Lockdown Protocol

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 806th out of 3,714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. That places this combination in the top 22% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a mobile CPU paired with a flagship desktop GPU. The ranking reflects the GPU's massive compute advantage, but the CPU's position in the overall processor hierarchy limits how far this combo can climb.

The CPU itself sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms roughly 84% of all processors tested. The GPU, meanwhile, reaches the 88th percentile among all GPUs. Both components are above average, but the GPU's raw performance is what carries this combo's ranking in a fast-paced FPS title like Lockdown Protocol. The combination of a high-end mobile processor and an end-of-life flagship desktop GPU produces a system that is clearly capable, though the CPU is not the strongest available.

CPU and GPU Roles

In Lockdown Protocol, the split of workload between the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and the RTX 4090 shifts noticeably as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU has more influence because frame rates are extremely high. The recorded data shows 262 FPS at Low settings, 186 FPS at Medium, 162 FPS at High, and 122 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 140 FPS, which indicates that settings heavily affect the load placed on both components.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take a larger role. Low settings produce 192 FPS, Medium 136 FPS, High 119 FPS, and Ultra 89 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 103 FPS. At 3840x2160, the GPU dominates the workload. Low settings yield 124 FPS, Medium 88 FPS, High 77 FPS, and Ultra 58 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 66 FPS.

The scaling pattern reveals that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings reduces average FPS from 162 to 119, a drop of 43 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings reduces average FPS from 119 to 77, a drop of 42 FPS. The CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but at 4K the GPU's rendering limits become the bottleneck. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution above 1080p, as the GPU's workload scales more steeply with resolution than the CPU's.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings average 262 FPS, which is far beyond the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings average 186 FPS, with a minimum of 158 FPS and a maximum of 214 FPS. High settings average 162 FPS. Ultra settings average 122 FPS. All four presets clear 60 FPS with substantial headroom, and even the lowest recorded minimum (158 FPS at Medium) stays well above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low settings average 192 FPS. Medium settings average 136 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. High settings average 119 FPS. Ultra settings average 89 FPS. Every preset at 1440p clears the 60 FPS threshold, and the Ultra preset's 89 FPS average provides a comfortable margin for competitive play.

At 3840x2160, the system starts to show limits at the highest preset. Low settings average 124 FPS. Medium settings average 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. High settings average 77 FPS. Ultra settings average 58 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows that High is the best playable setting at 4K, with an average of 77 FPS, while Ultra is not recommended if the goal is maintaining a consistent 60 FPS or higher.

The recorded data also reveals that the RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for this game at any resolution. The GPU's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power drives the high frame rates seen at 1080p and 1440p, and even at 4K the only preset that dips below 60 FPS is Ultra.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are all very close in average benchmark score. The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H scores 33,989, which is 0.3% higher than the Core Ultra 7 165H's 34,083 average. The AMD EPYC 4244P scores 34,220, which is 0.4% lower. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 scores 34,222, also 0.4% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X scores 34,260, which is 0.5% lower. These four processors are essentially equivalent in terms of overall benchmark performance, meaning any of them would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same RTX 4090.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are more varied. The Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60,326, which is 0.0% different from the RTX 4090's 60,347 average. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60,140, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61,896, which is 2.5% lower. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58,657, which is 2.9% higher. These deltas are small, but the RTX 4090's advantage in raw gaming performance is not fully captured by average benchmark scores. The recorded FPS in Lockdown Protocol reflects the GPU's actual gaming capability, which is far ahead of these workstation-oriented rivals.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 58, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which averages 77 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 89 FPS, making it the best preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets at 1440p are playable.

Q: How much performance drops from Low to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 262 FPS while Ultra settings average 122 FPS. That is a drop of 140 FPS, or roughly 53% lower performance at Ultra compared to Low.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the main limiting factor at 3840x2160. The RTX 4090's rendering load scales heavily with resolution, while the CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads are sufficient to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the lowest recorded FPS in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 75 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. All other presets either have no reported minimum or stay above 116 FPS.

Q: Does this combo exceed the 60 FPS threshold at all tested settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average is 58 FPS, which is below 60. Every other combination of resolution and preset clears 60 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS or higher across the vast majority of tested settings. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 122 FPS and Low reaching 262 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 89 FPS and Low hitting 192 FPS. At 3840x2160, High, Medium, and Low are playable, with High being the best settings choice at 77 FPS average. Ultra at 4K is the only configuration that fails to meet the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 58 FPS.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination is well matched for this game at 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU's power is fully utilized. At 4K, the system remains highly capable, but players who want to use Ultra settings will need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS. For competitive play, 1440p Ultra with 89 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. For maximum smoothness, 1080p Medium with 186 FPS average and a minimum of 158 FPS ensures no dips below the playable threshold. The verdict is clear: this combo delivers a strong experience in Lockdown Protocol at nearly every resolution and preset.