Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, an FPS released on 2024-03-11, shows a distinct performance profile when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile. The measured data indicates a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck at higher graphical loads. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results step by step, focusing on how each component contributes to the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and consistent drop in frame rate as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. This scaling pattern is the first indicator of where the performance ceiling lies for this combo. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 262 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 192 FPS, a reduction of 70 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 124 FPS. This linear degradation with resolution suggests that the rendering pipeline is being stressed more heavily as pixel count increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further emphasizes the GPU's role. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low (262 FPS) and Ultra (122 FPS) is a massive 140 FPS. At 2560x1440, that gap narrows to 103 FPS (192 vs 89). At 3840x2160, the spread is 66 FPS (124 vs 58). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is reaching its limits, making the impact of settings less pronounced relative to the sheer pixel load. The data points to the RTX 4090 Mobile being the limiting factor, as the CPU has enough headroom at lower resolutions to push very high frame rates, but the GPU's workload becomes overwhelming at 4K.

The medium settings row provides the most complete data, including min and max FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 88 FPS with a min of 75 and max of 101. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average jumps to 136 FPS with a min of 116 and max of 157. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 186 FPS with a min of 158 and max of 214. The variance between min and max FPS is relatively tight, around 26-58 FPS, which suggests stable frame pacing. The scaling from 4K to 1440p results in a 54.5% increase in average FPS, while going from 1440p to 1080p yields a 36.8% increase. This non-linear scaling confirms that the pixel fill rate is the dominant constraint, and the GPU's 576.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 189.8 GPixel/s pixel rate are being taxed heavily at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 1, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its architecture is Meteor Lake, built on a 7 nm process. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 12804.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1647.5 in single-core. The Passmark multi-thread score is 21100, and the single-thread score is 3399. These numbers place the CPU at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27507.

The nearest rivals in the data are the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (avg score 27535, delta -0.1%), Intel Core i5-12600K (avg score 27578, delta -0.3%), AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (avg score 27578, delta -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G (avg score 27382, delta 0.5%). The Core Ultra 5 125H is essentially neck-and-neck with these desktop-class parts, with deltas under 0.5%. This indicates that the CPU is not a weak link in the system for Lockdown Protocol, as its performance is comparable to established mid-range desktop processors.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with frames and handle game logic. At 1920x1080 Low, where the GPU load is relatively light, the system hits 262 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU can handle the game's threading well, leveraging its 14 cores and 18 threads. The fact that the FPS drops to 122 at 1920x1080 Ultra, rather than staying near the CPU's potential, shows that the GPU becomes the constraint as soon as graphical settings are increased. The data indicates that the Core Ultra 5 125H is capable of driving frame rates well above 200 FPS in this title, but only when the GPU is not saturated.

The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support contribute to its ability to maintain high throughput. The Passmark data compression score of 236209 and integer math score of 69986 further demonstrate its computational strength, which is sufficient for an FPS title like Lockdown Protocol. However, the benchmark results show that the CPU is rarely the bottleneck, as the frame rate scales so heavily with resolution and settings, which are GPU-centric variables.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is the clear performance driver in this combo. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with an AD103 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process. The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its clocks are 1335 MHz base and 1695 MHz boost, with memory running at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The GPU's compute capabilities include 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 76 RT cores, and 304 tensor cores. It delivers 32.98 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4090 Mobile scores 27212 in Passmark G3D and 12347 in Passmark GPU Compute. It sits at the 84th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43667. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (avg score 43301, delta 0.8%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (avg score 43268, delta 0.9%), NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (avg score 43262, delta 0.9%), and NVIDIA RTX A6000 (avg score 44075, delta -0.9%). The RTX 4090 Mobile is within 1% of these professional and newer consumer cards, indicating it is a top-tier mobile GPU.

The GPU's impact on Lockdown Protocol is most evident in the resolution scaling. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the system manages only 58 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold often considered smooth for FPS games. This is despite the GPU's high raw compute power. The 16 GB VRAM is ample for this game, as the data does not suggest any memory-related stuttering. The 576.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient to feed the 189.8 GPixel/s pixel rate, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K overwhelms the ROPs and shader units.

The GPU's performance at lower resolutions shows its potential. At 1920x1080 Low, the system hits 262 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit or the game's engine limit. At 1440p High, the average is 119 FPS, which is a solid experience for a competitive FPS. The data indicates that the RTX 4090 Mobile is best utilized at 1440p or 1080p, where it can push high refresh rates, rather than at 4K, where it struggles to maintain high FPS on Ultra settings. The GPU's 32.98 TFLOPS are more than enough for this title, but the memory interface and pixel throughput become limiting factors at extreme resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile ranks 806th out of 3714 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 21.7% of all tested systems. The rank reflects the system's ability to deliver high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but its lower scores at 4K Ultra pull the overall standing down slightly.

The data shows that this combo is not the absolute top performer, as there are 805 other combinations that yield higher average FPS across all settings. However, the rank is respectable given the CPU is a mobile part. The GPU is clearly the star, as evidenced by the high percentile (84th) and its ability to produce 262 FPS at 1080p Low. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking is lower than the GPU's, suggesting that a more powerful CPU could push the combo higher in the rankings, particularly in CPU-bound scenarios at low resolutions.

The rank of 806 out of 3714 indicates that the system is well above average but not elite. For a mobile platform, this is a strong result. The combination of a mid-range mobile CPU with a high-end mobile GPU yields a system that is excellent for 1440p gaming and very good for 1080p high-refresh gaming, but only adequate for 4K. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of the combo's rank, as its performance characteristics dominate the frame rate results.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the best choice, with an average of 88 FPS and a min of 75 FPS. This ensures no drops below 60 FPS. The High preset at 4K averages 77 FPS, which is also playable, but the Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided, as it averages only 58 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the High preset provides an excellent balance, averaging 119 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 136 FPS, which is even better, but the visual quality difference may not justify the lower settings. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 89 FPS, which is still smooth, but High offers more headroom. For competitive play, the Low preset at 1440p yields 192 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz monitors.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 122 FPS, which is excellent for most players. The High preset averages 162 FPS, and Medium averages 186 FPS. For maximum competitiveness, the Low preset at 1080p hits 262 FPS, which is only beneficial for 240Hz or 360Hz displays. The data suggests that for the best overall experience, the Medium or High preset at 1440p offers the most balanced combination of visual quality and performance. The High preset at 1440p is recommended as the default, as it provides 119 FPS with no min FPS data indicating stutters.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol with this hardware combo.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 124 FPS. The Medium preset averages 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. The High preset averages 77 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 58 FPS. This shows a clear degradation from Low to Ultra, with a 53.2% drop in average FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 192 FPS. The Medium preset averages 136 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. The High preset averages 119 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 89 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 53.6%, similar to the 4K scaling.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 262 FPS. The Medium preset averages 186 FPS, with a minimum of 158 FPS and a maximum of 214 FPS. The High preset averages 162 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 122 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 53.4%, consistent with the other resolutions.

The data shows that the relative performance scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent across all resolutions, hovering around 53-54%. This indicates that the game's settings have a uniform impact on GPU load, regardless of resolution. The Medium preset consistently provides a balanced experience, with min FPS values that are at least 80% of the average, indicating stable performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS or higher?

A: All tested resolutions can achieve over 60 FPS on at least Medium settings. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 88 FPS. At 2560x1440 and 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset averages 89 FPS and 122 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H has an average benchmark score of 27507. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535) and 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i5-12600K (27578). It is 0.5% faster than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G (27382).

Q: What is the GPU's synthetic benchmark performance relative to its peers?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile scores 27212 in Passmark G3D. It is 0.8% faster than the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 (43301) and 0.9% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (43268). It is 0.9% slower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (44075).

Q: Does the combo rank well among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 806th out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 21.7% of all systems. This indicates a strong, above-average performance level.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest minimum FPS at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 has a minimum FPS of 116, which is the highest min FPS recorded at that resolution. The High and Ultra presets do not have min FPS data, but their averages are 119 FPS and 89 FPS, respectively.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 262 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 122 FPS. This represents a 140 FPS difference, or a 53.4% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.