Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a remarkably strong showing in Lockdown Protocol, positioning itself in the upper echelon of tested configurations. Within the benchmark database, this combination ranks 973rd out of 3714 total combos tested for this title, placing it in approximately the 74th percentile of all systems. This ranking is particularly notable given that the CPU sits at only the 73rd percentile among all tested processors and the GPU at the 55th percentile among all tested graphics cards — the whole here is clearly greater than the sum of its parts. The data indicates a pairing that punches above its individual component weight, suggesting that Lockdown Protocol's engine effectively leverages the balance between this six-core Zen 3 processor and the RDNA 4.0 architecture.

How This Combo Ranks

The 973rd position out of 3714 combos places this system firmly in the top quartile of all tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol. This is a strong result that reflects genuine synergy between the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosting to 4.20 GHz, provide solid foundational performance. Meanwhile, the GPU's 4096 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus deliver substantial graphics throughput.

What makes this ranking particularly interesting is the delta between the components' individual standings and their combined performance. The Ryzen 5 5500's average benchmark score of 19593 places it just 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-12500, while edging out the Intel Core i7-10700F by 0.5%. The RX 9070 XT, with its average score of 13543, sits remarkably close to older GPUs like the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (0.1% ahead) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0.2% ahead). Yet in actual game performance, this combo outpaces what those individual scores might suggest, indicating that Lockdown Protocol is particularly responsive to the combination of modern CPU architecture and current-generation GPU features.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS or above is High, producing an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 87 FPS on average, but High represents the sweet spot for visual quality while still providing comfortable headroom above the playable threshold. The Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold, while Low runs at 123 FPS.

For 2560x1440, the data shows that all four presets clear the 60 FPS mark. The best setting is Ultra, which delivers an average of 89 FPS — a substantial achievement for maximum graphical fidelity at this resolution. High runs at 118 FPS, Medium at 135 FPS, and Low at 191 FPS, giving users considerable flexibility depending on their preference for visual quality versus raw frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the system truly shines. Ultra settings produce an average of 121 FPS, making it the best playable setting at this resolution. High reaches 161 FPS, Medium hits 185 FPS, and Low tops out at 241 FPS. Every preset at 1080p provides well over double the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this combination is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors at standard resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling data reveals an interesting dynamic between resolutions. Looking at the Low preset across resolutions, performance drops from 241 FPS at 1920x1080 to 191 FPS at 2560x1440 and 123 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 21% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 36% reduction from 1440p to 4K. These substantial drops at low settings, where the GPU is less burdened, suggest that the Ryzen 5 5500 remains a meaningful contributor to overall frame rates even when graphical load is minimal.

However, the GPU's importance becomes more pronounced as settings increase. At Ultra preset, the gap between 1080p (121 FPS) and 1440p (89 FPS) is 26%, while the gap between 1440p and 4K (57 FPS) is 36%. Interestingly, the 4K Ultra result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that at maximum settings and resolution, the RX 9070 XT becomes the limiting factor. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are substantial, but the 4096 shading units appear to reach their limit at 4K Ultra in this title.

The Medium preset data provides the clearest view of component scaling. At 1080p Medium, average FPS is 185, dropping to 135 at 1440p (27% reduction) and 87 at 4K (36% reduction). The minimum FPS values at Medium settings — 157 at 1080p, 115 at 1440p, and 74 at 4K — show that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains respectable frame times. This pattern suggests that while the GPU increasingly dominates performance at higher resolutions, the CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth provide adequate support to prevent bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearestRivals data shows several processors that would deliver nearly identical performance in this system. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, with an average score of 19617, is effectively a dead heat with the Ryzen 5 5500 at just 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i5-12500 (19668) and Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723) are also extremely close, at 0.4% and 0.7% faster respectively. The Intel Core i7-10700F (19499) is 0.5% slower. Any of these CPUs would produce virtually indistinguishable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the RX 9070 XT.

On the GPU side, the picture is more unusual. The nearest rivals to the RX 9070 XT are the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13536, 0.1% slower), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13515, 0.2% slower), NVIDIA P106-090 (13470, 0.5% slower), and AMD Radeon Pro 555 (13407, 1% slower). These are substantially older and less capable cards by almost any measure, yet their average benchmark scores align closely with the RX 9070 XT in the database's aggregated metrics. In practice, the RX 9070 XT's modern architecture — including 64 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate — would likely provide advantages in newer titles that these older cards cannot match. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the measured FPS data suggests the RX 9070 XT performs far better than its nearest rivals' scores would indicate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 241 FPS, Medium averages 185 FPS with minimum and maximum values of 157 and 212 FPS respectively, High averages 161 FPS, and Ultra averages 121 FPS. The consistency at 1080p is remarkable, with even the lowest minimum FPS (157 at Medium) far exceeding the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows expected scaling. Low averages 191 FPS, Medium averages 135 FPS with a range of 115 to 156 FPS, High averages 118 FPS, and Ultra averages 89 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (115) still provides substantial headroom above 60 FPS, suggesting smooth gameplay even during intense scenes.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits. Low averages 123 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a range of 74 to 100 FPS, and High averages 76 FPS. However, Ultra drops to 57 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The minimum FPS at Medium (74) indicates that even at 4K, the system can maintain playable frame rates at medium settings, but maximum quality at this resolution requires the High preset.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol, with the verdictByResolution data confirming playability across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS at every preset, with the best settings being Ultra at 121 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra delivering 89 FPS as the best option. At 3840x2160, the High preset provides the best playable experience at 76 FPS, with Low (123 FPS) and Medium (87 FPS) also clearing the threshold. Only Ultra at 4K fails to reach 60 FPS, coming in at 57 FPS.

The data indicates this is a versatile gaming system. For competitive play at high refresh rates, the 1080p and 1440p results are exceptional — 241 FPS at 1080p Low and 191 FPS at 1440p Low offer the kind of responsiveness that competitive FPS players seek. For cinematic single-player experiences, 4K High at 76 FPS provides excellent visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The system's flexibility across resolutions and settings makes it a strong choice for Lockdown Protocol, regardless of display configuration or performance priorities.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers an average of 76 FPS, making it the most demanding playable setting. Ultra drops to 57 FPS, below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Can this system handle 1080p at maximum settings?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 121 FPS, providing more than double the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19593 on average, sitting 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-12500, and 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-11600KF, while running 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-10700F.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded at Medium settings across all resolutions?

A: The lowest minimum FPS at Medium settings is 74 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160. At 2560x1440 the minimum is 115 FPS, and at 1920x1080 it is 157 FPS.

Q: Which resolution offers the highest frame rates at Low settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Low settings, the system achieves an average of 241 FPS, the highest average recorded in the measured data. This drops to 191 FPS at 1440p and 123 FPS at 4K.

Q: How does the GPU's average benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has an average score of 13543, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, 0.5% higher than the NVIDIA P106-090, and 1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 555.