Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination delivers an exceptional performance profile for Lockdown Protocol, placing this pairing in the 70th percentile of all 3,714 tested combos. This rank indicates that while the hardware is potent, it is not at the absolute apex of the database; a substantial number of configurations produce higher average frame rates. The data suggests that this system’s performance is heavily dictated by the GPU’s immense rasterization power, which allows it to dominate at lower resolutions, while the CPU’s 20-core architecture ensures that frame pacing remains stable even when the graphics card is pushed to its limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 70 out of 3,714 tested combinations places it in the top 1.9% of all systems evaluated for Lockdown Protocol. This is a strong result, but the percentile position—93rd for the CPU and 88th for the GPU—reveals a nuanced picture. The CPU’s percentile is higher than the GPU’s, suggesting that the processor’s multi-threaded capabilities (evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216) are more exceptional relative to its peers than the GPU’s raw graphics throughput. However, in a game like Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth are the primary drivers of the high frame rates observed.

The rank implies that while this system is overkill for most gaming scenarios, it is not the definitive top-tier setup. The gap between this combo and the #1 ranked system is not quantifiable from the provided data, but the 70th rank suggests that configurations with even more specialized hardware (possibly newer GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread scores) achieve better average FPS. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 4464P (which scores 0.3% lower), indicate that the CPU is in a performance class where minor architectural differences translate to negligible real-world gaming deltas. For Lockdown Protocol, the combination’s rank reflects the RTX 4090’s ability to brute-force high frame rates, yet it also hints that the CPU’s 20 threads are not fully utilized by the game’s engine, which likely scales better with raw clock speed.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 81 FPS. This is a clear victory for the RTX 4090, as it manages to keep the game playable at maximum settings even at 4K resolution. The data shows a predictable scaling: High averages 108 FPS, Medium 124 FPS, and Low 174 FPS. The jump from Ultra to High is significant (a 27 FPS increase), suggesting that the Ultra preset’s additional effects (likely shadows and reflections) are taxing the GPU heavily. At 2560x1440, the best setting remains Ultra, with an average of 125 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, and the scaling is linear: High (167 FPS), Medium (192 FPS), and Low (270 FPS). The 1440p results demonstrate that the system has ample headroom, as even the most demanding preset doubles the playability threshold.

For 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best setting, achieving an average of 171 FPS. The lower resolutions show diminishing returns, with Low hitting 368 FPS—a figure that exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors. The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU becomes a more significant factor, as the RTX 4090 is not the bottleneck. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra (171) is more than double the 4K Ultra figure (81), which underscores the GPU’s scaling across resolutions. In all cases, the verdictByResolution confirms that every preset at every resolution clears the 60 FPS threshold, making this combo a "max everything" solution. The min FPS recordings are only available for Medium presets (e.g., 105 FPS at 4K), but these values suggest that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not dip below the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions and a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions. At 3840x2160, the difference between Low (174 FPS) and Ultra (81 FPS) is 93 FPS, a 53% reduction. This dramatic drop indicates that the GPU’s shading units (16,384) and texture mapping units (512) are the limiting factor when visual complexity increases. The RTX 4090’s 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate is strained by the 4K resolution’s pixel count, and the Ultra preset’s effects exacerbate this. In contrast, at 1920x1080, the gap between Low (368 FPS) and Ultra (171 FPS) is 197 FPS, a 53.5% reduction—similar percentage-wise, but the absolute FPS values are so high that the CPU’s 20 threads (with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost of 5.30 GHz) are likely the limiting factor.

The scaling between resolutions at the same preset is telling. For Ultra, the FPS drops from 171 at 1080p to 125 at 1440p (a 27% reduction) and then to 81 at 4K (a 35% reduction from 1440p). This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (1.01 TB/s) is sufficient for 1440p but becomes a bottleneck at 4K. Conversely, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 368 at 1080p to 270 at 1440p (a 27% reduction) and then to 174 at 4K (a 36% reduction). The consistent percentage drops across presets imply that the game’s engine is well-optimized for GPU scaling, and the CPU’s role is secondary. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265’s Passmark single-thread score of 4,689 is strong, but its multi-thread score of 49,682 suggests that Lockdown Protocol does not leverage all 20 cores effectively, as the FPS differences are primarily driven by GPU load.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data, the CPU’s closest alternative is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, which has an average benchmark score 0.3% higher than the 265. In gaming, this delta is imperceptible, meaning a system with the 265F would produce virtually identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The AMD EPYC 4464P scores 0.3% lower, and while it is a server-class chip, its 20-core configuration would likely yield similar gaming performance, though its power characteristics differ (the 265 has a TDP of 65W). The AMD EPYC 9124 scores 0.7% higher, but again, the gaming impact is minimal. These rivals suggest that the CPU is in a performance plateau where minor score differences do not translate to FPS changes.

For the GPU, the nearestRivals are surprising: the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% higher), and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (2.5% lower). These are professional-grade cards, not consumer gaming GPUs, and their similar average scores (around 60,000) are misleading because the RTX 4090’s Passmark G3D score of 38,194 is far higher than any of these rivals. The benchmark average includes compute workloads, which skew the comparison. In practice, the RTX 4090 is in a class of its own for gaming, and the nearestRivals list does not reflect true gaming alternatives. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 (2.9% lower) would be significantly slower in Lockdown Protocol due to its lower shading unit count. The data implies that for gaming, there is no true "similar" GPU to the RTX 4090 among these rivals; they are closer in synthetic benchmarks but not in real-world FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured FPS is as follows: Low settings average 174 FPS, Medium 124 FPS (with a min of 105 and max of 142), High 108 FPS, and Ultra 81 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data, and the 105 FPS min is a strong indicator of stability, as it remains well above the 60 FPS threshold. The absence of min/max for other presets does not imply instability, but rather that the data collection focused on Medium for variance analysis. At 2560x1440, Low averages 270 FPS, Medium 192 FPS (min 163, max 220), High 167 FPS, and Ultra 125 FPS. The 1440p Medium min of 163 FPS is particularly robust, suggesting that even in the most chaotic scenes, the system never drops below 2.7x the playable threshold.

For 1920x1080, the results are: Low 368 FPS, Medium 261 FPS (min 222, max 301), High 228 FPS, and Ultra 171 FPS. The 1080p Medium min of 222 FPS is higher than the 4K Ultra average, which highlights the GPU’s dominance at lower resolutions. The FPS data shows a consistent pattern: each step down in settings yields roughly a 25-30% increase in average FPS, regardless of resolution. This linearity suggests that the game’s graphics options have a uniform impact on GPU load. The max FPS values (e.g., 301 at 1080p Medium) approach the limits of what the CPU can feed the GPU, as the RTX 4090 is capable of rendering far more frames than the 20-thread processor can support in some scenarios.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 81 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in the game?

A: The highest recorded average is 368 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The FPS drops from 270 at Low to 125 at Ultra, a 54% reduction, while the CPU’s 20 threads are not fully utilized.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 70th out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.9% of all configurations.

Q: Which setting provides the most stable frame rate, based on min FPS data?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 has a min FPS of 222 and a max of 301, showing the narrowest variance relative to its average of 261 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average is 81 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which still exceeds the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol, and it does so with authority. The verdictByResolution data confirms that every resolution (3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080) supports all four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—all of which clear the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best settings per resolution are Ultra, with average FPS of 81 at 4K, 125 at 1440p, and 171 at 1080p. The data shows that the RTX 4090 is the star player, delivering playable frame rates even at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 provides sufficient single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,960) to avoid bottlenecking at lower resolutions. For gamers seeking a "max everything" experience, this combo is more than adequate, with the only caveat being that the 4K Ultra average of 81 FPS leaves less headroom for future game updates or more demanding scenes. The system is a top-tier performer, ranking in the 70th percentile of all tested combos, and it will deliver a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience at 1440p and 1080p, with a still-impressive 4K performance that exceeds the 60 FPS standard.