Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a robust performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, with benchmark results showing a clear progression from playable to exceptionally high frame rates as resolution decreases. This combination of a 14-core Arrow Lake processor and an Ampere-generation GPU demonstrates a balanced capability that handles the game’s demands across all tested settings. The data indicates that the system comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold in most scenarios, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra preset falling short. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it against similar hardware, and identifies the optimal settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the benchmark data shows a wide spread in average frame rates depending on the graphics preset. The Low setting produces an average of 118 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 84 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS. The High preset averages 73 FPS, which is notably lower than Medium despite being the next step up in quality. The Ultra preset is the only configuration at this resolution that falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, averaging just 55 FPS. This pattern suggests a significant performance cost associated with the Ultra preset’s additional visual effects, creating a 29 FPS gap between Low and High settings, and an 18 FPS drop from High to Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope expands considerably. The Low preset averages 183 FPS, while Medium averages 130 FPS, with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 149 FPS. High settings deliver 113 FPS on average, and Ultra remains well above the playability threshold at 85 FPS. The scaling between presets is more linear here compared to 4K, with each step from Low to Ultra representing a roughly 20-30% reduction in average FPS. The minimum frame rate recorded at Medium (110 FPS) still exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by a substantial margin, indicating consistent performance even during demanding scenes.

At 1920x1080, the system reaches its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 249 FPS, approaching the refresh rate limits of many high-end monitors. Medium settings average 177 FPS, with a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS. The High preset averages 155 FPS, and even Ultra maintains an average of 116 FPS. The minimum recorded frame rate at Medium, 151 FPS, is higher than the average frame rate at 4K Ultra (55 FPS), demonstrating the dramatic impact of resolution on this hardware combination. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 133 FPS, showing that the CPU and GPU combination has ample headroom even at the highest quality settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores provide context for its processing capability. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 achieves an average benchmark score of 48,995, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49,196, a delta of -0.4% relative to the Intel chip. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49,228, also -0.5% below the Core Ultra 5 245. On the Intel side, the Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48,698, which is 0.6% higher, and the Core i5-14600K scores 48,618, representing a 0.8% advantage. These deltas are all within one percentage point, indicating that the Core Ultra 5 245 performs nearly identically to these four alternatives in synthetic benchmarks, meaning users transitioning from any of these CPUs would experience virtually no difference in Lockdown Protocol’s CPU-bound scenarios.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 achieves an average benchmark score of 23,172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 with a score of 23,249 (-0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 at 23,250 (-0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M at 23,273 (-0.4% delta). The AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23,276, also -0.4% relative to the RTX 3080. These remarkably close scores suggest that in Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 3080 would deliver frame rates nearly indistinguishable from these alternative GPUs, though the specific architectural differences could manifest differently in certain game scenarios. The percentile ranking at 68% of all GPUs indicates that while it is not a top-tier card, it sits comfortably above the median performer.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how the CPU and GPU divide responsibilities in Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 249 FPS on Low settings, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough frames to saturate even very high refresh rate displays. The drop to 116 FPS at Ultra settings at 1080p indicates that the GPU becomes more constrained as visual complexity increases, but the absolute frame rates remain high enough to suggest neither component is the sole bottleneck. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a predictable decrease: Low settings drop from 249 to 183 FPS (-26.5%), while Ultra drops from 116 to 85 FPS (-26.7%). This proportional scaling suggests that both components are being utilized consistently across resolutions, with no single component creating a disproportionate bottleneck.

At 4K, the picture changes. The Low preset still manages 118 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 55 FPS, a 53.4% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result. This disproportionate drop at higher resolutions indicates the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at 4K, as the pixel throughput demand exceeds what the RTX 3080 can deliver at the highest quality settings. The CPU’s role appears more significant at lower resolutions where frame rates are higher, as the 14-core processor (running at up to 5.10 GHz boost clock) must generate draw calls and physics calculations quickly enough to keep the GPU fed. The data shows that at 1080p, the system is likely CPU-limited at Low settings (249 FPS), while at 4K Ultra, it is clearly GPU-limited (55 FPS). The balanced scaling between 1080p and 1440p indicates that this combination hits a sweet spot where both components contribute meaningfully to overall performance.

The Verdict

The benchmark data confirms that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol effectively across most configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold, with the Ultra preset averaging 116 FPS. This makes 1080p the most versatile resolution, allowing players to select any quality level without compromising smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, the system also clears 60 FPS on every preset, with Ultra averaging 85 FPS, providing a substantial margin above the minimum playability threshold. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 130 FPS, offering a strong balance for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The Low, Medium, and High presets all remain playable, with High averaging 73 FPS and Medium averaging 84 FPS. However, the Ultra preset falls to 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict data lists High as the best playable setting at 4K, with an average of 73 FPS. This means players with 4K displays should choose High settings for the optimal combination of visual fidelity and smooth performance. The game is therefore fully playable at all resolutions except for 4K Ultra, where a reduction to High settings is necessary to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1,031 out of 3,714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 27.8% of all configurations tested, indicating that it outperforms the majority of systems while not being among the most elite hardware setups. The rank suggests that this pairing is well-suited for the game, delivering performance that would satisfy most players. The CPU’s 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs is notably higher than the GPU’s 68th percentile ranking, suggesting that the processor has more headroom relative to its peers than the graphics card does. This asymmetry implies that future GPU upgrades could unlock additional performance in Lockdown Protocol, while the CPU is unlikely to be a limiting factor in most scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the system can run the game at 3840x2160 with Low (118 FPS), Medium (84 FPS), and High (73 FPS) presets. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, so High is the recommended maximum setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 85 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at this resolution, with Medium providing a comfortable 130 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48,995 on average, which is within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, AMD Ryzen 9 7900, Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, and Intel Core i5-14600K. This indicates nearly identical processing performance among these options.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 249 FPS, suggesting the CPU is likely limiting performance at this high frame rate. However, at Ultra settings (116 FPS), the GPU becomes more influential, though neither component appears to be a severe bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 4K according to the verdict data?

A: The verdict data lists High as the best playable setting at 3840x2160, with an average frame rate of 73 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while remaining above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does this system rank compared to all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 1,031 out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the top 27.8% of all systems tested in Lockdown Protocol. This indicates solid performance relative to the broader hardware landscape.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is High, which averages 73 FPS. While Medium offers a higher frame rate (84 FPS), High provides better visual quality while still clearing the threshold with a comfortable margin. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 55 FPS, falling short of the 60 FPS requirement.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 85 FPS. This allows players to experience the game’s maximum visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that is 25 FPS above the playability threshold. The High preset at this resolution averages 113 FPS for those who prefer higher refresh rates, but Ultra is fully playable.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 116 FPS, making it the recommended setting. This provides the highest quality visuals with frame rates that are nearly double the 60 FPS threshold. For competitive players seeking maximum responsiveness, the Low preset achieves 249 FPS, but Ultra remains the best balance of quality and performance at this resolution.