Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a highly capable Lockdown Protocol experience, but its performance ceiling is strictly defined by resolution. Benchmark data indicates the combo is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p, with headroom for maximum settings, while 4K requires a compromise on graphical fidelity to maintain smooth frame rates. The system’s 1080p performance is exceptional, and the 1440p results are strong enough to recommend the combo for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, at 4K, the RTX 4060 becomes the limiting factor, preventing the Ultra preset from hitting the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a clear progression of performance across resolutions and presets, with the most detailed data available for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the system operates at a very high level. The Low preset delivers an average of 189 FPS, while the High preset produces 117 FPS. The Ultra preset still manages an average of 88 FPS. The Medium preset provides a complete data set, showing an average of 134 FPS, with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS. This indicates the CPU-GPU combo has significant headroom at 1080p, as even the most demanding settings stay well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down as expected, but the system remains robust. The Low preset achieves an average of 138 FPS, and the High preset reaches 86 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 64 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold. The Medium preset again offers the most granular data, with an average of 98 FPS, a minimum of 83 FPS, and a maximum of 113 FPS. The data shows that the transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 25-30% of the average frame rate at each corresponding preset, reflecting the increased pixel count on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the performance drop becomes more pronounced, and the system begins to struggle with the highest settings. The Low preset still delivers a playable average of 89 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS. The High preset dips to an average of 55 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, averaging only 42 FPS. The data indicates that at 4K, the system is pushed to its limits, and only the Low and Medium presets can maintain consistent playable frame rates.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdict data defines the best settings as the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS. For 1920x1080, the answer is straightforward: the Ultra preset is playable, with an average of 88 FPS. This means users can enable the highest graphical settings and still enjoy a comfortable margin above the playable threshold, making the Ultra preset the definitive choice for this resolution.

For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset remains the best option, but with a much slimmer margin. The average FPS at Ultra is 64, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by only 4 frames. While this is technically playable, the data suggests that this setting leaves little room for dips in performance during intense gameplay sequences. The High preset, at 86 FPS, offers a safer buffer, but the Ultra preset is the designated best setting according to the data.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. The Ultra preset is unplayable, averaging 42 FPS, and the High preset also fails to meet the threshold, averaging 55 FPS. The best playable setting is Medium, which achieves an average of 63 FPS. The data validates this choice, as the Medium preset is the highest quality setting that consistently stays above 60 FPS, even though the minimum FPS of 54 suggests occasional dips below the threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom for the game’s logic at lower resolutions. The scaling between resolutions and presets shows a clear division of labor. At 1920x1080, the CPU is likely the more dominant factor, as the frame rates are exceptionally high across all presets, suggesting the GPU is not fully saturated. The jump in FPS from Ultra (88) to Low (189) demonstrates that the GPU has significant spare capacity at this resolution, and the CPU is able to feed it with data quickly enough to produce frame rates approaching 200.

As the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU’s role becomes more prominent. The average frame rates drop proportionally, indicating that the GPU is now working harder to render the additional pixels. The difference between the Low (138 FPS) and Ultra (64 FPS) presets shows that the GPU’s fill rate and shading power are being taxed more heavily. The CPU still keeps pace, but the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor in determining maximum frame rates.

The data from 3840x2160 confirms that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The frame rates compress significantly, with the Low preset at 89 FPS and the Ultra preset at 42 FPS. This compression suggests that the CPU is no longer a limiting factor at this resolution; instead, the GPU’s raw compute power and memory bandwidth are the constraints. The RTX 4060’s 8 GB of memory and 128-bit bus are likely insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings, which is why the Ultra preset falls so far behind the playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering this build, the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide a sense of what similar performance looks like. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64,640, placing it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores 64,823, a delta of -0.3%, indicating virtually identical performance. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F is also extremely close, scoring 64,438, a delta of 0.3%. These results suggest that swapping to either of these alternatives would yield no perceptible change in Lockdown Protocol’s frame rates, as the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17,639, placing it in the 61st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17,666, a delta of -0.2%. This is a surprising match, as the HD 7790 is an older, lower-tier card, but the benchmark scores indicate they perform similarly in synthetic tests. The AMD Radeon 780M is also close, scoring 17,588, a delta of 0.3%. In practical terms, these alternatives would behave similarly in Lockdown Protocol, meaning users should expect comparable frame rates at the same resolutions and settings.

The Verdict

The verdict data confirms that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol effectively, but the experience varies significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset averages 88 FPS, providing an excellent experience with maximum graphical fidelity. This is the ideal resolution for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the system also delivers a playable experience across all presets. The Ultra preset averages 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, but the margin is slim. Users who prioritize consistent frame rates over maximum quality might prefer the High preset, which averages 86 FPS. The data supports the verdict that all settings are playable at this resolution, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The Ultra preset is unplayable, averaging 42 FPS, and the High preset falls just short, averaging 55 FPS. The best playable setting is Medium, which averages 63 FPS. While this is technically playable, the minimum FPS of 54 indicates that users may experience occasional stutters. The Low preset offers a more stable experience at 89 FPS, but it sacrifices graphical quality. The data suggests that 4K gaming is possible, but only with reduced settings, making it a less compelling option for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2009 out of 3714 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places the combo in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a reasonable result given the mid-range nature of the GPU. The rank reflects the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is clearly capable of supporting much higher frame rates than the RTX 4060 can deliver at 4K.

The 93rd percentile ranking for the CPU and the 61st percentile ranking for the GPU highlight the performance disparity. The CPU is a top-tier component, while the GPU is decidedly mid-range. This imbalance is evident in the benchmark results: at 1080p, the system performs like a high-end machine, but at 4K, it falls to average levels. The combo rank of 2009 out of 3714 suggests that while the system is perfectly capable for 1080p and 1440p gaming, it is not a top-tier 4K solution. Users seeking higher 4K performance would need to consider a more powerful GPU, while those focused on 1080p or 1440p will find this combo to be a strong performer.