Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol’s performance with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed toward high refresh rate 1080p and 1440p play, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises. The benchmark data shows a clear hierarchy where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's large 96 MB shared L3 cache ensures that even the lowest preset delivers exceptional frame rates that many systems cannot reach.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a dramatic and predictable drop in frame rates across all settings presets, confirming that the RX 6750 XT is the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 200 FPS at 1920x1080 to 147 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 53 FPS, and then to 95 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a total drop of 105 FPS from 1080p to 4K. This scaling pattern of roughly a 26.5% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 35.4% decrease from 1440p to 4K, indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are being saturated as the pixel count increases.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend, with average FPS dropping from 142 at 1080p to 104 at 1440p and then to 67 at 4K. Notably, the Medium preset is the only one that includes both minimum and maximum FPS data, and the spread widens considerably at higher resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 121 to 164 FPS, a 43 FPS spread, while at 1440p Medium it is 89 to 120 FPS, a 31 FPS spread, and at 4K Medium it is 57 to 77 FPS, a 20 FPS spread. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that frame times become more consistent when the GPU is fully saturated, reducing the CPU's ability to cause frame pacing variations.

At High settings, the resolution scaling is slightly less steep in percentage terms but still substantial. The average FPS goes from 124 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p (a 26.6% drop) and then to 59 at 4K (a 35.2% drop from 1440p). The Ultra preset exhibits the most severe scaling, with averages of 93 FPS at 1080p, 68 FPS at 1440p, and just 44 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Ultra settings introduce rendering features that disproportionately tax the GPU's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs, making 4K Ultra effectively unplayable for smooth competitive play, while 1080p Ultra remains viable.

The data strongly indicates that the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the limiting factor at any resolution tested. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU has the most headroom to become a bottleneck, the system reaches 200 FPS average, which is a clear sign that the Ryzen 5 5500X3D's architecture, particularly its large L3 cache, is delivering instructions to the GPU faster than the GPU can render frames at lower resolutions. The fact that the FPS drops by roughly the same proportion as resolution increases across all presets further confirms that the GPU's rendering pipeline, not CPU throughput, determines the ceiling here.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6750 XT plays the decisive role in this combo's Lockdown Protocol performance, and its specifications explain the observed frame rates. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the higher memory pressure becomes evident in the larger FPS drops. The 12 GB capacity is also relevant, as Lockdown Protocol's Ultra preset at 4K likely approaches memory usage limits, though the data does not show a catastrophic failure, just a reduction to 44 FPS average.

The GPU's clock speeds are notably high, with a base clock of 2150 MHz and a boost clock of 2600 MHz. These high clocks contribute to the strong performance at 1080p, where the GPU can maintain boost frequencies more easily due to lower thermal and power demands. The game clock of 2495 MHz represents a realistic sustained frequency under load, and the benchmark results align with what one would expect from a GPU with 13.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. At 1080p Low, the 200 FPS average indicates that the GPU is not fully utilized, as the low settings reduce shading complexity, allowing the GPU to push frames as fast as the driver and CPU overhead permit.

The GPU's RDNA 2.0 architecture, with 40 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), means that Lockdown Protocol's visual features are fully supported. However, the benchmark data suggests that the Ultra preset, which likely enables more advanced lighting and shadow effects, causes the largest performance hit. The transition from High to Ultra at 1080p reduces average FPS from 124 to 93, a 25% drop, while the transition from Medium to High only reduces FPS from 142 to 124, a 12.7% drop. This nonlinear scaling indicates that Ultra settings activate computationally expensive effects that disproportionately impact the GPU's 160 TMUs and 64 ROPs.

The GPU's pixel rate of 166.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 416.0 GTexel/s are the key metrics for understanding 4K performance. At 4K, the GPU must fill approximately 8.3 million pixels per frame, and the measured 59 FPS at High settings translates to roughly 490 million pixels per second, which is well below the theoretical pixel rate. This gap suggests that pixel fill rate is not the sole constraint, and that shader complexity and memory bandwidth are also limiting factors. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth at 4K High is likely being fully utilized, as the measured 59 FPS average aligns with what is typical for a GPU with this bandwidth at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Radeon RX 6750 XT combination ranks 1275 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 55th percentile of all configurations. This mid-pack ranking is somewhat surprising given the strong individual performance of both components, but it reflects the fact that Lockdown Protocol is a demanding title that favors GPUs with more raw compute than the RX 6750 XT offers at 4K. The ranking also indicates that there are many combinations with faster CPUs and GPUs that achieve higher average frame rates across the tested resolution and settings matrix.

The CPU alone sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37018. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36945, a 0.2% delta, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, which also scores 36938, a 0.2% delta. This places the Ryzen 5 5500X3D in a tight competitive cluster, with the Intel Core i9-12900T scoring 37112, just 0.3% higher. The CPU's performance is therefore essentially tied with several other mid-range options, and its 96 MB L3 cache does not give it a significant advantage in synthetic benchmarks, though it may help in specific gaming scenarios.

The GPU ranks in the 71st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 26011. Its nearest rivals are all significantly older or mobile parts, including the AMD Radeon R9 M395X (25891, 0.5% delta), the AMD FirePro W7100 (25856, 0.6% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile (25740, 1.1% delta). This is a noteworthy finding, as the RX 6750 XT outperforms a mobile RTX 3080 Ti in aggregate benchmarks, but the delta is small enough that real-world gaming performance could vary depending on the specific title and driver optimization.

The combo's rank of 1275 out of 2828 suggests that while this system is capable of solid frame rates, there are many other combinations that deliver higher average FPS in Lockdown Protocol. The 1080p results, where this combo excels, likely pull the rank higher, while the 4K results, where the GPU struggles, pull it lower. The fact that the combo is not in the top quartile indicates that users seeking maximum performance in this game would need a more powerful GPU, even though the CPU is well-matched for lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with an average of 124 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and close to the 144 Hz refresh rate that many competitive players prefer. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 93 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 25% performance loss for what is likely a marginal visual improvement. For players with 144 Hz monitors, the Medium preset at 142 FPS is the better choice, as it stays above 120 FPS while providing a reasonable visual experience.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 91 FPS average, which is suitable for 60 Hz to 90 Hz displays. The Medium preset provides 104 FPS, which is a significant improvement and remains the recommended choice for players who prioritize frame rate over maximum visual quality. The Low preset at 147 FPS is exceptionally fast and would be ideal for competitive play, but the visual quality reduction is severe. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is borderline, and the 57 FPS minimum observed at Medium settings suggests that Ultra could dip below 60 FPS during intense scenes, making it less reliable for consistent gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The High preset produces 59 FPS average, which is just below the 60 FPS target and likely to feel inconsistent. The Medium preset at 67 FPS is the best option for 4K, as it maintains a playable frame rate while still providing moderate visual quality. The Low preset at 95 FPS is surprisingly playable and would be the recommended choice for players who want smooth 4K performance, though the visual trade-offs are substantial. The Ultra preset at 44 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the threshold for comfortable gameplay and would result in a noticeably stuttery experience.

The data clearly shows that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions, as it offers the best combination of average FPS and consistency, as evidenced by the available minimum and maximum FPS readings. At 1080p Medium, the 121 FPS minimum ensures that even the most demanding scenes stay above 120 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the 89 FPS minimum is acceptable. At 4K Medium, the 57 FPS minimum is borderline but manageable. Users should start with Medium and adjust to High only if they are playing at 1080p or 1440p and have headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance across all presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 200 FPS, making it ideal for high refresh rate displays. The Medium preset averages 142 FPS, with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 164 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery. The High preset averages 124 FPS, which is a solid result for most gaming scenarios. The Ultra preset averages 93 FPS, which is still smooth but represents a significant step down from the lower presets.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows clear scaling. The Low preset averages 147 FPS, which is impressive for this resolution. The Medium preset averages 104 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS, providing a balanced experience. The High preset averages 91 FPS, which is suitable for 60 Hz to 90 Hz displays. The Ultra preset averages 68 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, performance drops substantially, reflecting the GPU's limitations at this resolution. The Low preset averages 95 FPS, which is surprisingly high and suggests that the GPU is still capable of strong performance when settings are reduced. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS, making it the only 4K preset with available frame time data. The High preset averages 59 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The Ultra preset averages 44 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay.

The overall pattern across all resolutions shows that the Low preset provides approximately double the frame rate of the Ultra preset. At 1080p, the difference is 107 FPS (200 vs 93). At 1440p, the difference is 79 FPS (147 vs 68). At 4K, the difference is 51 FPS (95 vs 44). This consistent scaling suggests that the visual features enabled by the Ultra preset have a uniform performance cost across resolutions, reinforcing the recommendation to use Medium or High for the best experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with the Medium or High preset provides the best experience, with average FPS of 142 and 124 respectively. These settings keep the frame rate well above 60 FPS and close to 144 Hz, which is ideal for an FPS game.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 67 FPS, which is playable, while the Low preset averages 95 FPS. The High preset drops to 59 FPS, and Ultra drops to 44 FPS, making these less suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 6750 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6750 XT has an average benchmark score of 26011, which is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, 0.6% higher than the AMD FirePro W7100, and 1.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile. These are very small deltas, indicating similar overall performance.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500X3D a bottleneck for this GPU?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the CPU is able to feed the GPU enough data to achieve 200 FPS average, showing it is not holding back performance.

Q: What is the difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The Low preset averages 147 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS. This is a difference of 79 FPS, or roughly a 54% reduction in performance, highlighting the significant cost of enabling the highest visual quality settings.

Q: Does the combo rank well compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1275 out of 2828 tested combos, placing it in the middle of the field. This is a solid result, but it indicates that many other combinations deliver higher average frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, particularly at higher resolutions.