Lockdown Protocol

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits in a tightly packed performance band. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36945, a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D trails by just 0.2%, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.4%, and the Intel Core i9-12900T by 0.5%. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver very similar frame pacing in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the GPU is the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 5 225 lands in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outclasses most processors in the database, but its direct rivals are all within a rounding error of each other.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 also sits in a close cluster. Its average score of 15290 is matched by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 at 15283 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.1% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15171 (0.8% behind). The RTX 2060 occupies the 58th percentile of all GPUs. So while the CPU is a top-15% part, the GPU is merely mid-pack. That imbalance matters for Lockdown Protocol: the graphics card will govern high settings and high resolutions, while the CPU will have little trouble feeding frames at lower settings.

If you were to swap the RTX 2060 for any of its nearest rivals, expect similar behavior in this game. The GTX 580, Radeon 680M, RTX 3050 OEM, or RX 7600 would all land within a few percent of the RTX 2060's average performance. Conversely, swapping the CPU for a Ryzen 5 5600F, Ryzen 5 5500X3D, Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, or Core i9-12900T would produce nearly identical CPU-bound results. The recorded data shows no single component here is a clear outlier; this pairing is a balanced mid-range system with a strong CPU and a modest GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the dominant constraint in Lockdown Protocol. Look at the scaling across resolutions at the same settings. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 90 at 1920x1080 to 66 at 2560x1440, then to 43 at 3840x2160. That is a steep, consistent decline directly tied to pixel count, which is classic GPU-bound behavior. The CPU's single-thread score of 3655 in Cinebench R23 and multi-thread score of 25891 are far above what this game needs, especially at 1080p.

At Low settings, the pattern repeats but with higher absolute numbers: 145 FPS at 1080p, 106 FPS at 1440p, and 69 FPS at 4K. Even at 4K Low, the system clears 60 FPS, which suggests the CPU is never the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rates would flatten out as resolution increases, but they do not. The GPU's compute throughput (6.451 TFLOPS FP32) and 6 GB GDDR6 memory are the practical ceilings.

The one setting where the CPU might start to matter is Ultra at 1080p, where the average drops to 67 FPS. That is still above the playable threshold of 60 FPS, but the margin is thin. At Ultra 1440p (49 FPS) and Ultra 4K (32 FPS), the GPU is unquestionably the limiting factor. The data shows that for competitive play at high refresh rates, you want Low or Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p. For visual fidelity, the CPU can handle Ultra at 1080p, but the GPU cannot extend that to higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded measurements cover all four presets. Low settings produce an average of 145 FPS, with no min or max recorded. Medium averages 103 FPS, with a minimum of 88 and maximum of 119. High averages 90 FPS, again without min/max data. Ultra averages 67 FPS, with no min or max recorded. The gap from Low to Ultra is 78 FPS, a 54% reduction, which indicates that Ultra's extra effects cost a substantial amount of performance.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 106 FPS. Medium averages 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 and maximum of 87. High averages 66 FPS. Ultra averages 49 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is a 17 FPS drop, which is the largest single-preset penalty at this resolution. The minimum recorded at Medium (64 FPS) stays above the 60 FPS playable threshold, but High has no min/max data, so you cannot confirm dips below that level.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 69 FPS. Medium averages 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and maximum of 56. High averages 43 FPS. Ultra averages 32 FPS. The 4K Medium minimum of 41 FPS is far below the 60 FPS threshold, and even the maximum of 56 FPS never reaches 60. The data shows that 4K is only viable at Low settings, where the average of 69 FPS provides a modest cushion.

Overall, the best frame consistency appears at 1080p Medium, where the 88 FPS minimum stays well above 60. At 1440p Medium, the 64 FPS minimum is just barely playable. At 4K, only Low is worth considering.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with all settings maxed out?

A: Yes, but barely. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 67, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. There is no min/max data for Ultra at this resolution, so frame dips are unknown, but the average is sufficient.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system if I want a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: The safest choice is 1920x1080. At Medium settings, the average is 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS. At High, the average is 90 FPS. Even at Ultra, the average stays at 67 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (106 FPS) and Medium (76 FPS, min 64) are reliably above 60 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: Only at Low settings. The 4K Low average is 69 FPS, which is above 60. At Medium, the average drops to 49 FPS with a minimum of 41 FPS, and at High and Ultra, averages fall to 43 and 32 FPS respectively. If you want 4K with higher quality, this GPU is not sufficient.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its closest rivals in raw performance?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores 15283 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199 (0.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171 (0.8% lower). All five are effectively equivalent.

Q: Is the CPU strong enough to avoid bottlenecking the GPU?

A: Yes. The Core Ultra 5 225 scores 25891 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3655 in single-core, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the Ryzen 5 5600F and Core i9-12900T, are within 0.5% of its average score. The frame rate scaling across resolutions confirms the GPU is the limiting component.

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

A: The average is 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. The minimum stays just above the 60 FPS playable threshold, so you should see consistent performance, though there is little headroom for demanding scenes.

The Verdict

The data shows this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the playable envelope depends heavily on your resolution target. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears 60 FPS. The Ultra average of 67 FPS is playable, and the Low average of 145 FPS offers plenty of headroom for high-refresh monitors. This is the resolution where the system is most comfortable.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable at High (66 FPS), Medium (76 FPS), and Low (106 FPS). Ultra falls to 49 FPS, which misses the 60 FPS threshold. If you want 1440p, stick to High or below. The High average of 66 FPS is just barely above the threshold, so Medium is the safer bet for consistent frame times.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve 60 FPS, with an average of 69 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall short, with averages of 49, 43, and 32 FPS respectively. The 4K Medium minimum of 41 FPS confirms that this resolution is only viable for low-fidelity play. Overall, the system is a capable 1080p machine, a decent 1440p machine with settings capped at High, and a marginal 4K machine limited to Low.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 67 FPS. This gives you full visual quality while still clearing the playable threshold. If you prefer more headroom, Medium offers 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the highest playable preset is High, with an average of 66 FPS. That is a slim margin above 60 FPS, so Medium (76 FPS average, 64 FPS minimum) is the more consistent choice. Ultra is not playable at this resolution, averaging 49 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, with an average of 69 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 49, 43, and 32 FPS. For 4K, accept Low settings or drop to a lower resolution for better quality.