Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, an FPS released on March 11, 2024, places distinct demands on both processor and graphics card. The combination of an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and an AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT yields measured frame rates that vary sharply by resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on every preset, while at 3840x2160 only the Low preset remains playable. The CPU has a launch MSRP of $246, and the GPU has a launch MSRP of $399. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, component roles, and comparable hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p?

A: Yes. Measured average FPS at 1920x1080 are 165 (Low), 117 (Medium), 103 (High), and 77 (Ultra). All exceed the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p?

A: High is the most demanding playable preset, averaging 75 FPS. Medium averages 86 FPS and Low averages 121 FPS; Ultra drops to 56 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable at all?

A: Only with the Low preset, which averages 78 FPS. Medium averages 56 FPS, High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among tested systems?

A: It ranks 2439 out of 3714 combos, placing it in the lower portion of the database—better than about 34% of tested combinations.

Q: Which component is more likely to bottleneck?

A: The GPU has a 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the CPU sits at the 85th percentile. The sharp FPS drop from 1080p to 4K suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Are there comparable CPUs or GPUs?

A: The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%). The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (-0.6%) and AMD FirePro D300 (+0.7%).

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate falls from 165 on Low to 77 on Ultra—a drop of 53%. At 2560x1440, the corresponding values are 121 and 56, a 54% decline. At 3840x2160, Low produces 78 FPS and Ultra produces 36 FPS, again a 54% reduction. This uniformity indicates that the graphics card is the primary constraint as resolution increases, because the percentage loss is nearly identical regardless of absolute frame rate.

The CPU’s capabilities reinforce that interpretation. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor with a PassMark single-thread score of 4412 and an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its strong single-thread performance is more than sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, where even the Low preset reaches 165 FPS—far above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the same CPU yields 78 FPS on Low, which is almost exactly the same as the 1080p Ultra result of 77 FPS. That near-equivalence suggests that the GPU is saturated at 4K, while the CPU has headroom to spare.

The GPU, an AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT, ranks at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its synthetic scores include a PassMark G3D score of 17166 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1859. These numbers place it in the mid-range, and the measured game performance aligns with that position. The data indicates that for Lockdown Protocol, the GPU dictates playability at higher resolutions, while the CPU is never the limiting factor across any tested setting.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average synthetic benchmark scores, are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T. Their delta percentages are 0%, -0.2%, -0.4%, and -0.5% respectively. Swapping the Core Ultra 5 225 for any of these would produce nearly identical CPU-bound performance, with differences well under one percent in synthetic tests. In Lockdown Protocol, the impact on frame rates would be negligible, especially since the CPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, AMD FirePro D300, AMD FirePro W7000, and NVIDIA Quadro K5200. Their delta percentages are -0.6%, +0.7%, -0.7%, and +0.8%. These are all professional or workstation-oriented cards, but their average benchmark scores are within a fraction of a percent of the RX 6650 XT. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would deliver similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the rest of the system remains unchanged. However, note that these alternatives are not gaming-focused and may lack the same driver optimizations.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3714 tested CPU-GPU combinations, this pairing sits at rank 2439. That places it in the lower half of the database, with roughly 34% of tested combos performing worse. The rank reflects the overall synthetic and game-specific performance of the two components together. While the CPU is strong (85th percentile), the GPU’s mid-range standing (65th percentile) drags the combo down. In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the measured FPS data shows that the system is capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p (excluding Ultra at 1440p), but it falls short of the 60 FPS target at 4K on anything above Low. The rank is consistent with this mixed outcome—playable at common resolutions, but not a high-end performer.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol. The verdict by resolution is clear:

• 3840x2160: Only the Low preset is playable, averaging 78 FPS. Medium (56 FPS), High (49 FPS), and Ultra (36 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS threshold.
• 2560x1440: High is the best playable preset, averaging 75 FPS. Medium (86 FPS) and Low (121 FPS) also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra (56 FPS) does not.
• 1920x1080: All four presets are playable. Ultra averages 77 FPS, High 103 FPS, Medium 117 FPS, and Low 165 FPS.

The system meets the 60 FPS playability threshold at 1080p on any settings, and at 1440p up to High. At 4K, only the Low preset delivers smooth gameplay. For users targeting 4K, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, but for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo is fully capable.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution, based on average FPS, is as follows:

• 3840x2160: Low — average 78 FPS
• 2560x1440: High — average 75 FPS
• 1920x1080: Ultra — average 77 FPS

These settings provide the highest visual quality while maintaining a playable frame rate. The 1440p High preset offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, while 1080p Ultra is the maximum quality option available at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists all measured average, minimum, and maximum frame rates for each resolution and preset. Some entries have missing min/max values in the data; those are marked with "—".

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 49 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 78 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 56 | 47 | 64 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 36 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 75 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 121 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 86 | 73 | 99 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 56 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 103 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 165 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 117 | 100 | 135 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 77 | — | — |

The data shows that the Medium preset at 1080p and 1440p has the only recorded min/max values, with 1080p ranging from 100 to 135 FPS and 1440p ranging from 73 to 99 FPS. For all other presets, only average FPS is available. The consistency of the averages across resolutions reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the workload at higher settings.