Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination. The measured data shows a system that is highly capable at 1080p, comfortably playable at 1440p, but constrained at 4K. The following analysis breaks down the exact performance metrics recorded for this pairing.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark results indicate the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold varies significantly by resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot sustain 60 FPS on Medium (56 avg) or High (49 avg) settings. The Low preset is the only option that clears the threshold, delivering an average of 79 FPS. This is the best playable setting at 4K, as the next step up, Medium, falls below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the data shows more headroom. The High preset achieves a 76 FPS average, making it the most demanding setting that remains playable. While Low (123 avg) and Medium (87 avg) also clear 60 FPS, High is the optimal choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the system has ample performance. The Ultra preset, the highest available, produces a 78 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the best settings for a 1080p display, as the GPU and CPU combination has enough headroom to run the game at maximum quality.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination holds a specific position within the benchmark database for this title. The combo rank is 2360 out of 3714 tested combinations.

This places the pairing in the 63.5th percentile of all tested systems for Lockdown Protocol. The data suggests that while this is a competent setup, a majority of tested combinations deliver higher frame rates in this specific game. This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's mid-range positioning. The 4K results, where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, likely contribute significantly to this mid-pack ranking, as higher-tier graphics cards would show a more substantial advantage at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a detailed view of performance across all settings and resolutions.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average 79 FPS. This is the only playable setting at this resolution.
• Medium: Average 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS. This dips below the 60 FPS threshold on average and shows significant frame pacing issues.
• High: Average 49 FPS. Not playable.
• Ultra: Average 37 FPS. The most demanding setting yields the lowest performance.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average 123 FPS. Provides a high refresh rate experience.
• Medium: Average 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. A solid, stable experience well above the threshold.
• High: Average 76 FPS. The most demanding playable setting, maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 57 FPS. Falls just short of the playable threshold.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average 167 FPS. Excellent for high refresh rate monitors.
• Medium: Average 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 136 FPS. Very smooth performance.
• High: Average 104 FPS. A strong result with plenty of headroom.
• Ultra: Average 78 FPS. The highest setting remains fully playable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the central components provide a context for what other hardware would deliver similar performance in this system.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. The closest matching CPUs are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G with an average score of 49196 (0.4% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 with 49228 (0.5% higher), the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H with 48698 (0.6% lower), and the Intel Core i5-14600K with 48618 (0.8% lower). In CPU-bound scenarios, any of these processors would yield nearly identical frame rates.

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 17083. Its closest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 with an average score of 17208 (0.7% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 with 17037 (0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7970M with 17019 (0.4% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla M4 with 16932 (0.9% lower). In GPU-bound situations, such as at 4K resolution, a system with an RTX 3070 would perform within a small margin of the RX 7600 XT.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals which component is the limiting factor in this game.

At 1920x1080, the performance delta between presets is substantial. The jump from Low (167 avg) to Ultra (78 avg) represents a 53% decrease in frame rate, indicating a heavy reliance on the GPU as the rendering load increases. The CPU is not the primary bottleneck here, as even at Ultra settings, the frame rate is high enough to suggest the GPU is managing the workload effectively.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues. The frame rate drop from Low (123 avg) to Ultra (57 avg) is a 54% decrease, again showing GPU-bound scaling. The GPU is clearly the dominant factor, as the increased pixel count places a greater load on the Radeon RX 7600 XT.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes even more critical. The performance difference between Low (79 avg) and Ultra (37 avg) is a 53% decrease, but the absolute frame rates are much lower. The RX 7600 XT is the clear bottleneck at this resolution, as the CPU's performance headroom cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to render at 4K with high settings. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions, with its influence growing as resolution increases. The CPU's role is sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's raw throughput is the deciding factor.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but with limitations. The system achieves a playable 79 FPS average on the Low preset at 3840x2160. However, the Medium preset drops to a 56 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset is the most demanding setting that remains playable, delivering a 76 FPS average at 2560x1440. This provides a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 1080p?

A: Yes. The system achieves a 78 FPS average at 1920x1080 on the Ultra preset, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other presets at this resolution also exceed 100 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 2360 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the 63.5th percentile for performance in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck at 4K?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the limiting factor. The frame rates at 3840x2160 show a significant drop across all presets, indicating the GPU cannot handle the pixel count of 4K with higher quality settings, despite the CPU's performance.

Q: What other CPU would provide similar performance to the Intel Core Ultra 5 245?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 is the closest rival, scoring 0.5% higher in average benchmarks. The Intel Core i5-14600K is also very close, scoring 0.8% lower.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this system is capable of running Lockdown Protocol, but the experience is highly dependent on the chosen resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the verdict is unequivocal: the system can run the game at Ultra settings with a 78 FPS average, clearing the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets provide even higher frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the system can run the game at High settings with a 76 FPS average. This is the best playable setting, as the Ultra preset falls to a 57 FPS average, just below the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system can run the game, but only on the Low preset, which achieves a 79 FPS average. Higher settings are not playable at this resolution. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 1080p at Ultra or 1440p at High are the recommended configurations for this hardware combination.