Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS released in March 2024, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 produces a highly playable experience at most settings, though the data reveals a clear performance ceiling at higher resolutions. The measured FPS rows show a system that is firmly capable of esports-level frame rates at 1080p, but which requires careful settings management to maintain smoothness at 4K. This analysis walks through the measured data to determine the optimal settings, the specific roles of the CPU and GPU, and how this pairing ranks against other tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data shows that the Low preset provides the best overall experience for competitive play, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 145 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all tested configurations. This is 42 FPS higher than the Medium preset at the same resolution, which averages 103 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is substantial, and for a genre like FPS where higher frame rates directly translate to smoother aim and lower input latency, this makes Low the clear choice for players prioritizing responsiveness over visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 106 FPS, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is 30 FPS higher than the Medium preset at the same resolution (76 FPS). The data indicates that the Low preset is the only configuration that maintains a solid triple-digit frame rate at 1440p, making it the recommended choice for players using higher-resolution monitors. The High preset at 1440p drops to 66 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes.

For 4K gaming, the situation changes. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 69 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that breaks the 60 FPS barrier. The Medium preset at 4K averages 49 FPS, while High drops to 43 FPS and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. While Low is still the best-performing option at 4K, the 69 FPS average is notably lower than the 1440p result of 106 FPS, indicating a significant GPU load increase. Players targeting 4K should stick with Low settings to maintain playability, but should be prepared for a less consistent experience than at lower resolutions.

The Medium preset offers a balanced middle ground for players who prioritize visual quality over maximum frame rates. At 1080p, Medium averages 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS, showing relatively stable frame pacing. At 1440p, Medium averages 76 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS, which stays above the 60 FPS threshold but with less margin. The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combination, as it produces the lowest frame rates at every resolution: 67 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that Ultra settings push the RTX 2060 beyond its comfortable operating range, resulting in frame rates that are too low for a competitive FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary performance driver in this pairing, and its specifications explain the frame rate patterns observed in the data. The GPU features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the higher pixel count demands more memory bandwidth. The 6 GB capacity is also a consideration for modern games, though the measured data shows that Lockdown Protocol remains playable even at 4K Low settings.

The RTX 2060's clock speeds are listed as a base of 1365 MHz and a boost of 1680 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 1920 shading units and 120 texture mapping units, produce a pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 6.451 TFLOPS, which places it in the mid-range tier of the GeForce 20-series. The benchmark data shows the GPU scoring 14111 in Passmark G3D, which puts it at the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (0.6% higher score) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.8% higher score), indicating that the RTX 2060 performs essentially on par with these newer budget options.

The measured FPS data reveals the GPU's scaling behavior. From 1080p Low (145 FPS) to 1440p Low (106 FPS), the frame rate drops by 39 FPS, a 27% reduction. From 1440p Low to 4K Low (69 FPS), the drop is 37 FPS, a 35% reduction. This pattern shows that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as resolution increases, which is expected given the fixed memory bandwidth and shading throughput. The RTX 2060 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring broad API compatibility with modern titles like Lockdown Protocol.

The GPU's 6 GB VRAM is the most likely bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops to 32. The combination of high resolution and Ultra settings likely exceeds the available memory capacity, causing texture thrashing and reduced performance. The fact that 4K Low (69 FPS) and 4K Medium (49 FPS) remain playable suggests that the GPU can handle the resolution when memory usage is kept in check, but Ultra settings push it over the edge.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT provides the processing foundation for this system, and its specifications show a capable mid-range CPU that does not bottleneck the RTX 2060 in most scenarios. The CPU features 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The 16 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth) are adequate for feeding the GPU with game data.

The CPU's benchmark scores demonstrate its positioning relative to other processors. In Cinebench R23, it scores 17272 in multicore and 2438 in single-core. The Passmark multithread score is 20325, with a single-thread score of 3348. These results place the CPU at the 74th percentile of all CPUs, which is respectable for a mainstream part. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12490F (-0.3% delta) and the Intel Xeon 6325P (-0.4% delta), showing that the 5600GT performs nearly identically to these alternatives in average benchmark scores.

The measured FPS data indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p. The jump from 1080p Low (145 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (67 FPS) shows a 78 FPS difference, which is a GPU-driven change. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across settings changes. The fact that they vary widely suggests the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting. However, the 145 FPS at 1080p Low is a high frame rate that approaches the limits of what a 6-core CPU can sustain in a busy FPS game. Players with very high refresh rate monitors (165 Hz or above) might notice occasional CPU limitations in crowded scenes, but the data shows no clear evidence of this in the average FPS figures.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 7 nm process node make it an efficient choice, and its integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics provide a fallback option for basic display output, though the RTX 2060 handles all gaming workloads. The CPU's PCIe Gen 3 interface with 16 lanes is sufficient for the RTX 2060, which also uses PCIe 3.0 x16, ensuring no bandwidth mismatch between the two components.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for competitive play at 1080p?

A: The Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 145, which is 42 FPS higher than Medium (103 FPS) and 78 FPS higher than Ultra (67 FPS). For maximum frame rates and reduced input latency, Low is the recommended choice.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only with Low settings, which average 69 FPS. Medium drops to 49 FPS, High to 43 FPS, and Ultra to 32 FPS. The 4K Low result is playable, but players seeking higher visual fidelity should consider lowering the resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 scores 14111 in Passmark G3D, placing it at the 58th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the GTX 580 (0% delta), Radeon 680M (0.1% higher), and RTX 3050 OEM (0.6% higher), showing that it performs essentially on par with these alternatives.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600GT a bottleneck for the RTX 2060?

A: The data suggests not. The CPU scores at the 74th percentile overall, and the FPS differences across settings changes are substantial (145 to 67 FPS at 1080p), indicating GPU-bound performance. The CPU's nearest rival, the Core i5-12490F, scores only 0.3% lower in average benchmarks.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. This stays above the 60 FPS threshold but with less headroom than the Low preset, which averages 106 FPS.

Q: How does the 6 GB VRAM affect performance?

A: The 6 GB VRAM is likely the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops to 32. At 4K Low (69 FPS) and Medium (49 FPS), the GPU manages to stay playable, indicating that VRAM usage is a key constraint at higher resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which helps identify the limiting component in this system. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 145 FPS at 1080p to 106 FPS at 1440p (a 27% reduction), then to 69 FPS at 4K (a 35% reduction from 1440p). This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 2060's rendering throughput and memory bandwidth become increasingly strained at higher pixel counts.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 103 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p (26% reduction), and 49 FPS at 4K (36% reduction). The consistent percentage drops across resolutions indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as a CPU-bound system would show much smaller FPS differences when resolution changes. The High preset follows the same pattern: 90 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p (27% reduction), and 43 FPS at 4K (35% reduction).

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 67 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p (27% reduction), and 32 FPS at 4K (35% reduction). The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is the lowest recorded in the entire dataset, confirming that the combination of high resolution and Ultra settings exceeds the RTX 2060's capabilities. The consistent ~27% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~35% drop from 1440p to 4K across all settings presets strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at every configuration tested.

The data also shows that the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming at all settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS indicates that the GPU runs out of memory or bandwidth headroom at this extreme configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset provides a detailed picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results: Low averages 145 FPS, Medium averages 103 FPS (with a minimum of 88 FPS and maximum of 119 FPS), High averages 90 FPS, and Ultra averages 67 FPS. The 1080p results show a wide spread of 78 FPS between Low and Ultra, highlighting the significant impact of settings changes on this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across the board: Low averages 106 FPS, Medium averages 76 FPS (minimum 64 FPS, maximum 87 FPS), High averages 66 FPS, and Ultra averages 49 FPS. The 1440p results maintain playability at all settings, with even Ultra staying close to the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS mark but with less margin than the 1080p result.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles at higher settings: Low averages 69 FPS, Medium averages 49 FPS (minimum 41 FPS, maximum 56 FPS), High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The 4K Medium result shows a minimum of 41 FPS, which would be noticeable as stuttering in fast-paced gameplay. The 4K Low result of 69 FPS is the only 4K configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions, showing frame pacing stability: 103/88/119 at 1080p, 76/64/87 at 1440p, and 49/41/56 at 4K. The minimum FPS values at 1440p and 4K (64 and 41 respectively) indicate that the system can experience frame drops in demanding scenes, but the averages remain playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2941st out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower half of all configurations. This ranking of 2941 out of 3714 (approximately the 21st percentile) reflects the age and mid-range positioning of both components. The RTX 2060 was released in January 2019 with a launch MSRP of $349, while the Ryzen 5 5600GT arrived in January 2024 with a launch MSRP of $140. Despite the CPU being newer, the GPU's age and 6 GB VRAM capacity limit the overall performance.

The ranking is consistent with the individual component percentiles: the CPU sits at the 74th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is at the 58th percentile of all GPUs. The combo's lower ranking relative to these individual scores suggests that the pairing is not optimized for this specific game, or that other combinations of components produce better results. The data shows that the system is capable of excellent 1080p performance (145 FPS on Low) and playable 1440p performance (106 FPS on Low), but the 4K results are less impressive, with only the Low preset exceeding 60 FPS.

The nearest GPU rivals include the RTX 3050 OEM (0.6% higher benchmark score) and RX 7600 (0.8% higher), which are newer cards with similar performance. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Core i5-12490F, perform nearly identically in average benchmarks. This suggests that the combo's rank is more influenced by the GPU's limitations than the CPU's, particularly at higher resolutions. Players using this combo should focus on 1080p or 1440p gaming with Low or Medium settings to maximize frame rates, as the data clearly shows diminishing returns at 4K and at higher quality presets.