Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload that clearly stresses the GPU. The pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT produces a range of frame rates that scale predictably with resolution and settings. This analysis examines the measured data to determine the nature of this combo's performance, its balance across resolutions, and the individual roles of the CPU and GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination achieves a rank of 916 out of 1637 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the middle of the pack, indicating that while it is by no means a top-tier configuration for this title, it delivers a solidly playable experience that is representative of its component class. The ranking suggests that the RX 6700 XT is the primary determinant of performance, as the Ryzen 5 9600X is a high-performing processor that is unlikely to be the bottleneck in most scenarios.

The CPU itself sits in the 85th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 28246. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13490F and AMD Ryzen 5 230, which score 28173 and 28164 respectively, putting the 9600X a marginal 0.3% ahead of both. It also edges out the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, which has a score of 28369, making the 9600X 0.4% slower. This data indicates that the 9600X is a highly competitive mid-range processor, fully capable of feeding data to a mid-range GPU like the RX 6700 XT.

On the graphics side, the RX 6700 XT holds the 77th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 33721. Its closest competitors are the AMD Radeon RX 6800, which scores 33493, placing the 6700 XT a mere 0.7% behind. Interestingly, the data shows the RX 6700 XT is 1% ahead of both the older AMD Radeon HD 7950 and the RX 480, which score 34050 and 34059. This performance clustering suggests that the RX 6700 XT is positioned at a point where generational improvements and architectural differences result in similar raw compute power. Consequently, the combo's mid-pack ranking of 916 out of 1637 is a logical result of pairing a strong, upper-mid-range CPU with a capable, but not top-tier, GPU.

FAQ

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

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 192.7 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with the Ultra preset?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the system produces an average of 41.5 FPS, which is the lowest frame rate recorded in the dataset.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 9600X a significant factor in performance at lower resolutions?

A: Based on the data, the CPU's high single-thread and multi-thread benchmark scores, such as 3603 and 25525 in Cinebench R23, suggest it is powerful enough that the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The large frame rate jumps when lowering settings at 1080p, from 90.5 FPS on Ultra to 192.7 FPS on Low, support this conclusion.

Q: What is the performance difference between the 9600X and its closest CPU rival, the Intel Core i5-13490F?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 28246, which is a marginal 0.3% higher than the Core i5-13490F's score of 28173. This indicates near-identical processing performance.

Q: How much VRAM does the Radeon RX 6700 XT have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The RX 6700 XT is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X and RX 6700 XT combination is ranked 916th out of 1637 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 56th percentile of tested systems.

Resolution Scaling

The performance data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario for this title. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 120.3 FPS to 87.1 FPS, a reduction of 27.6%. The scaling continues when moving to 3840x2160, where the frame rate falls further to 58.3 FPS. This represents a 33.1% drop from 1440p and a total reduction of 51.5% from the 1080p figure. This steep decline with each resolution increase is a strong indicator that the RX 6700 XT's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint.

The pattern holds across other settings. At Ultra, the frame rate plummets from 90.5 FPS at 1080p to 64.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 41.5 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold, demonstrates that this combo is not suited for maximum fidelity at the highest resolution. The scaling between resolutions is not perfectly linear, but the consistent and substantial drop at each step underscores the GPU's workload. The CPU, with its strong multi-threaded score of 25525 in Cinebench R23 and high passmark multithread score of 30027, is not showing signs of bottlenecking at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the ability to reach 192.7 FPS at 1080p Low.

The data implies that if a user's goal is high refresh-rate gaming, they will need to remain at 1080p or 1440p. The frame rates at 4K are only acceptable on Low settings, where the average of 87.5 FPS is achievable. This resolution scaling analysis clearly shows that the RX 6700 XT is the limiting component, and the Ryzen 5 9600X provides ample headroom for the GPU to operate at its maximum potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of the combo's performance envelope. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 192.7 FPS on Low, 137.7 FPS on Medium, 120.3 FPS on High, and 90.5 FPS on Ultra. These figures show a wide spread, with a 102.2 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets, indicating that settings have a massive impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 138.9 FPS on Low, 102.7 FPS on Medium, 87.1 FPS on High, and 64.5 FPS on Ultra. The performance hit from increasing resolution is consistent, with the Low preset dropping from 192.7 to 138.9 FPS, a 27.9% reduction. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 64.5 FPS, is getting close to the 60 FPS threshold, but remains playable.

At the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the system produces an average of 87.5 FPS on Low, 65.1 FPS on Medium, 58.3 FPS on High, and 41.5 FPS on Ultra. Here, the limitations of the RX 6700 XT are most evident. Only the Low preset provides a comfortably high frame rate, while the High preset dips below 60 FPS and the Ultra preset becomes unplayable for a fast-paced FPS title. The data shows a consistent performance hierarchy across all resolutions, with the Low preset always providing a significant advantage over Ultra, ranging from a 53.1% increase at 1080p to a 110.8% increase at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For a competitive FPS game like Lockdown Protocol, the measured data suggests prioritizing frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset's 120.3 FPS average is an excellent target for high-refresh-rate monitors, and it likely offers a much better visual experience than Low without a prohibitive performance cost. Those with 144Hz or higher displays could consider the Medium preset at 137.7 FPS or even the Low preset at 192.7 FPS for maximum smoothness, but High appears to be the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and speed.

At 2560x1440, the High preset's 87.1 FPS is still very playable and is the recommended choice for users who own a 1440p monitor. The Medium preset, at 102.7 FPS, is also a strong option if a higher refresh rate is desired. The Ultra preset, at 64.5 FPS, is on the edge of playability and may not be worth the visual gains over High for a fast-paced shooter.

At 3840x2160, the options are limited. The Low preset, at 87.5 FPS, is the only configuration that provides a high, smooth frame rate. The Medium preset, at 65.1 FPS, is playable but may feel less responsive. The High and Ultra presets, at 58.3 and 41.5 FPS respectively, are not recommended for this game genre. Therefore, for 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only sensible choice for this combo.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, plays a supportive but crucial role in this configuration. Its high performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a single-thread score of 3603 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-thread score of 25525, indicates it can handle the game's logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck. The processor's boost clock of 5.40 GHz and its substantial 32 MB of shared L3 cache are assets for gaming workloads.

The data supports the idea that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent and substantial, which is a symptom of GPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions. Instead, the average FPS at 1080p Low (192.7) is more than double that at 4K Low (87.5), showing the GPU is being pushed progressively harder. The processor's 85th percentile ranking and its near-parity performance with rivals like the Intel Core i5-13490F (0.3% faster) confirm it is a highly capable gaming CPU that will not hold back the RX 6700 XT.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the definitive performance driver in this pairing. Its role is clear from the resolution scaling data, which shows significant frame rate drops as pixel count increases. The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM and 384.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient for this title, but its raw compute power, with an FP32 rating of 13.21 TFLOPS, is what determines the final output.

The benchmark results show the RX 6700 XT is in a tight performance cluster with the RX 6800, being only 0.7% slower. This is interesting because it suggests that while the 6800 is a higher-tier card, the performance difference in this game is minimal. The GPU's 77th percentile ranking and its average benchmark score of 33721 place it as a solid mid-range performer. In Lockdown Protocol, this translates to the ability to handle 1080p and 1440p with high frame rates at most settings, but struggling to maintain playable performance at 4K with high visual fidelity. The GPU is the component that determines the experience, and its mid-range nature is the reason this combo does not rank higher.