Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a remarkably consistent and high-performance experience in Lockdown Protocol. The data shows this combo clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and every preset tested, making it a versatile option for both competitive and high-fidelity play. Below is a detailed breakdown of its measured performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for this combination shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is overwhelmingly fast, with even the most demanding preset producing well over double the playable threshold. The Low preset yields an average FPS of 287.4, which is the highest recorded figure in the entire dataset. Moving up to Medium, the frame rate drops to 206.8 FPS, and High sees a further reduction to 179 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a strong 132.3 FPS average. This suggests that at 1080p, the limiting factor is almost certainly the CPU's single-thread performance at very low settings, though even so, it produces exceptional results.

At 2560x1440, performance remains extremely high but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. The Low preset delivers 210.6 FPS, which is still a massive framerate for competitive play. Medium settings average 149.5 FPS, while High drops slightly to 131.3 FPS. Notably, the gap between High and Ultra is more pronounced at this resolution than at 1080p, with Ultra averaging 96.6 FPS. This still leaves substantial headroom above the 60 FPS target, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB frame buffer and memory bandwidth are sufficient for 1440p gameplay without bottlenecking the CPU.

The most demanding scenario, 3840x2160, shows the combo is still viable, though the margins start to tighten. At 4K, the Low preset averages 137.2 FPS, which is an impressive result that highlights the raw compute power of the AD104 chip. Medium settings yield 98.9 FPS, while High drops to 85 FPS. The Ultra preset produces a 63.8 FPS average, which is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This indicates that the GPU is now the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, as the CPU performance is likely sufficient to feed the graphics card. The frametime consistency data (min/max) is not provided, but the average scores suggest a stable experience.

Best Settings per Resolution

Given the goal of staying at or above 60 FPS at all times, the data indicates you can run the maximum visual quality at every resolution. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is fully viable, with an average of 132.3 FPS. This is ideal for high refresh rate monitors, as it leaves ample headroom for fluctuations in complex scenes. For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains the best choice, delivering 96.6 FPS. This is a particularly impressive result, balancing sharp visuals with a framerate that is smooth and responsive. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is technically playable, averaging 63.8 FPS. While this clears the 60 FPS target, it is important to note that it is the only configuration at this resolution that is close to falling below the threshold. If you are sensitive to framerate dips, the High preset, at 85 FPS, offers a safer margin.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 63.8 FPS. While it clears the 60 FPS threshold, the margin is relatively small. For a more comfortable headroom, High settings at 4K provide an average of 85 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: According to the data, Ultra is the best setting for 2560x1440, achieving an average of 96.6 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold and probably offers the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth performance.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low?

A: The performance uplift varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, the Low preset (287.4 FPS) is more than twice as fast as Ultra (132.3 FPS). At 2560x1440, it is roughly 2.2 times faster, and at 4K, the Low preset (137.2 FPS) is over twice as fast as Ultra (63.8 FPS).

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a bottleneck for the Core Ultra 7 265K?

A: The data does not explicitly show a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The scaling from 1080p to 4K suggests that the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra result of 63.8 FPS is the only scenario where the combo is close to the performance ceiling.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at if I want to use a 144Hz monitor?

A: 2560x1440 appears to be the sweet spot. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 96.6 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz display as it can be used with G-Sync and stay comfortably within the 60-144 FPS range. At 1080p, the high framerates (132+ FPS) are also excellent for high refresh rate displays, but the visual upgrade at 1440p is substantial.

Q: Does the game become CPU-bound at any point?

A: The data suggests a CPU limit at high framerates. At 1080p Low, the system hits 287.4 FPS, which is a massive load. The scaling from 1080p Low to 1440p Low (210.6 FPS) and 4K Low (137.2 FPS) shows a steady decline, indicating that the GPU is able to render frames faster than the CPU can feed it. This is a typical scenario for well-optimized FPS games.

Similar Performance Alternatives

When considering the performance of this specific combination, the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context. The Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 70879. Its closest competitor is the Intel Xeon 6511P, which scores 71051, a delta of -0.2%. This indicates they are virtually identical in overall CPU performance. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 is also close, scoring 71370 (-0.7%), suggesting that a workstation platform could provide similar CPU-bound performance. In contrast, the Intel Core i7-14700KF is 1% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is 1.3% faster, both are near-peer rivals in this category.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 SUPER, which has an average benchmark score of 43223, is closely matched by the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, which scores 43262, a delta of -0.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile, with a score of 43268, is also extremely close, suggesting a mobile variant could offer similar raw performance. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (non-24GB) is -0.2% behind, and the RTX 4090 Mobile is -1% behind. This means that, from a synthetic benchmark perspective, these alternatives would behave quite similarly in Lockdown Protocol, though the data shows the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 4K Ultra.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear: this PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol at excellent quality. The data shows that the 60 FPS threshold is cleared at every resolution and quality setting combination tested. At 1920x1080, this combo is a powerhouse, with all presets exceeding 100 FPS, and Ultra hitting 132.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, it is the sweet spot for high refresh-rate gaming, with Ultra at 96.6 FPS. At 3840x2160, it is still playable, but the Ultra preset at 63.8 FPS is the only configuration close to the limit. This means you can play at 4K with ray tracing disabled and still maintain smooth, playable frame rates. The only minor consideration is that at 4K Ultra, there is less headroom, so the High preset (85 FPS) is recommended for a more consistent experience. The CPU and GPU are well-balanced, with a CPU bottleneck only appearing in the highest framerate scenarios at 1080p and Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Looking at the benchmark database, this combination ranks at 613 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 16.5% of all tested hardware configurations. While this rank is not the tip of the top, it is a very strong result. The fact that it achieves this rank while being a high-end but not extreme flagship setup (the RTX 4070 SUPER is the 83rd percentile GPU, and the Core Ultra 7 265K is the 94th percentile CPU) shows that the game is well-optimized for modern hardware. The benchmark results indicate that you are getting the majority of the performance headroom available. A higher rank would require a more expensive GPU, such as the RTX 4090, but the difference in playability is minimal at 1440p, as this combo already offers double the FPS threshold.