Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT

Lockdown Protocol, the 2024 FPS title, shows a performance curve that heavily favors the CPU side of this pairing. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, combined with the Radeon RX 7900 XT, produces frame rates that scale dramatically with resolution—but the scaling pattern reveals where the bottleneck shifts. At 1080p, the combo delivers 280 FPS on Low settings, which is a massive jump from the 133 FPS seen at 4K on the same preset. This 110% performance delta between the lowest and highest resolutions indicates that at 1080p, the system is operating well within CPU-bound territory, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data set shows a clear hierarchy: the 9900X3D's strong single-thread performance (a 3DMark single-thread score of 1269) keeps frame rates high when pixel count is low, but the RX 7900 XT's raw throughput (51.48 TFLOPS FP32) starts to govern as resolution climbs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows distinct scaling behavior across the three tested resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 280 FPS, which drops to 206 FPS at 1440p and further to 133 FPS at 4K. This represents a 26% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 35% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, though the percentage drops vary. For Ultra settings, the system delivers 130 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K—a more linear decline that suggests the GPU is being pushed harder at higher quality settings.

The scaling data indicates that the CPU is the primary driver at 1080p. The 9900X3D's 24 threads and 128 MB of L3 cache allow the game's logic and physics to run without bottlenecking the GPU, which is why Low settings at 1080p nearly quadruple the frame rate of Ultra at 4K. At 1440p, the balance shifts; the RX 7900 XT's 20 GB of GDDR6 memory and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth start to matter more, but the CPU still holds its own. The 1440p Low result of 206 FPS is still exceptionally high, indicating headroom remains before the GPU becomes the sole constraint.

At 4K, the GPU workload dominates. The 7900 XT's 5376 shading units and 192 ROPs are taxed heavily, and the frame rates reflect this. The gap between Low (133 FPS) and Ultra (62 FPS) at 4K is 71 FPS, which is a 114% difference—the largest spread across any resolution. This suggests that at 4K, the game's visual complexity directly translates to GPU compute demands, and the CPU's role diminishes. Interestingly, the Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 80 and a maximum of 108, which brackets the average at 94 FPS, providing a more stable experience than the High preset's 82 FPS average, which lacks min/max data.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. At High settings, the system delivers 127 FPS average, which is a 45% improvement over 4K High (82 FPS) while still providing a substantial visual upgrade over 1080p.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform across resolutions?

A: Ultra settings yield 130 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K. The 1440p result is particularly notable because it maintains a playable frame rate while pushing the GPU harder, whereas 4K Ultra dips below the 70 FPS threshold that many FPS players consider smooth.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting component. The 280 FPS Low result versus 130 FPS Ultra at the same resolution shows a 150 FPS spread, which is driven by the game's CPU-side rendering overhead. The 9900X3D's 3DMark 16-thread score of 12490 and single-thread score of 1269 indicate it has the headroom to handle the game's logic, but the GPU's workload at higher settings starts to catch up even at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: The 1440p Medium preset shows an average of 146 FPS with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. This 44 FPS range indicates some variance, but the minimum still exceeds the refresh rate of most 1440p monitors, suggesting a smooth experience.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 489th out of 2828 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the top 17% of all systems. This is a strong showing, though the percentile ranking for the GPU (55th percentile vs all GPUs) and CPU (91st percentile vs all CPUs) suggests the processor is doing more heavy lifting in this pairing.

Q: Does the 4K Medium preset provide a better experience than 4K High?

A: Yes, the data shows 4K Medium averages 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS, compared to 4K High's 82 FPS average. The Medium preset not only delivers higher average frame rates but also provides documented minimum performance, which is valuable for competitive play where frame drops matter.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D plays a critical role in this combo's performance, particularly at lower resolutions. Its 12 cores and 24 threads, built on the Zen 5 architecture with a 4 nm process, provide the computational headroom needed to keep frame rates high when the GPU isn't the limiting factor. The CPU's boost clock of 5.50 GHz and base clock of 4.40 GHz are reflected in its benchmark scores: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and single-core score of 6739. These numbers place the 9900X3D in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, which is consistent with its performance in Lockdown Protocol.

The 128 MB of L3 cache is particularly relevant for this game. Lockdown Protocol's FPS mechanics likely benefit from the large cache, which reduces memory latency and improves data access patterns. The CPU's 3DMark 2-thread score of 2512 and 4-thread score of 4885 show strong scaling as thread count increases, which is important for a game that may not utilize all 24 threads effectively. The 8-thread score of 9002 and 16-thread score of 12490 indicate that the CPU maintains efficiency even under partial load, which explains why the 1080p Low preset hits 280 FPS without stuttering.

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF with a delta of -0.6% and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K with a delta of 1.3%. These small percentage differences suggest that the 9900X3D is competitively positioned against modern mid-range to high-end desktop processors. However, in Lockdown Protocol specifically, the CPU's role is most evident in the 1080p results, where the frame rate more than doubles from Ultra (130 FPS) to Low (280 FPS), indicating that the processor can feed the GPU with data faster than the GPU can render at lower quality settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 489th out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 17.3% of all configurations tested, which is a solid result for a high-end desktop pairing. The CPU's performance percentile (91st) is significantly higher than the GPU's (55th), which means the processor is contributing more to the overall ranking than the graphics card in this particular game.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Radeon 660M with a delta of -0.5%, the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile with a delta of -0.5%, and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT with a delta of 1.5%. These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores and not game-specific performance, but they provide context for the 7900 XT's position in the broader GPU landscape. The fact that the 7900 XT scores close to mobile and integrated solutions in synthetic benchmarks, yet delivers 174 FPS at 1080p High in Lockdown Protocol, indicates that the game's optimization favors the CPU side of this pairing.

The ranking of 489 out of 2828 is influenced by both components, but the data suggests that the 9900X3D is the primary reason this combo performs as well as it does. The CPU's 3DMark max-thread score of 13795 and PassMark multi-thread score of 56154 are strong indicators of its capability in gaming workloads that are not purely GPU-bound. In contrast, the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5623, while respectable, does not place it in the top tier of graphics cards based on the 55th percentile ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset averages 280 FPS, which is the peak performance measured in this data set. Medium settings average 199 FPS with a minimum of 169 FPS and a maximum of 229 FPS, while High settings average 174 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 130 FPS, which is still well above the refresh rate of most 1080p monitors. The 150 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution highlights the CPU's ability to push frames when the GPU workload is minimal.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU starting to take on more responsibility. Low settings average 206 FPS, which is a 26% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 146 FPS with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS, while High settings average 127 FPS. Ultra settings average 96 FPS, which is the first preset in this resolution to drop below 100 FPS. The 110 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is smaller than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to constrain performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload dominates. Low settings average 133 FPS, Medium settings average 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS, High settings average 82 FPS, and Ultra settings average 62 FPS. The 71 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest across all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution. The Medium preset's documented minimum of 80 FPS is particularly noteworthy because it shows the system can maintain playable frame rates even during demanding scenes at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play at 1080p, the Low preset is the optimal choice. The 280 FPS average provides the highest possible frame rate, which is critical for reducing input latency in an FPS title. The CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures that the game's logic runs smoothly even at these extreme frame rates. However, players who prefer visual fidelity over raw speed should consider the Medium preset, which delivers 199 FPS with a minimum of 169 FPS—a 30 FPS advantage over High while still maintaining a comfortable margin above 144 Hz.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and quality. The 146 FPS average with a minimum of 124 FPS ensures that frame rates stay above the 120 Hz threshold that many competitive monitors use. The High preset at 127 FPS is also viable, but the lack of min/max data makes it harder to guarantee consistent performance. The Ultra preset at 96 FPS is playable but approaches the lower limit of what is acceptable for fast-paced FPS gameplay.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. The 94 FPS average with a minimum of 80 FPS provides a stable experience that stays above 60 FPS, which is the minimum threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 82 FPS is a close second, but the Medium preset's documented minimum performance offers more certainty for players who cannot afford frame drops in competitive situations. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes, making it a risky choice for serious play. The Low preset at 133 FPS is the best option for players who prioritize frame rate over visual quality at 4K, as it provides a significant performance advantage over all other presets at this resolution.