Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload that stresses both the CPU and GPU. Based on measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination, the system demonstrates strong performance across all tested resolutions, with clear limitations emerging only at the highest settings in 4K. The data indicates that this pairing is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and 1080p, while 4K gaming requires a compromise in visual fidelity to maintain a smooth experience.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for each resolution, prioritizing the highest visual quality that still achieves a playable frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which delivers an average of 66 FPS. While the Medium preset also clears the threshold with 76 FPS, the High preset offers superior visual quality while remaining comfortably above the playable mark. The Ultra preset drops to 49 FPS average, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold and should be avoided for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the system can handle the maximum Ultra preset, achieving an average of 77 FPS. This is a significant finding, as it means the hardware combination has ample headroom at this resolution to run the game at its highest visual fidelity without compromising frame rates. The High preset runs at 102 FPS, Medium at 117 FPS, and Low at 165 FPS, all of which are well above the threshold.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset is also the best choice, delivering an impressive average of 105 FPS. This resolution provides the most headroom, with even the most demanding settings maintaining a frame rate that is nearly double the playability threshold. The High preset achieves 139 FPS, Medium 160 FPS, and Low 225 FPS, indicating that the system is exceptionally capable at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU as resolution and settings change. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, provides a robust processing foundation, while the RTX 3070 Ti with 8 GB of GDDR6X memory handles the graphical rendering.

Looking at the scaling across resolutions at the same settings, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 139 at 1080p to 102 at 1440p, and further to 66 at 4K. This represents a 53% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering load increases with pixel count. The RTX 3070 Ti's 608.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are being pushed harder at higher resolutions.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the scaling between presets at a fixed resolution. At 1440p, the FPS scales from 165 at Low to 77 at Ultra, a 53% decrease. This scaling pattern shows that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower settings, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low, but the GPU's workload at Ultra settings becomes the limiting factor. The Core Ultra 9's strong single-thread performance, indicated by its 7303 score in Cinebench R23 single-core, ensures that the CPU does not become a bottleneck even at 225 FPS in 1080p Low.

At 4K, the GPU's role is even more dominant. The difference between Low (106 FPS) and Medium (76 FPS) is substantial, and the drop to Ultra (49 FPS) shows that the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB VRAM and processing power are insufficient for the highest settings at this resolution. The CPU, despite its capabilities, cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in this scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of performance across all resolutions and settings. The data is measured, not estimated, and includes average, minimum, and maximum frame rates where available.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 106 FPS average. No min/max data provided.
• Medium: 76 FPS average, with a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 87 FPS. This shows a 23 FPS variance, indicating some frame pacing inconsistencies.
• High: 66 FPS average. No min/max data provided. This is the recommended setting for 4K.
• Ultra: 49 FPS average. No min/max data provided. This falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 165 FPS average. No min/max data provided.
• Medium: 117 FPS average, with a minimum of 99 FPS and maximum of 135 FPS. The 36 FPS variance is notable but remains above the playable threshold.
• High: 102 FPS average. No min/max data provided.
• Ultra: 77 FPS average. No min/max data provided. This is the recommended setting for 1440p.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 225 FPS average. No min/max data provided.
• Medium: 160 FPS average, with a minimum of 136 FPS and maximum of 184 FPS. The 48 FPS variance is the largest observed in the data.
• High: 139 FPS average. No min/max data provided.
• Ultra: 105 FPS average. No min/max data provided. This is the recommended setting for 1080p.

The Medium preset at each resolution is the only one with complete min/max data. The minimum frame rates at 4K Medium (64 FPS), 1440p Medium (99 FPS), and 1080p Medium (136 FPS) all stay above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that even during demanding scenes, the system maintains playability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For builders considering this specific CPU and GPU combination, the nearest rivals from the benchmark database offer insight into what similar performance would look like. The data shows that this combination performs within a narrow band of alternatives.

CPU Rivals for Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus:

The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus achieves an average benchmark score of 84003, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, with an average score of 83807 and a delta of 0.2%, meaning the 290K Plus is effectively tied with it. The AMD EPYC 4584PX scores 83090 (1.1% slower), the AMD EPYC 9135 scores 82980 (1.2% slower), and the AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85072 (1.3% faster). In gaming workloads, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical performance, as the differences are within a few percent.

GPU Rivals for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti:

The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945 and sits in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. The closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, scoring 29928 (0.1% slower). The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095 (0.5% faster), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783 (0.5% slower). The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433 (1.6% faster). All of these GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, with differences well within the margin of measurement error.

The practical implication is that swapping any of these rival components in or out would yield a nearly identical gaming experience. The performance delta between the fastest and slowest rival is only a few percentage points, which translates to a frame rate difference of only a few FPS in real-world gaming scenarios.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, and it can do so at high quality across most resolutions. The verdict by resolution is clear from the measured data.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable at High, Low, and Medium settings, with the best playable setting being High at 66 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 49 FPS is not playable. This resolution requires users to make a visual quality trade-off, but the High preset still offers good visuals while maintaining a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the system is fully capable of running the game at the maximum Ultra preset, achieving 77 FPS average. All four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, giving users complete freedom to choose their preferred balance of visuals and performance.

At 1920x1080, the system excels, running all presets well above the threshold. The Ultra preset achieves 105 FPS average, providing both high visual fidelity and smooth gameplay. Even the most demanding settings are handled with ease.

The overall ranking of this combination is 1324 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of systems tested for this game. The data indicates that this is a capable gaming system for Lockdown Protocol, with the only significant limitation being 4K Ultra settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with max settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 49, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset is the highest playable setting at this resolution, delivering 66 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for highest visual quality?

A: 2560x1440 with Ultra settings provides the best balance, achieving 77 FPS average. This is the highest resolution and settings combination that stays comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold while using the Ultra preset.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 139, while at 3840x2160 it is 66. This represents a 53% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1440p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p. The frame rate scales from 165 FPS at Low settings to 77 FPS at Ultra settings, indicating that the GPU's workload increases significantly with higher settings, while the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at all preset levels.

Q: Are there any frame rate drops below 60 FPS at playable settings?

A: At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 64, which is above the threshold. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 99 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 136 FPS. All measured minimums at playable settings remain above 60 FPS.

Q: How does this system compare to the RTX 2080 Ti?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti performs nearly identically to the RTX 2080 Ti, with the 3070 Ti scoring 29945 versus the 2080 Ti's 29783, a delta of 0.5%. In game, both GPUs would produce very similar frame rates.