Lockdown Protocol

Can Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT run Lockdown Protocol?

The benchmark data for this combination shows a system that is firmly capable of handling Lockdown Protocol at mainstream resolutions, but which begins to struggle when pushed to 4K with higher presets. The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT produces a measurable performance envelope that is heavily influenced by both resolution and graphics settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers excellent frame rates across all presets, while 1440p remains highly playable at most settings. The 4K results, however, indicate that only the lowest settings provide a smooth experience. The data set includes average FPS for all resolutions and presets, with min and max FPS only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution; all other entries have null values for those fields.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates, with the Low preset producing an average of 165 FPS. The High preset at this resolution averages 103 FPS, a significant drop from Low but still well above the playable threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p yields an average of 117 FPS, with a minimum of 100 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS, showing a tight and consistent frame delivery. The most demanding Ultra preset at 1080p still manages an average of 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold but represents a substantial reduction from the lower presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. The Low preset at 1440p averages 121 FPS, while the High preset averages 75 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p produces an average of 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to an average of 56 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 3840x2160, the frame rates decline further. The Low preset at 4K averages 78 FPS, which is the only playable setting at this resolution. The Medium preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS, showing more variance and dipping below the playable threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset at 4K averages only 36 FPS, making both unplayable for smooth gameplay.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides a solid foundation at lower settings. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, has a PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and a multi-thread score of 38706, positioning it as a capable processor for gaming workloads. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 90, and its average benchmark score is 48995, which places it slightly below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 by 0.5%, while being 0.6% above the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% above the Intel Core i5-14600K.

The Radeon RX 6650 XT, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit memory bus delivering 280.3 GB/s bandwidth, shows a PassMark G3D score of 17166 and a percentile vs all GPUs of 65. The GPU's average benchmark score is 19765, which is 0.6% below the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, 0.7% above the AMD FirePro D300, 0.7% below the AMD FirePro W7000, and 0.8% above the NVIDIA Quadro K5200. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU adequately, as evidenced by the 165 FPS average at Low settings. However, as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's rendering load grows, and the frame rate drops become more pronounced, indicating that the RX 6650 XT is the limiting factor.

The performance drop from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution further illustrates this dynamic. At 1080p, the difference between Low (165 FPS) and Ultra (77 FPS) is 88 FPS, while at 1440p, the same comparison shows a difference of 65 FPS (121 FPS vs 56 FPS). At 4K, the gap narrows to 42 FPS (78 FPS vs 36 FPS), suggesting that the GPU is already saturated at lower settings, and the additional load from higher presets has a diminishing absolute impact on frame rate. This pattern confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU remains sufficient across all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing ranks 2439 out of 3714 combos. This position places it in the 34th percentile of all tested systems, meaning approximately two-thirds of all tested combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this game. The rank suggests a mid-pack performance level, which aligns with the individual component standings: the CPU is in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The combination's rank reflects the GPU's lower relative standing compared to the CPU, as the GPU's percentile is more restrictive for gaming performance.

The combo rank of 2439 out of 3714 indicates that while this system is not a top-tier performer, it sits comfortably above the bottom quartile of tested configurations. This position is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows playable performance at 1080p and 1440p for most settings, but limited 4K capability. The rank does not account for the specific game's optimization or the balance between CPU and GPU, but it provides a useful reference point for comparing this system to other hardware combinations in the database.

The Verdict

Based on the verdict by resolution, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS or above on select settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset achieving an average of 77 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable margin. The High, Medium, and Low presets at 1080p all exceed 60 FPS as well, with averages of 103, 117, and 165 FPS, respectively. At 2560x1440, the High, Medium, and Low presets are playable, with the High preset achieving 75 FPS, Medium at 86 FPS, and Low at 121 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls short at 56 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth 60 FPS gameplay.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 78 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, and the High and Ultra presets at 4K average 49 FPS and 36 FPS, respectively, making them unplayable for a smooth experience. The data indicates that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming with high settings, and it can handle 1440p with up to High settings. For 4K, users must drop to Low settings to maintain playable frame rates. The verdict is clear: this combination is a solid 1080p and capable 1440p gaming system, but it is not a 4K gaming solution beyond the lowest settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset at 1080p achieves an average of 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the highest playable preset at this resolution.

Q: Is the Medium preset at 2560x1440 playable?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 1440p averages 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS, so it maintains playable frame rates throughout.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Only with the Low preset, which averages 78 FPS at 3840x2160. The Medium preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 49 FPS and 36 FPS, respectively, all falling below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in multi-threaded performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.4% below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% below the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, while being 0.6% above the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% above the Intel Core i5-14600K.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT has a percentile vs all GPUs of 65, and its average benchmark score of 19765 places it slightly below the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and AMD FirePro W7000, while being above the AMD FirePro D300 and NVIDIA Quadro K5200.

Q: What is the frame rate variance on the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows an average of 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS, indicating a variance of 26 FPS between the minimum and maximum.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 77 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality while still clearing the playability threshold. At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is High, with an average of 75 FPS. This preset balances visual fidelity with performance, staying above 60 FPS while offering better quality than Medium or Low. At 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, which averages 78 FPS. This is the sole option for 4K gaming, as all other presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that for each resolution, the best settings are those that maximize visual quality while maintaining an average FPS of at least 60.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 performs most similarly to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which has an average score of 49196 and is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which has an average score of 49228 and is 0.5% faster. These two alternatives would provide nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H is 0.6% slower with an average score of 48698, and the Intel Core i5-14600K is 0.8% slower with an average score of 48618, making them slightly less capable in CPU-bound scenarios.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT has the closest performance match in the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, which has an average score of 19885 and is 0.6% faster, and the AMD FirePro D300, which has an average score of 19637 and is 0.7% slower. The AMD FirePro W7000 is 0.7% faster with an average score of 19905, while the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 is 0.8% slower with an average score of 19602. These GPU alternatives would deliver comparable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, meaning users with these components could expect similar gaming performance to the tested configuration. The combination of these CPU and GPU rivals would produce systems with nearly identical gaming characteristics to the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT pairing.