Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a broad range of performance in Lockdown Protocol, with results varying dramatically based on resolution and quality preset. The measured data shows this combination is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains playable only at reduced settings. This analysis breaks down the exact frame rates, component roles, and comparative standing of this hardware pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 245. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 174 FPS, with a minimum of 148 and a maximum of 200. High settings yield an average of 152 FPS. The most demanding preset at 1080p, Ultra, still maintains an average of 114 FPS. This progression shows a consistent scaling curve where each step up in quality costs roughly 20-25% of the previous frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a clearer impact from the increased pixel count. Low settings average 180 FPS, which is 65 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 and a maximum of 147. High settings produce an average of 112 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p deliver 84 FPS on average, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The gap between 1080p and 1440p grows as settings increase, suggesting a growing GPU limitation.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings average 116 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 129 FPS reduction from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 95. High settings produce an average of 72 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K fall below the playable threshold, averaging just 54 FPS. The data shows that 4K Ultra is the only configuration in the entire measured set that fails to reach 60 FPS average.

The minimum and maximum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the range spans from 148 to 200 FPS, indicating a 52 FPS variance. At 1440p Medium, the range is 109 to 147 FPS, a 38 FPS variance. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 70 to 95 FPS, a 25 FPS variance. This tightening range at higher resolutions suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent when the GPU is more heavily loaded.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals which component limits performance in Lockdown Protocol. At 1080p Low, the average of 245 FPS is exceptionally high, indicating that the CPU is likely the primary driver at this setting. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, provides substantial headroom for this workload. The CPU's benchmark scores support this interpretation, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303.

As resolution increases to 1440p and then to 4K, the frame rates drop in a pattern consistent with GPU-bound scaling. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces average FPS from 245 to 180, a 26.5% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K Low reduces the average from 180 to 116, a 35.6% decrease. This accelerating drop indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 9070 becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions, particularly as pixel count increases.

The settings scaling within each resolution further clarifies the component split. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 131 FPS (245 to 114), showing that the GPU has significant headroom to handle increased graphical load. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 62 FPS (116 to 54), a smaller absolute change but a larger relative one. The GPU's specifications, including 3584 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, are clearly being stressed at 4K Ultra.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is more relevant for achieving maximum frame rates, while at 4K, the GPU dominates the performance equation. At 1440p, the system appears well-balanced, with both components contributing meaningfully. The 4K Ultra result of 54 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU cannot sustain the highest preset at this resolution regardless of CPU capability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus provide context for its CPU performance. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has an average benchmark score of 83807, which is 0.2% lower than the 290K Plus's 84003 average. The AMD EPYC 4584PX scores 83090, 1.1% lower. The AMD EPYC 9135 scores 82980, 1.2% lower. The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, which is 1.3% higher. These deltas are all within a narrow 2.5% band, indicating that the 290K Plus performs essentially identically to these alternatives in synthetic benchmarks.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 9070's nearest rivals show similar clustering. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z has an average score of 23736, which is 0.6% lower than the RX 9070's 23877. The AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 24063, 0.8% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile scores 23628, 1.1% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER scores 24170, 1.2% higher. The RX 9070 sits in the middle of this group, with the RTX 2080 SUPER being the closest higher-performing alternative.

In practical terms, a system with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K instead of the 290K Plus would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, given the 0.2% benchmark difference. Similarly, swapping the RX 9070 for an RTX 2080 SUPER would produce results within roughly 1% of the measured data. The other rivals, including the EPYC server processors and the GTX TITAN Z, would also behave comparably in this game, though their different architectural characteristics might manifest in other workloads.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but not at the highest preset. The measured data shows 4K Low averages 116 FPS, 4K Medium averages 82 FPS, and 4K High averages 72 FPS. Only 4K Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 54 FPS.

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

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 84 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest alternative?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's score of 83807. The two processors are effectively equivalent in performance.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for high FPS at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the data shows the CPU is more relevant, as Low settings reach 245 FPS and Ultra settings still hit 114 FPS. The GPU has sufficient headroom at this resolution, so the CPU's 24-core configuration drives the high frame rates.

Q: What frame rate range can be expected at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 147 FPS. This provides a stable experience well above the playable threshold.

Q: Does the system ever drop below 60 FPS?

A: Only at 4K Ultra settings, where the average FPS is 54. All other measured configurations, including 4K High at 72 FPS, remain above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which produces an average of 114 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also remain playable, with an average of 84 FPS. The data confirms that this preset is the best choice for 1440p, delivering a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is High, which averages 72 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 54 FPS and are therefore not recommended. For 4K, High provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 1099 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the upper third of all configurations tested, though not at the very top. The ranking reflects the GPU's percentile of 69 against all GPUs, which indicates it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the graphics cards in the database. The CPU's percentile of 96 against all CPUs is notably higher, showing that the processor is a stronger component relative to its peers.

The rank of 1099 suggests that while this combo delivers solid performance, there are many other systems that achieve higher frame rates in this game. The gap between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's moderate percentile indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor for overall ranking. Systems with the same CPU but faster GPUs would likely rank higher, while systems with similar GPUs but slower CPUs might rank lower.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at all three tested resolutions, with specific preset limitations. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 114 FPS. At 2560x1440, all presets also remain playable, with Ultra averaging 84 FPS. At 3840x2160, three of four presets are playable, with High averaging 72 FPS and Ultra dropping to 54 FPS.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p allow unrestricted settings, while 4K requires selecting High or lower. The system is well-suited for competitive play at 1440p, where the 84 FPS Ultra average provides both visual quality and responsiveness. For 4K users, High settings deliver a playable 72 FPS, though those seeking Ultra quality would need to consider a more powerful GPU. Overall, this combination offers versatile performance across the most common gaming resolutions, with the only significant compromise occurring at 4K Ultra.