Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-03-11 FPS title. Measured data shows the combo ranks 2473 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The CPU, a 16-core Zen 4 Dragon Range part with a 5.40 GHz boost clock, sits at the 95th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU, a Blackwell 2.0 GB206 chip with 8 GB GDDR7, lands at the 67th percentile. This gap between processor headroom and graphics capability shapes every result in the measured FPS table.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Low settings, average FPS falls from 163 at 1080p to 120 at 1440p (a 26% reduction) and further to 77 at 4K (a 53% drop from 1080p). At High settings, the progression goes 101 → 74 → 48, with the 4K figure representing just 47.5% of the 1080p value. This pattern — roughly halving performance when quadrupling pixel count — indicates the RTX 5060 Mobile's rendering throughput is the limiting factor once resolution increases.

The Medium preset shows the same trajectory with measured minimum and maximum frames: 116 avg (99 min, 133 max) at 1080p, 85 avg (72 min, 98 max) at 1440p, and 55 avg (47 min, 63 max) at 4K. The min-to-max spread narrows from 34 FPS at 1080p to 16 FPS at 4K, suggesting that at higher resolutions the frame time variance shrinks even as average performance drops — the GPU becomes consistently saturated rather than intermittently bottlenecked. Ultra settings compress the range further: 76 FPS at 1080p, 56 at 1440p, and 36 at 4K, with the 4K result representing a 52.6% loss versus 1080p.

Interpretation of these scaling curves points to a system where the Ryzen 9 8945HX is never the constraint. The CPU's 16 cores and 32 threads, combined with a 5.40 GHz boost, provide ample headroom even at 1080p Low where the GPU pushes 163 FPS. If the processor were limiting, the 1080p-to-1440p delta would be smaller than the 1440p-to-4K delta. Instead, the data shows nearly linear scaling with pixel count, a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The 4K Ultra result of 36 FPS is the clearest evidence: even with maximum settings, the GPU cannot sustain frame rates that would require CPU intervention.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The maximum measured average is 163 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next best is 120 FPS at 2560x1440 Low, followed by 116 FPS at 1080p Medium.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX + RTX 5060 Mobile combination ranks 2473 out of 3714 tested combos in this game. This places it in the 33rd percentile of all configurations, meaning roughly two-thirds of tested systems perform better.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint even at 1080p. At Low settings, the RTX 5060 Mobile produces 163 FPS, while the CPU's 95th-percentile standing among all processors suggests it has substantial unused headroom. The GPU's 67th-percentile ranking aligns more closely with the observed frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS values are 99 at 1080p, 72 at 1440p, and 47 at 4K. These figures come directly from the measured data and represent the lowest observed frames during testing.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 Mobile compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 22435 is 1.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (score 22729), 1.2% above the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (score 22170), and 1.3% above the AMD Radeon RX 6700S (score 22154). It sits 0.5% below the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (score 22549).

Q: What are the CPU's multi-threaded benchmark results?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 42713 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 17939 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. In Passmark tests, it achieves 51405 in multithread, 195180 in integer math, and 117453 in floating point math.

GPU Role

The RTX 5060 Mobile's specifications directly explain the measured FPS ceiling. With 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus delivering 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, the card has sufficient memory throughput for 1080p and 1440p but shows strain at 4K. The base clock of 952 MHz and boost clock of 1455 MHz are modest for a modern GPU, and the 45 W TDP indicates a power-constrained mobile design. The 3328 shading units, 104 TMUs, and 48 ROPs provide the raw compute — 9.684 TFLOPS FP32 — that drives the observed frame rates.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3013.5 and Passmark G3D score of 18852 place it at the 67th percentile among all GPUs. This mid-tier positioning is consistent with the Lockdown Protocol results: the card handles 1080p High at 101 FPS comfortably, but 4K Ultra at 36 FPS shows its limits. The 24 Gbps effective memory speed on GDDR7 helps at lower resolutions, where bandwidth is less critical, but the 128-bit bus becomes a bottleneck at 4K where pixel throughput demands more data movement.

The nearest rival comparisons reinforce this assessment. The RTX 5060 Mobile sits 1.3% behind the RTX 4060 Mobile in average score (22435 vs 22729), suggesting generational improvement is marginal. Against the RX 7700 XT, the delta is just 0.5% (22435 vs 22549), meaning the NVIDIA card is effectively on par with a desktop-oriented AMD part. The 1.2-1.3% advantages over the RX 5700 and RX 6700S are small, indicating that the 5060 Mobile's performance class is tightly clustered. In Lockdown Protocol specifically, this translates to a GPU that can deliver smooth 1080p gameplay but requires settings compromises at higher resolutions.

The VRAM configuration deserves attention. Eight gigabytes is the stated capacity, and while Lockdown Protocol's settings presets do not appear to exceed this at 1080p, the 4K Ultra preset may approach or exceed the limit, contributing to the 36 FPS result. The measured data shows no texture-related stutters or anomalies in the min/max figures at Medium settings, but the absence of min/max data for other presets leaves this question partially open. The 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, while respectable for a 128-bit bus, is likely the more significant constraint at 4K given the pixel fill rate demands.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS table offers four presets per resolution, and the data supports a clear recommendation hierarchy. At 1920x1080, Medium settings provide the best balance: 116 FPS average with a min of 99 and max of 133. This exceeds the 101 FPS of High settings while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Low settings at 163 FPS are unnecessary for most displays and sacrifice visual quality for headroom that the 1080p resolution does not need. Ultra at 76 FPS is playable but leaves little room for drops in demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, Medium again emerges as the optimal choice with 85 FPS average (min 72, max 98). High settings at 74 FPS are acceptable for 60 Hz displays but leave less headroom. Low at 120 FPS is smooth but represents a significant visual downgrade. Ultra at 56 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a poor choice for competitive play. The 72 FPS minimum at Medium ensures that even worst-case scenes remain above 60 FPS, a critical factor for FPS responsiveness.

For 3840x2160, the situation is less favorable. Medium settings yield 55 FPS average (min 47, max 63), which is marginal for smooth gameplay. High at 48 FPS and Low at 77 FPS bracket the Medium result, with Low being the only preset that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. Ultra at 36 FPS is unsuitable for anything but screenshots. The recommendation for 4K is Low settings if frame rate is paramount, or accepting sub-60 FPS with Medium if visual fidelity takes priority. The min FPS of 47 at Medium suggests occasional dips that could affect competitive play.

The overall best experience across all resolutions is 1080p Medium, which delivers the highest FPS above 60 with the largest min-to-max buffer. For users with 1440p displays, Medium provides a 85 FPS average that balances quality and performance. The data does not support Ultra settings at any resolution for consistent gameplay, as even 1080p Ultra at 76 FPS lacks the headroom of Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2473 out of 3714 tested combinations places this system in the 33.4th percentile among all configs tested in Lockdown Protocol. This is a below-average standing, driven primarily by the GPU's mid-tier position. The CPU's 95th-percentile ranking (42713 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) contrasts sharply with the GPU's 67th percentile, creating a system where the processor is overqualified relative to the graphics solution. The rank of 2473 means roughly 1241 combos perform worse, while 2472 perform better — a substantial majority of tested systems deliver higher frame rates in this game.

The CPU's nearest rivals contextualize its contribution. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX scores 76155 on average, a 0.1% delta from the Ryzen 9 8945HX's 76212. The AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492) and Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513) trail by 0.4%, while the Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779) leads by 0.6%. These margins are negligible, meaning the 8945HX is essentially tied with the fastest mobile and desktop CPUs available. Yet the combo rank in Lockdown Protocol does not reflect this CPU strength because the game's performance is GPU-bound at the tested settings.

The GPU's rivals tell a similar story of tight clustering. The RTX 5060 Mobile's 22435 average score sits just 1.3% below the RTX 4060 Mobile (22729), 0.5% below the RX 7700 XT (22549), and 1.2-1.3% above the RX 5700 (22170) and RX 6700S (22154). In Lockdown Protocol, these small benchmark deltas translate to the observed FPS differences. The combo rank of 2473 therefore reflects a GPU that is competitive with its immediate peers but cannot overcome the fact that most tested systems pair stronger GPUs with similar or weaker CPUs.

For the full system, this rank means users should expect mid-pack performance in Lockdown Protocol. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor — a stronger GPU would immediately improve the rank, while a weaker CPU would not meaningfully change it. The 33.4th percentile standing is a direct consequence of the RTX 5060 Mobile's position in the GPU hierarchy.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for this combo covers three resolutions and four settings presets each. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low 163 FPS, Medium 116 FPS (min 99, max 133), High 101 FPS, and Ultra 76 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 87 FPS, with each step up in settings costing roughly 20-25 FPS. The Medium preset's min of 99 FPS is notable — it stays above 60 FPS even in worst-case moments, which is rare for mobile hardware.

At 2560x1440, the figures are: Low 120 FPS, Medium 85 FPS (min 72, max 98), High 74 FPS, and Ultra 56 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra spread narrows to 64 FPS, and the Medium min of 72 FPS remains playable. The Ultra result of 56 FPS is the first preset to drop below 60 FPS, signaling the GPU's limits at this resolution. The High preset at 74 FPS sits between Medium and Ultra, offering a middle ground for users who want more detail than Medium.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 77 FPS, Medium 55 FPS (min 47, max 63), High 48 FPS, and Ultra 36 FPS. The Low preset is the only one exceeding 60 FPS, while Medium's min of 47 FPS indicates occasional dips below playable thresholds. The Ultra result of 36 FPS is the lowest measured value across all tests, representing a 77.9% reduction from the 1080p Low peak of 163 FPS. The Medium min-max range of 47-63 FPS shows significant variance, suggesting that 4K Medium can feel inconsistent.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings reveals the scaling factors. Medium settings yield 116 FPS at 1080p, 85 at 1440p, and 55 at 4K — a 52.6% drop from 1080p to 4K. High settings produce 101, 74, and 48 FPS respectively, a 52.5% drop. Low settings deliver 163, 120, and 77 FPS, a 52.8% drop. Ultra settings give 76, 56, and 36 FPS, a 52.6% drop. The consistency of these percentages (all within 0.3%) confirms that resolution scaling is uniform regardless of settings, a hallmark of GPU-bound performance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor from the 8000 series, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with Zen 4 architecture (Dragon Range codename). Its base clock is 2.50 GHz, boosting to 5.40 GHz, with a 55 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 64 MB L3 total. Memory support is DDR5 on a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 51405 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 place it at the 95th percentile among all CPUs.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is largely supportive because the game's frame rates are GPU-limited. The 1080p Low result of 163 FPS is the highest measured value, and even this does not stress the CPU's capabilities. The single-thread performance — Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030 and Passmark single-thread score of 3907 — ensures that game logic, physics, and AI threads have ample headroom. The 5.40 GHz boost clock, which is exceptionally high for a mobile processor, contributes to low frame times in CPU-bound scenarios, but the data shows no such scenarios arise.

The CPU's nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores are all within 0.6% of its average of 76212. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155), AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492), AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513), and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779) all bracket the 8945HX within a 756-point range. This clustering means that in CPU-bound games, any of these processors would perform nearly identically. However, Lockdown Protocol does not create CPU-bound conditions with this GPU, so the CPU's 95th-percentile ranking goes largely unused.

The 64 MB L3 cache is particularly relevant for game performance, as it reduces memory latency for frequently accessed data. The DDR5 memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, while lower than desktop parts, is sufficient for the GPU's needs at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, the GPU's own memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s becomes the constraint, not the CPU's memory subsystem. The CPU's 28 PCIe Gen 5 lanes provide ample bandwidth for the GPU and peripherals, and the Radeon 610M integrated graphics are present but unused in this configuration.

The data suggests that if a user paired this CPU with a stronger GPU, the combo rank in Lockdown Protocol would improve substantially. The CPU is not the bottleneck at any measured settings — even 1080p Low at 163 FPS leaves headroom. The 33.4th-percentile rank is attributable to the GPU, and the CPU's 95th percentile means it could support frame rates well above what the RTX 5060 Mobile can deliver. For users considering upgrades, the CPU is not the limiting component in this system for Lockdown Protocol.