Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER form a pairing where the processor vastly outclasses the graphics card. The CPU holds a 96th percentile ranking with an average benchmark score of 84003, while the GPU sits at the 62nd percentile with an average of 18093. For Lockdown Protocol, the recorded measurements show that the GPU dictates playability, and the CPU's headroom goes largely unused. This analysis covers the combo's rank, the division of labor between CPU and GPU, nearby alternatives, and the measured frame rates at three resolutions and four presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2630th out of 3714 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol. That places it toward the lower end of the database, a result that reflects the GPU's modest standing rather than the CPU's capabilities. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with 24 cores and 24 threads, a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and a 96th percentile ranking, is one of the strongest desktop processors in the database. The RTX 2060 SUPER, by contrast, is a Turing-era card with a 62nd percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 18093. When the two are paired, the combo rank tracks the weaker component, which is the GPU.

The rank of 2630 out of 3714 means the majority of tested combos deliver higher average frame rates in this game. However, the recorded data also shows that this combo clears the 60 FPS playable threshold in several configurations, so the rank does not indicate a broken experience. It indicates that the GPU limits the pairing to mid-range performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 84003, which places it at the 96th percentile, is far above what Lockdown Protocol requires, and the frame rate data confirms that the GPU is saturated in most runs.

CPU and GPU Roles

Lockdown Protocol behaves like a GPU-bound title in these measurements. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate moves from 35 FPS at Ultra to 75 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, it moves from 54 FPS at Ultra to 117 FPS at Low. At 1920x1080, it moves from 74 FPS at Ultra to 159 FPS at Low. The frame rate swings with graphics settings and resolution, which is the signature of a workload limited by the graphics card rather than the processor.

The CPU's role is minimal in this game. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a base clock of 3.70 GHz, a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, 36 MB of shared L3 cache, and a 96th percentile ranking. It also supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and includes an integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU, though the discrete GPU handles the rendering. None of these resources are strained by Lockdown Protocol. The GPU, with 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, 64 ROPs, and 7.181 TFLOPS FP32 compute, is the component that determines the frame rate.

The resolution scaling at each preset confirms the GPU-bound nature. At High settings, the average is 99 FPS at 1080p, 72 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. At Medium, the averages are 113, 83, and 53 FPS. At Low, they are 159, 117, and 75 FPS. At Ultra, they are 74, 54, and 35 FPS. In every preset, dropping the resolution produces a large frame rate gain, which would not happen if the CPU were the constraint. The GPU's memory configuration, 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, also plays a role, as higher resolutions and settings demand more memory throughput.

The settings spread within a resolution reinforces this. At 4K, Ultra averages 35 FPS, Medium 53, and Low 75. At 1440p, Ultra 54, Medium 83, and Low 117. At 1080p, Ultra 74, Medium 113, and Low 159. The consistent pattern across all three resolutions shows that the GPU's rendering load, not the CPU's processing, governs performance. Players who want higher frame rates should lower graphics settings or resolution, as the CPU has no additional headroom to offer in this title.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are clustered within a tight band. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K has an average benchmark score of 83807, which is 0.2 percent lower than the 290K Plus's 84003. The AMD EPYC 4584PX scores 83090, 1.1 percent lower. The AMD EPYC 9135 scores 82980, 1.2 percent lower. The AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072, 1.3 percent higher. For Lockdown Protocol, any of these processors would produce essentially identical frame rates when paired with the RTX 2060 SUPER, because the GPU is the limiting component. The benchmark deltas are all 1.6 percent or less, and the game does not stress the CPU enough to expose such differences.

The GPU's nearest rivals are similarly close. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 18159, 0.4 percent below the RTX 2060 SUPER's 18093. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scores 18189, 0.5 percent below. The AMD Radeon RX 460 scores 18373, 1.5 percent below. The Intel Arc A770M scores 18383, 1.6 percent below. These are aggregate benchmark scores, not Lockdown Protocol-specific measurements, but they suggest that all four GPUs would land close to the RTX 2060 SUPER in this game. The RX 460 and Arc A770M have higher aggregate scores, yet the recorded FPS data for the RTX 2060 SUPER stands as the reference point for this combo.

For a user choosing nearby hardware, the data indicates that swapping the CPU to any of the four rivals would change Lockdown Protocol performance by less than 1.6 percent, which is imperceptible. Swapping the GPU to any of its four rivals would also produce a small change, given the benchmark deltas are all 1.6 percent or less. The practical conclusion is that this combo's performance is defined by the RTX 2060 SUPER, and nearby GPUs would behave similarly, while the CPU is effectively interchangeable with its closest rivals. The GPU launched with a launch MSRP of 399 USD, which places it in the mid-range tier of its generation.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, and it clears the 60 FPS playable threshold in several configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable: High averages 99 FPS, Low 159, Medium 113, and Ultra 74. The best setting at 1080p is Ultra, with an average of 74 FPS. At 2560x1440, three presets clear 60 FPS: High at 72, Low at 117, and Medium at 83. The best setting at 1440p is High, averaging 72 FPS. Ultra at 1440p averages 54 FPS, which falls short. At 3840x2160, only Low clears the threshold, averaging 75 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 53 FPS, High 47, and Ultra 35, all below 60.

The verdict by resolution is straightforward. For 1080p, the combo is fully playable at maximum quality. For 1440p, it is playable at High, which is the best playable setting. For 4K, it is playable only at Low. Players who want 4K with higher quality settings would need a stronger GPU, since the CPU is not the constraint. The recorded data shows the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component in every below-60 scenario. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking and 84003 average benchmark score indicate it has ample capacity, but that capacity does not translate into higher frame rates when the GPU is saturated.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains 12 measured FPS entries for this combo. At 3840x2160, High averages 47 FPS with no min or max recorded. Low averages 75 FPS. Medium averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 62. Ultra averages 35 FPS. At 2560x1440, High averages 72 FPS. Low averages 117 FPS. Medium averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 95. Ultra averages 54 FPS. At 1920x1080, High averages 99 FPS. Low averages 159 FPS. Medium averages 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130. Ultra averages 74 FPS.

The min and max values are only recorded for the Medium presets. At 4K Medium, the range is 45 to 62 FPS, which straddles the 60 FPS threshold, so players may see dips below playable. At 1440p Medium, the range is 70 to 95, safely above 60. At 1080p Medium, the range is 96 to 130, well above the threshold. The other presets have no min or max recorded, so the database provides only averages for those configurations. The best average across all tested configurations is 159 FPS at 1080p Low, and the worst is 35 FPS at 4K Ultra.

For smooth 60 FPS gameplay, the data points to three recommended configurations: 1080p Ultra at 74 FPS, 1440p High at 72 FPS, and 4K Low at 75 FPS. Each of these clears the threshold while offering a different balance of resolution and quality. The 4K Low option is notable because it delivers the highest resolution at a playable frame rate, though at the cost of visual fidelity. The 1080p Ultra option offers the best quality per the preset naming, and the 1440p High option sits in between.

FAQ

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

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 75 FPS. Medium averages 53 FPS, High 47, and Ultra 35, all below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best quality setting at 1440p?

A: High is the best playable setting, averaging 72 FPS. Medium averages 83 FPS and Low 117, but High offers the highest quality among the playable options. Ultra averages 54 FPS, which is not playable.

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

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU ranks at the 96th percentile with an average benchmark score of 84003, while the GPU ranks at the 62nd percentile with an average of 18093. Frame rates scale heavily with resolution and graphics settings, indicating GPU-bound performance.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to the Core Ultra 9 285K?

A: The 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, which is 0.2 percent higher than the 285K's 83807. In Lockdown Protocol, this difference would be imperceptible since the GPU limits performance.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Ultra?

A: The recorded average is 74 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the best playable setting at 1080p.

Q: Does the RTX 2060 SUPER have close performance rivals?

A: Yes. The RTX 3060 Mobile scores 18159, 0.4 percent lower; the Radeon Pro 5700 scores 18189, 0.5 percent lower; the RX 460 scores 18373, 1.5 percent lower; and the Arc A770M scores 18383, 1.6 percent lower. All would behave similarly in this game.