Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a solid 1080p gaming experience in Lockdown Protocol, with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. At 4K, the combination becomes more constrained, requiring a reduction in graphical settings to maintain smooth gameplay. This analysis examines the measured frame rates, compares the hardware to its nearest performance rivals, and provides a detailed breakdown of what settings are viable at each resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable settings preset at 1920x1080 resolution?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes Ultra the highest playable settings preset at this resolution.

Q: Is the RX 6600 XT capable of running Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes, but only on the Low preset. The measured 3840x2160 Low setting produces an average of 75 FPS. Medium drops to 53 FPS average, and High falls to 47 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X has an average benchmark score of 57498, while the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115. This places the Ryzen 9 9900X approximately 1.1% behind the Intel Core i9-14900 in overall CPU benchmarks.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 83 FPS, while the High preset averages 72 FPS. This represents an 11 FPS difference, with Medium providing a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the RX 6600 XT's benchmark score closer to the GTX 1630 or the RTX 2080 SUPER?

A: The RX 6600 XT's average benchmark score is 24442. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 scores 24277, a 0.7% difference, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER scores 24170, a 1.1% difference. The RX 6600 XT is slightly closer to the GTX 1630 in raw score terms.

Q: What is the combined ranking of this CPU and GPU pair among all tested combos for Lockdown Protocol?

A: This combo ranks 2630 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the overall distribution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each have specific rivals that offer nearly identical benchmark performance. For the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, the closest alternatives are the AMD EPYC 9015 and the AMD EPYC 7313. The EPYC 9015 scores 57555, a negligible 0.1% difference from the Ryzen 9 9900X, while the EPYC 7313 scores 57399, a 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i9-14900 is also nearby at 58115, representing a 1.1% performance gap. These processors would deliver nearly indistinguishable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the GPU remains the same.

On the graphics side, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT sits in a tight cluster of GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 is the closest rival with a score of 24277, just 0.7% below the RX 6600 XT's 24442. The Intel Arc A350M scores 24647, which is 0.8% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti and RTX 2080 SUPER are also within a 1.1% range, meaning any of these cards would produce similar results when paired with the Ryzen 9 9900X. Users with these alternative GPUs can expect comparable performance in Lockdown Protocol, with differences of only a few frames per second at most.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Ultra. The measured average at Ultra is 74 FPS, providing a comfortable 14 FPS margin over the playable threshold. Lower presets offer even higher frame rates, with High at 99 FPS, Medium at 113 FPS, and Low at 159 FPS, but Ultra remains the best balance of visual quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the best settings preset is High, which averages 72 FPS. This is 12 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, and Low reaches 117 FPS, but High offers the highest visual fidelity while staying playable. The Ultra preset falls short at 54 FPS average, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS barrier, achieving an average of 75 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 53 FPS, and High falls to 47 FPS, both below the threshold. Therefore, Low is the only viable setting for 4K gaming with this hardware combination.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—achieving average frame rates above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is the recommended choice for the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable on three presets: Low, Medium, and High. The High preset at 72 FPS is the optimal pick, offering a solid margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset falls to 54 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, so it should be avoided.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on the Low preset, which averages 75 FPS. Medium and High both fall below 60 FPS, making them unsuitable for consistent gameplay. Users targeting 4K should expect to compromise significantly on visual settings to maintain smooth frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear pattern of the GPU becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the performance delta between Low and Ultra is 85 FPS (159 vs 74), indicating that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU even at lower settings. The GPU is likely the primary constraint at this resolution, as the Ryzen 9 9900X's high multi-threaded capabilities are more than sufficient for the game's demands.

At 2560x1440, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 63 FPS (117 vs 54). The frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p is more pronounced at higher settings, suggesting the GPU is working harder to fill the additional pixels. The High preset at 72 FPS indicates the GPU still has enough headroom to maintain playability, but the Ultra preset's 54 FPS shows the GPU's limits are being approached.

At 3840x2160, the performance is heavily GPU-bound. The difference between Low and Ultra is 40 FPS (75 vs 35), and even the Medium preset only manages 53 FPS. The CPU's role diminishes significantly at this resolution, as the GPU's 8 GB of memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth become the bottleneck. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a consistent drop in frame rates across all presets, confirming that the RX 6600 XT is the deciding factor at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this CPU and GPU pair ranks 2630 out of 3714. This places the combo in the lower third of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, it is not a high-end configuration. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the RX 6600 XT sits at the 70th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 9 9900X is at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs. The CPU's strong performance does not fully compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, which is reflected in the overall ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. The Low preset averages 159 FPS, Medium averages 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS, High averages 99 FPS, and Ultra averages 74 FPS. All presets remain well above the 60 FPS threshold, with the Medium preset showing the most consistent frame pacing across the measured range.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 117 FPS, Medium averages 83 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, High averages 72 FPS, and Ultra averages 54 FPS. The Medium and High presets stay playable, but Ultra falls below the threshold. The minimum frame rate for Medium at 70 FPS still clears the 60 FPS requirement.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playability on most presets. The Low preset averages 75 FPS, Medium averages 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS, High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. Only Low provides a consistently smooth experience, while Medium's minimum frame rate of 45 FPS indicates occasional dips below the playable threshold. The data shows a clear progression of declining performance as resolution increases, with the GPU being the primary constraint at 4K.