Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that stresses both the CPU and GPU depending on how you configure it. With the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, the data reveals a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but has enough CPU headroom to push very high frame rates at 1080p. This combination ranks 2630 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, which aligns with the RTX 2060 SUPER being an older, end-of-life graphics card paired with a top-tier modern processor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a classic pattern of GPU limitation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a strong 159 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 117 FPS, a 26% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 75 FPS, which is a 53% drop from the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component; the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced when comparing the same settings across resolutions. For High settings, the frame rate goes from 99 FPS at 1080p, to 72 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 47 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K is a 52 FPS difference, confirming that the GPU's rendering workload is the primary constraint. The data suggests that at 1080p, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D has enough headroom to feed the GPU adequately, but as pixel count increases, the RTX 2060 SUPER's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance becomes the ceiling.

The transition from Medium to Ultra settings at 4K further illustrates this point. At 4K Medium, the average is 53 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 35 FPS. This 18 FPS penalty for moving from Medium to Ultra is significant, and it shows that the GPU is struggling to maintain playable frame rates at the highest visual fidelity. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is not a viable target for this combo, as the 35 FPS average is below the threshold for a smooth competitive experience. The 1440p results show a more balanced picture, where the CPU still contributes, but the GPU is clearly starting to strain under the load.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz. This configuration is the primary driver of the frame rates seen in the measured data. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 62, and its average benchmark score is 18093, which places it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (deltaPct of -0.4) and AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (deltaPct of -0.5) in the nearest rivals list.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is a critical factor for Lockdown Protocol at higher settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 35, which suggests that the card is not only compute-bound but also potentially hitting memory capacity limits. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K with High or Ultra textures, the GPU may be forced to swap data more frequently, contributing to the lower frame rates. The measured 4K Medium result of 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS indicates that the card can handle moderate settings at 4K, but it lacks the headroom for consistent high-refresh-rate play.

The boost clock of 1650 MHz is relatively modest by modern standards, and the data reflects this in the raw performance output. The RTX 2060 SUPER's PassMark G3D score of 16462 confirms its mid-range positioning. In practical terms, the GPU delivers 159 FPS at 1080p Low, which is excellent for competitive play, but the performance degrades quickly as resolution and settings increase. The card's DirectX 12 score of 61 in PassMark is notably low, which might indicate suboptimal performance in newer API workloads, though the actual game data shows playable results at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 159, which is ideal for fast-paced FPS action where frame rate is king. However, the Medium preset at 113 FPS average with a minimum of 96 FPS is a strong alternative, offering a better visual experience while still maintaining a high frame rate that exceeds 100 FPS. The High preset at 99 FPS is also viable, but the jump to Ultra at 74 FPS shows a diminishing return on visual fidelity versus frame rate.

At 1440p, the data suggests that Low settings are the most practical choice, yielding 117 FPS average. The Medium preset at 83 FPS is playable, but the minimum of 70 FPS could lead to noticeable dips in intense firefights. High settings at 72 FPS are borderline, and Ultra at 54 FPS is not recommended for a competitive advantage. For 4K, the story is different. Only the Low preset at 75 FPS achieves a consistently playable frame rate. Medium at 53 FPS is marginal, and High at 47 FPS and Ultra at 35 FPS are too low for a smooth experience in an FPS.

The data indicates that the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p with Medium or High settings, depending on whether you prioritize visual clarity or maximum frame rate. For 1440p, sticking to Low or Medium is advised. For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for a decent experience, but users should expect a significant compromise in visual quality. The measured FPS values show that this GPU is best utilized at 1080p, where it can leverage the CPU's strength to deliver high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear hierarchy across settings. Low settings produce the highest average at 159 FPS. Medium settings reduce the average to 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. High settings average 99 FPS, and Ultra settings average 74 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 85 FPS, which is substantial. These numbers suggest that the CPU and GPU combo can handle 1080p gaming very well, even at higher presets, but the frame rate drops significantly when pushing to Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 117 FPS, which is still high. Medium settings average 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. High settings average 72 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 54 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 63 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor, as the pixel count increases, but the CPU still provides enough support to keep frame rates respectable at lower settings.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates take a significant hit. Low settings average 75 FPS, which is the only preset that stays above the 60 FPS mark. Medium settings average 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, showing inconsistent performance. High settings average 47 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 35 FPS. The data reveals that 4K gaming is not a strong suit for this combo, and even the Low preset struggles to maintain a high frame rate. The minimum FPS of 45 at 4K Medium highlights the GPU's struggle to keep up with the rendering demands.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is ranked 2630 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 71st percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms roughly 71% of the systems in the database. However, this ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's age and performance tier. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 92nd percentile against all CPUs, but the GPU's 62nd percentile ranking drags the overall combo down.

The nearest rivals for the GPU include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with a deltaPct of -0.4, meaning the RTX 2060 SUPER scores slightly higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 with a deltaPct of -0.5. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M with a deltaPct of 0.1 and the Intel Core i9-14900 with a deltaPct of 0.5. These comparisons show that the CPU is competitive with modern high-end processors, while the GPU is only marginally better than a laptop-class RTX 3060, which explains the overall combo ranking.

The data indicates that this combo's rank is a direct result of the GPU bottleneck. In a game like Lockdown Protocol, the frame rates are largely determined by the graphics card, and the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of VRAM and Turing architecture are not enough to compete with newer cards. The combo ranking would likely be much higher if the GPU were replaced with a more modern part, as the CPU has ample headroom to support higher frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, clocked at a base frequency of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It features a large 96 MB L3 cache, which is shared across all cores. This cache configuration is particularly beneficial for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves performance in CPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 41318 and single-thread score of 4704 indicate strong performance in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p with lower settings, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The 159 FPS average at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to achieve very high frame rates. The CPU's 16 threads are likely sufficient for the game's physics and AI calculations, and the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz helps in scenarios where single-thread performance is critical. The data shows that at 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that the CPU is likely not the bottleneck, as the GPU's performance caps the FPS.

The CPU's 96 MB L3 cache is a key differentiator for this processor. In FPS games, large caches can improve frame time consistency by keeping frequently accessed data closer to the cores. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS, shows a relatively stable frame rate, which could be attributed to the CPU's cache efficiency. However, at 4K, the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant, as the GPU's rendering workload dominates. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807, confirm that it is a high-end processor, but in this game, its impact is most noticeable at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.