Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload that clearly delineates the capabilities of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pairing. The measured data shows a system capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1440p, with performance scaling predictably as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on optimal settings, component roles, and the system's overall standing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the High preset offers the most balanced experience across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 161 FPS, which is more than sufficient for competitive play, while the jump to Ultra provides diminishing returns at 120 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset maintains a strong 118 FPS, keeping the system comfortably within high-refresh-rate territory. The Medium preset at 1440p does offer a higher 135 FPS, but the 17 FPS gain may not justify the visual fidelity loss. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, producing 76 FPS, whereas Medium drops to 87 FPS and Ultra falls to a less fluid 57 FPS.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset is the clear choice, yielding 259 FPS at 1080p and 190 FPS at 1440p. However, this comes at a significant cost to visual quality. The data indicates that the Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p gaming, where the 120 FPS average remains playable. At higher resolutions, the performance hit is substantial, with the 4K Ultra setting dipping below the 60 FPS threshold. The optimal strategy is to use High for a visually rich experience with high frame rates, or drop to Medium at 4K if a slight FPS boost is preferred over the High preset's 76 FPS. The measured minimum frame rates for Medium settings (74 FPS at 4K, 115 FPS at 1440p, 156 FPS at 1080p) indicate stable frame pacing without severe stutters, making it a reliable fallback.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the primary driver of performance in Lockdown Protocol, evidenced by the significant FPS drops as resolution increases. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth, is sufficient for the game's demands at 4K, as the High preset still manages 76 FPS. The Ampere architecture's 10,240 shading units and 80 RT cores are put to work, with the boost clock of 1665 MHz being the key frequency metric. The GPU's performance percentile of 83 places it above most other graphics cards, and its benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077 and a Passmark G3D score of 26896, support its capability.

The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is able to feed the GPU adequately, resulting in a 259 FPS average on Low settings. However, the frame rate scales down to 122 FPS at 4K on Low, illustrating the GPU's bandwidth and compute limits. The RTX 3080 Ti's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, has an average benchmark score that is 2% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is 0.8% higher. This suggests the 3080 Ti remains a competitive high-end part. With a 350 W TDP, it is a power-hungry component, but its performance in this game justifies its inclusion in a high-performance build.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark results show a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck in this configuration. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 259 FPS at 1920x1080 to 190 FPS at 2560x1440, a 27% decrease, and then to 122 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 36% decrease. This steep decline highlights the raw fill-rate and memory bandwidth demands of 4K rendering. The 1440p Low result of 190 FPS is particularly strong, showing the system can easily drive high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution with minimal graphical compromise.

At High settings, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers. The system produces 161 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 118 FPS at 1440p (27% decrease), and then to 76 FPS at 4K (36% decrease). This consistent scaling pattern indicates that the game is not encountering a CPU bottleneck at any resolution; the performance drop is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's workload. The Medium preset follows the same trend, with 184 FPS at 1080p, 135 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, starting at 120 FPS at 1080p and falling to 88 FPS at 1440p before reaching a low of 57 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, making it unsuitable for a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination holds a rank of 670 out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 24% of all configurations, indicating a solidly above-average gaming performance. The rank reflects the balanced nature of this pairing, where the CPU is powerful enough to not hold back the GPU at lower resolutions, and the GPU is strong enough to provide playable frame rates at 4K on most settings.

This ranking is consistent with the individual component percentiles. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all processors and the GPU's 83rd percentile ranking suggest that neither part is a weak link. The system is not at the very top of the rankings, which would likely require a higher-tier GPU like an RTX 4090, but it is positioned well ahead of the majority of combinations. The fact that it outperforms 2,158 other combos shows that this setup is well-optimized for this specific FPS title. The combo's performance is a direct result of the synergy between the 10-core Arrow Lake CPU and the high-bandwidth Ampere GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a crucial supporting role in this configuration. With 10 cores and 10 threads, it is a modern desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz provide the single-thread speed necessary for game logic and physics. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655, demonstrate its strong compute capability. Its Passmark single-thread score of 4412 is particularly relevant for gaming, as it indicates robust per-core performance.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck in Lockdown Protocol. The consistent frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K, regardless of settings, is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low settings, the 259 FPS average shows the CPU can handle high draw call rates and game logic without limiting the GPU. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has a nearly identical average benchmark score (0% delta), while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% lower. This indicates that the Ultra 5 225 is well-matched against its direct competitors. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for dual-channel DDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for feeding the GPU data efficiently.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 259 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 184 | 156 | 211 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 161 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 120 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 190 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 135 | 115 | 155 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 118 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 88 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 122 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 87 | 74 | 100 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 76 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 57 | - | - |

The data reveals a few key points. First, the system is exceptionally capable at 1080p, with even the High preset delivering over 160 FPS. Second, the 1440p High preset’s 118 FPS is ideal for 120Hz monitors, offering a smooth experience without needing to compromise on visual details. Third, the 4K High preset's 76 FPS is playable, but the Ultra preset's 57 FPS is not suitable for a competitive or smooth experience. The Medium preset's min FPS values at each resolution (156 at 1080p, 115 at 1440p, 74 at 4K) provide a safety margin against frame drops, ensuring gameplay remains fluid even in intense scenes. The jump from Low to Medium at 1440p costs 55 FPS (190 to 135), while the jump from High to Ultra costs 30 FPS (118 to 88), showing that the Ultra preset has diminishing returns.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a competitive edge?

A: For maximum competitive performance, the 1920x1080 Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 259 FPS. If you prefer a balance of speed and visuals at a higher resolution, the 2560x1440 High preset offers 118 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The 4K High preset achieves a playable 76 FPS average. The Medium preset is slightly faster at 87 FPS. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 57 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance compared to the GPU?

A: The data indicates the system is GPU-bound. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's strong single-core performance ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU, even at 1080p Low where the system reaches 259 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p produces 88 FPS, which is a 30 FPS drop from the High preset's 118 FPS. The visual improvement is typically not worth such a significant performance loss for a fast-paced FPS title.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 670th out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 24% of all configurations, indicating a strong, above-average gaming system.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and High settings at 1080p?

A: The Low preset achieves 259 FPS, while the High preset achieves 161 FPS. This is a difference of 98 FPS, or roughly 38% lower performance on High settings. This highlights the significant trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate in this game.