Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

This combination pairs AMD's flagship 16-core Zen 5 processor with NVIDIA's top-tier Ada Lovelace GPU, producing a system that sits at the 17th position out of 1,637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings reveal a configuration that prioritizes raw throughput, with the CPU's massive L3 cache and the GPU's 24 GB of VRAM working in tandem to handle the game's demands. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but with enough CPU headroom to push extreme frame rates at 1080p.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using TSMC's 4 nm process, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads. Its base clock runs at 4.30 GHz with a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, and it carries a substantial 128 MB of shared L3 cache — a configuration that benefits games with large working sets. The CPU's 3DMark scores tell a clear story: single-thread performance sits at 1,292, while the 16-thread test reaches 16,374 and max-thread performance hits 17,184. In Cinebench R23, the multicore score of 59,712 dwarfs the single-core result of 8,430, confirming that this chip excels at heavily threaded workloads.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes most apparent at 1080p, where the 370.2 FPS Low setting result suggests the processor can feed the GPU with minimal bottleneck. The 9950X3D ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 71,660. Compared to its nearest rivals, it leads the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X by 1.8% and the Intel Core i7-14700KF by 2.2%, while trailing the Intel Xeon 6517P by 1.9% and essentially matching the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at 0.9% ahead. These margins are small in synthetic tests, but in a fast-paced FPS, the 5.70 GHz boost clock and 128 MB L3 cache contribute to the high minimum frame stability that the measured averages suggest.

The CPU's 3DMark 4-thread score of 4,963 and 8-thread score of 9,259 indicate that even with only a few cores active, performance remains strong — relevant for a game that may not fully utilize all 32 threads. The PassMark multithread score of 70,255 and single-thread score of 4,737 further reinforce that this is a balanced performer, not just a multi-core monster. For Lockdown Protocol, where frame pacing matters, the combination of high boost clocks and large cache appears to keep the GPU fed even at lower resolutions.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 uses the AD102 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, with a base clock of 2,235 MHz and boost clock of 2,520 MHz. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 1,313 MHz (21 Gbps effective) across a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs provide the raw compute needed for high-resolution rendering, while 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores handle ray tracing and DLSS workloads. The FP32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS is substantial, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 places it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs.

In Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 4090's VRAM capacity becomes relevant at 4K Ultra, where the 82.3 FPS average suggests the game is pushing both memory bandwidth and compute. The GPU's average benchmark score of 66,473 is closely matched by its nearest rivals — the NVIDIA Tesla T4 at -0.4%, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 at -0.9%, and NVIDIA Quadro P6000 at -1.3% — while it edges out the Tesla P40 by 0.5%. These are professional-grade cards, not gaming GPUs, which highlights that the RTX 4090's gaming-specific features (like its 128 RT cores) are what set it apart in this title.

The PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and GPU compute score of 26,613 show strong raw performance, but the game's measured results indicate that settings scaling matters more than raw compute. At 1080p Low, the 370.2 FPS average suggests the GPU is nowhere near its limit; at 4K Ultra, the 82.3 FPS average shows where the card's resources are fully engaged. The 24 GB VRAM likely prevents any memory-related stuttering even at 4K Ultra, where textures and geometry can consume large amounts of frame buffer.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9950X3D compare to the Ryzen 9 9950X in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The 9950X3D has an average benchmark score of 71,660, which is 1.8% higher than the Ryzen 9 9950X's 70,420. This small margin suggests the additional L3 cache provides a modest advantage in general workloads, though the difference may be more pronounced in gaming scenarios.

Q: What is the RTX 4090's memory configuration and why does it matter for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The RTX 4090 comes with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. At 4K Ultra settings, the measured 82.3 FPS average indicates the GPU is fully utilizing its memory subsystem, and the large VRAM capacity helps maintain consistent frame pacing even with high-resolution textures.

Q: Which setting at 1440p provides the best balance between visual quality and performance?

A: At 2560x1440, High settings deliver 167 FPS average, while Medium runs at 192.5 FPS and Ultra drops to 125.4 FPS. The jump from High to Medium is only 25.5 FPS, but the visual difference may be minimal — the data suggests High is a strong choice for most players.

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

A: This CPU-GPU combination ranks 17th out of 1,637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the top 1% of all configurations, though not the absolute fastest — indicating there are 16 other combos with higher measured performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 370.2 FPS, which is more than double the 4K High result of 109.5 FPS. This large spread suggests the CPU has enough headroom to push extremely high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the CPU and GPU in this combo?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D has a launch MSRP of $699, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD. These are the only pricing details available in the data.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 17 out of 1,637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 1.04% of all configurations tested, which is an exceptional result but not the absolute pinnacle. The 16 combos ahead of it likely feature even newer hardware or more optimized pairings, but the gap is not specified in the data.

Given that the CPU sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, the 17th overall rank suggests there is some headroom for improvement — perhaps from newer GPU models or a different CPU pairing that better complements the RTX 4090. The measured data shows this combo is particularly strong at 1440p and 1080p, where the CPU's high boost clock and large cache can shine. At 4K, the GPU takes over as the primary driver, and the rank may be influenced by how other combos handle the game's 4K Ultra settings.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals (0.9% to -1.9%) and GPU's rivals (-0.4% to -1.3%) are all within a narrow band, suggesting that the top combos are separated by very small margins. This combo's 17th place finish is therefore not a reflection of weakness, but rather the extreme competitiveness at the top of the chart.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of scaling from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 227 at 1920x1080 to 167 at 2560x1440 (a 26.4% decrease), and then to 109.5 at 3840x2160 (a 34.4% decrease from 1440p). This progressive drop indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count increases, with the CPU's role diminishing.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more dramatic: 370.2 FPS at 1080p drops to 271.2 at 1440p (a 26.8% decrease) and then to 174.1 at 4K (a 35.8% decrease from 1440p). The fact that Low settings at 4K (174.1 FPS) still outperform High settings at 1440p (167 FPS) suggests that the GPU has significant headroom at lower resolutions, and the CPU is not the bottleneck even at 1080p Low.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, Low (370.2 FPS) vs Ultra (172.9 FPS) is a 197.3 FPS difference; at 4K, Low (174.1 FPS) vs Ultra (82.3 FPS) is a 91.8 FPS difference. This narrowing gap indicates that at 4K, the GPU is saturated regardless of settings, while at 1080p, the CPU can push much higher frame rates when the GPU workload is light.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 370.2 FPS, Medium reaches 260.4 FPS, High runs at 227 FPS, and Ultra drops to 172.9 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 197.3 FPS, showing that settings have a substantial impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease but remain high. Low settings hit 271.2 FPS, Medium runs at 192.5 FPS, High achieves 167 FPS, and Ultra manages 125.4 FPS. The gap from Low to Ultra narrows to 145.8 FPS, indicating the GPU is starting to feel the load.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop further but stay playable. Low settings average 174.1 FPS, Medium runs at 127.1 FPS, High delivers 109.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 82.3 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap is now 91.8 FPS, confirming that 4K is where the RTX 4090's limits are most visible.

The data shows that at 1080p, even Ultra settings (172.9 FPS) exceed the 4K High result (109.5 FPS), meaning players with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors can max out settings without concern. At 1440p, High settings (167 FPS) provide a strong experience for 144 Hz displays, while at 4K, Medium (127.1 FPS) or High (109.5 FPS) settings are the practical choices for smooth gameplay. The RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM ensures that even at 4K Ultra, there are no memory-related dips, but the 82.3 FPS average suggests that visual fidelity comes at the cost of raw speed.