Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a highly resolution-dependent experience in Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, this combination is fully capable of maxing out the game, while 2560x1440 remains very strong with High settings. The data indicates that 3840x2160 is the breaking point, where only the Low preset maintains a playable frame rate. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, ranking, and optimal settings for this specific hardware pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally strong. The Low preset achieves an average of 146 FPS, which is nearly 2.5 times the 60 FPS playability threshold. Moving up to Medium yields 103 FPS average, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS, indicating a very stable experience. High settings still deliver a smooth 90 FPS average. Even the most demanding Ultra preset stays well above the playability threshold, averaging 68 FPS. This resolution is clearly where this hardware shines, with no preset dropping below the 60 FPS line.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down but remains largely playable. The Low preset produces an average of 107 FPS, which is still a high-refresh-rate experience. Medium settings deliver 76 FPS average, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS, showing that the frame rate can dip close to the threshold but generally holds up. High settings average 66 FPS, which is just above the playability line. The Ultra preset, however, falls below the threshold, averaging only 50 FPS. This suggests that 1440p users should stick to High or below for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the hardware begins to struggle. The Low preset is the only option that clears the 60 FPS mark, averaging 69 FPS. Medium settings drop to an average of 49 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS, which is a noticeable step down. High settings average just 43 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. The data shows a steep drop-off at 4K, indicating that the RX 6600's 8 GB memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for higher presets at this resolution. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 20 FPS, a significant jump that highlights the memory bandwidth bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2901st out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is expected given the mid-range nature of the GPU. The CPU, however, is a strong performer, ranking in the 81st percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 29713. The GPU sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 19036.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU has significant headroom, the GPU is the limiting factor for this game. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (with a deltaPct of -0.5) and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (deltaPct of -0.6), show that the 9600X is essentially on par with these higher-core-count parts in synthetic benchmarks. This indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, have nearly identical average scores, confirming that the RX 6600's performance level is well understood. The combo rank of 2901 suggests that while the CPU is capable, the overall system performance is heavily weighted by the GPU's mid-range capabilities.

Best Settings per Resolution

The goal is to find the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 68 FPS. This is the highest visual quality available, and the frame rate remains comfortably above the playability threshold. There is no need to compromise on settings at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the most demanding option that maintains playability, averaging 66 FPS. While it is only 6 FPS above the threshold, it provides a better visual experience than Medium (76 FPS) or Low (107 FPS) without dropping below the 60 FPS line. Pushing to Ultra would result in an average of 50 FPS, which is not recommended.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 69 FPS. This is a significant compromise in visual quality, but it is the only way to achieve a smooth frame rate. Medium settings at 49 FPS and High at 43 FPS are both too slow for a playable experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at this resolution clear the 60 FPS mark.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 2560x1440 to stay above 60 FPS?

A: The High preset is the most demanding option that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 66 FPS. The Medium preset is also playable at 76 FPS, but High offers better visual quality while remaining above the threshold. The Ultra preset falls below the threshold at 50 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: Only at the Low preset. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 69 FPS, which is playable. However, Medium (49 FPS), High (43 FPS), and Ultra (32 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, scores 29656, which is a deltaPct of 0.2. The AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 29868 (-0.5 deltaPct), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT scores 29879 (-0.6 deltaPct). These differences are negligible, indicating near-identical CPU performance.

Q: What is the frame rate range for the Medium preset at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 has an average of 103 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS. This shows a stable frame time distribution with no major dips.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to be the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 63rd percentile. Furthermore, the steep performance drop at 3840x2160 (from 69 FPS on Low to 49 FPS on Medium) indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth and processing power are the primary constraints at higher resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets clearly delineates the roles of the CPU and GPU in Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, the system is likely not fully GPU-bound, as even the Ultra preset achieves 68 FPS, which is a high frame rate. The jump from Low (146 FPS) to Medium (103 FPS) is a 43 FPS drop, and from Medium to High (90 FPS) is a 13 FPS drop. This scaling pattern suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at this resolution, and the GPU is the primary driver of performance.

At 2560x1440, the GPU load increases. The Low preset drops to 107 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 50 FPS. The gap between High (66 FPS) and Ultra (50 FPS) is 16 FPS, which is a significant penalty for the extra visual features. This indicates that the GPU is becoming the dominant bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is unlikely to change with resolution. The 9600X's strong single-thread performance (2183.5 in Cinebench R23) is sufficient to avoid CPU limitations at these frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component. The performance collapse from Low (69 FPS) to Medium (49 FPS) is a 29% drop, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. The RX 6600's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are simply not enough to handle the texture and shading demands of higher presets at 4K. The CPU's role is diminished at this resolution, as the frame rate is entirely dictated by the GPU's pixel throughput (159.4 GPixel/s) and texture rate (279.0 GTexel/s). The data shows that for this game, the CPU matters most at lower resolutions where high frame rates are achievable, but the GPU dominates at higher resolutions.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience is heavily dependent on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, running all presets above 60 FPS, including Ultra at 68 FPS. This is the ideal resolution for this combo, offering a smooth and visually rich experience. At 2560x1440, the system is still playable, with the High preset averaging 66 FPS. However, users must avoid the Ultra preset, which drops to 50 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system is only marginally playable, with the Low preset averaging 69 FPS. Any higher preset at 4K will result in a sub-60 FPS experience. The verdict is clear: this is a 1080p and 1440p machine for Lockdown Protocol, not a 4K one. The playable settings per resolution are: 1080p (Ultra, 68 FPS), 1440p (High, 66 FPS), and 4K (Low, 69 FPS).

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are all within a 1% performance delta. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (deltaPct 0.2) is essentially identical, as is the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (deltaPct -0.5) and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (deltaPct -0.6). These processors would deliver near-identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, meaning that swapping the 9600X for any of these would not meaningfully change the gaming experience.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6600's nearest rivals are also very close in performance. The NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (deltaPct 0) is a perfect match in average score. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (deltaPct -0.1) and the NVIDIA Tesla K20m (deltaPct -0.3) are also within a fraction of a percent. The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (deltaPct 0.4) is slightly faster. These GPUs would produce nearly the same frame rates in this game, meaning that users with any of these alternatives should expect similar performance characteristics, including the same resolution and preset limitations.