates its highest performance. Low settings produce an average of 200 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. Medium settings yield 142 FPS with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 163 FPS, indicating stable frame delivery. High settings drop to 124 FPS average, while Ultra settings run at 93 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 53.5% reduction in frame rate, which is substantial but expected given the increased graphical load.

At 1440p, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings deliver 147 FPS, Medium produces 104 FPS with a range of 88 to 120 FPS, High yields 91 FPS, and Ultra runs at 68 FPS. The step from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 53.7% reduction, nearly identical to the 1080p pattern. The Medium settings minimum of 88 FPS is noteworthy, as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 4K, the combo's performance becomes more constrained. Low settings run at 95 FPS, Medium at 67 FPS with a range of 57 to 77 FPS, High at 59 FPS, and Ultra at 44 FPS. The Medium settings minimum of 57 FPS dips below 60 FPS, indicating occasional stutter during demanding scenes. The Ultra settings average of 44 FPS is the lowest measured result, and the High settings average of 59 FPS barely misses the 60 FPS target.

The data shows that the combo is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p, particularly at Low and Medium settings. At 1440p, Medium settings maintain a playable experience with a minimum above 60 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings provide comfortable headroom above 60 FPS, with Medium being borderline and High and Ultra falling short.

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

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, Low settings at 200 FPS are ideal for high-refresh monitors, particularly those with 144 Hz or 240 Hz panels. Medium settings at 142 FPS also support high refresh rates and provide better visual quality, with the minimum of 121 FPS ensuring no drops below the 120 FPS threshold. High settings at 124 FPS remain viable for 120 Hz displays, but Ultra at 93 FPS is best suited for 60 Hz monitors.

At 1440p, Medium settings offer the best balance, with 104 FPS average and a minimum of 88 FPS. This comfortably exceeds 60 FPS and approaches the 120 FPS mark, making it suitable for high-refresh 1440p monitors. Low settings at 147 FPS provide even more headroom for competitive play, but the visual fidelity reduction may be noticeable. High settings at 91 FPS are playable but do not maintain a consistent 100+ FPS experience. Ultra at 68 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays but lacks the smoothness of Medium.

At 4K, the recommendation is more constrained. Low settings at 95 FPS deliver a smooth experience that stays well above 60 FPS, making it the only preset that fully meets the standard for 4K gaming. Medium settings at 67 FPS are borderline, with a minimum of 57 FPS that can cause noticeable hitches. High settings at 59 FPS and Ultra at 44 FPS are not recommended for consistent gameplay, as they frequently drop below the 60 FPS threshold.

The data indicates that Medium settings provide the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 142 FPS with a strong minimum. At 1440p, Medium offers 104 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS. At 4K, Medium is the highest preset that approaches playability, though Low is the safer choice for maintaining 60+ FPS. Players prioritizing frame rate consistency over visual fidelity should choose Low at 4K, while those with 1080p or 1440p monitors can comfortably select Medium or High.