Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 pairing. This combination yields exceptionally high frame rates across all tested configurations, with the data indicating that the system is rarely constrained by a single component. The analysis below breaks down the specific contributions of the CPU and GPU, optimal settings, and how this combo stacks up against the broader field of tested hardware.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a desktop processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process node. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. A defining characteristic is its large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which significantly benefits gaming workloads that rely on data locality. The processor's benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 24063 and a single-core score of 3397. Its average benchmark score of 26574 places it in the 83rd percentile against all CPUs.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears to be providing a solid foundation for high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 252.1 FPS, which is only 36.9 FPS higher than the 4K Low result of 178.4 FPS. This relatively modest scaling suggests that even at lower resolutions, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU sufficiently. The 5800X3D's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD EPYC 8024P and Intel Core i9-11900K, both with an average score within 0.1% of this chip, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600, which is 0.2% lower. The data shows that the 5800X3D's performance is competitive with these parts, ensuring that it does not become a bottleneck in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the flagship graphics card of the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip using a 5 nm process. It boasts a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Clock speeds are rated at 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost. The GPU's synthetic performance is equally impressive, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14411 and a Passmark G3D score of 39650. Its average benchmark score of 84306 places it in the 94th percentile against all GPUs.

The RTX 5090's immense memory bandwidth and compute power are the primary drivers of the high frame rates observed in Lockdown Protocol. The data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution. At 1080p High, the system produces 215.2 FPS, while at 4K High, it drops to 113.1 FPS. This 102.1 FPS difference demonstrates the GPU's heavy lifting at higher resolutions. The card's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D (0.1% higher average score) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (0.2% higher), indicating that the 5090 is at the top of the performance stack. In this game, the GPU is clearly the dominant force, with its capabilities far exceeding the demands of the title at all tested settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combo. The most balanced experience appears to be at High settings, which offers a strong combination of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. At 1440p High, the system achieves 171.9 FPS, which is an excellent target for high-refresh-rate monitors. At 4K High, the 113.1 FPS result is still very smooth and represents a significant visual upgrade over lower presets.

Choosing Ultra settings yields a substantial performance penalty. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 82, which is a 31.1 FPS decrease compared to High. While this is still playable, the cost of the extra visual effects is high. The data shows that the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p reduces frame rates from 215.2 to 175.6 FPS, a 39.6 FPS drop. Conversely, Medium settings provide a meaningful boost over High, with 1440p Medium hitting 196.7 FPS and 1080p Medium reaching 225.5 FPS. However, the visual quality difference between Medium and High is generally more noticeable than the performance gap, making High the recommended preset for most users. For those seeking the absolute maximum frame rates, Low settings at 1440p (229.9 FPS) or 1080p (252.1 FPS) are viable, but they compromise visual fidelity significantly.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and RTX 5090 holds a combo rank of 75 out of 1637 tested combos. This places it in the top 4.6% of all configurations tested for Lockdown Protocol. The high rank is a direct reflection of the exceptional performance measured, with the system delivering over 170 FPS at 1440p High and over 110 FPS at 4K High.

The rank indicates that while there are 74 other combos that perform better, this pairing is far above the median. The data shows that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of this high ranking, as its synthetic benchmark scores are in the 94th percentile. The 5800X3D, while not the newest CPU, still performs admirably in the 83rd percentile, and its large cache helps maintain high minimum frame rates in gaming scenarios. Compared to other potential pairings, this combo offers a level of performance that will handle any current title at maximum settings, and the data confirms that it is a top-tier choice for Lockdown Protocol.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of FPS across resolutions provides insight into the system's limiting component. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 215.2 to 171.9, a 20.1% decrease. From 1440p to 4K at High settings, the drop is more severe, moving from 171.9 to 113.1 FPS, a 34.2% decrease. This pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, where the increased pixel count puts more strain on the graphics card.

At Low settings, the scaling is less dramatic. The system produces 252.1 FPS at 1080p, 229.9 FPS at 1440p, and 178.4 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is only 8.8%, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 22.4%. This suggests that at lower settings, the CPU becomes a more significant factor, particularly at 1080p where the frame rate is capped by the processor's ability to issue draw calls. The fact that the 1080p Low result (252.1 FPS) is not vastly higher than the 1440p Low result (229.9 FPS) indicates that the CPU is nearing its limit at these extreme frame rates. Overall, the data shows that the RTX 5090 is the limiting factor at 4K and at higher settings, while the Ryzen 7 5800X3D begins to show its ceiling only at the very highest frame rates with the lowest settings.