Lockdown Protocol

Can Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus + AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT run Lockdown Protocol? Yes, decisively. The measured data shows this combination delivers playable frame rates above the 60 FPS threshold at every tested resolution, from 1080p up to 4K, with the most demanding preset at 1440p and 1080p also clearing the bar comfortably. The only exception is at 4K Ultra, where the average dips to 57 FPS, just below the playable line. This pairing ranks in the top quarter of all tested combos for the game, indicating strong overall performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional headroom across all settings. The Low preset averages 260 FPS, while High reaches 161 FPS. The Medium preset, which is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, averages 185 FPS with a minimum of 157 FPS and a maximum of 212 FPS. Ultra settings still produce an average of 121 FPS. These numbers show the CPU-GPU pairing is far from being a bottleneck at this resolution, with even the most demanding preset leaving more than double the 60 FPS threshold in reserve.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down but remains robust. The Low preset averages 191 FPS, and High drops to 118 FPS. Medium averages 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS. Ultra settings still hold an average of 89 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a roughly 20-30% reduction in average frame rates across presets, typical for a resolution increase that places more load on the GPU while keeping the CPU relatively idle.

At 3840x2160, the data reveals where the limits of this configuration lie. The Low preset averages 123 FPS, showing the GPU’s raw throughput even at 4K. Medium averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. High averages 76 FPS, still comfortably above 60. Ultra, however, averages only 57 FPS, which falls short of the playable threshold. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is notable, representing a 25% drop in average FPS, indicating that Ultra settings at this resolution push the GPU beyond its comfort zone.

The Medium preset is the only one across all resolutions that provides complete min/max data. At 1080p, the minimum of 157 FPS ensures no perceptible stutter; at 1440p, the minimum of 115 FPS is still smooth; at 4K, the minimum of 74 FPS remains above the 60 FPS threshold, though it is closer to the edge. This suggests that even in demanding scenes, the combo maintains playable performance at Medium settings across the board.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The playable settings at 4K are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best settings at an average of 76 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains at least 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 89 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Ultra the best settings for 1440p, as it is the most demanding preset that still delivers playable performance.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 874 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 24% of all configurations. This rank reflects strong overall performance, though it is not in the top tier of results.

Q: Is the average FPS at 1080p Low settings sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: Yes. The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings is 260 FPS, which exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Even at Ultra settings, the average of 121 FPS is sufficient for 120Hz displays.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the average is 185 FPS, while at 4K Medium, the average is 87 FPS. This represents a 53% reduction in average FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the GPU’s increasing workload at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the combo drop below 60 FPS at any tested resolution and preset?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 57, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other tested resolutions and presets maintain an average above 60 FPS, including the 4K Medium minimum of 74 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 874 out of 3714 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 23.5% of all configurations. This is a strong result, but not an elite one. The rank suggests that while this pairing delivers high frame rates across most settings, there are many other combos that achieve even higher performance, particularly at 4K Ultra where the 57 FPS average is a limiting factor. The CPU’s percentile rank of 96 among all CPUs indicates it is near the top of the processor hierarchy, while the GPU’s percentile rank of 55 among all GPUs is middle-of-the-pack. This disparity suggests the GPU is the more likely bottleneck for this game, especially at higher resolutions.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 84003 places it within 0.2% of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83807. This means the 290K Plus offers negligible performance difference over its direct predecessor. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 13543 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7770M, which scores 13536, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, which scores 13515. This is a surprising comparison, as those GPUs are from much older generations, but the data shows the RX 9070 XT’s average score is within 1% of these rivals. This suggests the GPU’s benchmark score is not fully indicative of its gaming performance in this title, which is strong at higher resolutions.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable, with Ultra averaging 121 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 89 FPS. At 3840x2160, three presets are playable — High, Low, and Medium — with High being the best settings at an average of 76 FPS. The only non-playable configuration is 4K Ultra, which averages 57 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold.

For gamers targeting 4K, the data indicates that High settings are the sweet spot, offering a 76 FPS average that is 19 FPS above the playable threshold. Dropping to Medium increases the average to 87 FPS, but High provides a better visual experience without sacrificing smoothness. At 1440p and 1080p, Ultra settings are fully playable, making this combo a strong choice for high-refresh-rate displays at those resolutions. The 1080p High preset at 161 FPS and the 1440p High preset at 118 FPS are particularly strong for competitive play.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases, while the CPU’s role diminishes. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 139 FPS (260 vs 121), which is a 54% drop. This large gap indicates that the GPU is still doing significant work even at lower resolutions, but the CPU is capable of feeding it enough data to reach very high frame rates. At 1440p, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 102 FPS (191 vs 89), a 47% drop, showing the GPU’s workload growing. At 4K, the gap narrows further to 66 FPS (123 vs 57), a 54% drop, but the absolute numbers are much lower, indicating the GPU is the primary limiter.

The scaling between resolutions at the same preset confirms this trend. At Medium settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average FPS by 50 FPS (185 to 135), and moving from 1440p to 4K reduces it by another 48 FPS (135 to 87). This consistent reduction of roughly 50 FPS per resolution step shows that the GPU’s rendering load scales predictably with pixel count. The CPU’s high benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 60860, suggest it has ample headroom to avoid bottlenecking at any resolution, but the GPU’s performance ceiling is reached at 4K Ultra.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 121 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality while still offering more than double the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best setting, averaging 89 FPS. This is a strong result, as many systems struggle to maintain high frame rates at 1440p with Ultra presets, but this combo does so with ease. At 3840x2160, the best setting is High, averaging 76 FPS. Ultra at 4K falls below 60 FPS, so High is the optimal choice for balancing visual fidelity and smoothness. For gamers who prioritize frame rate over visuals at 4K, Medium offers an 87 FPS average, which is 11 FPS higher than High, but High is recommended for its better image quality while staying above 60 FPS.