Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, places measurable demands on the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and AMD Radeon RX 7800M combination. The measured frames per second across resolutions and settings reveal a component pairing that handles 1080p and 1440p with ease but begins to strain at 4K. This analysis walks through the data step by step, interpreting what the scores mean for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling metric for this combo is the frame rate drop when moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 100 at 1080p to 74 at 1440p, a 26% reduction, and then further to 48 at 4K, a 52% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a system where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced at Ultra settings. At 1080p, the combo produces 75 FPS, which drops to 55 FPS at 1440p and then to 36 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is nearly half the 1080p Ultra figure, indicating that the Radeon RX 7800M's compute resources are saturated by the 8.3 million pixels at 3840x2160. For a fast-paced FPS, a 36 FPS average will likely feel sluggish, as the frame pacing cannot maintain smooth motion.

Conversely, the Low settings row shows the most headroom. At 1080p Low, the average is 162 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 119 FPS, and 4K Low still manages 77 FPS. The fact that 4K Low (77 FPS) outperforms 1080p Ultra (75 FPS) by a small margin strongly suggests that the GPU's raw shading power, not the CPU, is the bottleneck at higher settings. If the Core Ultra X7 368H were the limiting factor, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively flat regardless of resolution, which is not the case here.

The Medium preset offers a middle ground, with 115 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The delta between Medium and High at each resolution is consistent: a 15 FPS drop at 1080p, a 10 FPS drop at 1440p, and a 6 FPS drop at 4K. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is spending more time on pixel shading and less on the incremental geometry and lighting changes between presets. The data clearly shows that resolution scaling is the dominant variable for this combo, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at all tested settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing sits at rank 1894 out of 2828 combos. This places it in the lower third of all systems, which may seem surprising given the strong 1080p results. The rank, however, reflects a global comparison against all other CPU and GPU pairings, including those with far more powerful desktop components. A percentile rank near the 33rd mark indicates that while this combo is capable, there are many faster systems in the database.

The rank of 1894 suggests that for competitive play at high refresh rates, this combo is adequate but not top-tier. The 1080p Low result of 162 FPS is respectable, but many combos above this rank will push well beyond 200 FPS. The 4K performance, where the combo ranks much lower in effective playability, drags the overall standing down. This is not a combination designed for maximum frame rates at 4K; it is a balanced mobile pairing that delivers solid performance at mainstream resolutions.

The data also shows that the combo's rank is not a reflection of a weak link, but rather the average of its parts. The GPU's 73rd percentile standing among all GPUs and the CPU's 87th percentile among all CPUs suggest that both components are above average individually. The combination rank of 1894/2828, therefore, indicates that while each part is competent, the pairing does not boost to the top echelon of tested systems. Users seeking a higher rank would need to look at components with higher percentile scores, but for the target resolutions of 1440p and below, this rank is serviceable.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the workhorse of this pairing, and its specifications align with the measured frame rates. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the textures and assets in Lockdown Protocol, as no min FPS data indicates a memory capacity shortfall at any tested setting. The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS, while low, is not a stutter-filled experience, suggesting the frame buffer is not being exceeded.

Clock speeds play a direct role in the scaling behavior. The GPU has a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2335 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2145 MHz. The measured results indicate that the boost clock is being sustained during 1080p and 1440p gameplay, as evidenced by the high frame counts. At 4K, the GPU operates at its limit, and the frame rate drops correspond to the increased pixel fill rate demands. The pixel rate of 224.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 560.4 GTexel/s are the theoretical ceilings, and the 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS suggests the GPU is achieving roughly 60% of its pixel fill capability at that extreme load.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 35.87 TFLOPS, while a raw compute metric, correlates with the 77 FPS result at 4K Low. At Low settings, the GPU is not burdened by complex shading, allowing its raw throughput to shine. The move to Ultra settings adds more draw calls and shading complexity, which reduces the effective throughput to 36 FPS. The 12 GB VRAM is a notable asset, as it allows the GPU to maintain stable minimum frame rates at Medium settings, where the 4K min FPS is 46, only 8 frames below the average. This stability is a direct result of having adequate memory bandwidth and capacity to avoid texture swapping.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance for this combo is the Medium preset at 2560x1440. At this setting, the average FPS is 84, with a minimum of 72 and a maximum of 97. The min FPS of 72 is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, ensuring that the game does not drop into uncomfortable territory during intense scenes. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p costs 10 FPS (from 84 to 74), which is a 12% reduction for what is often a modest visual improvement.

For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p is the clear choice. The 162 FPS average provides a significant margin above 144 Hz displays, and the absence of min FPS data suggests that the frame rate remains consistently high. This setting is ideal for competitive play where reaction time is paramount. The High preset at 1080p, at 100 FPS, is still playable but sacrifices 38% of the Low preset's performance for better shadows and textures.

The 4K Ultra setting, at 36 FPS average, is not recommended for this combo. The data shows that even 4K Medium at 54 FPS is a more viable option, providing a 50% improvement over Ultra while still delivering a playable experience on a 4K display. The most efficient path is to prioritize resolution over settings: 1440p Medium (84 FPS) outperforms 4K Low (77 FPS), and both are more visually appealing than 1080p Ultra (75 FPS) in terms of pixel density. For a 1440p monitor, Medium is the sweet spot. For a 1080p monitor, High offers a good balance, but Ultra's 75 FPS is still above the 60 FPS baseline.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset reveals a consistent hierarchy across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average FPS by preset is: Low at 162, Medium at 115, High at 100, and Ultra at 75. The Medium preset also has a recorded minimum of 98 and maximum of 132, providing a clear picture of frame time variance. The 162 FPS Low result is 41% higher than the Medium result, indicating that the Low preset removes significant GPU workload.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 119, Medium at 84, High at 74, and Ultra at 55. The Medium preset's min FPS is 72 and max is 97, showing a tighter range than the 1080p Medium. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most severe at Low settings, falling from 162 to 119 FPS, a 27% reduction. This suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is still heavily engaged with pixel output.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 77, Medium at 54, High at 48, and Ultra at 36. The Medium preset has a min of 46 and max of 63, which means the frame rate can dip below 50 FPS during demanding scenes. The 4K Low result of 77 FPS is the only 4K setting that matches the 1440p High result of 74 FPS, highlighting the trade-off between resolution and detail. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 53% reduction in frame rate, from 77 to 36 FPS, which is the largest percentage drop across any resolution tier.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance, with a Medium preset achieving 84 FPS average and a minimum of 72 FPS, which is above the smoothness threshold for an FPS game.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The 4K Low preset produces 77 FPS average, while 4K Medium drops to 54 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 36 FPS, which may be too low for fast-paced action.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H, with 16 cores and 16 threads, does not appear to be the bottleneck. The frame rate scales significantly with resolution, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU maintains high FPS at 1080p Low (162 FPS).

Q: Is the 12 GB VRAM on the RX 7800M sufficient?

A: The data shows no evidence of VRAM limitation. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 46, which is close to its average of 54, suggesting stable memory performance without stuttering from capacity issues.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144 Hz monitor?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only setting that exceeds 144 FPS, with an average of 162. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 115 FPS, which is below the 144 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1894 out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third. The GPU's percentile is 73 and the CPU's is 87, indicating both are above average individually, but the pairing does not crack the top tier.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its architecture, Panther Lake, is built on a 3 nm process, and it features a shared L3 cache of 18 MB. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the data suggests it does this effectively. The 1080p Low result of 162 FPS is the key evidence: at low graphical settings, the GPU is not the bottleneck, so the CPU must be capable of issuing enough frames to reach that number.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this conclusion. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28221 and single-core score of 3984 indicate strong performance for a mobile chip. The single-core score is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines rely heavily on one or two threads. The Core Ultra X7 368H's boost clock of 5.00 GHz contributes to a Passmark single-thread score of 4005, which is in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. This high single-thread performance ensures that the game's main thread does not become a limiting factor.

The CPU's 16 threads, while not hyper-threaded (16 cores, 16 threads), provide ample parallel processing for background tasks and game physics. The L3 cache of 18 MB shared helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times. The memory bus is dual-channel LPDDR5X with a bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s, which pairs well with the GPU's 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, ensuring that data can flow from system memory to the GPU without a severe bottleneck.

The nearest rivals to this CPU, such as the Intel Core 7 253PE and AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, have average benchmark scores within 0.2% of the Ultra X7 368H. This indicates that the CPU is well within the expected performance envelope for its class. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's capability is most evident in the 4K Low result of 77 FPS, which is higher than the 1080p Ultra result of 75 FPS. This counter-intuitive result occurs because the GPU is less stressed at 4K Low than at 1080p Ultra, allowing the CPU to push more frames. Ultimately, the data shows that the Core Ultra X7 368H is a capable partner for the RX 7800M, providing enough headroom to prevent CPU-bound scenarios at any tested setting.