Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination delivers a mixed bag for Lockdown Protocol, with performance heavily dependent on resolution and quality settings. The CPU sits in the 90th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands in the 59th percentile, an imbalance that becomes clear in the frame rate data. This pairing is capable of a smooth 60 FPS experience, but only below 4K, and even then the choice of preset matters greatly.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the data shows the only playable option is Low, which produces an average of 74 FPS. Medium drops to 52 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 44 and maximum of 60, meaning it dips below the 60 FPS threshold. High sits at 46 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS, both clearly unplayable for smooth action. The verdict for 4K is clear: Low is the only preset that maintains a steady 60 FPS baseline.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves significantly. High settings deliver an average of 71 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a small margin. Medium runs at 81 FPS average, with a minimum of 69 and maximum of 93, offering a more comfortable buffer. Low reaches 114 FPS, but the best visual quality that still holds 60 FPS is High. Ultra drops to 53 FPS, so it fails the playability test. The best settings for this resolution are High, as it provides the highest quality within the playable range.

At 1920x1080, every preset is playable. Low runs at 156 FPS, Medium at 111 FPS with a minimum of 94 and maximum of 127, and High at 97 FPS. Ultra still produces 72 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS bar, making it the best settings choice for full visual fidelity at this resolution. No preset falls below the threshold here, so players can max out the game without sacrificing smoothness.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear split. At 4K, the GPU is the dominant constraint. The drop from 74 FPS at Low to 46 FPS at High is a 38% reduction, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS, a 54% drop from Low. This steep decline with increasing graphical load indicates the RX 5700 XT is the limiting factor at this resolution, as the CPU has ample headroom.

At 1440p, the pattern shifts. High settings produce 71 FPS, while Medium produces 81 FPS, a difference of 12%. Ultra drops to 53 FPS, which is 25% below High. The gap between Low and High is 43 FPS (114 to 71), showing that the GPU still matters, but the CPU begins to play a larger role. The 1440p numbers are higher than 4K across the board, so the GPU is less strained, but the CPU is still not the bottleneck.

At 1080p, the CPU becomes the more significant factor. Low hits 156 FPS, and even Ultra reaches 72 FPS, a 54% drop from Low. The fact that Ultra stays above 60 FPS suggests the GPU is still capable, but the frame rates are high enough that the CPU's single-thread performance starts to matter. The Core Ultra 5 245 has a single-core benchmark of 468 in Cinebench R15 and 4394 in Passmark, which is strong, so the game is not being held back by the processor at this resolution. The data indicates that at 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiter for Ultra settings, but the CPU handles the lower presets with ease.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded data shows a narrow range of playable performance. Low averages 74 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium averages 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 60, meaning the frame rate fluctuates enough to occasionally touch the 60 FPS ceiling but spends most of its time below it. High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 34 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 40 FPS, a substantial 54% reduction from the Low preset.

At 2560x1440, the results are more encouraging. Low averages 114 FPS, Medium averages 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 and maximum of 93, High averages 71 FPS, and Ultra averages 53 FPS. The Medium preset shows the tightest variance, with a 24 FPS spread between minimum and maximum. High drops to 71 FPS, which is still playable but leaves only an 11 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra falls below the line.

At 1920x1080, performance is consistently above 60 FPS. Low averages 156 FPS, Medium averages 111 FPS with a minimum of 94 and maximum of 127, High averages 97 FPS, and Ultra averages 72 FPS. The Medium preset shows an 18 FPS spread, while the other presets have no recorded minimum or maximum. Ultra is the only preset that comes close to the threshold, but it still holds a 12 FPS margin above 60 FPS. The data shows that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, allowing full settings without compromise.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with smooth gameplay?

A: Only at Low settings. The data shows 74 FPS average at 4K Low. Medium averages 52 FPS, High 46 FPS, and Ultra 34 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: 1920x1080 is the best choice. All presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 72 FPS. At 1440p, High is the maximum playable preset at 71 FPS, while at 4K only Low is playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint at 4K and 1440p, as frame rates drop sharply with higher presets. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, but the Core Ultra 5 245 is strong enough to keep up, with high single-core scores.

Q: Does the RX 5700 XT hold back the system?

A: Yes, especially at higher resolutions. The GPU's percentile rank is 59, and the 4K High preset only reaches 46 FPS. The CPU, in the 90th percentile, has more headroom than the GPU provides.

Q: Can I use Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: Only at 1920x1080, where Ultra averages 72 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 53 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 34 FPS, both unplayable.

Q: How much performance is lost going from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the drop is from 156 FPS to 74 FPS, a 53% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 97 FPS to 46 FPS, a 53% reduction as well.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49196, just 0.4% higher than the Core Ultra 5 245's average. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, a 0.5% edge, while the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, which is 0.6% lower. The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, sitting 0.8% below. These four processors would deliver nearly identical frame pacing in Lockdown Protocol, so any of them paired with the RX 5700 XT would produce results within a rounding error of the numbers shown here.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351, a 0.1% difference from the RX 5700 XT's 16361, making it a direct match. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell scores 16408, which is 0.3% higher, though that is a workstation card. The AMD Radeon PRO W7500 scores 16415, also 0.3% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 scores 16504, a 0.9% advantage. These GPUs would all produce nearly identical frame rates, so users with any of these cards should expect the same playability across resolutions.

The Verdict

This system can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience varies sharply by resolution. At 3840x2160, only Low settings clear 60 FPS, with an average of 74 FPS. Medium is borderline, averaging 52 FPS with a 44 FPS minimum, while High and Ultra are unplayable. At 2560x1440, High is the best playable preset at 71 FPS, Medium offers a more comfortable 81 FPS, and Low reaches 114 FPS, but Ultra fails at 53 FPS. At 1920x1080, the entire range of presets is playable, with Ultra at 72 FPS, High at 97 FPS, Medium at 111 FPS, and Low at 156 FPS. The verdict is clear: for 4K gaming, stick to Low; for 1440p, use High or Medium; for 1080p, max out everything. The CPU is not the weak link here, the GPU is, so lowering resolution or settings will unlock the full potential of the processor.