Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a playable experience in Lockdown Protocol at 1080p and 1440p, but only at 4K with reduced settings. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance ensures the system never bottlenecks at lower settings. This combination ranks 2936 out of 3714 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all possible pairings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this system each sit near specific rivals based on aggregate benchmark scores. The Intel Core i7-13700K, with an average benchmark score of 46881, is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46971 (a delta of -0.2%). The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022 (-0.3%), while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654 and 46653 respectively (both +0.5%). This means any of these four CPUs would behave almost identically in Lockdown Protocol, with performance differences of less than one percent. The i7-13700K sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end part that will not limit frame rates in this game.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close: the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 scores 19030 (0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile scores 19049 (-0.1%), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m scores 19089 (-0.3%), and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation scores 18954 (+0.4%). For Lockdown Protocol specifically, any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates. The RTX 4050 Mobile is particularly notable as a direct competitor, though it is a laptop part with different power characteristics. The Quadro K6000 and Tesla K20m are older workstation cards that happen to match the RX 6600’s raw compute performance in aggregate benchmarks, but they lack modern features like hardware ray tracing acceleration that the RX 6600 provides through its 28 ray accelerators.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K resolution, while the CPU becomes more relevant at lower resolutions. At 3840x2160, the frame rate drops from 67.9 FPS on Low settings to 35.1 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 32.8 FPS or roughly 48%. This massive scaling with settings demonstrates that the RX 6600’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are overwhelmed by 4K pixel counts. The CPU’s role at 4K is minimal because the GPU cannot produce enough frames to stress the i7-13700K’s 16 cores and 24 threads.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes. The system achieves 105 FPS on Low and 63.3 FPS on High, showing that the GPU still has headroom when settings are reduced. The i7-13700K’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark single thread score of 1136, ensures that even at 1440p Low with 105 FPS, the CPU is not the bottleneck. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 51.8 FPS, confirming that GPU load dominates the performance curve.

At 1920x1080, the CPU and GPU reach a more balanced state. Low settings produce 145.7 FPS, which exceeds what most 1080p monitors can display. The i7-13700K’s multi-threaded capabilities, shown by its cinebench r23 multicore score of 30745, provide ample headroom for game logic and physics at high frame rates. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 80.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU still has a significant impact, but the CPU’s contribution becomes more visible at the highest preset where the frame rate only drops to 65.4 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combination across all resolutions and settings are as follows. At 3840x2160, the system produces 67.9 FPS on Low, 49.7 FPS on Medium, 43 FPS on High, and 35.1 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the results are 105 FPS on Low, 74.6 FPS on Medium, 63.3 FPS on High, and 53.2 FPS on Ultra. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 145.7 FPS on Low, 104.3 FPS on Medium, 90.6 FPS on High, and 65.4 FPS on Ultra.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step from Low to Medium costs roughly 30-40% performance, while the jump from High to Ultra is slightly smaller. For example, at 1080p, Low to Medium drops 41.4 FPS, Medium to High drops 13.7 FPS, and High to Ultra drops 25.2 FPS. At 1440p, the corresponding drops are 30.4 FPS, 11.3 FPS, and 10.1 FPS. At 4K, the drops are 18.2 FPS, 6.7 FPS, and 7.9 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset is a sweet spot for balancing visual quality and frame rate, while Ultra provides diminishing returns at higher resolutions.

Min and max FPS values were not recorded in the test data, so only average frame rates are available for analysis. The absence of minimum frame rate data means that stutter and frame pacing cannot be assessed from this dataset, but the consistent averages across three resolutions suggest stable performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 is 67.9 on Low, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 49.7 FPS, High to 43 FPS, and Ultra to 35.1 FPS, all below the playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: High settings at 2560x1440 produce 63.3 FPS, which is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 53.2 FPS, which is not playable by the 60 FPS standard. Low and Medium also work, at 105 FPS and 74.6 FPS respectively.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K or the AMD Radeon RX 6600 the bottleneck?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 4K and 1440p, as evidenced by the sharp frame rate drops when increasing settings. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong performance (89th percentile) allows the GPU to reach 145.7 FPS on Low, indicating the RX 6600 is the primary constraint across most configurations.

Q: How does this system compare to others for this game?

A: This combination ranks 2936 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle range. The CPU is competitive with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, while the GPU matches the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile and Quadro K6000 in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: Does the CPU’s 16 cores and 24 threads help in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 145.7 FPS, which requires strong single-thread performance. The i7-13700K’s 3dmark single thread score of 1136 and cinebench r23 single core score of 2116 indicate it can handle high frame rates without bottlenecking the RX 6600.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with everything maxed out?

A: Ultra settings at 1920x1080 produce 65.4 FPS on average. This is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it the only resolution where the highest preset is viable.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on all four presets, with Ultra producing 65.4 FPS and Low reaching 145.7 FPS. This makes 1080p the only resolution where the user can max out settings without concern. At 2560x1440, the system is playable on Low, Medium, and High, with High delivering 63.3 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 53.2 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, producing 67.9 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall short of 60 FPS, with 49.7, 43, and 35.1 FPS respectively.

The verdict is clear: this combination is a solid 1080p and capable 1440p machine for Lockdown Protocol, but 4K gaming requires significant sacrifices. The RX 6600’s 8 GB memory capacity and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K pixel count overwhelms the GPU. The i7-13700K never becomes a limiting factor at any resolution, confirming that the CPU is more than adequate for this game. Users with 4K displays should stick to Low settings, while 1440p users can enjoy High settings with a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, which produces an average of 67.9 FPS. This is the only playable setting at 4K, as Medium drops to 49.7 FPS and High drops further to 43 FPS. At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, delivering 63.3 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over the next-best option, Medium at 74.6 FPS, while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, which produces 65.4 FPS. This allows users to enable all visual features while staying above the playable threshold, though the 1080p resolution means the visual difference between High (90.6 FPS) and Ultra is less pronounced than at higher resolutions. For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low at 1080p offers 145.7 FPS, but Ultra remains the recommended setting for the best balance of image quality and performance.