Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 pairs a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 3 architecture with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This configuration places the CPU in the 74th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 20,468. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS, the CPU’s single-thread performance is critical for frame pacing. Its 3DMark single-thread score of 882 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,584 indicate strong per-core throughput, which helps maintain consistent frame times even when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache provides a solid buffer for game logic and physics calculations, while the 12 threads ensure that background processes do not starve the primary game thread. Benchmark data shows the CPU is nearly identical in overall performance to the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, with a delta of just 0.1%, meaning the 5600 will not be a limiting factor when paired with a high-end GPU in this title.

At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU’s role becomes more pronounced. The measured average FPS of 256 suggests the engine is well-optimized for the 5600’s architecture. The CPU’s 3DMark 16-thread score of 5,641 and max-thread score of 5,659 show that scaling beyond 8 threads adds little, which is typical for a game like Lockdown Protocol that likely relies on a few heavily loaded threads. At higher resolutions, the GPU takes over as the primary bottleneck, but the CPU still needs to feed the frame queue fast enough. The data indicates that the 5600 is more than adequate; at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 83, which is well within the range where CPU overhead would not cause stutter. The CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 21,541 reinforces that it can handle the game’s AI and network code concurrently without dropping below acceptable thresholds.

CPU Role, cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 5600’s 6 cores and 12 threads are the foundation of its performance in Lockdown Protocol. With a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, the CPU can ramp up quickly for single-threaded tasks, which is essential for the game’s frame generation. The Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process, delivers a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18,309 and a single-core score of 2,584. These scores place the CPU in the 74th percentile overall, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, is only 0.1% ahead in average score. This close margin means the 5600 provides comparable CPU-bound performance to a much newer part, ensuring that at 1080p Low, where the CPU is most stressed, the average FPS of 256 is not artificially capped by processor limitations. The 32 MB of L3 cache is shared across all cores, which helps with data locality for game assets that are frequently accessed, reducing memory latency.

The CPU’s 3DMark scores further illuminate its behavior. The 2-thread score of 1,737 and 4-thread score of 3,313 indicate that the game’s primary threads benefit from the high boost clock. The 8-thread score of 4,798 shows diminishing returns, but the 16-thread score of 5,641 demonstrates that the 5600 can still leverage its 12 threads when the game scales to secondary tasks like physics or audio. In Lockdown Protocol, the jump from 1080p Low (256 FPS) to 4K Low (178 FPS) is a 30% drop, which is primarily due to GPU load, but the CPU still must maintain a minimum frame rate. The data shows no min FPS values for Low settings, implying the CPU can sustain these averages without significant dips. The Cinebench R20 multicore score of 7,689 and Geekbench multicore score of 9,158 corroborate that the 5600 is a balanced performer, not a weak link in this configuration.

GPU Role, VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant component in this pairing, with a 32 GB GDDR7 memory pool and a 512-bit memory bus that delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz, combined with 21,760 shading units, drive the frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The GPU sits in the 92nd percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, is only 0.3% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT trails by 1.1%. This performance headroom means the RTX 5090 is rarely the limiting factor at lower resolutions, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU’s raw compute is pushed to its limits, yielding an average FPS of 83. The 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any texture or asset load in Lockdown Protocol, preventing any memory-related stutters that could occur on lower-capacity cards.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 reflects its ability to handle modern rendering pipelines. In the game, the transition from Medium to High settings at 4K shows a drop from 127 FPS to 111 FPS, a 12.6% decrease, while the jump from High to Ultra drops from 111 FPS to 83 FPS, a 25.2% decrease. This indicates that Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU’s 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The RTX 5090’s 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores are not directly benchmarked in the measured FPS data, but their presence enables advanced lighting and upscaling features that would affect these settings. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 39,650 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,728 show that it excels in both DirectX and Vulkan workloads, which is relevant for a FPS that may use either API. The 4K Medium measurement includes a min FPS of 108 and max FPS of 146, suggesting that the GPU can maintain playable frames even under load, but the Ultra preset’s lack of min/max data implies the average is the best indicator of performance.

Resolution Scaling, how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 256; at 1440p Low, it drops to 231 (a 9.8% decrease); and at 4K Low, it falls to 178 (a 22.9% decrease from 1440p). This scaling is consistent with a GPU that has ample headroom at lower resolutions, where the CPU can keep up, but the pixel fill rate becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases. The RTX 5090’s pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are the key metrics here. At 1080p, the GPU can process frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls, resulting in the highest FPS. At 4K, the GPU’s shading units must work harder to fill the extra pixels, reducing the average FPS.

The drop from 1080p High (215 FPS) to 1440p High (171 FPS) is a 20.5% reduction, while the drop to 4K High (111 FPS) is a 35.1% reduction from 1440p. This steeper decline at High settings compared to Low indicates that the additional shader complexity amplifies the GPU load. At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 1080p Ultra averages 175 FPS, 1440p Ultra averages 128 FPS (a 26.9% drop), and 4K Ultra averages 83 FPS (a 35.2% drop). The fact that 1080p Ultra (175 FPS) is lower than 1440p High (171 FPS) suggests that the Ultra preset’s effects, such as higher draw distances or shadow quality, tax the GPU more than resolution alone. This pattern confirms that the RTX 5090 is the limiting component at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance (as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 882) is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking. The 1440p Medium measurement shows a min FPS of 167 and max FPS of 226, indicating that the GPU can maintain a reasonable frame rate even with fluctuations.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra?

A: The average FPS drops from 256 at 1080p Low to 175 at 1080p Ultra, a decrease of 81 FPS (31.6%). This shows that Ultra settings impose a significant GPU load even at a lower resolution.

Q: Which resolution and settings combination provides the highest average FPS?

A: The highest average FPS in the measured data is 256, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is followed by 231 FPS at 2560x1440 Low and 225 FPS at 1920x1080 Medium.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600 a bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 83, which is well below the 1080p Low average of 256. This indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s performance (74th percentile) would not cap frames at such a low level. The CPU’s nearest rival is only 0.1% faster, so it is not the bottleneck.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842, which is 0.3% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605) and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% faster than the RTX 5090.

Q: What are the min and max FPS values for the 1440p Medium preset?

A: The 2560x1440 Medium preset shows a min FPS of 167 and a max FPS of 226, with an average of 196. This range indicates some frame variance but generally stable performance.

Q: Does the game scale well with resolution on this hardware?

A: The data shows a clear scaling pattern: average FPS drops from 256 at 1080p Low to 178 at 4K Low (a 30.5% decrease), and from 175 at 1080p Ultra to 83 at 4K Ultra (a 52.6% decrease). This indicates the game is GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the RTX 5090’s 32 GB VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth handling the load.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 225, which is only 12% lower than the Low preset’s 256 FPS, but with improved visual fidelity. The Medium preset also provides the only complete min/max data points: at 1080p, the min FPS is 191 and max is 259, indicating a smooth experience with minimal stutter. At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 196, with a min of 167 and max of 226, which remains well above the 60 FPS threshold for competitive play. Even at 4K Medium, the average FPS of 127 (with a min of 108 and max of 146) is playable, though the Low preset at 178 FPS would be better for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

The High preset is a viable alternative for users with 1440p displays, as it averages 171 FPS, which is 12.8% lower than Medium but offers better shadows and textures. At 1080p High, the average FPS of 215 is still excellent. The Ultra preset should only be considered for 1080p or 1440p if the user prioritizes visual fidelity over frame rate, as it drops to 175 FPS at 1080p and 128 FPS at 1440p. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 83 is below the threshold for competitive FPS play, making it less ideal. The Low preset is only recommended for users with 4K monitors seeking maximum frame rates, as it achieves 178 FPS, but it sacrifices too much visual quality at lower resolutions. The data supports Medium as the default choice, with High as a good alternative for 1440p, and Low for 4K competitive play.

Measured FPS Breakdown, resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS 256. No min or max values are provided. This is the highest average in the entire dataset, indicating the CPU and GPU are both operating near their peak efficiency.
• Medium: Average FPS 225, with a min FPS of 191 and a max FPS of 259. The range of 68 FPS shows some variance, but the average remains high.
• High: Average FPS 215. No min or max values are provided. This is 15.4% lower than Low, reflecting the increased GPU load.
• Ultra: Average FPS 175. No min or max values are provided. This is 31.6% lower than Low, showing the full impact of Ultra settings.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS 231. No min or max values are provided. This is 9.8% lower than 1080p Low, demonstrating the resolution scaling.
• Medium: Average FPS 196, with a min FPS of 167 and a max FPS of 226. The min FPS is still above 144 Hz, making this a solid choice for high-refresh monitors.
• High: Average FPS 171. No min or max values are provided. This is 21.1% lower than 1080p High, aligning with the expected pixel count increase.
• Ultra: Average FPS 128. No min or max values are provided. This is 26.9% lower than 1440p Medium, indicating the heavy cost of Ultra effects.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS 178. No min or max values are provided. This is 22.9% lower than 1440p Low, confirming the GPU is the bottleneck.
• Medium: Average FPS 127, with a min FPS of 108 and a max FPS of 146. The min FPS is still above 100, providing a playable experience.
• High: Average FPS 111. No min or max values are provided. This is 35.1% lower than 1440p High, showing the steepest drop.
• Ultra: Average FPS 83. No min or max values are provided. This is the lowest measured value, and it is 35.2% lower than 1440p Ultra, making it the most demanding combination.