Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers an average of 70 FPS on High settings, with no minimum or maximum values recorded for that preset. Dropping to Low raises the average to 113 FPS, while Medium lands at 80 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 68 FPS and maximum of 92 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only 4K configuration that falls below the playable threshold, producing an average of 53 FPS. The scaling from Medium to High at this resolution is a drop of 10 FPS, and from High to Ultra a further 17 FPS decline.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same combination produces an average of 109 FPS on High, 175 FPS on Low, 124 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 106 FPS and maximum of 143 FPS, and 81 FPS on Ultra. The Ultra preset at 1440p maintains a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold, unlike at 4K where it dips below. The step from Medium to High costs 15 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 28 FPS, showing that the highest preset carries a substantial rendering load at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the recorded averages are 148 FPS on High, 239 FPS on Low, 170 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 144 FPS and maximum of 195 FPS, and 111 FPS on Ultra. Every preset at 1080p clears the playable threshold by a wide margin, with even the most demanding setting nearly doubling the 60 FPS baseline. The Low preset approaches the 240 FPS mark, which indicates headroom for high-refresh-rate displays at this resolution.

Across all three resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Low always delivers the highest average, followed by Medium, then High, then Ultra. The spread between Low and Ultra grows with resolution, from 128 FPS at 1080p to 60 FPS at 1440p and 60 FPS at 4K. Notably, the gap between Medium and High is smaller than the gap between High and Ultra at every resolution, suggesting the Ultra preset introduces disproportionately heavy effects.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this CPU and GPU pairing ranks 1202 out of 3714 total combos. That places it in the upper third of all tested systems, roughly in the 68th percentile of configurations recorded for this game. The rank reflects the combined capability of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the RTX 4080 across all measured resolutions and presets.

The GPU alone sits at the 86th percentile among all graphics cards in the database, while the CPU sits at the 85th percentile among all processors. Both components are near the top of their respective distributions, which explains why the pairing performs strongly in a competitive FPS title. The combo rank of 1202, while not top-tier, is respectable given the large number of configurations tested, and the measured frame rates confirm that the system handles the game comfortably at most settings.

The recorded data shows that the bottleneck profile shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant, while at 4K the GPU's raw throughput dominates. The RTX 4080's 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 716.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth provide ample headroom for high-resolution rendering, while the Core Ultra 9 185H's 22 threads and 5.10 GHz boost clock keep the frame pipeline fed at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H in the database's average benchmark scores are the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350, the Intel Core 7 250H, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X. The Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 scores 35719 on average, which is 0.1% lower than the Core Ultra 9 185H's 35670. The Core 7 250H scores 35728, a 0.2% delta. The Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 scores 35802, 0.4% higher, and the Ryzen 7 7700X scores 35909, 0.7% higher. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, meaning any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the closest rival, with an average score of 54209 versus the RTX 4080's 54247, a delta of just 0.1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, 2.6% higher, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, 2.7% higher. These differences are small enough that a user swapping between these GPUs would see nearly identical frame rates in this title, though the RTX 4080 SUPER is the most direct equivalent.

A system using any of these CPU alternatives with the RTX 4080 would behave almost identically in Lockdown Protocol, since the sub-1% CPU deltas translate to negligible FPS differences. Similarly, the RTX 4080 SUPER with the Core Ultra 9 185H would produce frame rates within the margin of measurement error of the recorded data. The practical takeaway is that this performance tier is well-populated, and small benchmark deltas do not meaningfully alter the gaming experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the High preset delivers 70 FPS average, Low delivers 113 FPS, and Medium delivers 80 FPS, all above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 53 FPS, which falls below the threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p for this combination?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 produces an average of 81 FPS, making it the most demanding setting that remains playable. All four presets at this resolution clear the 60 FPS line, with Low at 175 FPS, Medium at 124 FPS, and High at 109 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest GPU rival in the database?

A: The RTX 4080 averages 54247 in benchmark scores, while the RTX 4080 SUPER averages 54209, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% higher at 54828, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% higher at 55698.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset reaches 239 FPS average, which suggests the CPU's single-thread performance and the GPU's high rasterization throughput both contribute. The Core Ultra 9 185H scores 1810.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and the RTX 4080 provides 280.6 GPixel/s pixel rate, so the system has headroom in both areas at this resolution.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p on Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 averages 170 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS. This remains well above the 60 FPS threshold even in the worst recorded moment.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: It ranks 1202 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all configurations in the database. The CPU is at the 85th percentile among all processors, and the GPU is at the 86th percentile among all graphics cards.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset hits 239 FPS, which is close to what the CPU can feed given its 22 threads and 5.10 GHz boost clock. The GPU's 48.74 TFLOPS of compute is more than sufficient at this resolution, so the limiting factor becomes how quickly the CPU can issue draw calls and process game logic. The Core Ultra 9 185H's PassMark single-thread score of 3697 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1810.5 indicate strong per-core performance, which matters for a competitive FPS where frame times are tight.

At 2560x1440, the load shifts toward the GPU. The Ultra preset averages 81 FPS, down from 111 FPS at 1080p, a 27% reduction. Medium at 1440p averages 124 FPS versus 170 FPS at 1080p, a 27% drop as well. The consistent percentage drop across presets indicates that pixel throughput is becoming the limiting factor. The RTX 4080's 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth and 304 texture mapping units handle the increased resolution, but the scaling shows the GPU working harder.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly dominant. The Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, below the playable threshold, while High manages 70 FPS. The 4K resolution demands 4 times the pixel fill of 1080p, and the RTX 4080's 280.6 GPixel/s pixel rate is taxed heavily. The CPU's role diminishes here because the frame rate is capped by the GPU's rendering throughput. The fact that Low at 4K reaches 113 FPS, while Ultra drops to 53 FPS, shows that shading and effects complexity, not just resolution, drive the GPU load.

Preset scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 69 FPS, Medium to High costs 22 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 37 FPS. At 4K, Low to Medium costs 33 FPS, Medium to High costs 10 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 17 FPS. The absolute drops are larger at lower resolutions because the starting frame rates are higher, but the percentage drops are more severe at 4K, confirming the GPU-bound nature of high-resolution rendering.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 70 FPS. Medium also qualifies with 80 FPS, and Low reaches 113 FPS, but Ultra falls short at 53 FPS. For users prioritizing visual quality at 4K, High is the ceiling.

At 2560x1440, all four presets clear the threshold. The best setting is Ultra, which averages 81 FPS. This provides the maximum visual fidelity while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, and the recorded minimums for Medium at 106 FPS suggest that even the most demanding preset would not dip below the playable line.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best setting, averaging 111 FPS. The margin above the threshold is substantial, giving users headroom for dips during intense combat scenes. Low reaches 239 FPS, which is useful for high-refresh-rate monitors, but Ultra offers the full visual experience without sacrificing playability.

The Verdict

This system can run Lockdown Protocol successfully at all three tested resolutions, with the single exception of 4K Ultra. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best choice at 70 FPS average. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, and Ultra delivers 81 FPS average. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra at 111 FPS average.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 4K users should stick to High or Medium settings to stay above the 60 FPS threshold, while 1440p and 1080p users can enable Ultra without concern. The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and the Core Ultra 9 185H's 16 cores and 22 threads provide a balanced platform for this FPS title. The only configuration that fails the playability test is 4K Ultra, which averages 53 FPS, 7 FPS below the threshold. For everyone else, this combination delivers smooth, responsive gameplay across the board.