Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a robust performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, with measured frame rates comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold at most settings and resolutions. The data shows that this combination is capable of high-refresh-rate gameplay at 1440p and 1080p, while 4K requires a slight compromise in settings to maintain smooth performance. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions, examines the balance between CPU and GPU workload, and contextualizes the results against rival hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo, as recorded in the FACT PACK, show a clear scaling pattern across the three tested resolutions. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average FPS ranges from 57 at Ultra settings to 122 at Low settings. The Medium preset delivers an average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. High settings at 4K produce an average of 76 FPS. Notably, the Ultra preset at 4K dips below the 60 FPS threshold with its 57 FPS average, making it the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to reach playable frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), performance improves substantially. The Low preset achieves an average of 190 FPS, while Medium reaches 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS. High settings average 118 FPS, and even the demanding Ultra preset stays well above the threshold at 88 FPS. The scaling from 4K to 1440p is significant, with the Ultra preset improving from 57 FPS to 88 FPS — a gain of 31 FPS, representing a 54% increase in average frame rate.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs at its peak. Low settings hit an average of 259 FPS, Medium averages 184 FPS with a minimum of 156 FPS and a maximum of 211 FPS, and High averages 161 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers an average of 120 FPS, which is more than double the 4K Ultra result. The minimum FPS data points are only recorded for Medium settings across all resolutions, with 156 FPS at 1080p, 115 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K — all comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Lockdown Protocol. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, provides substantial headroom for this FPS title. The CPU’s benchmark scores — including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and a single-core score of 7,303 — indicate strong processing capability that prevents it from becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with the Low preset reaching 259 FPS. This suggests the GPU is the primary driver of performance, as the CPU can easily feed frames at this rate. The gap between 1080p Low (259 FPS) and 1440p Low (190 FPS) — a 69 FPS drop — indicates that the GPU workload is scaling with resolution. Similarly, the 1440p High result of 118 FPS versus the 1080p High result of 161 FPS shows a 43 FPS difference, reinforcing that the RTX 3080 Ti’s rendering load increases with pixel count.

However, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent when examining the preset scaling. At 4K, the difference between Low (122 FPS) and Ultra (57 FPS) is 65 FPS, which is a larger gap than the resolution scaling alone. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the Ultra preset’s graphical features at 4K, while the CPU maintains consistent performance. The RTX 3080 Ti’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth are relevant here, as the higher resolution and preset demand more memory bandwidth. The data shows that this combination is GPU-limited at 4K Ultra, CPU-limited at 1080p Low, and well-balanced at 1440p Medium and High.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is identified as the best playable configuration. At 3840x2160, the best setting is High, which achieves an average of 76 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K falls short at 57 FPS, making it unplayable by the 60 FPS standard. The Medium preset also clears the threshold at 87 FPS, but High offers better visual quality while still providing a 16 FPS margin above the playability line.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is Ultra, which delivers an average of 88 FPS. This is a significant achievement, as it allows for maximum graphical fidelity at 1440p without sacrificing smoothness. The 88 FPS average provides a 28 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring consistent performance even during intense gameplay moments. For context, the High preset at 1440p reaches 118 FPS, but Ultra is the recommended choice for those prioritizing visual quality.

At 1920x1080, the best setting is also Ultra, with an average of 120 FPS. This is exactly double the 4K Ultra result and provides a 60 FPS margin above the playability threshold. The 120 FPS average is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors, and the minimum FPS is not recorded but the average suggests stable performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p offers the best visual experience without any compromise in smoothness.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this game. For the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, the closest alternatives are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with an average benchmark score of 83,807 and a delta of 0.2%, the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83,090 (1.1% delta), and the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82,980 (1.2% delta). These CPUs are within a 1.2% performance margin of the 290K Plus, meaning they would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the GPU remains the same. The AMD EPYC 7F72 is slightly faster with a score of 85,072 and a -1.3% delta, indicating it would perform marginally better.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, the nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 with an average score of 40,870 (0.8% delta), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB at 41,707 (-1.2% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 at 41,897 (-1.7% delta). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is also listed with a score of 40,377 (2% delta). These GPUs have average benchmark scores within 2% of the RTX 3080 Ti, suggesting they would deliver similar FPS in this game. However, the Tesla models are professional-grade cards without consumer display outputs, so the RTX 5070 is the more practical alternative for gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested CPU-GPU combinations in the database, this pairing ranks 936th out of 3,714 combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 25.2% of all tested systems, indicating above-average performance for this game. The rank reflects the combination of the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus’s 96th percentile CPU score and the RTX 3080 Ti’s 83rd percentile GPU score. The GPU’s percentile is lower than the CPU’s, suggesting that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing. The combo’s rank of 936 is influenced by the GPU’s mid-range standing relative to all GPUs, even though it delivers playable results at all resolutions except 4K Ultra. The 3,714 total combos include a wide range of hardware, and this specific pairing performs well enough to be in the top quarter of all configurations.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 57, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 4K achieves 76 FPS and is the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for maximum visual quality?

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 with Ultra settings is the best balance, delivering an average of 88 FPS. This provides high visual fidelity while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival for this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is 0.2% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 1.1% faster than the AMD EPYC 4584PX, and 1.2% faster than the AMD EPYC 9135 in average benchmark scores. The AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3% faster than the 290K Plus.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti the limiting factor in this system?

A: Yes. The GPU’s percentile rank of 83 is lower than the CPU’s 96th percentile, and the frame rate drops significantly at higher resolutions and presets, indicating GPU-bound performance. The CPU provides ample headroom, especially at 1080p where frame rates reach 259 FPS.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 184, with a minimum of 156 FPS and a maximum of 211 FPS. This configuration is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested systems?

A: This pairing ranks 936th out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 25.2% of all configurations. The rank indicates solid overall performance for this game.

The Verdict

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti can run Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates across most configurations. At 3840x2160, the combo clears the 60 FPS threshold at High (76 FPS), Low (122 FPS), and Medium (87 FPS) settings, but fails at Ultra with 57 FPS. The best 4K setting is High, which offers a 16 FPS buffer above the threshold. At 2560x1440, all four settings — Low (190 FPS), Medium (135 FPS), High (118 FPS), and Ultra (88 FPS) — are playable, with Ultra providing the best visual quality while maintaining a 28 FPS margin. At 1920x1080, the system excels, with all settings exceeding 120 FPS, including Ultra at 120 FPS and Low at 259 FPS. The verdict is clear: this PC is fully capable of running Lockdown Protocol at high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, and at 4K with High settings. Only the 4K Ultra preset falls short of the 60 FPS playability standard.