Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a playable but tier-limited experience. The data shows a system that can deliver high frame rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain fluid motion at 4K, with the graphics card acting as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The measured results place this combo in the 2014th position out of 2828 tested combinations, indicating that while it is not at the bottom of the barrel, it sits firmly in the lower half of the performance spectrum for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a system heavily constrained by the graphics processor. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 99 FPS, but this falls to 72 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 47 FPS at 4K. That represents a 52% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a clear sign that the RTX 2060 SUPER is being pushed to its limits as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. With Low settings, the average frame rate goes from 159 FPS at 1080p, down to 117 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 75 FPS at 4K. This is a 53% drop from 1080p to 4K, nearly identical to the High preset drop. Even at Medium settings, the same trend holds: 113 FPS at 1080p, 83 FPS at 1440p, and 53 FPS at 4K. The consistency of this ~50% drop across all quality levels indicates that the resolution scaling is governed by the GPU's raw fill rate and memory bandwidth, not by the game's specific visual features.

What this means for the limiting component is clear. At 1080p, the CPU is able to feed the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates, but the GPU still cannot push past 159 FPS even on Low. As the resolution increases, the gap between the CPU's capability and the GPU's output widens, making the RTX 2060 SUPER the definitive limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely not the constraint here; the data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield significant frame rate improvements at all resolutions, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story but with even lower absolute numbers. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 35 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a competitive FPS. Even at 1440p Ultra, the system only manages 54 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it reaches 74 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset is too demanding for this GPU at any resolution, and the scaling from 1080p to 4K on Ultra is a 53% drop, matching the other presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the workhorse of this combo, and its specifications dictate the performance ceiling. It comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. In Lockdown Protocol, this memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the 8 GB frame buffer may become a limiting factor, especially on higher presets that demand more texture memory.

The GPU's clocks are set at a base of 1470 MHz and a boost of 1650 MHz, which are moderate for the Turing architecture. The chip, TU106, is built on a 12 nm process and contains 10,800 million transistors. The shading units number 2176, with 136 texture mapping units and 64 ROPs. These specs translate to a pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s, which explain why the card struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K where pixel throughput is critical.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range standing. Its Passmark G3D score is 16462, and its average benchmark score is 18093. It sits in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile at a delta of -0.4% and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 at -0.5%. This places the RTX 2060 SUPER in a competitive but not dominant position, and in Lockdown Protocol, this translates to the frame rates we see.

The 8 GB VRAM is a double-edged sword. At 1080p and 1440p, it is likely enough for High and Medium presets, but the drop to 47 FPS at 4K High suggests that the card is either hitting a memory bandwidth wall or the core is simply maxed out. The fact that Low settings at 4K still only achieve 75 FPS indicates that even with reduced texture loads, the GPU's compute units are the bottleneck. The data shows that the GPU's role is to provide playable performance at 1440p and below, with 4K being an aspirational target that requires turning down settings to Low for a playable, but not smooth, experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand database of tested combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2014th out of 2828 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This puts it in the 71st percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms about 71% of other combinations but is still outclassed by the top 29% of setups.

This ranking is a reflection of the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a strong processor, ranking in the 89th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 44573. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H at a delta of 0.2% and the Intel Core i5-14600 at -0.7%, showing that it is a high-performing chip. However, when paired with a GPU that ranks in the 62nd percentile, the overall combo suffers.

The gap between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid-range percentile explains why the combo ranks in the lower half. In a game like Lockdown Protocol, which is likely GPU-bound at higher resolutions, the CPU's power is underutilized. The data suggests that if this CPU were paired with a more capable GPU, the combo rank would improve substantially. As it stands, the RTX 2060 SUPER drags the overall performance down, making this a balanced but ultimately mid-tier system for this specific game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the data indicates that players should avoid 4K unless they are willing to accept lower frame rates. At 4K, the best option is Low settings, which yields an average of 75 FPS, but this comes with a visual fidelity trade-off that may not be worth it for a game that relies on visibility.

At 1440p, the sweet spot is Medium settings, which delivers an average of 83 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual quality and performance, ensuring that frame rates stay above the 60 FPS threshold even in demanding scenes. High settings at 1440p drop to 72 FPS average, which is still playable but offers less headroom for frame time spikes.

For competitive play at 1080p, the data strongly favors High settings, which achieves an average of 99 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS mark and provides a responsive experience. Medium settings at 1080p offer 113 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often worth the slight frame rate hit. Low settings at 1080p push the average to 159 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual quality is likely too poor for a game that depends on spotting enemies.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. Even at 1080p, it only achieves 74 FPS average, and at 4K, it drops to a stuttery 35 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra settings is not justified by the marginal visual improvements, especially when Medium or High provide a much better experience. The best experience per the measured rows is High settings at 1080p for competitive play, or Medium settings at 1440p for a balance of quality and smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities at each resolution and settings combination. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 159 FPS on Low to 74 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. High settings average 99 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rates, but the Ultra preset is the only one that dips below 100 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings average 117 FPS, which is still excellent for a competitive FPS. Medium settings average 83 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, providing a stable experience. High settings average 72 FPS, and Ultra drops to 54 FPS. This resolution is where the GPU starts to show its limitations, as the high settings presets fall below the 100 FPS mark.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 75 FPS, which is the only preset that stays above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, indicating inconsistent performance. High settings drop to 47 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 35 FPS. This resolution is only viable for Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not ideal for a fast-paced shooter.

The data also shows the minimum and maximum frame rates for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread is 96 to 130 FPS, a 34 FPS range. At 1440p, the spread is 70 to 95 FPS, a 25 FPS range. At 4K, the spread is 45 to 62 FPS, a 17 FPS range. This tightening of the frame time variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently saturated, rather than experiencing occasional spikes, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D plays a supporting role in this combo, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of handling Lockdown Protocol's CPU demands. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The processor is built on the 5 nm TSMC process and features a 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is a significant amount that can help with game data locality.

The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive. It scores 25047 in Passmark multithread and 3494 in single-thread tests. Its average benchmark score is 44573, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. This is a high-performing processor that should not be a bottleneck in most games, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is the limiting factor.

In Lockdown Protocol, the data shows that the CPU is not the constraint. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 159 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game, but it is still an excellent frame rate. The fact that the frame rate drops to 75 FPS at 4K Low settings, while the CPU is likely still able to feed more frames, confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D's 6 cores are sufficient for this title, and its high L3 cache likely helps with the game's physics and AI calculations.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, both of which have similar average scores. This places the Ryzen 5 7500X3D in a competitive position, and its performance in Lockdown Protocol is likely not holding back the RTX 2060 SUPER at any resolution. In fact, the data suggests that a less powerful CPU could achieve nearly identical frame rates in this game, as the GPU is the clear bottleneck. For users looking to upgrade, the CPU has headroom to support a more powerful GPU in the future, but as it stands, this combo is balanced around the GPU's mid-range capabilities.