Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol places a heavy load on both the CPU and GPU, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination shows a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1080p, the combination is clearly capable of high refresh rates, but the frame rate drops significantly at 4K, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a substantial drop when moving from 1080p to 4K, a pattern that confirms the Radeon RX 9060 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 175 FPS at 1920x1080 to 128 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 47 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 drops the average to 83 FPS, which represents a 52.6% decrease from the 1080p result. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being saturated by the pixel throughput demands of 4K rendering.

The scaling at Medium settings follows a similar trajectory. The system delivers 124 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 91 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 59 FPS at 4K. The High preset shows 109 FPS at 1080p, 80 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, yields 81 FPS at 1080p, 60 FPS at 1440p, and only 39 FPS at 4K. The consistent pattern across all four presets indicates that the GPU's rendering throughput is the dominant constraint; the CPU is not holding back performance at any resolution.

The data suggests that the sweet spot for this combination is 1440p. At this resolution, the system maintains playable frame rates across all presets, with the Low preset hitting 128 FPS and the Ultra preset still managing 60 FPS. At 1080p, the system is heavily GPU-bound, but the high frame rates mean the CPU has ample headroom. The 4K results, however, show that the RX 9060's 8 GB of memory and 128-bit bus are not sufficient for maintaining high refresh rates at this resolution, particularly on higher presets where the average FPS dips below 60.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured data places this specific combination at rank 1647 out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This percentile position indicates that the system performs in the lower-middle tier of all possible pairings, which is consistent with the mid-range positioning of both the Ryzen 5 5600F and the Radeon RX 9060. The rank is a holistic measure that considers performance across all resolutions and settings, and it reflects that while this combo is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom of the pack.

When examining the individual components, the CPU's benchmark scores show it sits near the top of its class. The Ryzen 5 5600F has an average benchmark score of 36945, which places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with an average score of 36938 (a delta of 0%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with 37018 (-0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 with 37093 (-0.4%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that the 5600F is essentially performance-equivalent to its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks.

The GPU, however, tells a different story. The Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, placing it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti with an average score of 16129 (-0.7%), the AMD Radeon R9 370X with 15862 (1%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 with 15852 (1%). The small deltas here show that the RX 9060 is competitive with these cards, but the 59th percentile ranking confirms it is a mid-range part. The combo's overall rank of 1647 out of 2828 is therefore dragged down by the GPU's mid-pack positioning, even though the CPU is performing well above average.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache is a significant asset for gaming workloads, as it helps reduce memory latency and improves data throughput. The benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 2872 and a multithread score of 19236, which are solid figures for a mid-range part and explain why the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

In Lockdown Protocol, the data indicates that the CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p and 1440p. The fact that frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution and settings suggests that the load is shifting entirely onto the GPU. At 1080p Low, the system hits 175 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU's per-core performance is being tested. However, the consistent scaling from 1080p to 4K across all presets implies that the CPU maintains its end of the bargain, and the frame rate drops are attributable to the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth limitations.

The CPU's 12 threads are likely sufficient for the game's multi-threaded workloads, given the multithread score of 19236. The PassMark data for integer math (59339) and floating-point math (34548) further supports that the CPU has ample compute headroom. The 5600F's performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, which means that swapping in an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 or an AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D would not yield a meaningful difference in frame rates, as the deltas are all within 0.5%. The bottleneck is firmly on the GPU side, and the CPU is performing its role without complaint.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset to use for the best experience, depending on the target resolution. For 1440p gaming, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It delivers an average of 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS, which provides a smooth and responsive experience without the visual quality sacrifices of the Low preset. The High preset at 1440p drops to 80 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance headroom.

At 1080p, the High preset is the optimal choice for most users. It achieves an average of 109 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 81 FPS, but the jump from High to Ultra is often not worth the performance cost in fast-paced FPS titles, and the High preset maintains a higher minimum frame rate stability. For players with high refresh rate monitors (144 Hz or above), the Low preset at 1080p delivers 175 FPS, which maximizes competitive advantage, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

For 4K, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option for a decent experience, with an average of 83 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 59 FPS, which is borderline playable but may suffer from frame pacing issues. The High and Ultra presets at 4K (51 FPS and 39 FPS, respectively) are not recommended for a smooth experience. If 4K is the target resolution, the Low preset is the only sensible choice, and even then, the system is pushing the GPU to its limits. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions above 1080p, as the frame rate drops below 60 FPS at 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combination is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 175 FPS
• Medium: Average 124 FPS, Minimum 106 FPS, Maximum 143 FPS
• High: Average 109 FPS
• Ultra: Average 81 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 128 FPS
• Medium: Average 91 FPS, Minimum 77 FPS, Maximum 105 FPS
• High: Average 80 FPS
• Ultra: Average 60 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 83 FPS
• Medium: Average 59 FPS, Minimum 50 FPS, Maximum 68 FPS
• High: Average 51 FPS
• Ultra: Average 39 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rates, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 80 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a 124 FPS average with a minimum of 106 FPS, which is excellent for a smooth experience. The 1440p results show the system's sweet spot, with the Medium preset being the most balanced. The 4K results confirm that the RX 9060 is not a 4K card for this title, as only the Low preset manages to stay above 60 FPS.

The minimum FPS data points for the Medium preset at each resolution provide additional insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the minimum is 106 FPS, which is 85% of the average. At 1440p, the minimum is 77 FPS, which is 84.6% of the average. At 4K, the minimum is 50 FPS, which is 84.7% of the average. This consistency suggests that the system does not suffer from severe frame rate spikes, and the performance is stable within each preset.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest average frame rate is 175 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

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

A: The system can run the game at 3840x2160, but only the Low preset delivers a playable average of 83 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 59 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets fall to 51 FPS and 39 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600F compare to its closest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F has an average benchmark score of 36945, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36938, 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.4% delta).

Q: Which preset provides the best balance of performance and visual quality at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the best balance, delivering an average of 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor. Frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU's benchmark scores are in the 85th percentile, suggesting it has sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: This specific combination is ranked 1647 out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems.