Lockdown Protocol

This analysis examines the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 for running Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title. The data is drawn from measured FPS results at three resolutions and four quality presets, alongside synthetic benchmark scores for both components. The combination ranks 2194th out of 3714 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. The component pairing shows a strong CPU with a 91st percentile ranking against all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 59th percentile against all GPUs, indicating a potential imbalance where the processor is significantly more capable than the graphics card in raw benchmark terms.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 81 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding preset at this resolution, and the average frame rate provides a comfortable margin above the minimum playable level.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is considered playable, delivering an average of 83 FPS. The Medium preset falls just short of the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS, while High and Ultra average 51 FPS and 39 FPS respectively.

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

A: The Radeon RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it nearly level with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129, a delta of -0.7%. It is also closely matched with the AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 7700, which score 15862 and 15852 respectively, putting the RX 9060 roughly 1% ahead of those cards.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this game?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 54762 on average across all benchmarks, which is 0.6% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (score 55093) and 1.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (score 54053). Given that the GPU ranks much lower in percentile terms, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p with High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 80. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the system can handle Ultra settings at this resolution as well, averaging 60 FPS.

Q: Are there any settings at 1080p that drop below 60 FPS?

A: No. All four presets at 1920x1080 exceed 60 FPS on average. The lowest average is 81 FPS on Ultra, while Low, Medium, and High average 175, 124, and 109 FPS respectively.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS varies significantly by resolution, reflecting the GPU's limits at higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the only viable option is the Low preset, which produces an average of 83 FPS. The Medium preset narrowly misses the mark with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS, making it technically unplayable according to the 60 FPS standard even though the average is close. High and Ultra presets are not viable, averaging 51 and 39 FPS respectively.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice that stays above 60 FPS, averaging exactly 60 FPS. This is a tight fit, but it clears the threshold. The High and Medium presets offer more headroom with averages of 80 and 91 FPS respectively, while Low reaches 128 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 81 FPS, making it the clear best setting. The system has ample performance at this resolution, with Low averaging 175 FPS, Medium at 124 FPS, and High at 109 FPS. There is no need to compromise on quality here.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the graphics card is the primary determinant of frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, with the CPU providing ample headroom across all tested configurations.

Looking at resolution scaling, the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound workloads. At Ultra settings, the average FPS goes from 81 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p, a 26% reduction, and then to 39 at 4K, a further 35% reduction. This steep decline as resolution increases points directly at the GPU as the limiting factor. The CPU's workload does not scale with resolution in the same way, so the performance loss is attributable to the Radeon RX 9060's pixel throughput.

The preset scaling within a single resolution also shows GPU dominance. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces average FPS from 175 to 81, a 54% drop. At 1440p, the same preset change goes from 128 to 60 FPS, a 53% drop. These consistent reductions across settings and resolutions are typical of a graphics-bound scenario. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for this FPS title, and its high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 3041, means it is unlikely to bottleneck even at lower resolutions where frame rates are highest.

The gap between the CPU's 91st percentile ranking and the GPU's 59th percentile ranking further suggests that the processor is not the constraint. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU load is highest relative to the GPU, the system achieves 175 FPS, indicating that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D can feed frames quickly enough. The GPU's performance ceiling is what sets the upper limit on frame rates.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on all presets, with Ultra averaging 81 FPS, making it fully playable at maximum quality. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages exactly 60 FPS, so it is playable at the highest settings, though with no margin for error. Lower presets at this resolution offer more comfortable frame rates, with High at 80 FPS and Medium at 91 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system is only playable on the Low preset, which averages 83 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K falls just short of the threshold at 59 FPS average, so users targeting 4K will need to accept Low settings for a smooth experience. There is no configuration at 4K that runs at High or Ultra while maintaining 60 FPS.

For a 1080p or 1440p gamer, this combination is a solid match for Lockdown Protocol. For 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the system is best suited to lower quality settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 175 on Low to 81 on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS, with an average of 124. High averages 109 FPS. All presets stay comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 128 on Low to 60 on Ultra. Medium averages 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 and a maximum of 105. High averages 80 FPS. Ultra sits exactly at the 60 FPS threshold, making it playable but with no headroom.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops significantly. Low averages 83 FPS. Medium averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68, which is technically below the playable threshold. High averages 51 FPS, and Ultra averages 39 FPS. Only Low provides a playable experience at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 2194th out of 3714 total combos. This places it in the 41st percentile of tested systems, meaning roughly 59% of other combinations perform better in this specific game.

The ranking reflects the GPU's modest performance tier. The Radeon RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 is nearly identical to the RTX 3060 Ti's 16129, a delta of -0.7%, and slightly ahead of the RX 7700's 15852. For an FPS title like Lockdown Protocol, this level of GPU performance is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it limits 4K capabilities, which is consistent with the measured FPS results.

The CPU's strong showing in synthetic benchmarks does not boost the combo's rank significantly because the game is GPU-bound at most settings. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's high multi-threaded scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737, do not translate into higher frame rates when the GPU is the bottleneck. This ranking indicates that the system is a reasonable mid-tier performer for this title, well-suited to mainstream resolutions but not a top-tier contender for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.