Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates CPU and GPU responsibilities. The combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT processor with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card produces a distinctive performance profile that is heavily skewed by the GPU's limitations. The measured data indicates that this pairing is best suited for lower resolutions and graphical presets, with performance scaling that reveals a significant bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU's dominant role in this configuration. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 76 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 56 FPS, a reduction of 20 frames. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 36 FPS. This pattern shows a consistent and steep decline as pixel count increases, which is characteristic of a system constrained by its graphics processor.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when examining the High preset. At 1080p, the average is 47 FPS, which drops to 35 FPS at 1440p, and then to 22 FPS at 4K. The performance halving from 1080p to 4K at High settings confirms that the rendering load is overwhelming the GPU. The GTX 1650's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128-bit memory bus are likely contributing factors to this sharp decline, as higher resolutions demand more memory bandwidth and capacity.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor at lower resolutions. The relatively small performance gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings (a 20 FPS difference) compared to the larger gap between 1440p and 4K (also a 20 FPS difference) indicates that the GPU is still managing to keep up with the CPU at 1080p, but becomes the clear bottleneck as resolution increases. The system's performance is dictated by the GPU's ability to process pixels, not the CPU's ability to feed it data.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a Zen 3 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz and it boosts to 4.80 GHz. This is a capable multi-threaded processor, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23794 and its Passmark multithread score of 28053. Its single-thread performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3359, is also strong. This combination of high core count and competitive single-thread speed is generally well-suited for modern FPS games.

However, the benchmark results for Lockdown Protocol suggest that the CPU's potential is not fully utilized. The fact that frame rates drop dramatically with resolution increases points to the GPU being the bottleneck. The CPU is likely able to deliver frames at a rate far exceeding what the GTX 1650 can render, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's percentile ranking of 81 among all CPUs indicates it is a strong performer, but its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H with an average score of 29868, show that it is not at the absolute top of the performance spectrum.

In this specific game, the CPU's role appears to be providing a stable foundation that does not hinder performance. The 16 threads help ensure that background tasks and game logic do not cause stutters, but the measured FPS is ultimately capped by the GPU. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache is likely beneficial for game data access, but it cannot compensate for the graphics card's limitations. The data indicates that the CPU is not the component limiting performance, as even at 1080p Low, where the CPU load is highest relative to the GPU, the system only achieves 76 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. It features 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory is a significant constraint for a 2024 FPS title, especially at higher resolutions. The memory bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s is also modest by modern standards. These specifications result in a Passmark G3D score of 7880, placing it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's impact on Lockdown Protocol is evident in the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the system averages a mere 17 FPS, which is unplayable. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average is only 35 FPS, indicating that the card struggles with high graphical demands. The GTX 1650's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Arc A310 with a score of 7550 and a delta of -1%, and the AMD Radeon HD 8850M with a score of 7447 and a delta of 0.3%. This places the GTX 1650 in a performance tier that is not designed for high-end gaming.

The GPU's limitations are further highlighted by its DirectX performance scores. Its Passmark DirectX 12 score of 35 and DirectX 11 score of 58 are low, indicating that it may not handle modern game engines efficiently. The 4 GB VRAM is likely insufficient for Ultra settings in Lockdown Protocol, as the game appears to require more memory for high-resolution textures, leading to the dramatic FPS drops seen at 1440p and 4K. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the bottleneck, and its performance characteristics dictate the overall system's capability in this game.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3580 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested configurations, which is a low ranking. This result is expected given the GPU's performance tier, which is significantly weaker than the CPU. The CPU is a high-end processor, but the GPU is a budget-oriented part from several generations ago.

The ranking indicates that most other CPU and GPU combinations are capable of delivering better performance in this game. The data suggests that the pairing is imbalanced, as the CPU's potential is wasted by the GPU's inability to render frames at a sufficient rate. The combo's low rank is primarily due to the GPU's low average benchmark score of 7472, which is in the 40th percentile. In contrast, the CPU's average benchmark score of 29879 is in the 81st percentile.

This discrepancy between CPU and GPU capabilities is the defining characteristic of this combo. While the CPU is a strong performer, the GPU holds the system back, resulting in a low overall rank. The performance is not competitive with other combos that feature more balanced or higher-end GPUs. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the system fails to reach 60 FPS at 1080p on any preset except Low, and struggles significantly at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combination is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which achieves an average of 76 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low setting at 1080p is the most balanced choice, offering a playable experience without the FPS drops seen at higher presets.

The Medium preset at 1080p yields an average of 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. While this is playable, it is not as smooth as the Low preset. The FPS variation is also larger, which could lead to noticeable stutters. The High preset at 1080p drops to 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 35 FPS, both of which are not ideal for a fast-paced FPS game.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 56 FPS. However, this is still below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 40 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 35 FPS and 26 FPS, respectively. At 3840x2160, all presets produce unplayable frame rates, with the highest being 36 FPS at Low settings. The data strongly suggests that users should stick to 1080p and the Low or Medium presets to get the best experience from this hardware combination.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete breakdown of measured average FPS for all tested resolution and settings combinations:

• 1920x1080: Low settings average 76 FPS. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS. High settings average 47 FPS. Ultra settings average 35 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Low settings average 56 FPS. Medium settings average 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS. High settings average 35 FPS. Ultra settings average 26 FPS.
• 3840x2160: Low settings average 36 FPS. Medium settings average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 29 FPS. High settings average 22 FPS. Ultra settings average 17 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy where performance degrades with both higher resolution and higher graphical settings. The min and max FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution provide insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 46 to 62 FPS, which is a 16 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 34 to 46 FPS, a 12 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 22 to 29 FPS, a 7 FPS spread. This indicates that while the average FPS drops, the frame pacing becomes more consistent at lower frame rates, likely due to the GPU being fully saturated.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides an average FPS above 60, specifically 76 FPS at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the highest average is 56 FPS at Low settings, and at 3840x2160, the highest average is 36 FPS at Low settings.

Q: Which graphics preset is recommended for a smooth experience?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that maintains an average FPS above 60. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 54 FPS, which is playable but not as smooth.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates drop significantly with increasing resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's performance is strong relative to the GPU, as indicated by its high percentile rank.

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

A: This combination ranks 3580 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the bottom portion of the performance chart.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this setup?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 36 FPS on Low settings. The Ultra preset at 4K produces an average of only 17 FPS, which is not a playable experience for a fast-paced FPS.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for 2560x1440 at High settings is 35 FPS. This is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a competitive FPS title.