Lockdown Protocol

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT achieves a combo rank of 715 out of 1637 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. This positioning is consistent with the individual component percentiles: the CPU sits at the 93rd percentile among all processors, while the GPU reaches the 73rd percentile among all graphics cards. The gap between these two percentiles suggests the graphics card is the more limiting factor in this pairing, a pattern that becomes evident when examining the frame rate data across resolutions.

Benchmark scores for the CPU reinforce its strength as a foundation for this combo. The Core i7-13700K posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505, with a 3DMark max-threads score of 12412. Its average benchmark score of 47282 places it within 0.5% of its nearest rivals, including the Core i7-13700KF at 47334 (deltaPct -0.1), the AMD EPYC 4364P at 47131 (deltaPct 0.3), and the Core i9-12900F at 47081 (deltaPct 0.4). This effectively ties the processor with its closest competitors, meaning any performance differences in Lockdown Protocol stem primarily from the graphics card and its interaction with game settings.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 30097 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 at 30109 (deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon RX 570 at 30158 (deltaPct -0.2). This statistical tie is notable: despite architectural differences, the RX 7700 XT delivers comparable raw compute results to these rivals, though the in-game frame rates will reveal how well that compute translates to actual performance in this specific FPS title.

# FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average frame rate is 100.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This represents a playable experience for high-refresh monitors, though it is the lowest 1080p result in the dataset, sitting 55% below the Low preset's 220.6 FPS at the same resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: Evidence points to the GPU as the primary limiter. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 220.6 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 46.5 FPS — a drop of 374% from the best-case scenario. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking and strong multi-threaded scores (39000 in Cinebench R23) suggest it can feed frames well beyond what the GPU delivers at higher settings.

Q: What is the best resolution for maintaining 60+ FPS?

A: All tested settings at 1080p and 1440p exceed 60 FPS, including Ultra presets. At 4K, only Low (105.1 FPS) and Medium (72.3 FPS) maintain 60+ FPS; High drops to 61.9 FPS, and Ultra falls below at 46.5 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7700 XT compare to its nearest rival in synthetic tests?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 30097 is within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 570 (30158) and exactly matches the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (30109, deltaPct 0). The RX 7700 XT also outperforms the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (29969) by 0.4%.

Q: What memory configuration does this GPU use?

A: The RX 7700 XT features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Memory clocks run at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed, which supports the high frame rates observed at 1080p and 1440p.

Q: Does the CPU's 16-core configuration matter for this game?

A: The Core i7-13700K has 16 cores and 24 threads, with a 30 MB shared L3 cache. Its 3DMark 16-thread score of 10717 versus 12412 at max threads indicates scaling beyond 16 threads, which helps maintain consistent frame delivery when the GPU is under load at higher resolutions.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It contains 28,100 million transistors across a 346 mm² die, with 3456 shading units, 216 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz, with a TDP of 245 W and a suggested power supply of 550 W.

Memory configuration is a defining characteristic for this GPU's role in Lockdown Protocol. The 12 GB GDDR6 frame buffer on a 192-bit bus provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for the game's demands across all tested resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo still delivers 46.5 FPS, indicating that memory bandwidth is not a hard ceiling — the limiting factor is more likely the GPU's compute throughput, rated at 35.17 TFLOPS FP32 with a texture rate of 549.5 GTexel/s.

The GPU's benchmark profile shows balanced performance across different workloads. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3316, while Geekbench Vulkan reaches 132758 and OpenCL reaches 127549. PassMark G3D scores 22547 with a GPU compute score of 12912. The 73rd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the upper tier, but not the top echelon, which aligns with the measured frame rates that range from 46.5 FPS at 4K Ultra to 220.6 FPS at 1080p Low.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides 12 measured configurations, spanning three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 220.6 FPS, Medium reaches 155.7 FPS, High delivers 135.2 FPS, and Ultra produces 100.2 FPS. These results show a smooth degradation curve where each step up in quality costs a decreasing percentage of performance: Low to Medium drops 29.4%, Medium to High drops 13.2%, and High to Ultra drops 25.9%.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds with lower absolute numbers. Low yields 160.2 FPS, Medium 116.2 FPS, High 101.5 FPS, and Ultra 73.5 FPS. The percentage drops between presets are 27.5% (Low to Medium), 12.7% (Medium to High), and 27.6% (High to Ultra). The similarity in drop percentages between 1080p and 1440p suggests the GPU scales predictably with settings changes at these resolutions.

At 3840x2160, performance compresses significantly. Low produces 105.1 FPS, Medium 72.3 FPS, High 61.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 46.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 31.2%, from Medium to High is 14.4%, and from High to Ultra is 24.9%. The 4K results show that High and Ultra both approach or fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making them marginal choices for smooth gameplay.

# Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals how the workload shifts between CPU and GPU. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 220.6 FPS at 1080p to 160.2 FPS at 1440p (27.4% reduction) and then to 105.1 FPS at 4K (34.4% reduction from 1440p). This progressive decline indicates the GPU becomes progressively more stressed as pixel count increases, but the CPU still manages to keep feeding frames adequately.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The combo delivers 100.2 FPS at 1080p, 73.5 FPS at 1440p (26.6% reduction), and 46.5 FPS at 4K (36.7% reduction from 1440p). The absolute drop of 53.7 FPS from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is larger than the 115.5 FPS drop at Low settings, but the percentage reductions are actually shallower at Ultra — suggesting that at higher quality settings, the GPU's fixed-cost workloads (like shading and texture operations) consume a larger share of its resources, leaving less headroom for resolution scaling.

The data indicates a CPU-bound region at 1080p Low, where 220.6 FPS likely approaches the practical ceiling for this processor in this title. The Core i7-13700K's 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and PassMark single-thread score of 4333 support its ability to handle high frame rates. As resolution increases, the GPU's 73rd percentile ranking becomes the dominant constraint, particularly at 4K where even the Low preset drops below the 1080p Ultra result.

# Settings Recommendations

For users targeting 60+ FPS as a baseline, the data supports several viable configurations. At 1080p, all four presets exceed 100 FPS, making the choice purely about visual fidelity versus headroom. Ultra at 100.2 FPS is perfectly playable and leaves room for occasional dips without hitting the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 116.2 FPS offers the best balance of quality and performance, with High at 101.5 FPS close behind. Ultra at 73.5 FPS remains above 60 FPS but provides diminishing returns over High — the 27.6% drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains for competitive play.

For 4K, the choice narrows considerably. High at 61.9 FPS barely clears the 60 FPS bar, while Medium at 72.3 FPS offers a safer margin. Low at 105.1 FPS is the only configuration that provides substantial headroom, making it the recommended preset for 4K displays. Ultra at 46.5 FPS falls below the playable threshold for most users.

The optimal experience across the entire resolution range is the Medium preset. It maintains 155.7 FPS at 1080p, 116.2 FPS at 1440p, and 72.3 FPS at 4K — all comfortably above 60 FPS with consistent frame pacing. This preset's performance profile suggests it aligns well with the GPU's compute capabilities (35.17 TFLOPS FP32) without overloading the memory subsystem or shading units. For users willing to accept lower visual quality for maximum frame rates, Low at 1080p delivers 220.6 FPS, but the Medium preset provides a more balanced experience for this hardware combination.