Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a top-tier combination for Lockdown Protocol, ranking 41st out of 3,714 tested hardware combos. This system demonstrably crushes the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution and preset combination tested, with the data showing headroom that ranges from comfortable at 4K Ultra to overwhelming at 1080p Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, but always lands far above the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the RTX 5090 and Core Ultra 9 290K Plus deliver a robust experience across all presets. At Low settings, the average FPS reaches 178, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate 4K displays. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 127 FPS, with a measured minimum of 108 FPS and a maximum of 146 FPS, indicating very stable frame pacing. High settings yield an average of 111 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains a strong 83 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 95 FPS, showing that while the preset scaling is significant, the hardware has enough overhead to keep even the heaviest settings well above 60 FPS.

Stepping down to 2560x1440 (1440p), the frame rates increase substantially. Low settings produce an average of 276 FPS, a 55% improvement over the same settings at 4K. Medium settings average 196 FPS, with a minimum of 167 FPS and a maximum of 226 FPS, showcasing excellent consistency for competitive play. High settings hit 171 FPS average, and Ultra settings still deliver a very high 128 FPS average. At this resolution, the system is clearly GPU-bound at lower presets but retains enough headroom to push maximum visual fidelity without dropping below 120 FPS.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combination becomes almost absurdly fast. Low settings achieve an average of 377 FPS, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. Medium settings average 268 FPS, with a minimum of 227 FPS and a maximum of 308 FPS, showing that even the lowest one-percent lows are higher than the peak performance of many other systems. High settings average 234 FPS, and Ultra settings still manage a 175 FPS average. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is roughly linear, with each resolution step down providing approximately a 37-38% increase in average FPS across matched settings. This data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU's single-threaded performance becomes a more significant factor, but the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus handles it without bottlenecking the GPU.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for how this system compares to other high-end hardware.

For the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, the closest competitor is the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which has an average benchmark score of 83,807 versus the 290K Plus's 84,003, a mere 0.2% difference. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, users would find virtually identical performance between these two processors. The AMD EPYC 4584PX scores 83,090, coming in 1.1% lower, and the AMD EPYC 9135 scores 82,980, which is 1.2% lower. Interestingly, the AMD EPYC 7F72 scores 85,072, which is 1.3% higher than the 290K Plus, making it the only nearby rival that outperforms it in synthetic benchmarks. However, these EPYC processors are enterprise-focused parts, so their presence in the nearest rivals list indicates that the 290K Plus is competing at the absolute top tier of available processing power.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79,605 versus the RTX 5090's 79,842, a delta of just 0.3%. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is close behind at 79,396, 0.6% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, which is 1.1% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80,959, 1.4% higher. These rivals are all either professional-grade or mobile parts, which highlights how far ahead the RTX 5090 is from mainstream desktop alternatives. In practical terms, a gamer considering this system would find that the RTX 5090's performance in Lockdown Protocol is essentially unmatched by anything except the enterprise-class Tesla parts, though those lack the gaming-focused drivers and features of the GeForce lineup.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 83 FPS, which is 23 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This makes 4K Ultra fully playable, though not at high refresh rates.

Q: What is the highest refresh rate this system can support at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system achieves an average of 196 FPS with a minimum of 167 FPS. This means it can comfortably drive a 144Hz monitor even with maximum visual settings, and can approach 240Hz at lower presets.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

A: The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is just 0.2% higher than the 285K's 83,807. In gaming scenarios, this difference is negligible, meaning users would not notice a performance difference between the two processors.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 significantly faster than its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79,842, which is only 0.3% higher than the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB at 79,605. However, the Tesla P100 is a compute-focused professional card, not a gaming GPU, so direct gaming comparisons are not applicable.

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings average 377 FPS while Ultra settings average 175 FPS. This represents a 202 FPS difference, or a 53.6% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Does this system ever drop below 60 FPS in any tested configuration?

A: No. The lowest recorded average FPS across all tested resolutions and presets is 83 FPS at 4K Ultra. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 108 FPS at 4K Medium settings, meaning the system never comes close to the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: at every resolution and every preset, the system clears the 60 FPS playable threshold with significant margin.

At 3840x2160, all four presets are playable, with the best setting being Ultra at an average of 83 FPS. This is the only resolution where the system dips below 100 FPS, but 83 FPS is still a very smooth experience for a fast-paced FPS.

At 2560x1440, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 128 FPS. This is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, as even the most demanding settings provide enough frames to take full advantage of a 120Hz or 144Hz monitor.

At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 175 FPS. This resolution is clearly overkill for the hardware, as even Ultra settings exceed the refresh rate of most 1080p gaming monitors.

The system's rank of 41 out of 3,714 combos places it in the top 1.1% of tested configurations, reinforcing that this is a flagship-level gaming machine for Lockdown Protocol.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across different resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant factor. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 95 FPS drop (from 178 to 83 FPS), which is a 53.4% reduction. This heavy scaling indicates that the RTX 5090 is the primary bottleneck at 4K, as increasing pixel count and graphical fidelity directly taxes the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth. The CPU's role is less pronounced, as the 24-core Core Ultra 9 290K Plus easily feeds the GPU at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 148 FPS (from 276 to 128 FPS), representing a 53.6% reduction. While the GPU still dominates, the higher frame rates begin to engage the CPU more heavily. The fact that Low settings at 1440p (276 FPS) are significantly higher than Low settings at 4K (178 FPS) confirms that the GPU is handling the resolution increase, but the CPU's strong single-threaded performance allows the GPU to stretch its legs at lower pixel counts.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes most apparent. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 202 FPS (from 377 to 175 FPS), a 53.6% reduction, which is consistent with other resolutions. However, the absolute frame rates at Low settings (377 FPS) approach the limits of what even the RTX 5090 can produce in a CPU-bound scenario. This suggests that at 1080p, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus's boost clock of 5.80 GHz and high single-core performance are crucial for maintaining these extreme frame rates, as the GPU has more than enough raw power to render frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls.

The consistent 53-54% performance reduction from Low to Ultra across all resolutions indicates that the game's preset scaling is well-balanced, but the component bottleneck shifts from GPU-bound at 4K to more CPU-sensitive at 1080p.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is Ultra across the board, with the following measured averages:

At 3840x2160, the best setting is Ultra, running at an average of 83 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration that still clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is Ultra, running at an average of 128 FPS. This provides an excellent balance of high visual quality and smooth gameplay, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold while leaving headroom for refresh rates up to 120Hz.

At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, running at an average of 175 FPS. This delivers maximum visual quality with frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most 1080p gaming monitors, making it the ideal configuration for competitive play where every frame counts.

Since all presets at all resolutions meet the playable threshold, players can freely choose their preferred settings based on whether they want maximum frame rates (Low settings) or maximum visual quality (Ultra settings), without ever falling below the 60 FPS playability standard.