Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a demanding FPS, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a wide spread of performance depending on how you configure the game. The measured data shows that this pairing is capable of delivering high refresh rates at standard resolutions, but even with the flagship RTX 5090, 4K Ultra remains a challenging target. The benchmark results indicate that the scaling between settings and resolutions is not always linear, revealing where each component becomes the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling, though the degree of the drop is heavily influenced by the graphics preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 274 FPS at 1920x1080 to 201 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 73 FPS. Moving to 4K at Low settings further reduces the average to 129 FPS, which means the jump from 1080p to 4K at Low settings cuts performance by more than half. This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the RTX 5090 is being pushed hard by the pixel count, and the CPU is no longer the primary bottleneck.

With High settings, the scaling is more moderate in percentage terms. The average frame rate drops from 170 FPS at 1080p to 124 FPS at 1440p, and then to 80 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53% loss from 1080p to 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar pattern, with averages of 194 FPS at 1080p, 142 FPS at 1440p, and 92 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that as the preset is raised, the GPU workload increases, making the frame rate more sensitive to resolution changes. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with averages of 127 FPS at 1080p, 93 FPS at 1440p, and 60 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is exactly 60 FPS, which is a typical target for console-like smoothness, but it shows that the combination is just barely hitting that mark at the highest settings.

The frame time consistency, where measured, also degrades with resolution. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 92 with a minimum of 78 and a maximum of 106. This variance of 28 FPS is noticeable. At 1440p Medium, the average is 142 with a minimum of 121 and a maximum of 164, showing a similar 43 FPS spread. At 1080p Medium, the average is 194 with a minimum of 165 and a maximum of 223, which is a 58 FPS spread. This suggests that while higher resolutions lower the average, they also compress the frame time variance, likely because the GPU is consistently saturated.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the undisputed star of this configuration, and its specifications explain why it can push such high frame rates. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This memory capacity is far beyond what Lockdown Protocol needs at 1080p or 1440p, but it ensures that even at 4K with High or Ultra textures, the GPU will not run out of memory. The benchmark results show that the GPU is not memory-constrained in this game, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a factor. With a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, the RTX 5090 is able to maintain high utilization. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where the average FPS is exactly 60. This is likely due to the sheer compute load of the game at that resolution and preset. The RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but Lockdown Protocol's rendering pipeline at 4K Ultra is evidently extremely heavy.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 79842. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, have average scores that are within 0.3% to 0.6% of the RTX 5090, while AMD's Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% behind. This indicates that while the RTX 5090 is a top-tier card, its performance lead over professional and high-end mobile parts is not as large as the generational leap might suggest. In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is to provide the raw horsepower needed to drive high resolutions, and the data confirms it does so effectively up to 4K Medium, where it still manages 92 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor with 14 cores and 18 threads, based on the Meteor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.60 GHz. While this is a capable CPU, its role in Lockdown Protocol is secondary to the GPU, as the game is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. However, the CPU's performance still matters at lower resolutions and settings, where it can become the bottleneck.

The benchmark data illustrates this. At 1080p Low, the average frame rate is 274 FPS. This is an extremely high number, and it is likely that the CPU is struggling to keep up with the GPU's rendering speed. The Core Ultra 5 135H's single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 1700 points, and its multi-core score is 11875.5. These scores are solid for a mobile chip, but they are not exceptional. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and the Intel Core i5-13500HX, with average benchmark scores that are within 0.1% to 0.6% of the Core Ultra 5 135H. This means that the CPU is competitive with those desktop and high-end mobile parts, but it is not a class leader.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's 18 threads are likely sufficient for the game's logic and physics, but the per-core performance limits the maximum frame rate. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 274, which is likely near the CPU's ceiling. As the resolution increases, the load shifts to the GPU, and the CPU becomes less of a factor. The Core Ultra 5 135H's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is also a consideration, but it appears to be adequate for this game. The data suggests that the CPU is not a hindrance at 1440p or 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting component.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of all tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks at 770 out of 3714 combos. This places it in the top 21% of all systems tested, which is a strong result. The high rank is largely due to the RTX 5090's immense power, which compensates for the CPU's more modest standing. The CPU alone is in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU is in the 92nd percentile, underscoring that the GPU is the primary driver of this combo's high rank.

The rank of 770 indicates that there are many other combos that can outperform this one, likely those pairing the RTX 5090 with faster desktop CPUs like the Ryzen 7 5800X. However, this is a mobile CPU, and its performance is competitive with desktop parts from a previous generation. The data shows that the combo is well-balanced for most gaming scenarios, but it is not the absolute top-tier combination. The deltaPct values for the CPU's rivals show that the Core Ultra 5 135H is essentially on par with the Ryzen 7 5800X, with a delta of -0.1%, meaning it is 0.1% slower. This suggests that the CPU is not holding back the RTX 5090 significantly, but it is also not providing any extra headroom.

The GPU's rivals, such as the Tesla P100 and Radeon RX 6850M XT, are not gaming-focused parts, and their performance in Lockdown Protocol would likely be lower than the RTX 5090, despite similar benchmark scores. This underscores that the RTX 5090's gaming-specific features, such as its ray tracing cores and DLSS support, might provide an advantage in this title, though the data does not explicitly measure those features.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the High preset offers an average of 170 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. The Ultra preset still provides 127 FPS, which is also very smooth, but the drop from High to Ultra is 43 FPS. For most players, High at 1080p is the sweet spot, as it delivers a very high frame rate without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 194 FPS, which is higher than High, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often significant.

At 1440p, the High preset is again the best choice, delivering an average of 124 FPS. This is above the 120 FPS threshold that many gamers prefer for fast-paced shooters. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 93 FPS, which is still playable but represents a substantial reduction. The Medium preset at 1440p offers 142 FPS, which is the highest frame rate above the High preset, but the visual quality is lower. For a balanced experience, High at 1440p is recommended.

At 4K, the situation changes. The High preset delivers an average of 80 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset provides 92 FPS, which is better, but the Low preset gives 129 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is exactly 60 FPS, which is the minimum for smooth gameplay. Given the data, the Medium preset at 4K offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance, with an average of 92 FPS. The Low preset is also a viable option for players who prioritize frame rate over graphics, but the visual downgrade is severe. The Ultra preset is only for those who demand the highest fidelity and are willing to accept 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Here is the complete breakdown of the measured frame rates for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090:

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: average 129 FPS
• Medium: average 92 FPS, min 78 FPS, max 106 FPS
• High: average 80 FPS
• Ultra: average 60 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: average 201 FPS
• Medium: average 142 FPS, min 121 FPS, max 164 FPS
• High: average 124 FPS
• Ultra: average 93 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: average 274 FPS
• Medium: average 194 FPS, min 165 FPS, max 223 FPS
• High: average 170 FPS
• Ultra: average 127 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy: at every resolution, the Low preset provides the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, often exceeding 100 FPS at lower resolutions. The data also shows that the Medium preset is the only one that consistently provides min and max FPS values, suggesting that the other presets may have more variable frame times. This is an important consideration for competitive players, as consistent frame pacing is often more important than raw average FPS. Overall, the combination is a high-performance pairing, but the CPU limits the absolute maximum frame rate at 1080p, while the GPU takes over as the bottleneck at higher resolutions.