Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, exhibits a clear and predictable performance scaling pattern when paired with the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures high frame rates at lower settings. The transition from 1080p to 4K creates a dramatic shift in load, with the average frame rate dropping by more than half in some configurations, clearly identifying the Radeon RX 7900 XT as the primary performance limiter at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance delta between 1080p and 4K is substantial and reveals the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario. At the Ultra preset, the system produces an average of 129.8 FPS at 1920x1080, but this falls to 61.1 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a reduction of 52.9% in average frame rate, a steep drop that indicates the rendering load at 4K is overwhelming the GPU's capabilities. The Intel Core i5-12600KF, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, provides ample processing power to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the sheer pixel count at 4K becomes the bottleneck.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At the High preset, the average FPS falls from 174.3 at 1080p to 124.9 at 1440p, and finally to 82 at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling, with a 34.3% performance loss, suggesting that the RX 7900 XT's 20 GB of memory and 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth are being heavily taxed. The data indicates that while the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates past 280 FPS at 1080p on Low settings, the GPU cannot maintain that pace when the resolution increases, confirming that the limiting component shifts entirely to the graphics card.

Furthermore, the data shows that the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution decreases. At 4K, the difference between Low (135 FPS) and Ultra (61.1 FPS) is 54.7%. At 1080p, the same comparison yields a difference of 52.8%, showing that the CPU has more headroom to process the additional draw calls and physics calculations at lower resolutions. This suggests that players seeking the absolute highest frame rates should prioritize resolution over graphical fidelity, as the CPU is not the primary constraint at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the most balanced experience for a high-refresh-rate monitor is the High preset at 1440p, which delivers an average of 124.9 FPS. This configuration provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 100 FPS threshold, making it ideal for competitive play where smoothness is critical. The 4K High preset, at 82 FPS, is also viable for a 60 Hz display, but it sacrifices the responsiveness that higher frame rates offer.

For players targeting 1080p, the Medium preset at 202.1 FPS offers an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, allowing the Intel Core i5-12600KF to stretch its legs. The Ultra preset at 1080p, yielding 129.8 FPS, is still highly playable but incurs a significant performance penalty for marginal visual gains over High. The data suggests that the "High" preset is the sweet spot for this combination, as it provides a substantial improvement over Medium without the steep performance cost of Ultra.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 92.3 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as the Low preset (135 FPS) sacrifices too much visual detail and the Ultra preset (61.1 FPS) drops below the 60 FPS comfort zone. The measured data indicates that the RX 7900 XT is not capable of delivering a consistent 4K Ultra experience in this title, so users should temper their expectations and use Medium or High settings to ensure a playable frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p is the optimal resolution. The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 124.9 FPS, which balances visual fidelity and performance. At 1080p, the system is often CPU-bound, with frame rates exceeding 200 FPS on Medium, but the visual upgrade to 1440p is significant.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT powerful enough for 4K gaming in this title?

A: Yes, but with compromises. The measured data shows the 4K High preset averages 82 FPS, and Medium averages 92.3 FPS. However, the Ultra preset drops to 61.1 FPS, indicating that max settings at 4K are not viable for a consistently smooth experience.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12600KF perform in this game?

A: The CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions. Its single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3dmark single-thread score of 1016, allows it to push frame rates to 282 FPS at 1080p Low. The GPU becomes the limiting factor when resolution increases.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The average FPS drops from 282 on Low to 129.8 on Ultra, a difference of 152.2 FPS. This indicates that the visual settings have a massive impact on the rendering load, and the GPU is the primary component handling this workload.

Q: Is there a large performance gap between the Medium and High presets?

A: At 1440p, the gap is 22.1 FPS (147 to 124.9). At 4K, the gap is 10.3 FPS (92.3 to 82). The relative cost of High over Medium is smaller at higher resolutions, making High a reasonable choice for 4K.

Q: Does the data suggest the system is balanced for this game?

A: The data shows the system is balanced for 1440p gaming. At 1080p, the CPU's power is underutilized, as the GPU cannot keep up at high settings. At 4K, the GPU is the clear heavy bottleneck, with the CPU having significant headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. The Low preset produces an average of 282 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. This indicates that the Intel Core i5-12600KF, with its boost clock of 4.90 GHz, is capable of feeding the GPU with data faster than it can render. The Medium preset achieves 202.1 FPS, while High delivers 174.3 FPS. The Ultra preset, at 129.8 FPS, still provides a high-refresh-rate experience, but the data shows a clear gradient as graphical demands increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU's limitations. The Low preset drops to 205.6 FPS, a 27.1% reduction from the 1080p result. The Medium preset yields 147 FPS, and High produces 124.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 98.4 FPS, which is the first instance where the system dips below the 100 FPS mark. This suggests that 1440p Ultra is the threshold where the Radeon RX 7900 XT starts to struggle.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The Low preset averages 135 FPS, which is a 52.1% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 92.3 FPS, High averages 82 FPS, and Ultra falls to 61.1 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep, with the High preset losing 42.9 FPS and the Ultra preset losing 37.3 FPS. This data confirms that 4K gaming requires significant compromises in this title, and the GPU's performance is the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT plays a central role in determining the game's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory and 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth are substantial, but the data shows they are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The GPU's boost clock of 2394 MHz and 5376 shading units are put under immense strain as the resolution increases, and the measured FPS reflects this.

The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 29009, place it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile and RTX 4080 Mobile, with a deltaPct of 0 and 0.6 respectively. This indicates that the RX 7900 XT is a high-end part, but the data from Lockdown Protocol shows that even this level of performance cannot overcome the demands of 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's compute capabilities, evidenced by a Passmark GPU Compute score of 16828, are not the primary factor in this game's frame rate. Instead, the rasterization performance, tied to the 192 ROPs and 459.6 GPixel/s pixel rate, is what drives the results. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck in all 4K scenarios and in 1080p Ultra, while the CPU takes over as the limiter only at 1080p Low. This division of labor is typical for a modern FPS, but the magnitude of the GPU's influence at 4K is particularly pronounced in the measured results.