Lockdown Protocol

Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, but 4K requires significant settings compromises. The data shows this combo is capable of high refresh rates at lower resolutions, with the CPU’s top-tier performance ensuring the GPU is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally strong. With Low settings, the average FPS hits 154, which is more than enough for any high-refresh monitor. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 109 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS, indicating a very stable frame time distribution. High settings still deliver a smooth 95 FPS average. Even at Ultra settings, the average remains at 72 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a drop of roughly 53%, showing that the GPU has enough headroom to absorb the increased load at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance is still very playable, though the gap between presets widens. Low settings produce an average of 113 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings see the average fall to 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS; the minimum is still above the 60 FPS playable threshold, but it’s closer to the edge. High settings deliver a 70 FPS average, which is playable but leaves less margin for demanding scenes. Ultra settings, however, drop the average to 52 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU starts to struggle with higher presets. Low settings are the only fully playable option, yielding an average of 73 FPS. Medium settings drop to 52 FPS average, with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 59 FPS, showing inconsistent frame pacing that would be noticeable in fast-paced action. High settings fall to 45 FPS, and Ultra settings are the worst at 34 FPS. The data indicates a steep performance cliff between Low and Medium at 4K, suggesting that the Arc B580’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are saturated once the visual fidelity increases.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 73. Any higher preset (Medium, High, or Ultra) drops the average below 60 FPS, with Medium at 52 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS.

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

A: The best preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which delivers an average of 70 FPS. While Low and Medium are also playable (113 FPS and 80 FPS respectively), High offers a better visual quality without sacrificing the frame rate target.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data suggests the GPU is the bottleneck at 1080p. The CPU is in the 96th percentile for all processors, while the GPU is in the 68th percentile. The FPS scaling from Low (154) to Ultra (72) shows the GPU’s load increasing, while the CPU has ample headroom to feed it frames.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2795th out of 3714 tested combos for this game. This places it in the lower half of all systems, which is consistent with the GPU’s mid-range positioning despite the CPU being a top-tier part.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings in 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 68 and the maximum is 92, with an average of 80 FPS. This shows a tight frame range, indicating stable performance.

Q: Does the 4K Ultra preset ever reach 60 FPS?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 34, which is far below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The minimum and maximum are not listed, but the average is too low for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 2795th out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This puts it in the bottom 25% of all systems tested, which is a direct result of the GPU’s performance tier. The CPU itself is a powerhouse—it sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and outperforms the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K by 0.2%, the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1%, and the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2% in average benchmark scores. However, the Arc B580’s 68th percentile ranking among GPUs holds the combo back. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 23021 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (which is 0.2% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (which is 0.6% slower), but it is 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. This explains why the combo struggles at higher resolutions: the CPU is never the bottleneck, but the GPU’s mid-range performance caps the frame rates. In practice, the data shows that the combo’s rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient for this game’s demands.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the verdict is clear: all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the lowest average being 72 FPS at Ultra. This is a fully playable and enjoyable experience for any monitor up to 144Hz. At 2560x1440, the system remains playable at Low (113 FPS), Medium (80 FPS), and High (70 FPS), but Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which is not recommended. For 1440p users, High settings offer the best balance of visuals and performance. At 3840x2160, only Low settings (73 FPS) are playable; Medium (52 FPS), High (45 FPS), and Ultra (34 FPS) all fall below the 60 FPS target. If 4K is a requirement, you will need to accept Low settings or consider a stronger GPU. In summary, the combo is a strong 1080p performer, a good 1440p option with settings tweaks, and a marginal 4K solution limited to low fidelity.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU. At 1920x1080, the CPU’s influence is minimal because the GPU is the primary constraint. The FPS scales from 154 at Low to 72 at Ultra, a drop of 53%, which is entirely attributable to the GPU’s rendering load. The CPU, with its 24 cores and 24 threads and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, is never stressed; its PassMark single-thread score of 4823 and multi-thread score of 60860 are far beyond what Lockdown Protocol needs. At 2560x1440, the GPU becomes even more dominant. The FPS at Low (113) is still high, but the drop to Ultra (52) is a 54% reduction, showing that the GPU is struggling with the increased pixel count. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU, and it does so without issue, as evidenced by the stable minimum FPS at Medium (68 FPS). At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the bottleneck. The FPS at Low (73) is barely half of the 1080p Low result, and the drop to Ultra (34) is a 53% reduction. The CPU has no impact on these numbers; the Arc B580’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are simply not enough for 4K at high presets. The data shows that for this game, the GPU is the deciding factor at all resolutions, but especially at 1440p and 4K. The CPU’s high percentile ranking ensures it never holds the system back, making this a balanced pairing for 1080p and a GPU-limited one for higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 72 FPS. This is the best choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing playability. For 2560x1440, the best preset is High, with an average of 70 FPS. While Medium (80 FPS) is also playable, High offers a noticeable visual upgrade while still staying above the threshold. For 3840x2160, the only preset that meets the 60 FPS target is Low, which averages 73 FPS. There is no higher preset that remains playable; Medium (52 FPS), High (45 FPS), and Ultra (34 FPS) all fall short. If you want to play at 4K, you must use Low settings. For users with a 1080p monitor, Ultra is the clear recommendation. For 1440p users, High is the sweet spot. For 4K users, Low is the only option, and even then, the experience will be less visually rich than what the hardware could theoretically produce at lower resolutions.