Lockdown Protocol

The data for Lockdown Protocol with the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 reveals a fascinating tension between a top-tier graphics card and a capable mid-range processor. The measured frames per second (FPS) tell a story of a system that is exceptionally fast but whose performance scaling is heavily influenced by the game’s engine and the chosen graphical preset. This analysis will break down the measured results, examining how the combination of this specific CPU and GPU behaves across resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is not uniform across all settings, which provides crucial insight into the system’s bottleneck. At the Low preset, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 358.4, which falls to 176.4 at 3840x2160. This represents a significant 50.8% reduction in performance. Conversely, at the Ultra preset, the average FPS goes from 169.3 at 1080p to 83.6 at 4K, a drop of 50.6%. The similarity in these percentage drops suggests that, at these extremes, the scaling is relatively consistent.

However, the intermediate settings reveal a different pattern. At the Medium preset, the drop from 1080p to 4K is from 260.7 FPS to 124.6 FPS, a 52.2% reduction. At High, the drop is from 231.2 FPS to 106.9 FPS, a 53.8% reduction. The larger percentage drop at the High and Medium presets compared to Low and Ultra indicates that these settings are placing a more balanced load on both the CPU and GPU. The smaller relative drop at Low suggests that the CPU is becoming a more significant limiter at lower resolutions, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. In contrast, the smaller drop at Ultra suggests the GPU is already heavily loaded at 1080p, so the additional resolution increase has less proportional impact.

This data implies that the RTX 4090 is powerful enough to make the Ryzen 5 9600X the primary constraint at 1080p, especially on lower settings where the GPU workload is lighter. As resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and it becomes the more dominant factor, though the CPU still has a role to play in maintaining high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 18 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 1.1% of all configurations tested, evidence of its raw power. The high ranking is expected given the RTX 4090’s position in the GPU hierarchy, but it is not the absolute top combination, which suggests that other CPUs might be able to extract even more performance from this graphics card.

The CPU’s own benchmark percentile is 85, meaning it outperforms 85% of all tested processors. Its average benchmark score of 28246 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i5-13490F (score 28173, deltaPct 0.3) and the AMD Ryzen 5 230 (score 28164, deltaPct 0.3). This indicates that the Ryzen 5 9600X is a very strong performer in its class, but it is not a class leader that stands apart. The data suggests that while the combo is elite, the CPU’s performance is a known quantity that is adequate for the task, but it’s the GPU that is the primary driver of this top-tier ranking.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 358.4, which was achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low graphical preset.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 272.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 125.7 FPS, making the Low preset approximately 116.6% faster.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is a more significant limiter at 1080p. For instance, at the Low preset, the FPS jumps from 176.4 at 4K to 358.4 at 1080p, but the GPU is still powerful enough that the CPU cannot push the frame rate higher, indicating a CPU limit.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and High presets at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Medium preset delivers an average of 124.6 FPS, while the High preset delivers 106.9 FPS. The Medium preset is approximately 16.6% faster than High.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This particular combo ranks 18th out of 1637 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.1% of all systems tested for Lockdown Protocol.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance in this game typical for its class?

A: The RTX 4090 has a percentile of 91 versus all GPUs, indicating it outperforms 91% of them. Its average benchmark score of 66473 is within 1.3% of its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (score 67320, deltaPct -1.3), suggesting its performance here is in line with its expected capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across all settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset leads with 358.4 FPS, followed by Medium at 260.7 FPS, High at 231.2 FPS, and Ultra at 169.3 FPS. This shows a clear hierarchy where each step up in quality has a tangible cost.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. The Low preset averages 272.3 FPS, Medium drops to 196.1 FPS, High to 170.2 FPS, and Ultra to 125.7 FPS. The relative performance gap between settings narrows slightly, but the order remains the same.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers playable frame rates on all presets. The Low preset achieves 176.4 FPS, Medium 124.6 FPS, High 106.9 FPS, and Ultra 83.6 FPS. This indicates that even at the most demanding resolution, the combo is more than capable of providing a smooth experience, though the Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that dips below the 100 FPS mark.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain why. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 384-bit bus, it offers a massive 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is crucial for high-resolution textures and complex scenes, ensuring that data flows quickly to the GPU cores. The card’s 16384 shading units and 512 texture mapping units allow it to process geometry and pixels at an extraordinary rate.

The data shows that the GPU’s performance is heavily dependent on the settings. The benchmark scores for the GPU, such as a passmark G3D score of 38194, reflect its immense compute power. The RTX 4090’s 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are also present, though their impact on this specific game is not directly measured. The boost clock of 2520 MHz and base clock of 2235 MHz are high, which contributes to its strong performance. The fact that it is an end-of-life product according to the data doesn't change its current standing as a top-tier performer in this game. The GPU’s role is clear: it provides the raw horsepower to achieve high frame rates, but it is the settings that dictate how much of that power is utilized.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s display and refresh rate. For a 1080p monitor with a very high refresh rate, the Low preset at 358.4 FPS is the only way to truly maximize the display's potential, though the High preset at 231.2 FPS is also an excellent choice for a smoother visual experience at a still very high frame rate.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset at 170.2 FPS offers a great balance between visual quality and performance, easily exceeding the requirements of most high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 125.7 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize image quality and have a 120Hz display.

At 4K, the High preset at 106.9 FPS provides a great experience for 100Hz+ displays. The Ultra preset at 83.6 FPS is the most visually demanding option and is best suited for 60Hz to 80Hz displays. The data strongly indicates that the Medium preset, which offers 124.6 FPS at 4K, provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for a 120Hz 4K display, as it is a significant step up from Low but delivers a higher frame rate than High or Ultra. The choice ultimately hinges on whether the user prioritizes maximum FPS or maximum visual detail.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a supporting but critical role in this configuration. Its Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process, provides strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3603. This is essential for game logic and physics, which are often single-threaded. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz is also a key factor in maintaining high frame rates.

The benchmark data shows the CPU’s multi-threaded capability is solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25525 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15182. However, in gaming, the single-core performance is often more critical. The CPU has a 65W TDP, which is low, but its performance is not limited by this in the measured results. The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the game’s frame rate is not constrained by the GPU.

For instance, at 1080p Low, the 358.4 FPS is likely near the ceiling of what this CPU can push. This is where a more powerful CPU with higher multi-core scores could potentially yield even higher frame rates. The CPU's ranking, with a percentile of 85 vs all CPUs, and its near-identical scores to rivals like the Intel Core i5-13490F, confirm that while it is a strong performer, it is not the absolute fastest. In this combo, it is the perfect partner to ensure the RTX 4090 is well-fed, but it is also the component that ultimately sets a performance ceiling at lower resolutions.