Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

This pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 (6 cores, 12 threads, base 3.40 GHz, boost 3.90 GHz) with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus, 448.0 GB/s bandwidth) delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title released in March 2024. The measured frame rates show a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU's older Zen architecture becoming a factor only at 1080p. The combo ranks in the 74th percentile of tested configurations, indicating that while it is not a top-tier setup, it outperforms a significant majority of combinations in this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-limited scaling curve, though the magnitude of the drop varies considerably by settings preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 156 at 1920x1080 to 114 at 2560x1440, then to 74 at 3840x2160. That represents a 27% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 35% drop from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the trajectory is similar but steeper: 97 FPS at 1080p, 71 at 1440p, and 46 at 4K — a 27% reduction between the first two resolutions and a 35% reduction to 4K.

The Medium preset shows the most consistent scaling pattern. With measured minimum and maximum values recorded, the data indicates an average of 111 FPS at 1080p (min 94, max 127), 81 FPS at 1440p (min 69, max 93), and 52 FPS at 4K (min 44, max 60). The percentage drops here are 27% from 1080p to 1440p and 36% from 1440p to 4K, nearly identical to the Low and High presets. This consistency across presets strongly suggests that the RX 5700 XT's rendering throughput — not memory bandwidth or CPU overhead — is the primary limiter as resolution increases.

Ultra settings present the most demanding scenario, with averages of 72 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 26%, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 36%. The fact that even at 1080p Ultra the card cannot reach 75 FPS average indicates that the game's Ultra preset pushes the GPU's 9.754 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 64 ROPs to their limits. The scaling pattern — roughly a 26-27% loss at 1440p and a 35-36% loss at 4K regardless of preset — is textbook GPU-bound behavior. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller percentage differences at 1080p, where the Ryzen 5 2600's 3.90 GHz boost clock would struggle to feed the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this setup holds rank 2759 out of 3714 total combos. This places it in the 74.3rd percentile — meaning it outperforms roughly three-quarters of all tested pairings in this game. Given that the CPU sits in the 75th percentile against all CPUs in general benchmark scores (with an average benchmark score of 21484), and the GPU ranks in the 59th percentile against all GPUs (average benchmark score of 16361), the combo's in-game ranking is slightly better than what the GPU's percentile alone would suggest.

The CPU's nearest rivals in general benchmarks include the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (avg score 21440, deltaPct 0.2), Intel Core i9-11900H (avg score 21367, deltaPct 0.5), Intel Xeon D-1746TER (avg score 21635, deltaPct -0.7), and AMD EPYC 9454 (avg score 21223, deltaPct 1.2). These deltas are all within 1.2% of the Ryzen 5 2600's score, indicating that the 2600's general processing power is competitive with a wide range of modern and enterprise parts, despite its 2018 release date.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (avg score 16351, deltaPct 0.1), NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (avg score 16408, deltaPct -0.3), AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (avg score 16415, deltaPct -0.3), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (avg score 16504, deltaPct -0.9). The extremely tight clustering — all within 0.9% of each other — shows that the RX 5700 XT's raw benchmark performance is remarkably close to much newer professional and enthusiast cards in synthetic tests, though Lockdown Protocol's real-world frame rates will vary based on driver optimizations and game-specific workloads.

The rank of 2759 out of 3714 is notable because it places this aging mid-range combo ahead of many newer budget and entry-level configurations. However, it also reveals that for competitive FPS play in Lockdown Protocol, there are 2758 combinations that deliver higher average frame rates. The gap between this combo and the top performers is substantial, but the data confirms it is far from the bottom of the barrel.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets remain above 70 FPS average, with Low hitting 156 FPS and High reaching 97 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low (114 FPS) and Medium (81 FPS) stay above 60 FPS average, while at 3840x2160, only Low (74 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT's 8 GB VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 34 at Ultra to 74 at Low. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the Low preset at 4K, but the steep drop to 34 FPS at Ultra suggests that higher settings exceed what this GPU can comfortably render at 4K, likely due to both compute limits and memory pressure.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 2600 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests minimal CPU bottleneck at 1080p. At Low settings, the combo reaches 156 FPS average, which is high for any system. The 6-core, 12-thread design with 16 MB shared L3 cache and 46.9 GB/s memory bandwidth appears sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, though the 3.90 GHz boost clock limits absolute maximum frame rates compared to newer CPUs.

Q: What is the difference between the Medium preset's min and max FPS at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the measured minimum is 69 FPS and the maximum is 93 FPS, yielding an average of 81 FPS. This 24 FPS spread indicates moderate frame time variance, which is typical for a mid-range GPU at this resolution in a fast-paced FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested combos in Lockdown Protocol?

A: It ranks 2759 out of 3714 total combos, placing it in the 74th percentile. This means 2758 other combinations produce higher average frame rates in this game, while 955 combinations perform worse.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 yields 72 FPS average, which is playable but below the 97 FPS of High settings. Given that High delivers 25 more FPS at the same resolution, the Ultra preset's additional visual fidelity comes at a significant performance cost.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings was tested, providing the clearest picture of how each preset impacts performance. Low settings deliver the highest average at 156 FPS, followed by Medium at 111 FPS (with a range of 94 to 127 FPS), High at 97 FPS, and Ultra at 72 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 45 FPS (29%), while Medium to High costs 14 FPS (13%), and High to Ultra costs 25 FPS (26%). This non-linear scaling suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate at 1080p, as it remains above 100 FPS average while providing improved visuals over Low.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings hierarchy persists. Low averages 114 FPS, Medium 81 FPS (min 69, max 93), High 71 FPS, and Ultra 53 FPS. The percentage drops from 1080p are consistent at roughly 27% for Low, 27% for Medium, 27% for High, and 26% for Ultra. This uniformity reinforces that the GPU is scaling predictably with pixel count rather than encountering memory or bandwidth bottlenecks at specific settings.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become borderline for fast-paced gameplay. Low averages 74 FPS, Medium 52 FPS (min 44, max 60), High 46 FPS, and Ultra 34 FPS. Only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset's minimum of 44 FPS indicates that even mid-range settings will experience noticeable dips during intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 4K, with its 34 FPS average, is effectively unplayable for competitive play, though it may suffice for slower-paced exploration.

The measured data includes min/max values only for the Medium preset across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the 94-127 FPS range shows a 33 FPS spread, at 1440p Medium the 69-93 FPS range shows a 24 FPS spread, and at 4K Medium the 44-60 FPS range shows a 16 FPS spread. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions is expected, as the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck and frame times become more uniform.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 2000 series, based on the Zen architecture (Zen+ Pinnacle Ridge) on a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It operates at a 3.40 GHz base clock and 3.90 GHz boost clock, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 96 KB L1 cache per core, 512 KB L2 cache per core, and 16 MB shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 46.9 GB/s bandwidth. It connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU across most tested settings. The 1080p Low result of 156 FPS average demonstrates that the 2600 can push high frame rates when the GPU has light work. The PassMark single-thread score of 2239 and Geekbench single-core score of 1154 indicate modest per-core performance, but the game's engine evidently scales well with the 12 threads available. The Cinebench R15 multicore score of 1248 and Geekbench multicore score of 5648 show solid multi-threaded throughput for a 2018 processor.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% faster average), Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% faster), Intel Xeon D-1746TER (0.7% slower), and AMD EPYC 9454 (1.2% faster). These minuscule deltas mean that swapping the 2600 for any of these would yield virtually identical CPU-limited performance in Lockdown Protocol. The 75th percentile rank against all CPUs confirms that this processor remains competitive for gaming workloads, even with its age.

The CPU's 16 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s are sufficient for this game's data demands. The lack of integrated graphics means the RX 5700 XT handles all rendering duties. The 12 nm process node and 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die contribute to its 65 W TDP, keeping thermals manageable in most systems.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p play, the Medium preset at 111 FPS average (94 min, 127 max) offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, staying well above the 60 FPS threshold with headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset at 97 FPS is also viable, but the 14 FPS cost over Medium may not justify the visual upgrade for competitive play. Low at 156 FPS is the choice for maximum responsiveness, while Ultra at 72 FPS is acceptable for single-player experiences but marginal for fast-paced multiplayer.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 81 FPS average (69 min, 93 max) is the recommended choice, as it remains above 60 FPS even at minimum. Low at 114 FPS provides a smoother experience for competitive players, though the visual compromise is notable. High at 71 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for frame drops, and Ultra at 53 FPS should be avoided for any gameplay requiring quick reactions.

For 3840x2160, only the Low preset at 74 FPS average is recommended for playable performance. Medium at 52 FPS (44 min, 60 max) may be tolerable for slower gameplay, but the minimum of 44 FPS will cause noticeable stuttering in intense firefights. High at 46 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS are not recommended for this resolution.

The data shows diminishing returns when moving beyond Medium settings at any resolution. The gap between Medium and High is consistently smaller than the gap between Low and Medium, suggesting that Medium captures most of the visual improvements without the disproportionate performance cost. Players prioritizing frame rate consistency should select Medium at 1080p or 1440p, or Low at 4K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the Navi 10 chip with RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm TSMC process. It contains 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, with a transistor density of 41.0M per mm². The GPU operates at a 1605 MHz base clock, 1755 MHz game clock, and 1905 MHz boost clock. Memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The card has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 9.754 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 19.51 TFLOPS (2:1). The 225 W TDP requires a 550 W suggested PSU and uses 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors.

In Lockdown Protocol, the RX 5700 XT demonstrates its capabilities as a 1440p-class card. At 2560x1440, it delivers 71-114 FPS across presets, which is a strong showing for a GPU in the 59th percentile against all GPUs. The 4K results, ranging from 34 to 74 FPS, show that the card can handle 4K only at the lowest settings. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for this game at 1080p and 1440p across all presets, but the steep performance drop at 4K Ultra (34 FPS) suggests memory capacity or bandwidth becomes a constraint at higher resolutions with demanding settings.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are extremely close: the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (0.1% faster), NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (0.3% slower), AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (0.3% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (0.9% slower). This clustering indicates that the RX 5700 XT's raw compute performance remains relevant, though newer architectures may offer better efficiency or features not captured in these scores.

The 64 ROPs and 121.9 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p rendering, but the 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS suggests these resources are overwhelmed at that resolution and settings combination. The 304.8 GTexel/s texture rate and 9.754 TFLOPS FP32 compute translate directly to the observed frame rates, with the card showing predictable scaling as resolution increases. The RDNA 1.0 architecture's lack of dedicated ray tracing cores is not a factor here, as Lockdown Protocol's measured results do not indicate RT workload.