Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination delivers a surprisingly consistent 1080p experience in Lockdown Protocol, with all four tested presets clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold. The pairing is less comfortable at higher resolutions, where the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The data indicates a clear hierarchy: 1080p is fully playable at maximum fidelity, 1440p requires a modest settings reduction, and 4K demands the lowest preset to maintain smooth motion. This analysis explores the measured performance, comparative standing, and component roles for this specific hardware pairing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark database places this CPU and GPU pairing in a specific performance tier relative to other tested components. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits near the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36,938. Its closest rivals in synthetic testing are remarkably tight: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36,945 (a 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37,018 (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37,093 (-0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37,112 (-0.5%). These four processors all fall within a 0.5% performance band, suggesting that in CPU-bound scenarios, users would see nearly identical frame pacing regardless of which of these chips drives the system.

On the graphics side, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 achieves a 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,036. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 at 19,030 (0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile at 19,049 (-0.1%), the NVIDIA Tesla K20m at 19,089 (-0.3%), and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation at 18,954 (+0.4%). The sub-1% deltas here indicate that swapping the RX 6600 for any of these alternatives would produce essentially indistinguishable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol at the same settings and resolution. Notably, the RTX 4050 Mobile achieves this parity despite being a laptop part, which speaks to the efficiency of the RDNA 2 architecture in the RX 6600.

For users considering upgrades or replacements, the practical takeaway is that the CPU has headroom—its nearest rivals are all within a rounding error of its average score—while the GPU sits in a tier where several older professional cards match its output. This suggests that for Lockdown Protocol, the RX 6600 is the limiting factor in most scenarios, and any of the four listed rival GPUs would behave nearly identically in terms of achievable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 68 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows that all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution, with Low reaching 146 FPS average, Medium at 103 FPS, and High at 90 FPS.

*Q: Does the combination run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?*

A: Only at Low settings. The 3840x2160 resolution with Low preset produces 69 FPS average. Medium drops to 49 FPS average (with a minimum of 42 FPS), High falls to 43 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 32 FPS—all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What frame rates can users expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. This is comfortably playable, and the minimum frame rate stays above the 60 FPS playability threshold, indicating consistent performance.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 6600 scores 19,036 on average, essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (19,030, 0% delta). The GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is 0.1% behind, the Tesla K20m is 0.3% behind, and the RTX 2000 Ada Generation is 0.4% ahead. All four alternatives would deliver near-identical performance in this game.

Q: Which component has more performance headroom in this pairing?

A: The CPU data suggests more headroom. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the RX 6600 ranks in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. The GPU's lower relative standing means it is more likely to bottleneck the system at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the 60 FPS threshold met at 1440p with High settings?

A: Yes, exactly. The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 66 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the best playable preset at this resolution, as Ultra drops to 50 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the lowest preset produces 146 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 103 FPS average, with a minimum of 88 FPS and maximum of 119 FPS. High settings drop to 90 FPS average, and Ultra maintains 68 FPS average. Every preset at 1080p exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold by a significant margin, with even the most demanding preset maintaining a 13.3% buffer over the minimum acceptable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440 shows a predictable performance decline. The Low preset still delivers a very fluid 107 FPS average. Medium settings produce 76 FPS average, with the frame time variance visible in the 64 FPS minimum and 87 FPS maximum—this is the first preset where the minimum approaches the playability threshold. High settings average 66 FPS, which barely clears the 60 FPS line. Ultra settings fall to 50 FPS average, making this the first preset in the dataset that fails to meet the playability standard.

At 3840x2160, the RX 6600's 8 GB frame buffer and 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth become clear limiting factors. Low settings achieve 69 FPS average, which is playable but only just above the threshold. Medium settings drop to 49 FPS average, with a minimum of 42 FPS and maximum of 56 FPS—the minimum here is 30% below the playability threshold. High settings average 43 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 32 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 53.6% performance loss, from 69 FPS down to 32 FPS, demonstrating how severely the GPU is stressed at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3,714 tested hardware combinations in the benchmark database, this Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + AMD Radeon RX 6600 pairing ranks 2,901st for Lockdown Protocol performance. This places it in the bottom 22% of tested configurations, which is a notable finding given the CPU's strong 85th percentile standing. The ranking disparity highlights that the GPU is holding back the overall system performance in this game.

The rank of 2,901 means that 813 other combinations deliver higher average frame rates across the tested scenarios. Given that the CPU is in the top 15% of all processors but the GPU is only in the top 37%, the data strongly suggests that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck. Users with this combo should expect that upgrading the GPU alone would yield substantially better results than upgrading the CPU, while keeping the same RX 6600 would produce minimal gains with a faster processor.

The percentile gap between the two components—85th for CPU versus 63rd for GPU—quantifies the imbalance. In CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p with Low settings, the processor's headroom is evident in the 146 FPS result. But at 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU's 32 FPS result shows the graphics card's limitations dominate the experience.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution and quality preset. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS playability threshold, with Ultra settings delivering 68 FPS average. This makes 1080p the fully playable resolution with no compromises—users can enable maximum fidelity and still maintain smooth motion.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable at High settings, which average 66 FPS. Medium and Low also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra falls short at 50 FPS. For 1440p users, the choice is between High settings at 66 FPS or dropping to Medium for a more comfortable 76 FPS with better frame time consistency (64 FPS minimum versus High's unrecorded minimum).

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 69 FPS. Every other preset fails the 60 FPS threshold: Medium at 49 FPS, High at 43 FPS, and Ultra at 32 FPS. The verdict is clear: this combination is a 1080p machine for Lockdown Protocol, capable of 1440p with reduced settings, and only marginally playable at 4K with the lowest possible quality.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves 68 FPS average. This is the highest quality option available at this resolution, and it maintains a 13.3% buffer over the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, averaging 66 FPS. This narrowly exceeds the 60 FPS requirement. Users seeking more headroom could choose Medium at 76 FPS, which provides a 26.7% buffer and a recorded minimum of 64 FPS—the only preset at this resolution with published minimum frame data.

At 3840x2160, the only playable option is Low, which averages 69 FPS. This preset clears the threshold by 15%, but it represents the lowest quality setting available. The lack of min/max data for this preset means frame time consistency is unverified, though the average suggests generally smooth performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p, the CPU's strength is evident: the 146 FPS result at Low settings suggests the processor can drive significantly higher frame rates than the GPU can render at higher quality presets. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p—146 to 68 FPS, a 53.4% drop—is primarily GPU-driven, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed frames.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to assert its dominance. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p at each preset is substantial: Low falls from 146 to 107 FPS (-26.7%), Medium from 103 to 76 FPS (-26.2%), High from 90 to 66 FPS (-26.7%), and Ultra from 68 to 50 FPS (-26.5%). This uniform ~26% reduction across all presets points to the GPU's rendering capabilities as the limiting factor, with resolution scaling affecting all quality levels equally.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes overwhelming. The drop from 1440p to 4K is even steeper: Low falls from 107 to 69 FPS (-35.5%), Medium from 76 to 49 FPS (-35.5%), High from 66 to 43 FPS (-34.8%), and Ultra from 50 to 32 FPS (-36.0%). This consistent ~35% reduction across all presets confirms that the RX 6600's pixel throughput, texture rate, and memory bandwidth are the binding constraints at this resolution. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, is effectively idle relative to the GPU's workload.

The settings scaling within each resolution further illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 78 FPS (146 to 68). At 1440p, that gap narrows to 57 FPS (107 to 50). At 4K, it shrinks to 37 FPS (69 to 32). This progressive compression of the settings range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU's fixed resources are increasingly consumed by pixel fill and memory bandwidth demands, leaving less performance headroom for quality preset enhancements. Users seeking higher frame rates at 1440p or 4K would benefit more from a GPU upgrade than from any CPU change, as the Core Ultra 5 225's 85th percentile ranking suggests it is not the limiting component in this pairing.