Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers exceptional performance in Lockdown Protocol, with measured results showing that the combination exceeds 60 FPS at every single resolution and preset combination tested. Benchmark results indicate a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, yet still maintains high frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings, making it a top-tier choice for high-refresh-rate FPS gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a linear scaling from Low to Ultra presets, with the average FPS ranging from 345 at Low down to 160 at Ultra. The Medium preset is the only configuration at this resolution with min/max data, showing an average of 245 FPS, with minimums of 208 and maximums of 282. The High preset averages 214 FPS, meaning that even the most demanding Ultra settings at 1080p leave significant headroom above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are 253 at Low, 180 at Medium, 157 at High, and 118 at Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 153 FPS and a maximum of 207 FPS, indicating that frame pacing remains consistent even when the resolution increases. The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 produces a typical performance penalty, but the RTX 5080 still delivers 118 FPS average at Ultra, which is exactly double the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the average frame rates are 163 FPS on Low, 116 FPS on Medium, 101 FPS on High, and only 76 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K provides min/max data of 99 and 133 FPS respectively, showing that even the occasional frame dips remain well above the 60 FPS threshold. The 76 FPS average at 4K Ultra means the system barely breaks a sweat while running the most intensive settings, with no resolution or preset combination dropping below 76 FPS average.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck when moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K. At 1920x1080, the CPU has to feed the GPU at extremely high frame rates; the difference between Low and Ultra is 185 FPS (345 to 160), which suggests that the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with its 24 cores and 24 threads can keep up without creating a significant CPU limit. The 0.2% delta between the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and its nearest CPU rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, indicates that this processor has enough headroom to handle high-FPS scenarios.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at 2560x1440 and especially at 3840x2160. The RTX 5080 with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth shows a clear load increase when resolution rises. The data shows that switching from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra yields a 118 FPS average, a drop of 42 FPS, while moving from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra yields a 76 FPS average, a drop of 42 FPS again. This consistent drop confirms that the GPU's fill rate and bandwidth are the limiting factors at higher resolutions, while the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

The preset scaling within each resolution also reveals that the GPU is the primary lever. At 4K, going from Low to Ultra cuts frame rates by more than half (163 to 76 FPS), which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p, the same preset change cuts the frame rate by a similar proportion (345 to 160 FPS), but the absolute numbers are so high that the CPU must be keeping up well. The data indicates that for this game, the RTX 5080 is the component that will define the maximum playable settings at any resolution above 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Does this system hit 60 FPS at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS is 76 at 3840x2160 Ultra, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 160 at 1920x1080 to 118 at 2560x1440, a 42 FPS reduction. At Medium, the drop is from 245 to 180, again a 42 FPS change.

Q: What is the best preset at 2560x1440 for a high-refresh monitor?

A: Ultra settings at 1440p yield an average FPS of 118, which is sufficient for 100Hz displays. If the target is 144 FPS, the High preset with an average of 157 is the better choice.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: The GPU is clearly the primary factor. The FPS at 3840x2160 scales dramatically with preset changes, while the CPU's 96th percentile ranking across all CPUs suggests it is not a limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Are there any frame dips below 60 FPS in the measured data?

A: No. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 99 FPS at 3840x2160 Medium, and all other measurements are significantly higher. Even the 4K Ultra average of 76 FPS stays above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to other GPUs in this test?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56,083, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, but it is 2.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average score of 84,003, which places it 0.2% above the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. The AMD EPYC 4584PX and AMD EPYC 9135 are also within 1.2% of the same performance, meaning these three CPUs would deliver similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol's CPU-bound moments. The AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3% faster, so it might provide a slight edge in the 1080p Low preset where the CPU is most involved.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5080's average score of 56,083 is closely matched by the AMD Radeon 8060S at 55,757 and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55,698. These two cards are within 0.7% of the RTX 5080, so they would produce almost identical FPS numbers in Lockdown Protocol. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is 2.2% faster, which could translate to an extra 2-3 FPS at 4K Ultra, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 2.3% slower and would be the weakest of the group.

If a user were to swap the CPU with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, the measured FPS would change by less than 1 FPS in most scenarios, given the 0.2% benchmark delta. Similarly, swapping the GPU with an AMD Radeon 8060S would yield nearly identical frame rates, as the 0.6% benchmark difference would be hard to see in real gameplay. The ranking of these alternatives is tight, with the Core ultra 9 285K and Radeon 8060S being the most direct equivalents.

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal: this PC can run Lockdown Protocol at every resolution and preset tested, with all 12 measured configurations exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Ultra with an average FPS of 76, which clears the threshold with a healthy margin. At 2560x1440, Ultra produces 118 FPS, and at 1920x1080, Ultra produces 160 FPS.

The verdict by resolution confirms that all three resolutions have playable settings that include Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The system is not just capable of running the game; it is capable of running it at the highest settings at all resolutions for a smooth experience. The only caveat is that 4K Ultra sits at 76 FPS, which is not ideal for 144Hz displays, but it is fully playable for 60Hz and 120Hz monitors. The 1440p and 1080p configurations are suitable for high-refresh monitors, with 1440p Ultra hitting 118 FPS and 1080p Ultra hitting 160 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and RTX 5080 combination ranks 163rd out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This top 4.4% position places it among the fastest configurations in the database, with only 162 other combos producing higher frame rates. The rank reflects the excellent CPU and GPU pairing, where the 96th percentile CPU and 87th percentile GPU work together without any significant bottleneck. The data indicates that most of the 162 faster combos likely rely on higher-end GPU solutions, but the 163rd rank is still a strong result for a system that delivers over 70 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that keeps 60 FPS at each resolution is Ultra in all three cases, but with different margins. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 76 FPS, providing a 16 FPS margin above the threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 118 FPS, leaving a 58 FPS margin, which is comfortable for high-refresh displays. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 160 FPS, with a 100 FPS margin above the threshold, making it one of the best presets for competitive play.

The data shows that if a user prefers a higher frame rate for a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor, they could drop to High at 1440p for 157 FPS, but the Ultra preset is still the recommended choice for its visual quality while maintaining 60 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is the only one that comes close to the threshold, but it still clears it by 16 FPS, so it remains the best choice for 4K. For users with 240Hz monitors at 1080p, the High preset provides 214 FPS, but Ultra is still viable at 160 FPS.