Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, released in March 2024, places significant demands on both processor and graphics hardware. The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT produces a distinct performance profile that varies sharply across resolutions and quality presets. The measured data reveals a system that can deliver high refresh rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with maximum settings, positioning it as a mid-pack contender in the benchmark database.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a high refresh rate?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 154.7 FPS. This is the only measured configuration that exceeds 150 FPS, indicating that 1080p is the target resolution for maximum frame rates.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF (score 47334). It is also 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i9-12900F.

Q: What is the performance gap between the GPU and its nearest competitor?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 24731. This is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (score 24763) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Arc A350M (score 24647).

Q: Is the system capable of handling Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 52.1 FPS. This falls below the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth for FPS games, suggesting Ultra at this resolution is borderline playable.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 97 FPS at 1920x1080 to 46.2 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings. This represents a reduction of more than half the frame rate when scaling resolution.

Q: What is the system's overall rank among tested combinations?

A: The combo holds a rank of 1267 out of 1637 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with a 7 nm process from TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1905 MHz and a game clock of 1755 MHz. The memory operates at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective.

These specifications directly influence the measured frame rates. The 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, as the system's performance drops significantly from 1080p to 4K. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 38, the lowest measured value, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are saturated. The pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s provide theoretical ceilings that align with the observed scaling.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS and its DirectX 12 (12_1) API support are relevant for Lockdown Protocol's rendering demands. The measured data shows that the GPU handles Low settings efficiently at all resolutions, with 154.7 FPS at 1080p and 75 FPS at 4K. However, the transition from Medium to High settings incurs a noticeable penalty, suggesting that the GPU's shading units and ROPs are the primary bottlenecks in more complex scenes.

The card's 225 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this class, but the thermal management becomes critical when pushing sustained frame rates. The benchmark results indicate that the RX 5700 XT is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p with moderate settings, where its 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs can maintain responsive gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS values, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 154.7 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play on high-refresh monitors. The Medium preset at 111.4 FPS still provides a smooth experience, while High at 97 FPS and Ultra at 72.1 FPS remain playable but with diminishing returns.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 113.2 FPS, making it the only 1440p configuration that comfortably exceeds 100 FPS. The Medium preset at 83 FPS is a balanced choice, offering better visual fidelity while maintaining smooth motion. High settings at 70.4 FPS are acceptable, but Ultra at 52.1 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which may cause noticeable stutter in fast-paced FPS scenarios.

For 3840x2160, the data shows that only the Low preset at 75 FPS provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset at 53.2 FPS is marginal, while High at 46.2 FPS and Ultra at 38 FPS are likely too sluggish for competitive gameplay. Users with 4K displays should prioritize the Low preset to maintain responsiveness.

The best experience per the measured rows is achieved with the Low preset at 1080p, which maximizes frame rate and minimizes input latency. For users seeking a balance between visuals and performance, the Medium preset at 1440p offers a strong compromise, keeping the average FPS above 80 while delivering improved image quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates a clear hierarchy across settings. The Low preset produces an average of 154.7 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. The Medium preset follows at 111.4 FPS, representing a 28% reduction from Low. High settings yield 97 FPS, while Ultra drops to 72.1 FPS, showing a 53% decrease from the Low baseline.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scaling continues but with a steeper penalty. The Low preset averages 113.2 FPS, which is 41.5 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings deliver 83 FPS, High reaches 70.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 52.1 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1440p costs 61.1 FPS, a larger absolute drop than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. The Low preset is the only configuration that stays above 60 FPS, with an average of 75 FPS. Medium settings drop to 53.2 FPS, High to 46.2 FPS, and Ultra to 38 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 37 FPS, but the percentage reduction is 49%, similar to the 1080p scaling.

The data reveals that resolution scaling has a greater impact than settings scaling. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings reduces FPS by roughly 27% on average, while moving from 1440p to 4K reduces FPS by an additional 33%. This indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and fill rate are the dominant constraints as pixel count increases.

How This Combo Ranks

In the Lockdown Protocol benchmark database, this combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 1267 out of 1637 tested combos. This places the system in the 77th percentile of all configurations, meaning that roughly 77% of tested systems perform better in this game. The rank reflects the GPU's age, as the RX 5700 XT has an end-of-life production status and a percentile rank of 68 among all GPUs.

The CPU, however, is a strong performer. The Core i7-13700K holds a percentile rank of 93 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered, with the Core i7-13700KF at 47334 (0.1% higher), the AMD EPYC 4364P at 47131 (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core i9-12900F at 47081 (0.4% lower). This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo's rank.

The GPU's nearest rivals show a similar tight grouping. The NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile scores 24763 (0.1% higher), the Intel Arc A350M scores 24647 (0.3% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 24592 (0.6% lower). The RX 5700 XT's score of 24731 places it near the middle of this pack, but its overall percentile of 68 suggests it is outclassed by more modern GPUs.

The combo's rank of 1267 out of 1637 is influenced primarily by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that the system can compete with higher-ranked combos at 1080p Low, where it achieves 154.7 FPS, but falls behind at 4K Ultra, where 38 FPS is insufficient for smooth gameplay. This rank suggests that the system is best suited for 1080p gaming or esports titles, rather than demanding 4K experiences.