Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end desktop combination aimed at 4K and high-refresh-rate gaming. In Lockdown Protocol, this pairing delivers playable frame rates across all tested resolutions and presets, with the data showing a clear progression in performance as resolution scales down. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, component roles, and how this specific combo ranks against other tested configurations.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 73 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it remains playable.

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

A: The verdict data indicates that Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 113 FPS. Since this is above the 60 FPS threshold, Ultra is the recommended preset for this resolution.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 70879, which places it 0.2% below the Intel Xeon 6511P and 0.7% below the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270. It is 1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings yield an average of 333 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 155 FPS. This represents a substantial 178 FPS drop, indicating that the Ultra preset is roughly 53% slower than Low in average frame rate.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its closest rival in synthetic tests?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. This is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER, 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, 2.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, and 2.7% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S.

Q: Is there a resolution where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. The lowest average FPS recorded in the measured data is 73 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. Every other tested combination of resolution and preset exceeds this value.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU load shifts in Lockdown Protocol. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The average frame rate at Ultra settings is 73 FPS, which rises to 98 FPS at High, 112 FPS at Medium, and 157 FPS at Low. This scaling pattern indicates that reducing graphical load has a direct and significant impact on performance, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios at 4K.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates increase substantially across all presets. Ultra settings jump from 73 FPS at 4K to 113 FPS at 1440p, a 55% improvement. High settings rise from 98 FPS to 151 FPS, Medium from 112 FPS to 173 FPS, and Low from 157 FPS to 244 FPS. The relative gaps between presets remain consistent, but the overall headroom grows. This suggests that while the GPU is still the dominant factor, the CPU has more capacity to feed frames as resolution decreases.

At 1920x1080, the CPU begins to play a more prominent role. The average frame rates reach 155 FPS at Ultra, 206 FPS at High, 236 FPS at Medium, and 333 FPS at Low. The jump from 1440p to 1080p at Low settings is particularly telling: 244 FPS to 333 FPS represents a 36% increase. At these high frame rates, the Core Ultra 7 265K's 20 cores and 20 threads with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz are sufficient to keep up with the RTX 4080's output. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is no longer a limiting factor, and the GPU's raw throughput is the ceiling.

Across all resolutions, the delta between Low and Ultra settings is consistent. At 4K, the gap is 84 FPS (157 vs 73); at 1440p, it is 131 FPS (244 vs 113); at 1080p, it is 178 FPS (333 vs 155). This widening gap at lower resolutions underscores how the GPU becomes less saturated, allowing the CPU to push higher maximum frame rates. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset, as evidenced by the playable 73 FPS average.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K provide context for its synthetic performance. With an average benchmark score of 70879, the CPU sits within 1.3% of all four listed alternatives. The Intel Xeon 6511P is nearly identical at 71051 (0.2% higher), while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 scores 71370 (0.7% higher). On the other side, the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70163 is 1% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F at 69996 is 1.3% slower. In gaming workloads, these differences are negligible, meaning any of these CPUs would likely produce similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080's nearest rivals are all within a tight band. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, a mere 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080's 54247. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% slower, and the AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% slower. In practical terms, the RTX 4080 SUPER would deliver nearly identical performance in Lockdown Protocol, while the AMD options would trail by a small margin. The percentile data reinforces this: the RTX 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, and the CPU ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at every resolution and preset combination tested. The verdict data confirms that all four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080. At 4K, the best playable settings are Ultra with an average of 73 FPS, which is 13 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, Ultra settings deliver 113 FPS, and at 1080p, Ultra settings deliver 155 FPS. There is no configuration in the measured data that falls below 60 FPS.

The minimum FPS values, where recorded, reinforce this verdict. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum is 95 FPS and the maximum is 129 FPS. At 2560x1440 with Medium, the minimum is 147 FPS and the maximum is 199 FPS. At 1920x1080 with Medium, the minimum is 201 FPS and the maximum is 272 FPS. These figures indicate stable performance without severe frame drops, even in the most demanding scenarios.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 73 FPS. This is the highest graphical quality available in the test data, and it maintains playable performance. For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, High settings offer 98 FPS, Medium offers 112 FPS, and Low offers 157 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings are again the best choice, with an average of 113 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The alternative presets are all faster: High at 151 FPS, Medium at 173 FPS, and Low at 244 FPS.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings produce an average of 155 FPS, which is well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings reach 206 FPS, Medium reaches 236 FPS, and Low reaches 333 FPS. The data suggests that at 1080p, users can enable Ultra and still have substantial headroom for competitive play.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 205th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 5.5% of all configurations tested for this game. The high ranking is consistent with the component-level percentiles: the CPU is in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 86th percentile among all GPUs.

The rank reflects the balance between the two components. The CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35850 and a single-core score of 2020, ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU. The GPU's 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 76 RT cores provide ample raw power for modern FPS titles. The result is a system that consistently delivers frame rates well above the playable threshold across all tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 157 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Medium: Average 112 FPS, minimum 95 FPS, maximum 129 FPS.
• High: Average 98 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Ultra: Average 73 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.

At 4K, the frame rate scales predictably with settings. The drop from Low to Ultra is 84 FPS, and the Medium preset's minimum of 95 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, performance stays well above the 60 FPS threshold.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 244 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Medium: Average 173 FPS, minimum 147 FPS, maximum 199 FPS.
• High: Average 151 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Ultra: Average 113 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.

The 1440p results show a 131 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The Medium preset's minimum of 147 FPS is particularly strong, suggesting that this resolution is well-suited for high-refresh-rate displays even with moderate settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 333 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Medium: Average 236 FPS, minimum 201 FPS, maximum 272 FPS.
• High: Average 206 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.
• Ultra: Average 155 FPS. No minimum or maximum recorded.

At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-limited at Low settings, where the 333 FPS average approaches the practical limits of the Core Ultra 7 265K. Even at Ultra, the 155 FPS average is more than sufficient for competitive play. The Medium preset's minimum of 201 FPS ensures that frame pacing remains consistent even during intense action sequences.

Across all resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 4080 and Core Ultra 7 265K combination provides a surplus of performance for Lockdown Protocol. The lowest recorded average is 73 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still 13 FPS above the playable threshold. For users willing to adjust settings, the system can deliver over 300 FPS at 1080p Low, making it suitable for the highest refresh rate displays available.