Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing produces a wide spread of frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, scaling from a near-cinematic 42 FPS at 4K Ultra to a fluid 189 FPS at 1080p Low. The data shows that this combination is consistently capable at lower resolutions and presets, but it hits a clear ceiling at 4K with higher quality settings. The benchmark results establish a pattern where the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution and visual fidelity increase, while the high-end CPU ensures that even the most demanding presets remain playable at mainstream resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope is narrow and heavily influenced by the preset. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 42 FPS, which falls well below the 60 FPS playability threshold. High settings improve the average to 55 FPS, still short of the target. Medium settings cross the line with an average of 63 FPS, accompanied by a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS, indicating some frame-time variance. Low settings provide the most headroom at this resolution, achieving an average of 89 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 47 FPS, showing that preset selection has a substantial impact on the experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves markedly. Ultra settings produce an average of 64 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS threshold. High settings reach 86 FPS, Medium hits 98 FPS, and Low jumps to 138 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS, suggesting a stable frame delivery with only a 30 FPS range between the lowest and highest recorded values. The gap between the 4K Ultra result and the 1440p Ultra result is 22 FPS, indicating that the resolution reduction provides significant performance relief.

At 1920x1080, the pairing becomes decisively capable. Ultra settings average 88 FPS, High settings reach 117 FPS, Medium delivers 134 FPS, and Low tops out at 189 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p records a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS, a 40 FPS spread that still keeps every measured frame above the 60 FPS threshold. The 1080p Ultra result is more than double the 4K Ultra result, a 46 FPS difference that underscores how resolution scaling affects this hardware combination.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently provides the highest average frame rates, while Ultra provides the lowest. The data shows no frame rate dips below 54 FPS in any measured configuration, which means the minimum recorded values at Medium settings across all three resolutions remain within a playable range, even if averages dip below 60 FPS at 4K Ultra and 4K High.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor in this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is far more powerful than what Lockdown Protocol requires, as evidenced by the CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all tested processors. The GPU, in contrast, sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, making it the more modest component in this system.

The scaling between resolutions clarifies this dynamic. Moving from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra, the average frame rate drops from 88 FPS to 64 FPS, a 24 FPS reduction that corresponds to a 27% performance loss. Moving from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra, the average drops from 64 FPS to 42 FPS, a 22 FPS reduction that represents a 34% loss. These diminishing returns at higher resolutions are characteristic of GPU-bound workloads, where the rendering load outstrips the graphics card's capabilities.

The preset scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 189 FPS to 88 FPS, a 101 FPS swing that the CPU can easily feed. At 4K, the same preset change moves the average from 89 FPS to 42 FPS, a 47 FPS swing. The fact that the absolute performance drop from preset changes is larger at 1080p than at 4K suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck in either case; if the CPU were limiting, the frame rates would cluster closer together regardless of resolution.

The CPU's role is to ensure that minimum frame rates remain acceptable. Even at 4K Medium, where the average is 63 FPS, the minimum stays at 54 FPS, showing that the processor can maintain consistent frame pacing without stutter-inducing drops. The 9950X3D's single-thread performance, measured at 1292 in 3DMark single-thread and 2259 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics. The GPU, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth, handles the visual load but runs out of headroom as pixel count increases.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearestRivals data for the CPU shows that several processors deliver nearly identical average benchmark scores. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 scores 75738, a 0.1% delta from the 9950X3D's average. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scores 75716, also a 0.1% delta. The AMD EPYC 8224P scores 75582, a 0.3% delta, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 scores 75488, a 0.4% delta. Any of these CPUs would produce virtually indistinguishable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, as the game's demands are far below the capabilities of any of these processors.

For the GPU, the nearestRivals are older or less powerful parts with remarkably close benchmark scores. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666, a -0.2% delta from the RTX 4060's average. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, a 0.3% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551, a 0.5% delta, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17509, a 0.7% delta. These deltas suggest that swapping the RTX 4060 for any of these alternatives would result in nearly the same measured FPS in Lockdown Protocol, though the newer architecture of the RTX 4060 may offer features that these older parts lack.

The combination of the 9950X3D with any of these rival GPUs would likely shift the bottleneck even more heavily toward the graphics card, as the CPU performance headroom is already excessive for this game. Conversely, pairing the RTX 4060 with any of the rival CPUs would produce the same frame rates, since the GPU remains the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS or higher in most configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the threshold, with Ultra averaging 88 FPS, High at 117 FPS, Medium at 134 FPS, and Low at 189 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also remain playable, with Ultra averaging 64 FPS, High at 86 FPS, Medium at 98 FPS, and Low at 138 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is marginal, sitting just 4 FPS above the 60 FPS target, but it is playable.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is mixed. Medium settings are playable with an average of 63 FPS, and Low settings are comfortably playable with 89 FPS. High settings fall short at 55 FPS, and Ultra settings are not playable at 42 FPS. The verdictByResolution data confirms that 4K is only viable with the two lower presets, with Medium being the best playable option.

For players targeting a consistent 60 FPS experience, 1080p and 1440p are the safe choices. The 4K Medium setting offers playable performance, but the 54 FPS minimum shows that frame timing can dip below the threshold during intense scenes. The overall assessment is that this system is a solid 1080p and 1440p performer, with 4K available only at reduced quality settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 42 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 64 FPS, which clears the threshold. The verdictByResolution data lists all four presets as playable at this resolution.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Ultra settings, 1080p averages 88 FPS versus 42 FPS at 4K, a 46 FPS difference. At Low settings, 1080p averages 189 FPS versus 89 FPS at 4K, a 100 FPS difference.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions and presets. The CPU sits at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, indicating the graphics card is the weaker component.

Q: Is the Medium preset at 4K a stable 60 FPS experience?

A: The average is 63 FPS, but the minimum recorded FPS is 54. This means the experience averages above 60 FPS but can dip below it during demanding moments.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2009 out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame places this pairing at 2009 out of 3714 tested combos, which puts it just past the midpoint of the database. This ranking reflects the RTX 4060's modest position in the GPU hierarchy; despite the flagship-class CPU, the overall system performance is held back by the graphics card. The 9950X3D's 95th percentile CPU ranking does not translate into a high combo rank because Lockdown Protocol is far more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU performance in its most demanding settings.

The rank suggests that while this system is perfectly adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, there are 2008 other tested combinations that deliver higher frame rates in this specific title. The gap between the CPU's elite status and the combo's mid-pack ranking highlights the importance of balancing components for the target resolution. For players who already own this CPU, upgrading the GPU would yield a substantial improvement in Lockdown Protocol, whereas upgrading the CPU would provide no measurable benefit based on the benchmark data.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium, with a measured average of 63 FPS. The data shows that High and Ultra both fall below the threshold, so Medium is the ceiling for 4K playability.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings are the best option, delivering an average of 64 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available, and it just barely clears the 60 FPS target. Players who prefer a larger safety margin could drop to High at 86 FPS, but the data indicates Ultra is viable.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are again the best choice, with an average of 88 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold and allows for the highest visual quality the game offers. The 1080p Ultra configuration is the most demanding preset tested at this resolution, and it performs admirably.

For players who prioritize frame rate stability over visual fidelity, the Low preset at any resolution offers the highest averages, ranging from 89 FPS at 4K to 189 FPS at 1080p. However, the data supports using Ultra at 1080p and 1440p, and Medium at 4K, as the best balance between image quality and playable performance.