Lockdown Protocol

The pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX presents a compelling case study for Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed toward high refresh rate gameplay, with the CPU providing robust headroom and the GPU acting as the primary driver of frame rate at higher resolutions. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions shows a system capable of extreme performance, but the scaling patterns between the two components reveal where the bottlenecks lie.

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and can boost up to 5.40 GHz, which is critical for a game like Lockdown Protocol where single-thread performance often dictates the frame pacing. The processor's benchmark scores support this; its 3dmark_single_thread score is 1136, and its passmark_single_thread score is 4333, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. This high single-thread capability ensures that the game's primary game logic thread is rarely the limiting factor.

The data shows that the CPU's multi-threaded performance is also substantial. With a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 39000 and a 3dmark_max_threads score of 12412, the i7-13700K provides immense headroom for background tasks and game engine overhead. However, in Lockdown Protocol, the impact of these cores is indirect. When examining the 1080p Low preset, the system achieves 302.8 FPS. This extreme frame rate suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to saturate even the most powerful graphics cards. The processor's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, scores nearly identically with a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning the integrated graphics on the 13700K do not hinder game performance. The data implies that at lower resolutions, the i7-13700K is the foundational element that allows the GPU to stretch its legs, but it is not the component that ultimately caps the frame rate.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a RDNA 3.0 architecture GPU with a massive 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2498 MHz, with a game clock of 2365 MHz. This memory capacity and bandwidth are more than sufficient for Lockdown Protocol at any of the tested settings, meaning VRAM capacity is unlikely to be a constraint. The GPU's raw compute power is evident in its FP32 rating of 61.39 TFLOPS and its passmark_g3d score of 31238, which places it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is 302.8 FPS, but as we move to 4K Ultra, it drops to 66.2 FPS. This is a clear indicator that the RX 7900 XTX is the limiting component as graphical load intensifies. The data shows a direct correlation: raising the preset from Low to Ultra at any resolution imposes a significant performance penalty, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at 1440p, the drop from Low (223.9 FPS) to Ultra (104.8 FPS) is a 119.1 FPS reduction. The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, has a higher average benchmark score by 2%, but the RX 7900 XTX's performance in this specific title is what the measured FPS reflects.

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

Analyzing the measured rows, the "High" preset appears to be the optimal balance for most users, though the "Low" preset offers the highest performance. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 188.8 FPS, while Low hits 302.8 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 44.9 FPS (from 188.8 to 143.9), a substantial hit for marginal visual gains in a competitive FPS. The data suggests that the "High" preset provides a significant frame rate advantage over "Ultra" while still maintaining a high level of graphical fidelity.

At 1440p, the High preset yields 135.3 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth for a high-refresh-rate monitor. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 104.8 FPS, which is playable but pushes the system closer to the 100 FPS threshold. For players prioritizing maximum competitive advantage, the Low preset at 1440p offers 223.9 FPS, which is a staggering number. However, given the minimal performance difference in visual quality between Medium (157.5 FPS) and High (135.3 FPS) at 1440p, High is recommended as the sweet spot for visual clarity and responsiveness. The data indicates that there is no scenario where Ultra is necessary; the High preset consistently delivers frame rates that are well above the refresh rates of most gaming monitors.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the extensive database of tested combinations, this specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 185th out of 1637 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 11.3% of all tested systems, a strong showing that underscores its high-end pedigree. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across the combined resolution and settings matrix. This high ranking is a direct result of the synergy between the i7-13700K's strong single-thread performance and the RX 7900 XTX's massive rasterization power.

The rank of 185 implies that while this is a top-tier setup, there are 184 combinations that deliver higher aggregate performance. These are likely to include newer or more expensive components, such as the successor to the RX 7900 XTX (Navi IV) or CPUs with higher clock speeds. The data does not specify which combos rank higher, but the position indicates that this pairing is not the absolute pinnacle, yet it is firmly in the enthusiast tier. The deltaPct values from the nearest rivals for both components are minimal (all within 2%), suggesting that small variations in silicon quality or driver optimization can shift the rank, but the overall performance class is consistent.

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

The scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the transition from a CPU-bound to a GPU-bound scenario. At the Low preset, the FPS drops from 302.8 at 1080p to 223.9 at 1440p, a 26% decrease, and then to 145.9 at 4K, a further 35% decrease. This steep decline at 4K is a textbook sign of the GPU becoming the sole limiting factor. The RX 7900 XTX is working at its maximum capacity, and the CPU has ample headroom to spare.

Conversely, at the Ultra preset, the drop from 1080p (143.9 FPS) to 1440p (104.8 FPS) is a 27% reduction, and from 1440p to 4K (66.2 FPS) is a 37% reduction. The consistent percentage drops across all presets indicate that the GPU's workload scales linearly with pixel count. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution; if it were, we would see the FPS plateau or drop less severely at higher resolutions due to the CPU struggling to keep up. Instead, the frame rate scales inversely with resolution and settings, confirming that the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the definitive performance ceiling for this configuration.

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

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest average FPS is 302.8, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does this combo's rank in the game compare to its component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 185th out of 1637 tested combos (top 11.3%). The CPU is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, indicating the system is well-balanced and performs above the median for both components.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate drops significantly from 145.9 FPS on Low to 66.2 FPS on Ultra, showing that the RX 7900 XTX's rendering capacity is the bottleneck, while the CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 135.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 104.8 FPS. This is a 30.5 FPS difference, favoring the High preset for higher refresh rates.

Q: How does the i7-13700K compare to its closest rival, the i7-13700KF?

A: The i7-13700KF has an average benchmark score of 47334, which is 0.1% higher than the i7-13700K's score of 47282. This indicates they perform nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RX 7900 XTX, and why is it relevant?

A: The RX 7900 XTX has a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This high bandwidth is relevant because it allows the GPU to quickly access the 24 GB of GDDR6 memory, preventing memory bandwidth from becoming a bottleneck at high resolutions and settings.

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

The following data is derived directly from the measured FPS table for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 145.9 FPS
• Medium: 101.9 FPS
• High: 91.4 FPS
• Ultra: 66.2 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 223.9 FPS
• Medium: 157.5 FPS
• High: 135.3 FPS
• Ultra: 104.8 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 302.8 FPS
• Medium: 216.4 FPS
• High: 188.8 FPS
• Ultra: 143.9 FPS

The data reveals a linear progression of performance degradation as settings increase. Across all resolutions, the Low preset is the fastest, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial; at 1080p, it is a 158.9 FPS difference, at 1440p it is 119.1 FPS, and at 4K it is 79.7 FPS. This scaling confirms that the Ultra preset is designed for visual fidelity over frame rate, and the High preset offers the most balanced experience for competitive play. The 4K Ultra result of 66.2 FPS is the only instance where the frame rate dips below 100 FPS, highlighting the extreme demand of that configuration.