Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

This combination pairs AMD's 16-core Ryzen 9 8945HX mobile processor with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070, a Blackwell-architecture GPU built on a 5 nm TSMC process. The CPU, part of the 8000 series Dragon Range family, reaches boost clocks of 5.40 GHz from a 2.50 GHz base, while the GPU operates at a 2325 MHz base and 2512 MHz boost clock with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus. In Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title released in March 2024, this pairing produces frame rates ranging from 41 FPS at 4K Ultra to 186 FPS at 1080p Low, with the overall combo ranking 1545th out of 2828 tested combinations in this game.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX brings 16 cores and 32 threads to the table, built on the Zen 4 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. Its 64 MB of L3 cache, split as 1 MB L2 per core and 64 KB L1 per core, provides substantial on-die storage for game data. The processor's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 76212, places it in the top tier of processors for demanding workloads. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which scores 76155 (0.1% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D at 75779 (0.6% lower), indicating this chip sits at the frontier of mobile CPU performance.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining frame rates across settings at the same resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings spans from 186 FPS to 86 FPS, a 100 FPS gap that suggests the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data to reach high frame rates at lower graphical loads. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42713 and single-core score of 6030 indicate strong threading performance, which matters for an FPS title that must handle game logic, physics, and network synchronization alongside rendering. The Passmark multithread score of 51405 further confirms the CPU's capability to handle multiple concurrent tasks without becoming the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The processor's memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface supports the high data throughput required at frame rates above 130 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the combination achieves 132 FPS average with a minimum of 112 FPS, demonstrating that the CPU maintains consistent frame delivery even when the GPU is not heavily taxed. The Ryzen 9 8945HX's boost behavior, reaching up to 5.40 GHz, helps single-threaded performance in scenarios where Lockdown Protocol's game logic depends on one or two primary threads. The Passmark single-thread score of 3907 places this chip well above average for responsiveness in such scenarios.

The CPU's 55 W TDP, while modest for a 16-core part, reflects its mobile design intent. The integrated Radeon 610M graphics provide a fallback display output, though the discrete RTX 5070 handles all rendering in measured results. The processor's PCIe Gen 5 support with 28 lanes ensures the GPU can communicate at full bandwidth, a factor that becomes more relevant at higher resolutions where texture streaming demands increase. The 13,140 million transistors across a 2x 71 mm² die size represent a dense implementation that delivers near-desktop-class performance in a mobile package.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 serves as the rendering powerhouse in this configuration, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. Its 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs provide the raw compute throughput necessary for modern FPS rendering. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377, places it in the upper tier of graphics hardware, though its nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon Pro 580 at 40318 (0.1% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 at 40063 (0.8% higher)—are professional workstation parts rather than gaming-focused alternatives.

The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus delivers 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for Lockdown Protocol at all tested settings. At 4K Ultra, the combination produces 41 FPS average, while dropping to 4K Low yields 88 FPS—a 47 FPS swing that highlights the GPU's sensitivity to graphical workload. The GPU's 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate provide the computational foundation for these results. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores suggest future-proofing for ray-traced and AI-enhanced content, though the measured data does not include such workloads.

The GPU's 250 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry component that requires robust cooling. The 600 W suggested PSU and single 16-pin power connector reflect the high power draw. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface ensures no bandwidth bottleneck, particularly important at 4K where large texture sets are streamed. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6 APIs ensure compatibility with modern game engines, including those used in Lockdown Protocol.

The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal the GPU's scaling behavior. At 1440p, the RTX 5070 delivers 136 FPS at Low settings, 97 FPS at Medium, 84 FPS at High, and 63 FPS at Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 73 FPS drop, indicating that each settings tier adds meaningful GPU workload. At 1080p, the GPU achieves 186 FPS at Low, 132 FPS at Medium, 115 FPS at High, and 86 FPS at Ultra, with the 1080p Medium minimum of 112 FPS and maximum of 152 FPS demonstrating frame time consistency. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 29137 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 provide synthetic benchmarks that align with the observed gaming performance.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 8945HX compare to its closest CPU rival in overall benchmark performance?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX scores 76212 on average, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX at 76155 and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D at 75779. This places it within a tight performance band among top-tier processors.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combination achieves in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average is 186 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 136 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings, followed by 132 FPS at 1080p Medium.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5070 have, and does it appear sufficient for this game?

A: The RTX 5070 has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus with 672.0 GB/s bandwidth. The measured results show playable frame rates at all resolutions up to 4K, suggesting the VRAM capacity is adequate for Lockdown Protocol's requirements at the tested settings.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX 5070 ranks in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, scores 40318, just 0.1% lower.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at 1080p in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at 1080p. The frame rate drops from 186 FPS at Low to 86 FPS at Ultra, a 100 FPS reduction driven by GPU workload. The CPU's high single-core and multicore scores indicate it can sustain high frame delivery, but the GPU's rendering load dictates the final output.

Q: What is this combination's rank among all tested combos in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 1545th out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the 55th percentile of all tested combos for this specific game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves a rank of 1545 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This mid-pack ranking is notable given the individual component strengths: the CPU ranks in the 95th percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. The discrepancy between component rankings and combo ranking suggests that Lockdown Protocol's performance profile does not fully leverage the strengths of this pairing.

The combo's ranking implies that many other combinations—likely those with different CPU-GPU balances—achieve higher frame rates in this specific game. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 186 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. However, at 4K Ultra, the 41 FPS result falls below the smoothness threshold many FPS players target. The rank of 1545 suggests that approximately 54.6% of tested combos perform better in Lockdown Protocol, which may reflect the game's optimization for other hardware configurations or the specific balance of this mobile CPU paired with a desktop-class GPU.

The CPU's nearest rivals—the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P, AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX, and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D—all score within 1% of each other, indicating that CPU choice among top-tier parts has minimal impact on overall system performance in this game. The GPU's nearest rivals, all AMD professional parts, similarly cluster within 2% of the RTX 5070's score. This tight competition at the component level does not translate to a top-tier combo ranking, emphasizing that Lockdown Protocol's performance depends heavily on the specific interaction between CPU and GPU rather than their individual capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows how the combination scales from 1080p to 4K across all four settings presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 186 FPS at 1080p to 136 FPS at 1440p (a 26.9% decrease), then to 88 FPS at 4K (a 35.3% decrease from 1440p). This represents a 52.7% total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that even at minimal graphical load, resolution scaling has a substantial impact on performance.

At Medium settings, the frame rate decreases from 132 FPS at 1080p to 97 FPS at 1440p (a 26.5% drop), then to 62 FPS at 4K (a 36.1% drop from 1440p). The total reduction from 1080p to 4K at Medium is 53.0%, nearly identical to the Low settings scaling. This consistency suggests the GPU's rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count regardless of the specific settings preset.

High settings show a similar pattern: 115 FPS at 1080p drops to 84 FPS at 1440p (a 27.0% decrease), then to 54 FPS at 4K (a 35.7% decrease from 1440p). The total drop of 53.0% from 1080p to 4K mirrors the other presets. Ultra settings produce the steepest absolute decline: 86 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p (a 26.7% drop), and 41 FPS at 4K (a 34.9% drop from 1440p), totaling a 52.3% reduction.

The consistent 52-53% total drop across all settings presets indicates that resolution scaling is the dominant factor in performance degradation, with settings having a relatively smaller impact on the scaling curve. This pattern suggests the GPU is the primary limiting component: as pixel count increases, the GPU's rendering workload grows proportionally, while the CPU's contribution remains relatively constant. The near-identical percentage drops at each resolution step across all settings presets confirm that Lockdown Protocol's performance is GPU-bound in this configuration, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at 1080p Low where the GPU reaches 186 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 186 FPS, which is the maximum measured across all configurations. Medium settings yield 132 FPS average with a minimum of 112 FPS and maximum of 152 FPS, providing a smooth experience with acceptable frame time variance. High settings average 115 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 86 FPS average. The 100 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates the significant impact of graphical settings on this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 136 FPS, which remains highly playable for competitive FPS gaming. Medium settings produce 97 FPS average with a minimum of 82 FPS and maximum of 111 FPS, maintaining a playable range throughout. High settings average 84 FPS, while Ultra settings average 63 FPS. The 73 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p shows a similar settings sensitivity to 1080p but with lower absolute values.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes more demanding. Low settings average 88 FPS, which remains fluid for most players. Medium settings average 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and maximum of 72 FPS, providing a playable but not consistently smooth experience during intense scenes. High settings average 54 FPS, while Ultra settings average 41 FPS, the lowest measured value. The 47 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K shows that settings choices matter most at this resolution, where even Low settings tax the GPU significantly.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with min/max data, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the 112-152 FPS range represents a 40 FPS spread, while at 1440p Medium, the 82-111 FPS range spans 29 FPS, and at 4K Medium, the 53-72 FPS range covers 19 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded as pixel count increases, reducing the variability seen at lower resolutions where CPU-bound scenarios may cause frame time spikes.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates at 1080p, Low settings provide the highest measured average at 186 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors and ensures minimal input latency. However, Medium settings at 132 FPS average (with 112 FPS minimum) offer a better balance of visual quality and performance for competitive play, as the 54 FPS gap between Low and Medium suggests that the visual upgrade may be worth the performance cost for many players. The 115 FPS average at High settings still exceeds 100 FPS, making it viable for players with 120 Hz displays who prefer improved visuals.

At 1440p, Medium settings at 97 FPS average (82 FPS minimum) provide the best combination of smoothness and visual fidelity, as the 39 FPS drop from Low to Medium is more pronounced than at 1080p. High settings at 84 FPS remain playable for most players, while Ultra at 63 FPS may cause noticeable stuttering during intense action sequences. The 82 FPS minimum at Medium settings ensures that even demanding scenes stay above the 60 FPS threshold, whereas High settings may dip below this point during heavy combat.

At 4K, the choices become more constrained. Low settings at 88 FPS provide the smoothest experience, though the visual sacrifices are substantial at this resolution. Medium settings at 62 FPS average (53 FPS minimum) offer a playable experience for players who accept occasional dips below 60 FPS. High settings at 54 FPS and Ultra at 41 FPS fall below the smoothness threshold for most FPS players, making them less suitable for competitive play. The 47 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K indicates that players seeking 4K performance should prioritize settings adjustments over resolution scaling if frame rate is the primary concern.

The data suggests that Medium settings provide the most consistent experience across all resolutions, as evidenced by the available min/max data showing narrower frame time ranges at higher settings. For players with 60 Hz displays, 4K Medium at 62 FPS average is the most visually impressive option that maintains playable performance. For players with 144 Hz displays, 1080p Medium at 132 FPS average or 1440p Medium at 97 FPS average are the recommended choices, balancing visual quality with the high frame rates needed to fully utilize the display's refresh rate.