Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS, places distinct demands on the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination. The measured data reveals a component pairing that is well-balanced at high resolutions but increasingly CPU-limited as resolution drops. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results to clarify where the bottleneck lies and how the combination performs across the full spectrum of settings.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior is the single most informative aspect of this benchmark set. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average frame rate at High settings drops from 97 FPS to 71 FPS, a reduction of 26 FPS or approximately 27%. Scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the High preset falls from 71 FPS to 46 FPS, another 35% reduction. The trend is consistent: each step up in resolution imposes a significant load on the GPU, confirming that the Radeon RX 5700 XT is the primary rendering component.

The behavior at Ultra settings is telling. At 1080p, the combination reaches 72 FPS. At 1440p, it's 53 FPS. At 4K, it's 34 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is a 19 FPS drop, which is a 35% reduction. This is a clear sign of GPU-bound performance; the CPU is not the limiting factor at these higher resolutions. The frame rates scale almost linearly with the pixel count increase, which is the classic symptom of a GPU bottleneck.

However, the Low settings data reveals a different story. At 1080p Low, the combination produces 156 FPS. At 1440p Low, it's 114 FPS. At 4K Low, it's 74 FPS. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 42 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 40 FPS. The scaling here is less severe, suggesting that at low settings, the CPU is starting to become a co-limiter at 1080p. If the GPU were purely the bottleneck, the Low scaling would be more linear across all resolutions, but the 1080p result appears slightly capped by the CPU's ability to feed the frame.

The Medium settings provide the most complete picture, as they include minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 111 FPS with a minimum of 94 and a maximum of 127 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 and max of 93. At 4K Medium, the average is 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 and max of 60. The frametime variance, as indicated by the min-max spread, is roughly consistent across resolutions, suggesting that the CPU is maintaining a steady frame pacing even as the GPU load increases.

Overall, the data indicates that at 1080p, the combo is often CPU-limited at lower settings and GPU-limited at higher settings. As the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the definitive limiter. The transition happens around the Medium settings at 1440p, where the system remains well-balanced.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is a 7nm GPU from the RDNA 1.0 architecture, released on 2019-07-06. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1905 MHz, and it holds a game clock of 1755 MHz. The card has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its fp32 performance is 9.754 TFLOPS.

The GPU's role in Lockdown Protocol becomes evident from the 4K data. At 4K Ultra, the combination yields only 34 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Even at 4K High, it only manages 46 FPS. The VRAM size of 8 GB is a potential consideration at 4K with Ultra settings, though the data does not show a distinct VRAM-related stutter or crash. The medium FPS range at 4K, which runs from 44 to 60 FPS, shows that even at this resolution, the GPU can produce playable frame rates with some settings.

The GPU's performance percentile versus all GPUs is 59, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. Its average benchmark score is 16361. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, which scores 16351, and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell at 16408. The delta percentages are negligible, indicating that the RX 5700 XT's raw performance is very close to these other cards. This suggests that in this game, the GPU is behaving in a typical manner for its tier.

The boost clock behavior is critical for Lockdown Protocol. The game's FPS at 1080p High is 97 FPS, which is a solid result. At 1080p Low, the 156 FPS result suggests the GPU can push high frame rates when the CPU can keep up. The 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth is likely sufficient for the game's asset streaming. The game's performance scaling with settings is consistent with a GPU that is powerful enough for 1080p and 1440p, but struggles at 4K with high presets.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is adequate for this game at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the stable FPS numbers. At 4K, more VRAM could be beneficial, but the data does not show a definitive VRAM bottleneck, as the FPS scales more with the preset than with a sudden cliff. The game's performance is likely bound by the GPU's compute power more than its memory capacity.

How This Combo Ranks

In Lockdown Protocol, this combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 2759 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places it in the lower half of the database, indicating that it is a mid-range to low-mid-range performer for this specific game. The rank is not solely a measure of GPU or CPU performance, but of the combined result of the two components in this game.

The rank of 2759 out of 3714 means that roughly 74% of the tested combinations perform better. This is a notable position, as it suggests that while the individual components are mid-range, their combined performance in this game is not exceptional. The game is likely demanding in a way that favors stronger components. The fact that the combo is in the 74th percentile of all combos indicates that the hardware is capable but not top-tier.

The CPU's percentile versus all CPUs is 73, and the GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 59. The GPU's lower percentile is likely the main reason for the combo's ranking. The CPU is a above-average performer, but the GPU is only slightly above the median. The combination's rank is worse than the CPU's percentile, which suggests that the GPU is holding back the system in this game.

The nearest rivals for this combo in the game's database are not provided, but the individual component rivals are. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, which is 0.1% below the 5500's average score, and the Intel Core i5-12500, which is 0.4% below. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, which is 0.1% above, and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell, which is 0.3% below. These delta are negligible, meaning that the components are performing at the expected level for their class.

The combo rank indicates that in this specific game, the hardware is not performing as well as its general benchmark scores would suggest. The game likely has a specific bottleneck that places the combination in the lower-middle tier. This could be due to the game's optimization for certain architectures or its reliance on high clock speeds and high core counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings. The 1920x1080 resolution shows the system's peak performance. At Low settings, the average FPS is 156. At Medium, it's 111, with a minimum of 94 and max of 127. High yields 97 FPS. Ultra drops to 72 FPS. This indicates that the system is well-suited for 1080p gaming, with even Ultra settings maintaining a playable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings produce 114 FPS, which is still high. Medium is 81 FPS, with a min of 69 and max of 93. High is 71 FPS. Ultra falls to 53 FPS. These numbers show that 1440p is a viable resolution for this combo, but only at Medium or Low settings. High is playable, but Ultra is not ideal.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings yield 74 FPS, which is still above 60. Medium is 52 FPS, with a min of 44 and max of 60. High is 46 FPS. Ultra is 34 FPS. These results indicate that 4K gaming is only possible with Low settings, and even then, it's not a locked 60. The 4K Medium range shows that the game can be played, but with some FPS variance.

The data shows that the average FPS at 1080p Low is 156, which is the highest result across all resolutions and settings. The lowest average is 34 FPS at 4K Ultra. The variation between settings is substantial, with Low to Ultra at 4K being a 40 FPS difference. This suggests that the game's graphical settings have a significant impact on the frame rate, especially at higher resolutions.

The minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the min is 94 FPS, which is still very smooth. At 1440p Medium, the min is 69 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. At 4K Medium, the min is 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The maximums are 127, 93, and 60, respectively. The FPS variance is not extreme, but the 4K min shows that the system can struggle in demanding scenes.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest average FPS is 156, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo play Lockdown Protocol at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 74 FPS. Medium settings yield 52 FPS, High 46, and Ultra 34.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The minimum FPS is 69, with an average of 81 and a maximum of 93.

Q: How does the CPU's single-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 19593, and its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, is 0.1% slower, while the Intel Core i5-12500 is 0.4% faster.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, using 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What is the combo's rank in the game's database?

A: The combination ranks 2759 out of 3714 tested combinations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Zen 3 architecture, codename Cezanne. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. It is built on a 7nm process with 10,700 million transistors and a die size of 180 mm². It has 16 MB of L3 cache, with 512 KB of L2 per core. The CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 memory up to a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it uses PCIe Gen 3. Its TDP is 65W. It was released on 2022-04-03 with a launch MSRP of $159.

The CPU's role in Lockdown Protocol is most evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 156 FPS, which is a high frame rate that indicates the CPU can keep up with the GPU. However, the CPU's performance in the game is not just about raw FPS; it's about the minimums and the frame pacing. The 1080p Medium settings show a min of 94 FPS, which is excellent. This suggests that the CPU is not a major bottleneck at 1080p.

The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 19593. The nearest rivals are all close in performance, with deltas of -0.1%, -0.4%, 0.5%, and -0.7%. This indicates that the CPU is a solid mid-range performer, but not a standout. The 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for modern games, and the 16 MB cache helps with game data.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU is likely the secondary bottleneck at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 34 FPS is clearly GPU-limited, but the 4K Low result of 74 FPS shows that the CPU can still push a playable frame rate. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data, and at 4K, the GPU is the main constraint. However, at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiter, as the GPU is capable of more than 156 FPS if the CPU could keep up.

The CPU's 12 threads are useful in the game, as Lockdown Protocol is an FPS that can utilize multiple cores. The 3.60 GHz base clock is a bit low, but the 4.20 GHz boost helps in lighter scenes. The CPU's performance is consistent with its class, and it does not appear to be a hidden bottleneck in this game. The combination's rank is worse than the CPU's percentile, but this is due to the GPU's lower relative performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best is setting depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system can handle Ultra settings with an average of 72 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, making Ultra a viable option for a smooth experience. However, if the user wants a higher frame rate, High settings provide 97 FPS, and Medium provides 111 FPS with a minimum of 94. For a competitive advantage, Low settings offer 156 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the best balance is Medium settings, which yield an average of 81 FPS with a minimum of 69. This is a smooth experience for most players. High is also acceptable at 71 FPS, but it's below the 75 FPS threshold. Ultra at 53 FPS is not recommended for a consistent experience. Low at 114 FPS is excellent, but the visual quality is reduced.

At 3840x2160, the only recommended setting is Low, which produces 74 FPS. Medium is playable at 52 FPS, but the minimum of 44 FPS can cause stutter in intense scenes. High and Ultra are not recommended due to their low FPS. For a 60 Hz display, Low is the best choice. For a 144 Hz display, the 4K resolution is not suitable for this combo.

The performance data indicates that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1080p, the user can choose between High for visual quality or Low/Medium for high refresh rates. At 1440p, Medium is the sweet spot. At 4K, the system is limited to Low settings for a playable experience. The game's Low settings seem to be the recommended preset for a smooth experience across all resolutions, with Medium as a good compromise at 1440p and below.

The Medium settings are the only ones with reported min and max FPS, which provides a hint about the game's stability. At 1080p, the min is 94, which is excellent. The variance is stable. At 1440p, the min is 69, which is still good. At 4K, the min is 44, which is not ideal. The Medium settings are the most balanced for this combo.