Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a formidable combination for Lockdown Protocol, a competitive FPS where frame rates dictate success. The measured data reveals a system that not only clears the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution but does so with substantial headroom, allowing players to prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, interprets the component roles, and contextualizes the results against rival hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for Lockdown Protocol provides a clear picture of performance scaling across the three primary resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance. The Low preset reaches an average of 290 FPS, while High still manages 180 FPS. The Medium preset yields 206 FPS average, with a minimum of 175 FPS and a maximum of 237 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset at this resolution still averages 135 FPS, demonstrating that the bottleneck here is far from the playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the data shows a predictable decline as pixel count increases, but the performance remains exceptionally high. The Low preset achieves an average of 212 FPS, and High maintains 132 FPS. The Medium preset records an average of 151 FPS (min 128, max 173). The Ultra preset, which is the most taxing, still produces a highly playable average of 99 FPS. This indicates that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.

At 4K (3840x2160), the hardware begins to show its limits, though it still remains above the playability threshold in every scenario. The Low preset delivers 137 FPS, which is more than double the required 60 FPS. The High preset drops to 85 FPS, and Medium averages 97 FPS (min 83, max 112). The Ultra preset at 4K is the only point where the system feels challenged, but it still maintains an average of 64 FPS, just clearing the 60 FPS target. The consistency in the data, particularly the Medium preset at 4K, suggests smooth performance without severe drops.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data answers the question of which preset to use for an optimal balance of visual fidelity and frame rate. For each resolution, the "best" setting is defined as the most demanding preset that still averages at or above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the system can run the Ultra preset, which averages 135 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and it delivers gameplay that is more than triple the playable threshold, making it the definitive choice for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is also the champion, averaging 99 FPS. This provides a high-fidelity experience with a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it ideal for users who want to maximize graphical quality on a high-resolution monitor.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset just barely meets the threshold with an average of 64 FPS. While it is technically playable, the margin is slim. The data indicates that the High preset, with an average of 85 FPS, is a more robust choice for 4K gaming, offering a significant performance buffer. The Ultra preset is viable, but the High preset is arguably the better choice for maintaining consistent frame times and avoiding potential dips in demanding scenes.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals distinct roles for the CPU and GPU at different resolutions, a common pattern in PC gaming. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high (e.g., 290 FPS on Low), which often indicates a greater reliance on CPU performance to feed the GPU. The high scores from the Cinebench R23 multi-core test (51731) and single-core test (7303) for the Core Ultra 9 support its capability to handle this load. The GPU is likely not being fully utilized at these lower resolutions and presets.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more significant. The need to render more pixels places a greater load on the RTX 4070 SUPER, which features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but less severe than the drop from 1440p to 4K, indicating a shift in the bottleneck. The GPU is starting to become the primary limiting factor, but the CPU is still providing enough throughput to maintain high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the clear bottleneck. The frame rate drops significantly compared to 1080p and 1440p, even on the Low preset. This is a classic sign of GPU limitation, as the rendering workload at 4K is massive. The CPU's role diminishes as the GPU is unable to process the frames fast enough to become CPU-bound. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset (64 FPS) is significantly slower than the 1440p Ultra (99 FPS) strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, a reality that owners of this card will face in many modern titles. The CPU, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is more than capable of handling the game's logic and receiving the GPU's output, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's raw pixel-pushing power at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the benchmark data, this specific CPU and GPU combination is positioned among a specific set of rivals. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is a very close CPU rival, with an average benchmark score of 83807 versus the Core 9 290K Plus's 84003, a delta of only 0.2%. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, these two processors are virtually interchangeable in performance.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 SUPER is closely matched by a few other cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has a delta of -1%, meaning it's just 1% slower in the aggregate benchmark. This is an interesting correlation, suggesting that a mobile implementation of the 4090 performs very similarly to the desktop 4070 SUPER in the metrics tested. The NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB performs nearly identically in the aggregate benchmark with a delta of -0.1%, a professional-grade card, and the RTX 5050 Mobile has a delta of -0.1%, putting it in the same performance class.

This data implies that if a user were to swap in a different GPU that scores within 1% of the RTX 4070 SUPER in the PassMark G3D benchmark, the FPS in Lockdown Protocol would be virtually identical. For instance, a system using an RTX 4090 Mobile with a different CPU would produce very similar frame rates. The CPU's rivals, including the AMD EPYC 4584PX and AMD EPYC 9135, show a performance delta of 1.1% and 1.2% respectively, meaning they are slightly faster, but the difference is negligible for gaming.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with all settings on Ultra?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS for the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 is 64 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, though the margin is narrow.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming to maintain a high frame rate?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 99 FPS, making it the best choice for high visual fidelity while keeping the performance well above the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high (up to 290 FPS on Low), which indicates a CPU-bound scenario. The CPU's performance is the main factor, as the GPU is not being pushed as hard to render frames.

Q: How much slower is the 4K Ultra performance compared to 1440p Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 64 FPS, while the 1440p Ultra preset averages 99 FPS. This is a difference of 35 FPS, a substantial drop that highlights the heavy load placed on the GPU at 4K.

Q: Are there any other CPUs that perform nearly identically to the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus in this context?

A: Yes, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is a very close rival, with a difference of only 0.2% in the average benchmark score. The AMD EPYC 4584PX and AMD EPYC 9135 are also close, with a 1.1% and 1.2% difference, respectively.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER outperform the RTX 4090 Mobile in the benchmark tests?

A: No, the data shows the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile has a deltaPct of -1% compared to the RTX 4070 SUPER, meaning it is actually 1% faster in the aggregate GPU benchmark.

How This Combo Ranks

According to the combination's rank, this 290K Plus + RTX 4070 SUPER setup is ranked 582nd out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 15.7% of all tested hardware pairings for this specific game. This is a strong ranking, indicating that the system is very well-suited for the game's performance demands. The data shows that the system consistently delivers high frame rates across most settings and resolutions, and its rank reflects its overall capability. The ranking is a clear indication that the hardware is not a barrier to a great gaming experience in this title, but rather a high-end choice that provides a very high level of performance.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: this PC can run Lockdown Protocol exceptionally well. The benchmark results show that the system is more than capable of delivering a playable experience at every resolution and preset combination. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset runs at 135 FPS, and at 2560x1440, it runs at 99 FPS. Even at the most demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the Ultra preset maintains an average of 64 FPS, just clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The "best settings" per resolution are always the Ultra preset, except for 4K, where the High preset is recommended for a higher frame rate buffer. The system is a high-performance machine that can handle the game's demands with ease, making it a perfect fit for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p and 1440p, and a formidable 4K performer. The verdict is clear: this combination not only clears the bar but sets it high, providing a top-tier gaming experience.