Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

Lockdown Protocol’s recorded performance for this combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 shows a clear pattern: frame rates scale predictably with resolution and preset level, but the headroom is limited. Starting at 4K, the data is sobering. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average is 17 FPS. Dropping to High raises the average to 22 FPS. Medium produces 26 FPS on average, with a recorded minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 29 FPS. Low settings at 4K reach 36 FPS on average. None of these 4K results approach the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the gap is substantial even at the lowest preset.

Moving down to 2560x1440, the picture improves but remains short of playable. Ultra averages 26 FPS. High averages 35 FPS. Medium shows an average of 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS. Low settings at 1440p yield 56 FPS on average. That is the closest this resolution comes to 60 FPS, but it still falls 4 FPS short of the playable mark. The min/max data for Medium indicates that even this middle preset is prone to dips below 40 FPS, which would be noticeable in a fast-paced FPS.

At 1920x1080, the combination finally reaches playable territory, but only at the lowest preset. Low settings deliver 76 FPS on average. High settings produce 47 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, and Ultra drops to 35 FPS. The Medium result is worth examining closely: its average of 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, and its minimum of 46 FPS suggests stutter during intense scenes. The Low preset is the only configuration at any resolution that clears the playable threshold, and it does so by a comfortable margin of 16 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data indicates that the GeForce GTX 1650 is the dominant constraint in this pairing. Consider the scaling between resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average is 76 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 56 FPS, a decrease of about 26%. At 4K Low, it falls to 36 FPS, a further drop of about 36% from 1440p. This steep decline as pixel count rises is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The GTX 1650’s 4 GB GDDR5 memory and 128-bit bus are simply not enough to feed higher resolution buffers at a consistent rate.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, by contrast, appears to have ample headroom. Its benchmark results, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. The CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 4412 further suggests that it is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, where the GPU has less work per frame, the CPU must feed frames quickly, but the 76 FPS average suggests the combination is still GPU-limited. The Ultra 5 225’s 10 cores and 10 threads, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, are more than sufficient for Lockdown Protocol’s demands.

The preset scaling reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average from 76 to 54 FPS, a 29% drop. From Medium to High, it drops from 54 to 47 FPS, a 13% drop. From High to Ultra, it drops from 47 to 35 FPS, a 26% drop. These are large swings for a game that is not considered a top-tier graphics showcase. The GTX 1650’s PassMark G3D score of 7880 and its 40th percentile standing among all GPUs explain why. The GPU simply does not have the shading units, texture units, or memory bandwidth to sustain higher presets.

At 1440p, the same pattern holds. Low averages 56 FPS, Medium 40 FPS, High 35 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 16 FPS, indicating that even modest increases in visual fidelity come at a steep cost. At 4K, the differences compress: Low 36 FPS, Medium 26 FPS, High 22 FPS, Ultra 17 FPS. The compression happens because the GPU is so heavily saturated at 4K that preset changes have less relative impact. This is a textbook sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU’s role is minimal across all resolutions; the data shows no scenario where the Ultra 5 225 would be the first to saturate.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database’s nearest rival data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 shows that several CPUs would behave almost identically in this pairing. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has an average score of 36945, a delta of 0% versus the Ultra 5 225’s 36938. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093, a delta of -0.4%. The Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112, a delta of -0.5%. All four rivals are within half a percent of the Ultra 5 225’s average benchmark score. For Lockdown Protocol, swapping the CPU for any of these would produce nearly identical frame rates, since the GPU remains the bottleneck.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals to the GTX 1650 are less well known but equally similar in performance. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M scores 7447, a delta of 0.3% versus the GTX 1650’s 7472 average. The Intel UHD Graphics 750 scores 7441, a delta of 0.4%. The AMD Radeon R7 350 scores 7425, a delta of 0.6%. The Intel Arc A310 scores 7550, a delta of -1%. These deltas are all within 1% of the GTX 1650’s average score. In practical terms, a system with any of these GPUs paired with the Ultra 5 225 would land nearly the same FPS numbers in Lockdown Protocol. The Arc A310 is the closest match at -1%, meaning it would be slightly slower, while the Radeon HD 8850M would be marginally faster.

The takeaway is that this combination sits in a performance neighborhood where small component swaps do not change the outcome. The CPU has plenty of margin, so its rivals would not shift the bottleneck. The GPU is the limiting factor, and its rivals are all within a rounding error of its performance. Users looking to upgrade would need to move several tiers up the GPU ladder to see meaningful gains, not just switch to a nominal rival.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific CPU and GPU combination at 3580 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the bottom 4% of all tested systems. The percentile data for the individual components tells a consistent story. The Ultra 5 225 is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is a strong processor by any measure. The GTX 1650, however, is in the 40th percentile of all GPUs, which drags the overall combo down. The combination’s rank of 3580 reflects the GPU’s weakness more than the CPU’s strength.

This rank has practical implications. Out of 3714 combos in the database, only 134 are ranked lower. That means the vast majority of systems tested would outperform this one in Lockdown Protocol. The rank is not a judgment on the CPU, which is clearly capable, but rather a statement about the pairing. A stronger GPU would dramatically improve the combo’s position. The data shows that the Ultra 5 225 can drive far more powerful graphics cards without becoming a bottleneck, but paired with a GTX 1650, the system is firmly in the lower echelon.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The recorded average at 1920x1080 Low is 76 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium averages 54 FPS, High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS, all below the threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution with any playable preset. At 2560x1440, the best average is 56 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the best average is 36 FPS on Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The GTX 1650’s PassMark G3D score is 7880 and it sits in the 40th percentile of all GPUs. The Ultra 5 225 is in the 85th percentile of CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891. The FPS drops as resolution increases, which is a GPU-bound pattern.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: It ranks 3580 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the bottom 4% of the database. The CPU is strong, but the GPU pulls the overall rank down.

Q: Would a different CPU improve performance?

A: No. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with a delta of 0% or the Intel Core i9-12900T with a delta of -0.5%, are within half a percent of the Ultra 5 225’s average score. The GPU bottleneck would remain unchanged.

Q: What GPU would be a close match to the GTX 1650?

A: The Intel Arc A310 is the closest at a delta of -1%, meaning it is slightly slower. The AMD Radeon HD 8850M is 0.3% faster, and the Intel UHD Graphics 750 is 0.4% faster. All are within 1% of the GTX 1650’s average benchmark score.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The best recorded average is 36 FPS on Low settings, which is far below playable. At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. The best average is 56 FPS on Low settings, which misses the 60 FPS threshold by 4 FPS. No 1440p preset is playable.

At 1920x1080, Low settings are the only playable option, with an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the threshold. The data shows that even Medium at 1080p is not viable for maintaining 60 FPS, as its minimum dips to 46 FPS. High settings average 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. For users who prioritize a locked 60 FPS experience, 1080p Low is the only configuration that delivers it. For users who can tolerate lower frame rates, 1080p Medium offers a better visual experience but with an average of 54 FPS and occasional dips into the 40s.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear. At 3840x2160, this PC cannot run Lockdown Protocol at a playable frame rate on any preset. The best result is 36 FPS on Low, which is 24 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, it also cannot reach playable status. The best result is 56 FPS on Low, which is 4 FPS short of the threshold. At 1920x1080, the system can run the game, but only at Low settings, where it averages 76 FPS.

The data indicates that this combination is fundamentally GPU-limited. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a capable processor, as evidenced by its 85th percentile ranking and strong benchmark scores, but the GeForce GTX 1650, with its 40th percentile ranking and 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, cannot keep up with the demands of Lockdown Protocol at higher settings or resolutions. The overall combo rank of 3580 out of 3714 reflects this imbalance. Users with this system should expect to play at 1080p with Low settings for a smooth experience, or accept sub-60 frame rates at higher presets. For anything above 1080p, the system falls short of the playable threshold across the board.