Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, shows a pronounced sensitivity to both resolution and graphics presets when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is capable of delivering high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p but transitions into a more demanding experience as pixel count increases. The performance scaling across the board indicates a typical balance where the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU's capabilities are more visible at lower settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 demonstrates a clear and expected drop in performance, but the magnitude of that drop varies significantly based on the graphics settings. At the "High" preset, average FPS falls from 137.2 at 1080p to 101.2 at 1440p, and finally to 63.4 at 4K. This represents a steep decline, with the 4K figure being less than half of the 1080p result. The pattern is similar for the "Ultra" preset, which sees a drop from 103.7 FPS at 1080p to 74.3 at 1440p and down to 50 at 4K. This scaling strongly suggests that the RTX 4060 Ti's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus become limiting factors at 4K, particularly with higher fidelity settings that demand more memory bandwidth and capacity.

The scaling pattern shifts when looking at lower settings. At the "Low" preset, the system achieves 221.1 FPS at 1080p, 158.8 at 1440p, and 102.7 at 4K. While the absolute numbers are higher, the relative drop from 1080p to 4K is still significant, indicating that even with reduced graphical load, the resolution increase puts substantial pressure on the GPU. The "Medium" preset follows a similar trajectory, with 157.8 FPS at 1080p, 117.9 at 1440p, and 71.9 at 4K. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system is likely not fully GPU-bound at lower settings, allowing the Ryzen 5 5500 to push frame rates higher, but at 4K, the GPU's workload dominates, and the CPU's role diminishes.

The scaling data implies that the limiting component shifts depending on the target resolution. At 1080p and 1440p, the combination is capable of high frame rates, suggesting a balanced partnership. However, at 4K, the performance bottleneck is clearly the GPU, especially when aiming for "High" or "Ultra" settings. The 4K "Ultra" result of 50 FPS is particularly telling, as it suggests that this configuration is not ideal for 4K gaming with maximum settings, where a more powerful GPU would be required to maintain smoother gameplay.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. With a 16 MB L3 cache and support for DDR4 memory, this CPU is positioned as a solid mid-range option. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is most apparent when the GPU is not the primary bottleneck, such as at 1080p with "Low" or "Medium" settings, where frame rates exceed 150 FPS. At these settings, the CPU's multithreading capabilities and clock speed are likely sufficient to keep up with the game's physics and game logic.

The benchmark results for the Ryzen 5 5500 show a multi-threaded score of 16,429 in Cinebench R23 and a single-thread score of 2,319. These scores place the CPU in the 79th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating it performs better than the majority of processors in the database. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i5-12500 and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, the Ryzen 5 5500 is virtually identical, with a deltaPct of -0.1% against both. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, this processor holds its own against similarly positioned parts.

However, the data from Lockdown Protocol shows that as resolution increases, the CPU's impact on average FPS diminishes. At 4K, the differences between settings are more pronounced, but the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are likely sufficient for this title, as the FPS drops from 1080p "Low" to 4K "Low" (221.1 to 102.7) are more attributable to GPU load than CPU limitations. The results indicate that the Ryzen 5 5500 provides a stable foundation, but it is not the limiting factor in most scenarios tested, particularly at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is the clear performance driver in this configuration. Based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and built on a 5 nm process, this GPU features 4,352 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. It has a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2535 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in the GPU's performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

The GPU's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 2,913, which places it in the 17th percentile of all GPUs. This low percentile is notable, as it indicates that the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB performs worse than 83% of GPUs in the database. However, its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB, show a deltaPct of only 0.2%, meaning the 8 GB version is nearly identical in this specific test. This suggests that the core GPU architecture is capable, but the 8 GB memory capacity may be a limitation in more demanding scenarios.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is most evident in the scaling from "Low" to "Ultra" settings. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 221.1 at "Low" to 103.7 at "Ultra," a reduction of over 50%. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the increased graphical fidelity, with "Ultra" settings likely utilizing more of the 8 GB VRAM and pushing the memory bandwidth to its limits. At 4K, the gap narrows between settings, but the absolute performance is lower, with "Ultra" achieving 50 FPS and "Low" reaching 102.7 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is capable of handling 1080p and 1440p gaming well, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings, where its memory capacity and bandwidth become significant bottlenecks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is highly capable, achieving 221.1 FPS at "Low," 157.8 at "Medium," 137.2 at "High," and 103.7 at "Ultra." These numbers indicate that the system is well-suited for high refresh rate monitors at this resolution, even with "High" settings. The "Ultra" preset, while still playable, shows a significant performance cost compared to "High," suggesting that the extra graphical features have a substantial impact on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload. The "Low" preset achieves 158.8 FPS, "Medium" hits 117.9, "High" reaches 101.2, and "Ultra" drops to 74.3. At this resolution, the system can still deliver smooth gameplay for most settings, but "Ultra" is starting to approach the lower end of the high-refresh-rate spectrum. The 1440p "High" result of 101.2 FPS is a good indicator of the system's capabilities, offering a balance between visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations are fully exposed. The "Low" preset achieves 102.7 FPS, which is respectable, but "Medium" drops to 71.9, "High" to 63.4, and "Ultra" to 50. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming is not this combination's strong suit, particularly at higher settings. The 4K "Ultra" result of 50 FPS is the lowest measured, and while it is technically playable, it does not offer the smooth experience that the 1080p results do. The breakdown shows a system that is excellent for 1080p and good for 1440p, but only adequate for 4K at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB ranks 681st out of 1,637 total combinations. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, specifically in the 58th percentile (calculated from the rank and total). This ranking indicates that while the combination is not a top-tier performer, it outperforms a majority of other systems tested in this game.

The rank of 681 out of 1,637 is a reflection of the system's balanced performance. It is not among the elite combinations that would be expected to dominate 4K gaming, but it is also far from the bottom of the list. The combination's ranking is likely influenced by its strong 1080p performance, where it can compete with higher-end systems, but is held back by its 4K results, where more powerful GPUs and CPUs pull ahead. The data suggests that this combo is a solid mid-range option, capable of delivering a good experience at mainstream resolutions, but not designed for extreme settings or resolutions. The ranking confirms that the Ryzen 5 5500 and RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB form a coherent pairing, with neither component drastically holding back the other in the majority of tested scenarios.