Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a clear performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, where the measured frame rates are heavily dictated by resolution and graphics preset. The data indicates that this combination is capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p with specific settings, while 4K requires significant compromises to maintain playability. Benchmark results show a system that scales predictably, with the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, a pattern consistent with the hardware’s respective strengths in multi-threaded workloads and rasterization.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Low, which achieves an average of 64 FPS. This is the only setting at 4K that clears the playable threshold; Medium drops to 46 FPS, High falls to 40 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial, indicating a steep scaling cost for higher visual fidelity at this resolution.

For 2560x1440, the best preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, delivering an average of 62 FPS. Interestingly, this is very close to the 4K Low result, suggesting that the GPU is operating near its limits in both scenarios. Medium also remains playable at 71 FPS, but High represents the peak quality setting that still meets the 60 FPS target. Ultra at this resolution falls short at 46 FPS, mirroring the 4K Medium result.

At 1920x1080, the system can handle the highest quality preset, Ultra, with an average of 63 FPS. This is the only resolution where Ultra is playable, and the margin above 60 FPS is slim. High (84 FPS) and Medium (96 FPS) offer more headroom, while Low reaches 136 FPS for maximum responsiveness. The 1080p results show that the combo is well-balanced here, with the CPU’s strong multi-core performance (16 cores, 32 threads) likely preventing any frame pacing issues even at lower settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component dominance as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU’s capabilities are more relevant, as the frame rates scale from 63 FPS (Ultra) to 136 FPS (Low), a 116% increase that suggests the GPU has headroom to spare. The Ryzen 9 5950X, with its high single-thread score of 944 in 3dmark and 1614 in Cinebench R23, can feed frames quickly enough to let the Arc B570 reach its potential. However, even at Low settings, the 136 FPS ceiling indicates that neither component is fully saturating, but the GPU is likely the limiting factor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced. The average FPS drops from 100 (Low) to 62 (High), a 38% reduction, while the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant. The Arc B570, with its 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, shows signs of being the primary constraint, as the scaling from Low to High is less than at 1080p. The min FPS of 60 at Medium further confirms that the GPU is working harder to maintain frame times.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The frame rates compress into a narrow band—64 FPS at Low, 46 at Medium, 40 at High, and 30 at Ultra—indicating that the 160-bit memory bus and 2304 shading units are overwhelmed by the pixel count. The CPU’s influence diminishes almost entirely, as even the 64 FPS at Low suggests the GPU is nearing its theoretical limit. The data shows that the Ryzen 9 5950X is never the limiting factor in this configuration, even at 1080p, where its multi-threaded scores (26017 in Cinebench R23) far exceed what Lockdown Protocol requires.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160:

• Ultra: Average 30 FPS, no min/max recorded. This is the lowest result in the dataset, indicating a slideshow-level experience.
• High: Average 40 FPS, no min/max recorded. A 33% improvement over Ultra but still below playability.
• Medium: Average 46 FPS, with min 39 and max 52. The variance is tight, suggesting consistent frame pacing but insufficient average.
• Low: Average 64 FPS, no min/max recorded. The only 4K preset that clears 60 FPS, with a 39% uplift over Medium.

2560x1440:

• Ultra: Average 46 FPS, no min/max recorded. Identical to 4K Medium, showing that the GPU’s fill rate is the limiting factor.
• High: Average 62 FPS, no min/max recorded. Just above the threshold, with a 35% increase over Ultra.
• Medium: Average 71 FPS, with min 60 and max 81. The min exactly matches the playable threshold, indicating occasional dips.
• Low: Average 100 FPS, no min/max recorded. A 61% jump over Medium, making this the best performance-per-setting at this resolution.

1920x1080:

• Ultra: Average 63 FPS, no min/max recorded. The playable ceiling, with a 37% improvement over 1440p Ultra.
• High: Average 84 FPS, no min/max recorded. A 33% increase over Ultra, showing diminishing returns from High to Ultra.
• Medium: Average 96 FPS, with min 82 and max 111. The min is well above 60 FPS, offering a comfortable buffer.
• Low: Average 136 FPS, no min/max recorded. The highest result in the dataset, a 42% lift over Medium.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step down from 4K to 1080p yields roughly a 50% increase in average FPS at the same settings, while dropping from Ultra to Low within a resolution provides a similar magnitude of improvement. The min FPS values, where recorded, all stay within 18 FPS of the average, indicating stable frame times rather than sporadic stutters.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination ranks 2987 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower half of the database (roughly the 20th percentile). This ranking is notably lower than the individual component percentiles—the CPU sits in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The disparity suggests that the pairing is not optimized for this game’s engine, which appears to be more sensitive to GPU throughput than CPU compute power.

The rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, with the 4K results dragging down the overall score. At 1080p, the combo performs admirably, but the inability to sustain 60 FPS at 1440p Ultra or 4K High penalizes its standing. For context, a combo in the top 10% would likely need to achieve 60 FPS at 1440p Ultra or better, which this hardware does not.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals for each component, several alternative pairings would behave similarly. For the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX has an average benchmark score of 52073, which is 0.2% lower than the Ryzen 9 5950X’s 51947. This means the 235HX would provide nearly identical CPU-bound performance, though its mobile orientation might affect sustained workloads. The AMD EPYC 8124P (52121, 0.3% higher) and Intel Core i7-14700 (52301, 0.7% higher) are also within 1% of the 5950X, making them drop-in equivalents for this game’s CPU demands.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile has an average score of 20534, just 0.1% below the Arc B570’s 20556. This suggests that a laptop with an RTX 3070 Mobile would produce nearly identical frame rates, despite the power and thermal differences. The Intel Arc A750 (20582, 0.1% higher) is the closest desktop rival, meaning swapping the B570 for an A750 would yield virtually the same performance in Lockdown Protocol. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662, 0.5% higher) and NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, 0.4% lower) are also within 1%, though these are older mobile parts that would likely have different driver behavior.

In practical terms, a system with any of these CPUs paired with any of these GPUs would produce results within a few FPS of the measured data. The deltaPct values are all under 1%, so the performance envelope is very tight.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Ultra (63 FPS), High (84 FPS), Medium (96 FPS), and Low (136 FPS)—clear the 60 FPS threshold, making this the fully playable resolution. At 2560x1440, three presets are playable: High (62 FPS), Medium (71 FPS), and Low (100 FPS); Ultra (46 FPS) does not meet the requirement. At 3840x2160, only Low (64 FPS) is playable, while Medium (46 FPS), High (40 FPS), and Ultra (30 FPS) all fall short.

The verdict is clear: for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, the user must either stay at 1080p with any settings or drop to 1440p High as the maximum quality. 4K gaming is possible only at the lowest settings, and even then with a slim margin. The system is not capable of 4K Ultra or 1440p Ultra, and users seeking those experiences would need a stronger GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p to maintain 60 FPS?

A: Ultra is the best setting, averaging 63 FPS. High (84 FPS), Medium (96 FPS), and Low (136 FPS) also exceed 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run the game at 1440p with High settings?

A: Yes, High at 2560x1440 averages 62 FPS, just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium (71 FPS) and Low (100 FPS) are also playable.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings, which averages 64 FPS. Medium (46 FPS), High (40 FPS), and Ultra (30 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 9 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51947. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is 0.2% lower (52073), while the Intel Core i9-13900F is 0.4% higher (51730).

Q: What GPU is closest in performance to the Intel Arc B570?

A: The Intel Arc A750 has a score of 20582, which is 0.1% higher than the B570’s 20556. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% lower at 20534.

Q: Does the game run better at 1080p Medium or 1440p Low?

A: 1080p Medium averages 96 FPS, while 1440p Low averages 100 FPS. The 1440p Low setting provides a slightly higher frame rate despite the higher resolution.