Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core i7-13700K + AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, though 4K Ultra remains out of reach. The data shows a system that scales predictably across resolutions and settings, with the GPU acting as the primary constraint at higher loads. This combination ranks 890th out of 1637 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, yet the measured frame rates tell a story of consistent playability at mainstream resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and revealing. At High settings, the system produces 119.1 FPS at 1920x1080, which falls to 87.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 57.7 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 26.5% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 34.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern strongly suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises, since the CPU has ample headroom with its 16 cores and 24 threads.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling is even more dramatic. The system hits 195.6 FPS at 1080p, 142.3 FPS at 1440p, and 91.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 27.3% and 35.6% respectively, indicating that even when graphical load is minimized, the GPU's throughput at higher resolutions cannot keep pace with the CPU's capacity. The RX 9060 XT's 128-bit memory bus and 322.3 GB/s bandwidth appear to be the bottleneck, as the pixel throughput requirements at 4K overwhelm these resources.

Ultra settings showcase the most severe scaling. From 93.1 FPS at 1080p to 69.7 FPS at 1440p (25.1% drop), and then to 45.2 FPS at 4K (35.1% drop). The 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that this combination is not suited for maximum fidelity at the highest resolution. The data implies that Lockdown Protocol's rendering load at 4K Ultra exceeds what the GPU's 25.64 TFLOPS FP32 compute can sustain.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers 322.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for 1080p and 1440p but constrains 4K performance. The GPU's boost clock of 3130 MHz and game clock of 2530 MHz are relatively high, yet the 45.2 FPS result at 4K Ultra indicates that raw clock speed cannot compensate for memory bandwidth limitations at higher resolutions.

The GPU's 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs produce a pixel rate of 200.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 400.6 GTexel/s. These specifications translate to strong 1080p performance, where the system achieves 137 FPS at Medium and 119.1 FPS at High. The gap between Medium and High at 1080p is 13.1%, while the gap between High and Ultra is 21.8%, suggesting that Ultra settings introduce disproportionately heavy effects that stress the GPU's ROPs and memory subsystem.

At 4K, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The jump from Low (91.6 FPS) to Medium (65.6 FPS) represents a 28.4% performance loss, and High (57.7 FPS) to Ultra (45.2 FPS) another 21.7% loss. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely the culprit at 4K Ultra, as texture data exceeds what the memory can efficiently hold, forcing constant swapping through the 322.3 GB/s bandwidth.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K provides substantial processing power with its 16 cores (including performance and efficiency cores) and 24 threads, boosting up to 5.40 GHz. This CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 47282. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700KF (0.1% ahead), AMD EPYC 4364P (0.3% behind), and Intel Core i9-12900F (0.4% behind), indicating the 13700K sits at the top of its performance tier.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is clearly secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. The 3dmark single-thread score of 1136 and 16-thread score of 10717 suggest strong per-core performance, which matters for a fast-paced FPS where game logic and physics calculations can bottleneck lower-end processors. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and single-core score of 5505 further confirm the CPU's capability to handle any CPU-bound scenarios the game might present.

The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data locality for game assets, reducing the need to fetch from system memory. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory across a dual-channel interface, though the measured FPS data does not distinguish between memory configurations. The 125W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 platform are standard for this generation, and the unlocked multiplier allows overclocking headroom, though the benchmark data reflects stock operation.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows reveal that High settings at 1440p (87.5 FPS) provide the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth performance. This result sits comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining higher quality than Medium (103.5 FPS at 1440p). For players prioritizing frame rate, Medium at 1080p (137 FPS) offers excellent responsiveness, while Low at 1080p (195.6 FPS) approaches high-refresh-rate monitor territory.

At 4K, the data suggests High settings (57.7 FPS) are borderline playable, but Medium (65.6 FPS) is the safer choice for maintaining consistent frame pacing. Ultra at 4K (45.2 FPS) falls below acceptable playability for a competitive FPS, and even Ultra at 1440p (69.7 FPS) may feel less responsive than desired in fast-paced encounters. The 19.9% difference between Medium and High at 1440p (103.5 vs 87.5 FPS) is less severe than the 32.7% difference between High and Ultra (87.5 vs 69.7 FPS), indicating that Ultra settings carry a heavy performance penalty.

For the best experience per the measured rows, High at 1440p emerges as the sweet spot. It delivers 87.5 FPS, which is 25.5% faster than the 4K High result and only 21.3% slower than 1080p High, while providing substantially better image quality than lower presets.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB ranks 890th out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 54th percentile of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU's mid-tier positioning (50th percentile among all GPUs) rather than the CPU's top-tier standing (93rd percentile). The data indicates that the GPU holds back the overall combo ranking, as the CPU is capable of supporting significantly faster graphics cards.

The rank implies that approximately 747 combos outperform this pairing, likely featuring more powerful GPUs that can exploit the 13700K's processing headroom. Conversely, the 890 combos ranked below this setup include systems with weaker CPUs or GPUs, suggesting that this configuration represents a balanced mid-range gaming build. The 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit memory bus are the primary differentiators against higher-ranked combos, which likely use GPUs with larger memory pools and wider buses.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 195.6 FPS on Low, 137 FPS on Medium, 119.1 FPS on High, and 93.1 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a cumulative 52.4% performance reduction, with the largest single-step drop occurring between High and Ultra at 21.8%.

At 2560x1440, the results are 142.3 FPS on Low, 103.5 FPS on Medium, 87.5 FPS on High, and 69.7 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 51.0% total reduction, with the High to Ultra step costing 20.3% performance.

At 3840x2160, the system produces 91.6 FPS on Low, 65.6 FPS on Medium, 57.7 FPS on High, and 45.2 FPS on Ultra. This represents a 50.7% reduction from Low to Ultra, and notably, even the Low preset at 4K cannot reach the 100 FPS mark that the 1080p Low preset easily exceeds.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low and Medium settings. The measured data shows 91.6 FPS at 4K Low and 65.6 FPS at 4K Medium, both above the 60 FPS threshold. High (57.7 FPS) and Ultra (45.2 FPS) fall below comfortable playability.

Q: What is the best 1440p preset for this hardware?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 deliver 87.5 FPS, which is the highest quality preset that maintains a smooth experience above 60 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 69.7 FPS, which may be acceptable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K scores an average benchmark of 47282, placing it 0.1% behind the i7-13700KF, 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P, and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i9-12900F. It ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p Medium and 1440p Medium?

A: At Medium settings, the system delivers 137 FPS at 1080p and 103.5 FPS at 1440p, representing a 24.5% reduction when moving to the higher resolution. Both results are well above playable thresholds.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RX 9060 XT ranks in the 50th percentile of GPUs, while the 13700K ranks in the 93rd percentile of CPUs. The steep FPS drops from 1080p to 4K further confirm the GPU bottleneck.

Q: Does the system maintain 60+ FPS at any 4K setting?

A: Yes, the 4K Low preset achieves 91.6 FPS and 4K Medium achieves 65.6 FPS. Both exceed the 60 FPS mark, though 4K High (57.7 FPS) and 4K Ultra (45.2 FPS) do not.