Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT pairing delivers a wide range of performance in Lockdown Protocol, scaling predictably across resolutions and presets. The measured data shows this combination is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires careful settings selection to stay smooth. Benchmark results are based on measured FPS data with the playable threshold set at 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces excellent frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 235.1 FPS, which is nearly four times the playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 166.5 FPS, and High maintains a strong 144.2 FPS. Even the most demanding Ultra preset stays well above 60 FPS with an average of 110.2 FPS. This resolution is clearly where the combo shines, offering headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors even at maximum quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains robust but shows the expected cost of additional pixels. Low settings average 170.7 FPS, Medium delivers 122.5 FPS, and High produces 107.8 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p still clear the 60 FPS threshold comfortably with an average of 77.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 93.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU has substantial headroom to absorb quality increases without dropping below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. Low settings average 114.1 FPS, which remains very playable. Medium drops to 76.3 FPS, and High averages 68.3 FPS, still above the 60 FPS line. However, Ultra settings fall to 53.1 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The drop from High to Ultra at 4K is 15.2 FPS, a notable penalty that pushes the system out of the playable range. The data shows that 4K Ultra is the only configuration in the entire measured set that fails to maintain 60 FPS.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is consistent. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 124.9 FPS. At 1440p, that difference narrows to 93.3 FPS. At 4K, it shrinks further to 61.0 FPS. This indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, compressing the performance gap between quality presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 provide context for CPU-bound scenarios. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 has an average benchmark score of 19617, which is 0.1% lower than the Ryzen 5 5500's 19593 average. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, putting it 0.4% ahead. The Intel Core i7-10700F scores 19499, which is 0.5% behind. The Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 19723, leading by 0.7%. These deltas are all under one percent, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU.

For the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, the nearest rivals show a different story despite similar average scores. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 has an average score of 11680, which is 0.5% lower than the RX 7800 XT's 11627. The AMD Radeon Pro 5500M scores 11528, trailing by 0.9%. The NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11479, which is 1.3% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 11842, leading by 1.8%. While these aggregate scores are close, the RX 7800 XT's 16 GB GDDR6 memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth give it a substantial advantage in modern titles that the synthetic averages may not fully capture. In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the measured FPS data reflects the actual GPU performance rather than these aggregate scores.

The system's overall rank in this game is 1265 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all tested hardware pairs. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking against all CPUs and the GPU's 51st percentile against all GPUs suggest that the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU in this pairing, but the measured game data shows the combination works well together for this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions. At 1080p, the system achieves 235.1 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. This suggests that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a very high rate, and the GPU has enough headroom to render them quickly. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 68.6 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 22.3 FPS. These diminishing returns indicate that the GPU is increasingly taxed as settings rise, but the CPU remains capable throughout.

At 1440p, the pattern shifts. Low settings average 170.7 FPS, which is 64.4 FPS lower than at 1080p. This drop is larger than the proportional pixel increase would suggest, indicating that the GPU is beginning to limit performance. The difference between Low and Medium at 1440p is 48.2 FPS, and between Medium and High it is 14.7 FPS. The scaling is more compressed than at 1080p, reinforcing that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly dominant in determining performance. Low settings average 114.1 FPS, which is 56.6 FPS lower than at 1440p. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 37.8 FPS, and between Medium and High it is 8.0 FPS. The High to Ultra drop of 15.2 FPS is significant, and it pushes the system below 60 FPS. This pattern shows that at 4K, the GPU's rendering capacity is the primary constraint, and the CPU has ample headroom to keep up with the GPU's output.

The resolution scaling itself tells a clear story. From 1080p to 1440p, Low settings lose 64.4 FPS, High loses 36.4 FPS, and Ultra loses 32.8 FPS. From 1440p to 4K, Low loses 56.6 FPS, High loses 39.5 FPS, and Ultra loses 24.3 FPS. The consistent pattern of larger absolute losses at lower settings indicates that the GPU is doing more work relative to the CPU as resolution increases. The CPU's role is most significant at 1080p Low, where it allows the GPU to run at its maximum output. At 4K Ultra, the CPU is essentially never the bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes, but not at Ultra settings. The measured data shows 4K High averages 68.3 FPS, 4K Medium averages 76.3 FPS, and 4K Low averages 114.1 FPS. Only 4K Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 53.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best quality preset at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 1440p average 77.4 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the highest quality preset that remains playable at this resolution, with High at 107.8 FPS and Medium at 122.5 FPS also available.

Q: How much performance does Ultra settings cost compared to High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra is 34.0 FPS slower than High. At 1440p, the difference is 30.4 FPS. At 4K, Ultra is 15.2 FPS slower than High. The cost of Ultra decreases as resolution increases because the GPU is already heavily loaded.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU becomes more important as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the CPU allows 235.1 FPS, indicating it is not limiting. At 4K Ultra, the GPU limits performance to 53.1 FPS. The CPU's role is most relevant at lower resolutions and settings.

Q: Does this system support high refresh rate monitors?

A: At 1080p, all presets exceed 110 FPS, and Low reaches 235.1 FPS, which supports 144Hz and 240Hz monitors. At 1440p, all presets exceed 77 FPS, supporting 144Hz monitors. At 4K, only Low exceeds 114 FPS, while High and Medium stay above 68 FPS.

Q: What happens if I use Low settings at 4K?

A: Low settings at 4K average 114.1 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold. This is the fastest 4K configuration in the dataset, offering a large margin over the 60 FPS minimum.

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT can run Lockdown Protocol effectively at all three tested resolutions, with one exception. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 110.2 FPS and Low reaching 235.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra at 77.4 FPS and Low at 170.7 FPS. At 3840x2160, High, Medium, and Low are playable, with averages of 68.3 FPS, 76.3 FPS, and 114.1 FPS respectively. The only non-playable configuration is 4K Ultra at 53.1 FPS.

The system's rank of 1265 out of 3714 tested combinations places it in the upper third of all hardware pairs tested for this game. The CPU's benchmark percentile of 73 against all CPUs and the GPU's percentile of 51 against all GPUs indicate that the processor is relatively stronger, but the measured game data shows the pairing is well balanced for Lockdown Protocol's demands. For 1080p and 1440p gaming, this system offers plenty of performance for smooth gameplay at high settings. For 4K, it requires a compromise on quality settings but remains fully playable at High.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 110.2 FPS. This provides the maximum visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, averaging 77.4 FPS. This offers a substantial quality improvement over High while still delivering smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, averaging 68.3 FPS. Ultra at 4K falls below the threshold at 53.1 FPS, so High is the recommended ceiling for 4K play. Users seeking higher frame rates at 4K can drop to Medium for 76.3 FPS or Low for 114.1 FPS.