Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a fundamentally capable 1080p experience in Lockdown Protocol, with the data showing that all four tested presets clear the 60 FPS threshold at that resolution. At 1440p, the combination remains strong but loses the Ultra preset, while 4K gaming is restricted to Low settings for a smooth frame rate. The benchmark results reveal a system that is well-balanced for mainstream gaming, though the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, a pattern consistent with the hardware's respective positions in the performance hierarchy.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU each sit near specific rivals according to the benchmark database, which helps contextualize their behavior in Lockdown Protocol. The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46971, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the Intel part is essentially tied with that AMD chip. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, which is 0.3% higher than the i7-13700K, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654, putting them 0.5% behind. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, indicating that swapping the i7-13700K for any of these four alternatives would yield nearly identical frame rates in this game, assuming the GPU remains constant.

On the graphics side, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT has an average benchmark score of 24442 and sits in the 70th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630, which scores 24277, a delta of 0.7% in favor of the RX 6600 XT. The Intel Arc A350M scores 24647, which is 0.8% higher, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti scores 24236, putting it 0.8% behind. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER scores 24170, which is 1.1% lower than the RX 6600 XT in the aggregate benchmark. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, this means that any of these GPU alternatives would produce very similar performance, with the RTX 2080 SUPER potentially being slightly slower despite its higher tier in other contexts. The data suggests that the RX 6600 XT is a mid-range part with performance closely matched by several older or lower-tier cards, so users upgrading from those would see minimal gains in this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals how the balance of CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions in Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 159 FPS on Low settings, 113 FPS on Medium, 99 FPS on High, and 74 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a drop of 85 FPS, or roughly 53%, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by higher presets even at this resolution. The i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, has ample headroom for the game's logic, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding preset at 1080p stays well above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop to 117 FPS on Low, 83 FPS on Medium, 72 FPS on High, and 54 FPS on Ultra. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 63 FPS, a smaller absolute drop than at 1080p, but the Ultra preset now falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This suggests that at 1440p, the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's performance headroom is no longer sufficient to compensate for the increased pixel count. The i7-13700K's role diminishes relative to the RX 6600 XT, which must work harder to fill the additional pixels.

At 3840x2160, the pattern intensifies. The system delivers 75 FPS on Low, 53 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on High, and 35 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 22 FPS, while Medium to High is only 6 FPS, and High to Ultra is 12 FPS. This non-linear scaling indicates that the RX 6600 XT's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated at 4K, with the GPU's 2048 shading units struggling to maintain throughput. The CPU's influence is minimal at this resolution; the i7-13700K's single-thread score of 1136 in 3DMark and multi-thread score of 12412 are far beyond what the game demands, so the GPU alone determines playability.

The data implies that for this game, the GPU is the dominant component at all resolutions, but the CPU's strength ensures that even at 1080p Ultra, the system never becomes CPU-limited. At 1440p and 4K, the RX 6600 XT's limitations are exposed, with only Low settings providing a consistent 60 FPS at 4K. Users with this combination should prioritize GPU upgrades for higher resolutions, while the i7-13700K can handle future GPU upgrades without becoming a bottleneck.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the optimal preset is the most demanding one that maintains an average FPS at or above 60. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves 74 FPS average, making it the best choice. This provides the highest visual quality while still delivering a smooth experience, with the data showing that the GPU has enough headroom for the additional effects. The Medium preset at 1080p runs at 113 FPS, but since Ultra exceeds 60 FPS, there is no reason to compromise on quality.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best setting, delivering 72 FPS average. The Ultra preset drops to 54 FPS, which falls below the playable threshold, so High is the highest quality option that remains smooth. The Medium preset runs at 83 FPS, but High offers better visuals without sacrificing playability. The 18 FPS gap between High and Ultra at 1440p highlights the GPU's struggle with the most demanding settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset achieves a playable frame rate, with an average of 75 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, so Low is the only viable option for 4K gaming. This represents a significant visual compromise, but the data shows that the RX 6600 XT simply cannot handle higher presets at 4K in Lockdown Protocol. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 22 FPS, indicating a steep performance penalty for even modest quality increases.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the playable settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the Ultra preset providing 74 FPS average. This is the ideal resolution for this combination, as it allows the user to experience the game with maximum visual fidelity while maintaining smooth performance.

At 2560x1440, the system can run High, Low, and Medium presets at or above 60 FPS, with High being the best at 72 FPS average. The Ultra preset falls short at 54 FPS, so users at this resolution must choose between lower quality and higher frame rates. The data shows that High is the sweet spot, offering a balance of visuals and performance.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, delivering 75 FPS average. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 53, 47, and 35 FPS respectively. This makes 4K gaming possible but with significant visual compromises. The verdict is clear: this combo is a solid 1080p machine, a capable 1440p performer with settings adjustments, and a limited 4K option restricted to Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides exact frame rates for each resolution and preset combination, with average FPS values for all settings and minimum/maximum values for Medium presets.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 75 FPS average, with no min or max values recorded. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 61, showing notable variance that occasionally dips below the playable threshold. The High preset averages 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 35 FPS, with no min or max data for either.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset runs at 117 FPS average. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 95, demonstrating a stable range well above 60 FPS. The High preset averages 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 54 FPS, with no additional min or max data.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 159 FPS average, the highest frame rate of any configuration tested. The Medium preset averages 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130, showing consistent performance. The High preset averages 99 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS, with no min or max values recorded for these settings.

The data reveals that the Medium preset consistently provides the most detailed FPS information, with min and max values that show the range of performance. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 45 FPS indicates occasional stutters, while at 1440p and 1080p Medium, the minimums of 70 and 96 FPS respectively ensure smooth gameplay throughout.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested hardware combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 2630 out of 3714 combos. This places it in the 29th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that roughly 71% of other combinations perform better in this game. The rank reflects the mid-range nature of the GPU, which holds back the otherwise strong CPU.

The i7-13700K's 89th percentile CPU ranking contrasts sharply with the RX 6600 XT's 70th percentile GPU ranking. This mismatch suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in the combo's overall rank. The data indicates that upgrading the GPU would significantly improve the combo's position, while the CPU has substantial headroom for more powerful graphics cards. The rank of 2630 out of 3714 is a clear signal that this is a mainstream setup, capable of running the game well at 1080p but not competitive with high-end configurations at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, yes—the Ultra preset achieves 74 FPS average. At 2560x1440, no—the Ultra preset averages 54 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The High preset is the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering 72 FPS average. The Medium preset runs at 83 FPS, but High offers better visuals while still exceeding 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT compare to its nearest GPU rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 6600 XT scores 24442 on average, which is 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630's score of 24277. The Intel Arc A350M scores 24647, which is 0.8% higher than the RX 6600 XT.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for 4K performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor at 3840x2160. The RX 6600 XT can only maintain 75 FPS on Low settings, while the i7-13700K's performance headroom is not the limiting factor.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The system achieves 113 FPS average at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Lockdown Protocol?

A: This combination ranks 2630 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of all systems. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range performance relative to the CPU's high-end capabilities.