Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that demands a clear read on frame pacing and visual fidelity. This analysis examines the recorded performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data comes from the database's measured runs, with a playability threshold of 60 frames per second. The findings reveal a system that is capable at 1080p and 1440p, but requires significant compromise at 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS varies sharply by resolution. At 1920x1080, the full Ultra preset is achievable, with the recorded average sitting at 72.4 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that clears the 60 FPS bar, and it does so with a comfortable margin. The High preset at this resolution runs even faster at 101.3 FPS, but Ultra represents the best visual experience available without dropping below the target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the ceiling drops one step. The High preset delivers an average of 74.8 FPS, which is the best playable option here. The Medium preset also clears the threshold at 85.3 FPS, and Low runs at 116.7 FPS, but High is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset falls short at 52 FPS, so it is not recommended for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more constrained. Only the Low preset remains above the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 72.9 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 55.1 FPS, High falls to 47.2 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 38.1 FPS. For 4K gaming, the data indicates that players must accept Low settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The jump from 1440p to 4K is punishing, with the playable preset tier dropping from High to Low.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded frame rates reveal a system where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU demonstrates ample headroom. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial: the average goes from 159.9 FPS down to 72.4 FPS. This scaling of 87.5 FPS across the preset range suggests that the GPU is doing most of the work, as the CPU is unlikely to bottleneck at these frame rates. The Ryzen 7 7700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, shows strong single-thread performance in the database, and the 1080p results indicate it is feeding the RTX 2060 SUPER effectively.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with a compressed range. Low runs at 116.7 FPS, while Ultra drops to 52 FPS, a spread of 64.7 FPS. The reduction in absolute frame rates across all presets, compared to 1080p, points to the GPU being more heavily loaded. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are being pushed harder at this resolution, yet the CPU still appears to have no trouble keeping up.

The 4K results are the most telling. At 3840x2160, the frame rate range narrows dramatically: Low is 72.9 FPS, Medium is 55.1 FPS, High is 47.2 FPS, and Ultra is 38.1 FPS. The total spread is only 34.8 FPS, which is much smaller than at lower resolutions. This compression indicates that the GPU is now the dominant constraint, as the pixel workload scales with resolution and saturates the graphics card. The CPU's role diminishes, since the frame rate is limited by the GPU's rendering throughput rather than by draw call or physics processing. The data shows that the Ryzen 7 7700X is not the bottleneck at any resolution; the RTX 2060 SUPER is the component that determines playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database provides average frame rates for each combination of resolution and preset. No minimum or maximum values are recorded, so this analysis relies solely on averages.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low runs at 159.9 FPS, Medium at 114.8 FPS, High at 101.3 FPS, and Ultra at 72.4 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a drop of 45.1 FPS, while the step from Medium to High is 13.5 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 28.9 FPS. These numbers indicate that the Low preset is far less demanding, likely disabling shadows, reflections, and other visual effects that the GPU would otherwise render.

For 2560x1440, the recorded averages are: Low at 116.7 FPS, Medium at 85.3 FPS, High at 74.8 FPS, and Ultra at 52 FPS. Compared to 1080p, each preset loses roughly 27% to 28% of its frame rate. This consistent scaling suggests a uniform increase in pixel count from 2.07 million to 3.68 million, which is a 78% increase in pixels, yet the frame rate penalty is less than that, indicating some headroom in the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute units.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 72.9 FPS, Medium at 55.1 FPS, High at 47.2 FPS, and Ultra at 38.1 FPS. The pixel count here is 8.29 million, which is 4 times that of 1080p. The frame rate at Low drops from 159.9 to 72.9 FPS, a 54% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is from 72.4 to 38.1 FPS, a 47% reduction. This non-linear scaling is typical for a GPU that is increasingly memory-bound at higher resolutions, as the RTX 2060 SUPER's 448 GB/s bandwidth becomes a limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 produces an average of 72.4 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p?

A: The High preset is the most demanding option that stays above 60 FPS, with an average of 74.8 FPS. Ultra falls short at 52 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings, which yields 72.9 FPS on average. Medium, High, and Ultra all drop below 60 FPS, with Ultra at 38.1 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same preset?

A: At Low settings, the average drops from 159.9 FPS to 72.9 FPS, a 54% reduction. At Ultra, it drops from 72.4 FPS to 38.1 FPS, a 47% reduction.

Q: Which component is the limiting factor for this game?

A: The recorded data shows the GPU is the primary constraint. The frame rate scales heavily with resolution and preset, while the CPU's strong multi-threaded scores suggest it is not the bottleneck.

Q: Does the system meet the 60 FPS target at 1440p Ultra?

A: No. The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 52 FPS, which is below the threshold. Players should use High instead.

The Verdict

The verdict for this AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination is conditional on the display resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, running every preset above 60 FPS, with Ultra at 72.4 FPS being the highest playable option. At 2560x1440, the system remains playable at High settings with 74.8 FPS, but Ultra is out of reach. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS bar, with an average of 72.9 FPS; all higher presets fail to meet the threshold.

The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. For 4K, players must significantly lower visual quality to achieve smooth gameplay. The RTX 2060 SUPER, while competent for its generation, is not powerful enough to handle the game's highest presets at higher resolutions. The CPU, on the other hand, demonstrates that it is not a limiting factor in any scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing sits at position 2537 out of 3714 combinations. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU's age and tier. The RTX 2060 SUPER is an end-of-life product, and its benchmark scores reflect that, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2011 and a Passmark G3D score of 16462. The CPU, however, ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with a strong multi-threaded score of 35686 in Passmark. The combination's rank is therefore dragged down by the GPU, which only sits in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs.

The rank of 2537 out of 3714 suggests that many other combinations deliver higher frame rates in this game, likely due to more modern graphics cards. However, the fact that this system can still achieve playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p means it is not obsolete for this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for each component provides context on what other hardware would perform similarly. For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 has an average benchmark score of 35802, which is 0.3% different from the Ryzen 7 7700X's 35909. The Intel Core 7 250H and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 are also close, with scores of 35728 and 35719 respectively, showing differences of 0.5%. These CPUs would likely produce very similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, since the game does not seem to be CPU-bound.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile has an average score of 18159, which is 0.4% lower than the RTX 2060 SUPER's 18093. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% higher, despite being a much older card. The Intel Arc A770M is 1.6% higher. These GPUs would deliver frame rates within a few percentage points of the RTX 2060 SUPER, meaning that players with those cards should expect nearly identical performance in Lockdown Protocol.

The implications are clear: swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals would not change the gaming experience, as the GPU is the bottleneck. Similarly, substituting the GPU with one of its nearest rivals would result in only marginal differences in frame rates, keeping the same resolution and preset limitations. For this game, the RTX 2060 SUPER defines the performance ceiling, and the Ryzen 7 7700X is more than adequate to support it.