Lockdown Protocol

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a 3 nm process node manufactured by TSMC. Its base clock is 2.40 GHz and it boosts to 5.30 GHz, which gives it strong single-thread headroom for a game like Lockdown Protocol, a genre-defined FPS that typically relies on per-core responsiveness for hit detection and physics. The CPU’s L3 cache is 30 MB shared, with 3 MB L2 per core and 192 KB L1 per core — a substantial cache hierarchy that helps feed the game’s entity and network logic without stalling on memory fetches.

Benchmark results place this CPU in the 93rd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 64,640. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the AMD EPYC 4464P (average score 64,823, delta −0.3%), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64,438, delta +0.3%), the AMD EPYC 7343 (64,202, delta +0.7%), and the AMD EPYC 9124 (65,104, delta −0.7%). The data shows this chip is essentially tied with those server-grade parts in raw compute, which is notable because the Core Ultra 7 265 is a desktop part with a 65 W TDP. That efficiency matters in sustained gaming loads, where thermal throttling could otherwise reduce frame pacing.

In multi-threaded workloads, the CPU scores 42,216 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,960 in single-core. For Lockdown Protocol, the single-core score is more relevant: the game’s FPS at 1080p with Low settings reaches 165 average FPS, which is only 12 FPS below the 4K Low result of 78 FPS when scaled by resolution — actually, that scaling calculation is for later sections, but the point stands that the CPU is not the bottleneck at high frame rates. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,689 and integer math score of 134,773 further indicate that the chip can handle game logic and AI updates without becoming a limiting factor, especially when the GPU is the primary renderer.

The CPU supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. That bandwidth is sufficient for the game’s streaming assets, and the fact that the chip has PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes means it can feed a modern GPU without interface constraints. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 32EU is present but not relevant for discrete GPU gaming; the measured FPS data in this page uses the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT as the renderer.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, fabricated on a 7 nm TSMC process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 2055 MHz, with a game clock of 2410 MHz and a boost clock of 2635 MHz; memory runs at 2190 MHz (17.5 Gbps effective). With 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 32 ray accelerators, the card offers 10.79 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its pixel rate is 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate is 337.3 GTexel/s.

The GPU sits in the 65th percentile among all tested graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 19,765. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla K40m (average score 19,885, delta −0.6%), the AMD FirePro D300 (19,637, delta +0.7%), the AMD FirePro W7000 (19,905, delta −0.7%), and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 (19,602, delta +0.8%). These are all older or workstation-oriented parts, which tells you the RX 6650 XT is not a top-tier gaming card in absolute terms — but its 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are sufficient for Lockdown Protocol at the tested settings, as the measured FPS data demonstrates.

At 1080p, the GPU delivers 165 FPS on Low, 117 FPS on Medium, 103 FPS on High, and 77 FPS on Ultra. At 1440p, those numbers drop to 121, 86, 75, and 56 FPS respectively. At 4K, the card manages 78 FPS on Low, 56 FPS on Medium (with a min of 47 and max of 64), 49 FPS on High, and 36 FPS on Ultra. The scaling shows that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions — but the 8 GB VRAM is not exhausted, since even at 4K Ultra the card produces playable frame times without stutter from memory overflow. The card’s 64 ROPs are likely the bottleneck at 4K, given the fill-rate demand of 3840x2160.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1,864th out of 2,828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. That places this pairing in the 34th percentile of all system configurations — meaning roughly two-thirds of tested combos deliver higher average FPS in this game. This rank is primarily driven by the GPU’s modest standing; the CPU is in the 93rd percentile, but the GPU is only in the 65th percentile, so the combo’s overall rank is dragged down by the graphics card.

The data indicates that this is not a balanced pairing for high-refresh gaming. While the CPU can easily feed the GPU at 1080p, the RX 6650 XT’s performance ceiling limits the system to 165 FPS at best (1080p Low). At 4K, the combo falls to 36 FPS on Ultra, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players consider minimum for a competitive FPS. The rank of 1,864 out of 2,828 suggests that most other tested combos either have a stronger GPU or a more balanced CPU-GPU match.

That said, the combo is not a failure — it delivers smooth 1080p gaming at Medium and High settings, and 1440p is viable at Medium (86 FPS) or High (75 FPS). The rank is a reflection of the GPU’s age and class, not a defect in the pairing. If the goal is 4K Ultra, this combo is inappropriate; if the goal is 1080p or 1440p at mid-to-high settings, it performs adequately relative to the full test pool.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 165 FPS average
• Medium: 117 FPS average (min 100, max 135)
• High: 103 FPS average
• Ultra: 77 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 121 FPS average
• Medium: 86 FPS average (min 73, max 99)
• High: 75 FPS average
• Ultra: 56 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 78 FPS average
• Medium: 56 FPS average (min 47, max 64)
• High: 49 FPS average
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 15-20% of the frame rate at a given resolution, and each resolution step up costs roughly 25-35% of the frame rate at a given setting. For example, at 1080p, dropping from Medium to Low gains 48 FPS (117 to 165), while dropping from High to Medium loses 14 FPS (103 to 117). At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra is 42 FPS (78 to 36), which is a 54% reduction — indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed at 4K even on Low settings.

The only rows with min/max data are the Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the range is 100-135 FPS (a 35 FPS spread); at 1440p Medium, 73-99 FPS (26 FPS spread); at 4K Medium, 47-64 FPS (17 FPS spread). The shrinking range at higher resolutions suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU becomes the bottleneck — the CPU has less headroom to cause spikes.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 27% across all settings (e.g., 117 to 86 at Medium, a 26.5% decrease; 103 to 75 at High, a 27.2% decrease). From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more severe: at Medium, 86 to 56 FPS (a 34.9% decrease); at High, 75 to 49 FPS (a 34.7% decrease). This non-linear scaling is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance — the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the FPS does not drop by four times because the CPU still has headroom to feed frames.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 165 FPS — which is likely near the CPU’s practical limit for this game, given the 20-core design at 5.30 GHz boost. But at 4K Low, the FPS drops to 78, which is a 52.7% reduction from 1080p Low. This disproportionate drop (since resolution scaling should be roughly linear if GPU-bound) indicates that the RX 6650 XT is the limiting component at 4K. The GPU’s 10.79 TFLOPS and 64 ROPs are simply not enough to fill 8.3 million pixels at high rates.

The fact that 4K Low (78 FPS) is lower than 1080p Ultra (77 FPS) is telling: the GPU is so stressed at 4K that even the lowest settings barely match the highest settings at 1080p. This suggests that for this combo, resolution matters more than settings. If a player wants 4K, they must accept Low settings; if they want Ultra, they must stay at 1080p. There is no configuration where this combo delivers 4K Ultra at 60 FPS — the measured 36 FPS at that setting is the hard ceiling.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Lockdown Protocol?*

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1080p is the only resolution where all settings stay above 77 FPS. 1440p is playable at Medium (86 FPS) or High (75 FPS), but 4K drops below 60 FPS on every setting except Low (78 FPS).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiter at 4K. At 4K Low, the system produces 78 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 36 FPS — a 54% reduction. The CPU’s single-core score (5,960 in Cinebench R23) is more than sufficient for this game, so the RX 6650 XT’s rendering capability caps performance at high resolutions.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1,864th out of 2,828 combos, placing it in the lower third of all tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol. The CPU is in the 93rd percentile and the GPU is in the 65th percentile, so the GPU pulls the overall rank down.

Q: What is the highest FPS this combo can achieve?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 165 at 1080p with Low settings. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 117 FPS; at 1080p High, 103 FPS; at 1080p Ultra, 77 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p gaming?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. At 1440p Medium, it averages 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS — that is smooth for most players. At 1440p High, it averages 75 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 56 FPS, which is borderline for competitive play.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game at 4K?

A: The measured data shows that the GPU does not fail at 4K due to VRAM exhaustion — it produces 36 FPS at 4K Ultra and 78 FPS at 4K Low. The limiting factor appears to be raw compute and fill rate, not memory capacity, since the card’s 280.3 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for the game’s textures.

Settings Recommendations

For this combo in Lockdown Protocol, the data suggests the best experience depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Medium preset (117 FPS average, 100 FPS minimum) offers the best balance — it is 14 FPS slower than High (103 FPS) but 48 FPS faster than Low (165 FPS) only if you drop all visual quality. The minimum of 100 FPS at Medium ensures no noticeable stutter in firefights, and the max of 135 FPS shows headroom for less demanding scenes.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (86 FPS average, 73 FPS minimum) is the recommended choice. The High preset (75 FPS) is also viable, but the 11 FPS difference between Medium and High is not worth the visual gain for a competitive FPS where frame rate matters. The Ultra preset at 1440p (56 FPS) is too low for smooth gameplay, and the Low preset (121 FPS) sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a marginal gain over Medium.

At 4K, no setting provides a consistently smooth experience. Low (78 FPS) is the only preset above 60 FPS, but the visual compromise is severe. Medium (56 FPS) and High (49 FPS) are stutter-prone, and Ultra (36 FPS) is unplayable for a fast-paced FPS. If 4K is a requirement, the data indicates this combo is not suitable — a stronger GPU would be needed to maintain 60+ FPS at 4K Medium or higher. For most players, 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium is the sweet spot, delivering frame rates that are both high enough for competitive play and visually acceptable.