Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-released FPS built on Unreal Engine-style scaling demands, shows a clear performance hierarchy for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination. The data indicates that the 60 FPS threshold is the dividing line for playability, and this pairing crosses it comfortably at most settings, with the primary exception being 4K Ultra. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but which requires a modest settings adjustment for 4K displays.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the RTX 5060 has ample headroom. The benchmark data shows this combo achieves an average of 125.8 FPS on High, 140.6 FPS on Medium, and 201.8 FPS on Low. However, the most demanding preset that still stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 95.4 FPS. This is the clear choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness; the frame rate is well above the playable threshold, leaving room for drops in intense firefights.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down but remains robust. High settings produce 90.0 FPS, Medium yields 104.5 FPS, and Low reaches 143.4 FPS. The critical finding here is that Ultra remains playable, averaging 66.6 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS, though the margin is thinner than at 1080p. The data suggests that 1440p Ultra is viable, but the 66.6 FPS average means you are closer to the threshold, so frame-time consistency becomes more important.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. High settings drop to 57.4 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Ultra falls further to 44.7 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth play. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which delivers an average of 65.5 FPS. Low settings are also an option at 95.4 FPS, but Medium offers a better balance of visual quality and performance, providing a comfortable buffer above the 60 FPS minimum.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results across resolutions and presets indicate that the GPU is the primary performance driver for Lockdown Protocol, with the CPU playing a supporting but consistent role. The Intel Core i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, provides a strong foundation, but the frame rate scaling between resolutions shows the GPU's workload increasing disproportionately.

At 1080p, the gap between Low (201.8 FPS) and Ultra (95.4 FPS) is 106.4 FPS. This large spread suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU at lower settings, but as the preset increases, the GPU's rendering load becomes the bottleneck. At 1440p, the gap between Low (143.4 FPS) and Ultra (66.6 FPS) narrows to 76.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is already working harder at the baseline resolution. This trend is amplified at 4K, where the difference between Low (95.4 FPS) and Ultra (44.7 FPS) is 50.7 FPS, showing that the GPU is fully saturated and the CPU's influence on the frame rate diminishes.

The data shows that the RTX 5060's 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus are sufficient for the game's demands at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra preset (44.7 FPS) reveals the GPU's limitations. The CPU, meanwhile, maintains a high single-thread score (2,116 in Cinebench R23) and a strong multi-thread score (30,745 in Cinebench R23), which ensures it does not become a limiting factor. In essence, for this game, the GPU dictates the playable settings at each resolution, while the CPU provides a stable platform that prevents frame rate drops from physics or AI computations.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i7-13700K, the nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores are the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX, and Intel Xeon w3-2535. The i7-13700K's average score of 46,881 is virtually identical to the Ryzen 9 5900 (46,971, a -0.2% delta) and the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47,022, -0.3% delta). It is slightly ahead of the Ryzen 9 7845HX (46,654, +0.5%) and the Xeon w3-2535 (46,653, +0.5%). In gaming, these differences are negligible; a user with any of these CPUs would see almost identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, meaning the choice between them should be based on platform features rather than performance.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon 860M, NVIDIA GeForce MX550, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary, and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT. The RTX 5060's average score of 26,331 is within 1.2% of the RX 6750 XT (26,011), making it a direct performance equivalent. The Radeon 860M (26,401, -0.3%) and MX550 (26,421, -0.3%) are also essentially tied, while the RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26,553, -0.8%) is slightly ahead but within the margin of error. A builder considering the RTX 5060 should expect the same frame rates from an RX 6750 XT, though the NVIDIA card offers newer features like DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 support.

The Verdict

This combination can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience varies by resolution. The data is clear: at 1920x1080, all presets, including Ultra, clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 95.4 FPS. This is the sweet spot for the RTX 5060. At 2560x1440, the system remains fully playable, and Ultra is still viable at 66.6 FPS, though the margin above the threshold is smaller. At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The system can run the game, but only at Medium settings (65.5 FPS) or lower. High (57.4 FPS) and Ultra (44.7 FPS) fall below the playable threshold, so 4K users must compromise on visual quality to maintain smooth gameplay.

The data shows that this PC is an excellent 1080p and 1440p machine for Lockdown Protocol, and a capable 4K machine with settings turned down. The 60 FPS threshold is met at 4K Medium, but the 1440p Ultra experience is the most balanced in terms of visual fidelity and performance. If a user prioritizes 4K, they should stick to Medium; if they prefer high refresh rates, 1080p Ultra delivers nearly 100 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 Ultra is 44.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable 4K preset is Medium, which averages 65.5 FPS.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: Ultra settings are playable at 1440p, with an average of 66.6 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT in this game?

A: The benchmark average scores are nearly identical, with the RTX 5060 at 26,331 and the RX 6750 XT at 26,011, a delta of about 1.2%. In practice, they would produce nearly the same frame rates in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a bottleneck for the RTX 5060?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The i7-13700K's strong multi-threaded score (30,745 in Cinebench R23) and the frame rate scaling across resolutions show that the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at higher presets.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1080p monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate?

A: Ultra settings average 95.4 FPS, which is below 144 Hz. To hit higher frame rates, Medium settings average 140.6 FPS, which is closer to a 144 Hz target. High settings average 125.8 FPS as a middle ground.

Q: Does the game's release date affect its performance on this hardware?

A: The game was released on 2024-03-11, and the RTX 5060 was released later on 2025-05-18. The measured data represents the current state of the game, but the hardware is newer and has no compatibility issues based on the benchmark results.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1804 out of 3714 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 48.6th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms just under half of the configurations in the database. This ranking reflects a balanced mid-range setup: the CPU is in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU is in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, which pulls the overall combo ranking down. The data shows that this system is not a top-tier performer for the game — that would require a stronger GPU — but it is far from inadequate, offering a solid 1080p and 1440p experience. The ranking suggests that while this combo is capable, users seeking higher 4K performance or higher refresh rates at 1440p would need to look at GPUs with higher benchmark scores.