Lockdown Protocol

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 lands at rank 2941 out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. That places this combo in the bottom fifth of the database, which is a clear signal that the graphics card, not the processor, is the limiting factor in this pairing. The CPU itself is a top-tier part, sitting in the 96th percentile among all tested processors, while the GPU sits in the 58th percentile among all tested graphics cards.

The contrast between the two components is stark. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus posts an average benchmark score of 84003 across all tests, which is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX. It also outperforms the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%. The only rival in its immediate class that beats it is the AMD EPYC 7F72, which scores 1.3% higher. These are narrow margins, indicating the 290K Plus is squarely at the top of the desktop processor hierarchy.

The RTX 2060, meanwhile, delivers an average benchmark score of 15290, putting it statistically level with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, which scores 15283 with a 0% delta. It edges out the AMD Radeon 680M by 0.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM by 0.6%, while the AMD Radeon RX 7600 sits 0.8% higher. The GPU is a mid-pack part from a previous generation, and the benchmark results in Lockdown Protocol reflect that reality. The combo's low overall rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU's modest standing relative to modern hardware.

CPU and GPU Roles

In Lockdown Protocol, the division of labor between the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the RTX 2060 shifts depending on resolution and preset. The data shows a classic pattern: at 1920x1080, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, and frame rates scale cleanly with graphics settings. Dropping from Ultra to Low at 1080p moves the average from 67 FPS to 145 FPS, a jump of 78 FPS. That kind of scaling indicates the GPU is the bottleneck, since lowering the graphical load produces such a large gain.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with narrower margins. The gap between Low and Ultra is 57 FPS, from 106 FPS down to 49 FPS. The processor is still not the constraint here; the RTX 2060 simply cannot maintain high frame rates as pixel count rises. At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully saturated. The spread from Low to Ultra is 37 FPS, from 69 FPS down to 32 FPS. The CPU's role becomes nearly irrelevant at 4K, as the GPU is working at its absolute limit.

The scaling between resolutions at the same preset reinforces this. At High settings, the average drops from 90 FPS at 1080p to 66 FPS at 1440p and then to 43 FPS at 4K. At Low settings, the average drops from 145 FPS at 1080p to 106 FPS at 1440p and 69 FPS at 4K. The consistent downward slope across every preset confirms that Lockdown Protocol's frame rate is governed by GPU throughput, not by the 24-core, 24-thread processor. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has ample compute resources, but the RTX 2060's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth cap what this combo can deliver at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. The combo clears 60 FPS at every preset tested at 1080p, including Ultra, which averages 67 FPS. Low averages 145 FPS, Medium averages 103 FPS, and High averages 90 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the most demanding preset, Ultra, stays above 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 49 FPS, and at 3840x2160, Ultra falls to 32 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus ranks in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 ranks in the 58th percentile among all GPUs. Frame rate scaling across presets and resolutions follows the GPU's workload closely.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 scores 15290 on average, which is statistically tied with the GTX 580 at 15283. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon 680M, 0.6% ahead of the RTX 3050 OEM, and 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600.

Q: What settings should be used at 2560x1440?

A: The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1440p is High, which averages 66 FPS. Medium averages 76 FPS and Low averages 106 FPS, but Ultra falls below the threshold at 49 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings. The 3840x2160 Low preset averages 69 FPS, while Medium averages 49 FPS, High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. None of the higher presets reach the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset, including Ultra at 67 FPS. That makes 1080p the only resolution where the full visual range is available. At 2560x1440, the story changes: High settings average 66 FPS, Medium averages 76 FPS, and Low averages 106 FPS, but Ultra falls to 49 FPS. The playable settings at 1440p are High, Medium, and Low. At 3840x2160, only Low is playable, with an average of 69 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all miss the mark, averaging 49, 43, and 32 FPS respectively.

The verdict is straightforward. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus provides more than enough processing power, but the RTX 2060 holds the combo back at higher resolutions. Players targeting 1080p can max out the game. Players at 1440p should stick to High or lower. Players at 4K must drop to Low to stay above 60 FPS. The hardware is viable, but only with appropriate expectations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded averages are as follows: Low runs at 145 FPS, Medium at 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS, High at 90 FPS, and Ultra at 67 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one at this resolution with min and max values recorded, showing a 31 FPS spread between its lowest and highest frames.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 106 FPS, Medium averages 76 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS, High averages 66 FPS, and Ultra averages 49 FPS. The Medium preset again shows the only min and max data, with a 23 FPS spread. The drop from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 27% of the frame rate at Low settings, from 145 to 106 FPS.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 69 FPS, Medium averages 49 FPS with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS, High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra averages 32 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has the widest recorded spread of any resolution, with a 15 FPS gap between minimum and maximum. The overall pattern is consistent: each step up in resolution costs a significant chunk of performance, and each step up in settings does the same.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, averaging 67 FPS. This is the only resolution where the maximum preset is playable.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, averaging 66 FPS. Ultra is not playable here, falling to 49 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, averaging 69 FPS. Every higher preset misses the threshold, so 4K users must accept minimal graphical fidelity to maintain smooth gameplay.