Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, exhibits a clear performance scaling pattern with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination. The measured data shows a consistent and predictable relationship between resolution, graphical preset, and resulting frame rate, with the GPU becoming an increasingly dominant factor as pixel count rises. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the three primary resolutions and four quality settings, interpreting what the numbers indicate about the hardware's balance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is substantial, but the degree of that drop varies significantly depending on the quality preset. At the Low preset, the average FPS falls from 174.5 at 1080p to 84 at 4K, representing a reduction to roughly 48% of the original performance. This halving of frame rate across a four-fold increase in pixel count suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is beginning to experience a meaningful workload increase, though the CPU still has ample headroom. In contrast, the High preset shows a more dramatic scaling curve, dropping from 108.9 at 1080p to 53.7 at 4K, a similar proportional reduction to about 49%.

The Ultra preset presents the most demanding scenario, where performance falls from 82.7 at 1080p to 37.4 at 4K. This 4K Ultra figure is particularly telling, as it dips below the 40 FPS threshold, indicating a heavily GPU-limited scenario where the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are strained by the combination of high resolution and maximum visual fidelity. The scaling from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Ultra settings (59.1 to 37.4 FPS) represents a 37% performance loss, which is steeper than the 30% loss observed between 1080p and 1440p (82.7 to 59.1). This non-linear degradation reinforces that 4K Ultra is beyond the comfortable operating range for this hardware combination.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is largely CPU-bound or balanced, evidenced by the wide spread of 174.5 FPS at Low versus 82.7 at Ultra. The Ryzen 5 5600's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, appear sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's role becomes paramount. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings (95 to 60.4 FPS) shows a 36% drop, confirming that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The overall pattern suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and frame rate, while 4K should be reserved for less demanding presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip, demonstrates its capabilities and limitations in Lockdown Protocol. The GPU's benchmark profile places it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22206. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 (0.5% higher score) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (2.5% lower score), indicating that the 2070 SUPER sits in a competitive mid-to-high tier segment. The card's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs, combined with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, provide the raw processing power that drives the measured frame rates.

The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Lockdown Protocol, this memory configuration appears adequate for 1080p and 1440p across all presets, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at those resolutions. However, at 4K Ultra, the 37.4 FPS average suggests that memory bandwidth and capacity are being pushed to their limits. The 14 Gbps effective memory speed is a fixed characteristic that cannot be adjusted, so the performance ceiling at 4K is directly tied to this bandwidth constraint. Notably, the GPU's FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are sufficient for the game's FPS mechanics, but the pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s becomes a bottleneck at 3840x2160.

The measured FPS at 1080p Low (174.5) represents the practical upper limit for this GPU in Lockdown Protocol, likely constrained by the CPU rather than the GPU itself. At 1440p Medium (95 FPS), the GPU is operating in a more balanced state, delivering smooth gameplay while still having headroom for occasional spikes. The 4K Low result of 84 FPS is noteworthy, as it shows that even with reduced graphical fidelity, the GPU can still deliver a playable experience at 4K, but the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K (84 vs 37.4) highlights how dramatically the visual settings impact the GPU's workload.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 serves as the processing foundation for this system, and its characteristics directly influence the measured performance, particularly at lower resolutions. This 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 5000 series operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, built on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) using a 7 nm process. The CPU's benchmark scores show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18309 and a single-core score of 2584, placing it in the 79th percentile among all CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark performance include the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (0.6% higher score) and the Intel Core i7-11700F (0.9% higher score), indicating that the Ryzen 5 5600 is competitive with these alternatives. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 512 KB per-core L2 cache provide the memory hierarchy necessary for gaming workloads. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the 174.5 FPS result suggests the processor is capable of feeding the GPU at high frame rates. The PassMark multi-thread score of 21541 and single-thread score of 3256 indicate balanced performance that handles both the game's primary thread and background processes.

At 1440p and above, the CPU becomes less of a factor, as the GPU's rendering workload takes precedence. The Ryzen 5 5600's 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock provide sufficient processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck at these resolutions. The fact that frame rates scale consistently with GPU workload across presets at 1440p and 4K confirms that the CPU is not limiting performance in these scenarios. The processor's 65 W TDP and support for DDR4 memory with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the demands of this FPS title, though the 4K Ultra result of 37.4 FPS is more attributable to GPU limitations than CPU performance.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 provides the best balance, with an average FPS of 78 at High settings and 95 at Medium. This resolution avoids the CPU-bound scenario at 1080p while not overburdening the GPU as severely as 3840x2160.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER capable of running Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K Low settings, the average FPS is 84, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 60.4 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 37.4 FPS. The GPU can handle 4K, but only at lower quality presets for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600 has an average benchmark score of 21765, which is 0.6% higher than the Intel Xeon D-1746TER (21635) and 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i7-11700F (21957). It sits in the 79th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: What is the impact of Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average FPS is 59.1, which is a 38% drop from Medium settings (95 FPS). This suggests that Ultra settings at 1440p push the GPU to its limits, similar to the strain seen at 4K Medium.

Q: Does the CPU become a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1440p or 4K, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU workload. However, at 1080p Low (174.5 FPS), the CPU's performance may be the limiting factor, as the GPU has the potential to render faster.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score relate to its in-game performance?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206 and ranks in the 65th percentile. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, scores 0.5% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 5700 scores 2.5% lower. This mid-tier positioning aligns with the measured FPS, which shows strong 1080p and 1440p performance but struggles at 4K Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 174.5 FPS, Medium delivers 125.9 FPS, High delivers 108.9 FPS, and Ultra delivers 82.7 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra represents a 53% performance reduction, demonstrating the significant impact of visual quality at this resolution. The 1080p results show that this system is capable of high refresh rate gaming, with even Ultra settings exceeding 80 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 131.8 FPS, Medium averages 95 FPS, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 59.1 FPS. The resolution increase from 1080p to 1440p causes a 24% drop at Low settings (174.5 to 131.8) and a 29% drop at Ultra settings (82.7 to 59.1). This shows that the GPU's workload increases proportionally with pixel count, but the system remains capable of smooth gameplay at most presets.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 84 FPS, Medium averages 60.4 FPS, High averages 53.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 37.4 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K results in a 36% drop at Low settings (131.8 to 84) and a 37% drop at Ultra settings (59.1 to 37.4). The 4K Ultra result is the only measured scenario that falls below 40 FPS, making it the single most demanding configuration in the dataset.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing high frame rates at 1920x1080, the Low preset at 174.5 FPS provides the maximum performance, ideal for competitive play. However, the High preset at 108.9 FPS offers a better visual experience while still maintaining frame rates above 100. The Ultra preset at 82.7 FPS is also viable at 1080p, delivering smooth gameplay with maximum visual fidelity, as the CPU and GPU combination handles this resolution well across all settings.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 95 FPS represents the best overall experience, balancing visual quality with performance. The High preset at 78 FPS is also recommended for those who prefer enhanced visuals, as it remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 59.1 FPS is borderline, offering a premium visual experience but dipping close to the 60 FPS threshold. Players with 144 Hz monitors should consider Medium settings, while 60 Hz display users can opt for High.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 84 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently high frame rate. The Medium preset at 60.4 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays, though it requires a slight compromise in visual quality. The High preset at 53.7 FPS and Ultra at 37.4 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as they fall below the ideal range for most FPS titles. The data clearly indicates that 4K gaming with this hardware should be limited to Low or Medium settings, with 1440p being the optimal resolution for the full range of presets.