Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a competitive FPS released in March 2024, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with resolution. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions at four quality presets.

The benchmark data reveals a configuration where the CPU's immense headroom is constrained by the GPU's mid-range capabilities at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, demonstrates exceptional processing power, but the RTX 4060's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become the primary performance limiters as pixel count increases. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of diminishing returns at higher settings, where the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are saturated.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the GPU-bound nature of this combination. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 189 FPS at 1920x1080 to 89 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 53% reduction. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4060 is operating well beyond its optimal performance envelope at 4K, even with minimal graphical demands.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. The average frame rate drops from 88 FPS at 1080p to 42 FPS at 4K, a 52% decrease. The 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold typically desired for smooth gameplay in a first-person shooter. The data suggests that at 4K, the GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 272.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates, regardless of the CPU's capabilities.

The 1440p results show a middle ground. At Medium settings, the average frame rate is 98 FPS, which drops to 86 FPS at High and 64 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low (138 FPS) and Ultra (64 FPS) at 1440p is 74 FPS, demonstrating how significantly quality presets affect performance at this resolution. The min FPS of 83 at 1440p Medium indicates that the GPU can maintain playable frame rates in demanding scenes, but the headroom is limited.

The scaling pattern across all resolutions confirms that the RTX 4060 is the limiting component. The CPU's massive 128 MB L3 cache and high boost clock of 5.70 GHz provide ample processing power, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions where texture memory requirements increase. The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where this combination consistently delivers frame rates above 100 FPS across all settings, with the exception of Ultra at 88 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 2009 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 54th percentile of all tested configurations. This mid-pack ranking reflects the significant performance disparity between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU.

The CPU alone performs exceptionally well, ranking in the 95th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D, both scoring within 0.1% of the 9950X3D. This indicates that the processor is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The GPU, however, ranks in the 61st percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (-0.2%) and AMD Radeon 780M (0.3%), which are significantly older or lower-tier products. This comparison highlights that the RTX 4060 is positioned well below the top-tier graphics cards, and its performance characteristics are more aligned with mid-range offerings from previous generations.

The combination's overall rank of 2009 suggests that while the CPU provides excellent performance, the GPU holds the system back in Lockdown Protocol. The 16-core, 32-thread processor with its 3D V-Cache technology can handle the game's physics and AI calculations with ease, but the GPU's 3072 shading units and 48 ROPs are insufficient to fully utilize the CPU's potential at higher resolutions. The data shows that this combo is better suited for 1080p gaming where the GPU can maintain high frame rates, rather than 4K where the system's performance drops below the 60 FPS threshold at most settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance with an average FPS of 134 and a minimum FPS of 114. This provides smooth gameplay with a safety margin for demanding scenes. The High preset at 117 FPS is also viable, though the 17 FPS reduction from Medium suggests that the additional graphical fidelity may not be worth the performance cost for competitive play.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. The average FPS of 98 with a minimum of 83 ensures playable performance, while the High preset at 86 FPS and Ultra at 64 FPS may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced firefights. The Low preset at 138 FPS offers the smoothest experience, but the reduced graphical quality may disadvantage players who rely on visual cues for enemy detection.

At 3840x2160, the data clearly shows that this combination is not well-suited for high-quality gaming. The Low preset achieves 89 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 63 FPS with a minimum of 54, and the High preset falls to 55 FPS. The Ultra preset at 42 FPS is not recommended for competitive play. Players who must use 4K should accept the Low preset to maintain playable frame rates, though this severely compromises the visual experience.

The data indicates that the Medium preset provides the best overall experience across all resolutions. It consistently delivers the highest frame rates that remain above 60 FPS at 1080p and 1440p, while the 4K result of 63 FPS is marginally playable. The minimum FPS values of 114, 83, and 54 for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively show that the Medium preset maintains acceptable performance even in demanding scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 189 FPS, the highest measured result for this combination. The Medium preset averages 134 FPS with a minimum of 114 and maximum of 154. The High preset averages 117 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 88 FPS. These results show a clear hierarchy where each quality level costs approximately 20-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 138 FPS, representing a 27% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 and maximum of 113. The High preset averages 86 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls to 64 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution, with each quality level reducing the frame rate by roughly 15-20%.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 89 FPS, the Medium preset averages 63 FPS with a minimum of 54 and maximum of 73, the High preset averages 55 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 42 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate the GPU's limitations most clearly, as even the Low preset cannot maintain 90 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls below 45 FPS.

The measured data shows a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution and quality settings increase. The 1080p results are the only ones where all settings maintain frame rates above 85 FPS, while the 4K results show that only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS. The 1440p results provide a middle ground, with Medium and High presets offering playable performance between 86 and 98 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D capable of running Lockdown Protocol at high frame rates?

A: Yes, the CPU's benchmark scores indicate it is more than capable. It ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a single-core score of 2259. The 16 cores and 32 threads provide substantial processing power for the game's computational demands.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate this combination can achieve?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 189, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution, Medium settings deliver 134 FPS, High delivers 117 FPS, and Ultra delivers 88 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows limited 4K capability. At Medium settings, the average FPS is 63 with a minimum of 54, while High settings average 55 FPS and Ultra averages 42 FPS. Only the Low preset achieves playable performance at 89 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to other GPUs in this game?

A: The GPU ranks in the 61st percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and AMD Radeon 780M, which are significantly older or lower-tier products.

Q: What is the best quality preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset offers the best balance with an average FPS of 98 and a minimum of 83. The High preset at 86 FPS and Ultra at 64 FPS provide lower performance, while the Low preset at 138 FPS sacrifices visual quality for higher frame rates.

Q: Does the CPU's 3D V-Cache technology benefit Lockdown Protocol?

A: The CPU's 128 MB L3 cache likely helps with game data access, but the benchmark data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the system achieves 42 FPS despite the CPU's strong performance metrics.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. The CPU features 128 MB of L3 cache, which is a key advantage for gaming workloads that benefit from larger cache sizes.

The processor's benchmark results demonstrate exceptional performance across various workloads. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and Geekbench multicore score of 26736 place it among the top-tier CPUs. The single-core performance is equally strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 3064 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2259. These results indicate that the CPU can handle both multi-threaded game logic and single-threaded rendering tasks with ease.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to handle game physics, AI calculations, and frame pacing. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution or setting, as evidenced by the consistent performance scaling across quality presets. The 3DMark max threads score of 17184 and PassMark multithread score of 70255 confirm that the CPU has ample processing power for even the most demanding scenarios.

The CPU's 4 nm process node and TSMC manufacturing contribute to its efficiency, while its DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth ensures fast data transfer to the GPU. The 170 W TDP is reasonable for a processor of this capability, though the system's overall power consumption is determined by both components.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is a mid-range graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring the AD107 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, providing 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The GPU features 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units.

The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This memory configuration is a significant limitation at higher resolutions, where texture data and frame buffers require more capacity. The GPU also features 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores, which support advanced visual effects but consume additional processing resources.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is to render the game's visuals, including geometry, textures, and lighting effects. The benchmark data shows that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions above 1080p. At 4K Ultra, the GPU achieves only 42 FPS, indicating that its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface are insufficient for the game's high-resolution requirements.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 19545 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 rank it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and AMD Radeon 780M, which are significantly older or lower-tier products. This positioning suggests that while the RTX 4060 is capable for 1080p gaming, it struggles with the demands of 1440p and 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol.

The GPU's 115 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a relatively power-efficient option, but its performance characteristics limit its suitability for high-resolution gaming. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is particularly problematic at 4K, where the game's texture memory requirements likely exceed the available capacity, causing performance degradation.