Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The pairing of Intel's Core Ultra 5 225 with the massive GeForce RTX 4090 produces a fascinating dataset in Lockdown Protocol, one that reveals how a powerful GPU interacts with a mid-range CPU at various resolutions and settings. The measured frame rates show a system that scales strongly from 1080p up to 4K, but the scaling pattern exposes where the performance bottleneck shifts. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 346 FPS average, while dropping to 81 FPS at 4K Ultra — a 4.3x reduction in frame rate when moving to four times the pixel count. This suggests the GPU is doing the heavy lifting at higher resolutions, while lower resolutions may be constrained by the CPU's processing ceiling.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about the limiting component in this system. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 346 at 1080p to 270 at 1440p and finally to 174 at 4K. That represents a 49.7% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low, which is a substantial drop but not as steep as the 52.6% reduction seen at Ultra settings, where the average falls from 171 FPS at 1080p to 81 FPS at 4K. The pattern suggests that at Ultra, the GPU is the primary constraint across all resolutions, whereas at Low, the CPU becomes more relevant at lower resolutions.

Looking at Medium settings, which is the only preset with full min/max data, the scaling is particularly revealing. At 1080p Medium, the average is 261 FPS with a minimum of 222 and maximum of 301. Moving to 1440p Medium drops the average by 26.4% to 192 FPS, with a minimum of 163 and maximum of 220. The 4K Medium result shows an average of 124 FPS, a 35.4% reduction from 1440p. The minimum FPS scaling follows a similar trajectory — 222 to 163 to 105 — which represents a 52.7% drop from 1080p to 4K on the minimum frame rate.

The High preset shows a slightly different scaling curve. At 1080p High, the average is 228 FPS; at 1440p High, it's 167 FPS; and at 4K High, it drops to 108 FPS. The percentage reduction from 1080p to 4K is 52.6%, nearly identical to the Ultra preset. This consistency between High and Ultra scaling suggests that once the settings reach a certain complexity threshold, the GPU becomes the dominant performance limiter, and the resolution dictates the frame rate with predictable consistency.

What's particularly interesting is the gap between Low and the other presets. At 1080p, the difference between Low (346 FPS) and High (228 FPS) is 118 FPS, or 34.1%. But at 4K, the difference between Low (174 FPS) and High (108 FPS) is 66 FPS, or 37.9%. The relative gap actually widens slightly at higher resolutions, which indicates that the settings' impact on GPU load is proportionally larger than the resolution's impact on frame rate. The data implies that Lockdown Protocol's visual settings create a more significant performance cost than resolution scaling alone.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 brings 10 cores and 10 threads to this pairing, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This is a 3 nm Arrow Lake-S part from the Core Ultra Series 2, featuring 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25,891 and a single-core score of 3,655, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 30,459 and single-thread score of 4,412 reinforce a profile of solid but not exceptional performance.

The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database provide context for the Ultra 5 225's position. It sits within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (-0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5%). This clustering suggests that despite having only 10 threads, the Ultra 5 225 delivers competitive multi-threaded performance through its architecture and boost clock behavior. The lack of hyperthreading — 10 cores and 10 threads — is notable, but the high 4.90 GHz boost appears to compensate in single-threaded workloads.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol at 1080p, the CPU's role becomes apparent through the frame rate ceiling. At 1080p Low, the system produces 346 FPS average, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. The fact that this number doesn't go even higher suggests the CPU is approaching its limit for this game's engine at that resolution. The 1080p to 1440p scaling at Low settings shows a 21.9% FPS drop (from 346 to 270), which is less than the 35.5% increase in pixel count. This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU is partially limiting performance, preventing the GPU from fully expressing its capabilities at 1080p.

The architecture's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and dual-channel DDR5 support may also factor into Lockdown Protocol's performance. Games that rely on frequent memory access patterns can be sensitive to memory bandwidth, and the Ultra 5 225's 20 MB L3 cache helps mitigate some of that pressure. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 6,317 and single-core score of 891 show a consistent performance profile across benchmark generations, reinforcing that this CPU delivers predictable results for gaming workloads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus with 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. Its Ada Lovelace architecture includes 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output pipelines, with 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores. The boost clock runs at 2520 MHz, supporting an FP32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS. The GPU's benchmark profile shows a PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 255,416, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs.

The nearest rivals for the RTX 4090 in the GPU benchmark database are a curious mix: the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (-2.5%), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (2.9%). These professional and workstation cards cluster near the RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60,347, though they represent very different hardware philosophies. The RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM capacity is likely a key factor in Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra, where the combination of high resolution and maximum settings can stress memory capacity.

The GPU's role in this game's performance becomes clear when examining the 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 81 FPS average, while 4K High reaches 108 FPS and 4K Medium achieves 124 FPS. The 4K Low result of 174 FPS shows that even at the lowest settings, the RTX 4090 is still heavily utilized at 3840x2160. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 53.4% FPS reduction (from 174 to 81), which indicates that the Ultra preset's additional visual effects create substantial GPU load.

The 1440p results further illustrate the GPU's headroom at lower resolutions. At 1440p Ultra, the system runs at 125 FPS average, while 1440p High reaches 167 FPS and 1440p Medium hits 192 FPS. The 1440p Low result of 270 FPS shows the RTX 4090 is still not fully saturated at this resolution. The GPU's 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth and 24 GB VRAM provide ample resources for Lockdown Protocol's texture streaming and geometry processing, which is likely why even the most demanding settings maintain playable frame rates at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average is 346 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest measured average is 81 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36,938 in average benchmark score, sitting within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36,945), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37,018), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093), and Intel Core i9-12900T (37,112).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 261 at 1080p to 192 at 1440p and 124 at 4K. The minimum FPS at Medium falls from 222 at 1080p to 163 at 1440p and 105 at 4K.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 rank among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 4090 is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 60,347. Its PassMark G3D score is 38,194.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 72nd out of 2,828 total combos tested in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 2.5% of all combinations.

Q: Does the Ultra preset at 4K maintain 60 FPS?

A: Yes, the 4K Ultra preset produces an average of 81 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K High preset reaches 108 FPS average.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 72 out of 2,828 tested combinations places this system in the top 2.5% of all pairings evaluated in Lockdown Protocol. This ranking reflects the RTX 4090's substantial GPU performance combined with the Ultra 5 225's capable CPU throughput. The rank suggests that while the CPU is not the absolute fastest available, the overall system performance is still exceptional for this game. The RTX 4090's 88th percentile GPU ranking and the Ultra 5 225's 85th percentile CPU ranking both contribute to this high overall placement.

The ranking becomes more meaningful when considering the CPU's position relative to its rivals. The Ultra 5 225 matches the performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F within 0%, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D within -0.2%. This means the CPU is not the limiting factor in the system's ranking — the GPU's dominance carries the combo to the 72nd position. The gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems likely comes down to CPUs with higher multi-threaded performance that can better feed the RTX 4090 at lower resolutions.

Looking at the FPS data across all resolutions and settings, the combo demonstrates consistent strength. Even at the most demanding configuration — 4K Ultra — the system maintains 81 FPS average, which is above the typical 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The weakest observed minimum FPS is 105 at 4K Medium, which still provides a comfortable margin above stutter thresholds. This consistency across the entire settings range is a hallmark of a well-balanced combo, even if the CPU occasionally holds back the GPU at 1080p Low.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that Medium settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system achieves 261 FPS average with a minimum of 222 FPS, which offers a substantial cushion above any display refresh rate. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 FPS — still excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. At 4K Medium, the 124 FPS average with a 105 FPS minimum provides smooth gameplay on 120 Hz displays, though not on 144 Hz panels.

For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the High preset at 4K (108 FPS average) delivers a better experience than Ultra (81 FPS average) because the 27 FPS difference represents a 33.3% improvement in frame rate while presumably offering close visual quality. The High preset at 1440p (167 FPS) and 1080p (228 FPS) both exceed 144 Hz refresh rates, making this the recommended setting for high-refresh-rate monitors. Ultra settings at 1080p (171 FPS) and 1440p (125 FPS) are viable, but the frame rate cost over High is significant.

The Low preset produces the highest frame rates (346 FPS at 1080p, 270 FPS at 1440p, 174 FPS at 4K) but represents a substantial visual quality reduction. The data shows that even at 4K Low, the system produces 174 FPS average, which is higher than 1080p Ultra (171 FPS). This counterintuitive result indicates that settings have a larger impact on performance than resolution, making Low at 4K a viable option for competitive players who want high resolution combined with maximum frame rates. For most players, Medium at 1440p or 4K offers the sweet spot between visual quality and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings produce 346 FPS, Medium produces 261 FPS with a minimum of 222 and maximum of 301, High produces 228 FPS, and Ultra produces 171 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 50.6% reduction in frame rate, with each successive settings tier costing approximately 25-35 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 222 FPS and maximum of 301 FPS indicates a 79 FPS variance range, which represents a 30.2% spread from minimum to maximum.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 270 FPS, Medium at 192 FPS with a minimum of 163 and maximum of 220, High at 167 FPS, and Ultra at 125 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 57 FPS variance from minimum to maximum, a 35.0% spread. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs 76 FPS at Low (22.0% reduction), 69 FPS at Medium (26.4% reduction), 61 FPS at High (26.8% reduction), and 46 FPS at Ultra (26.9% reduction). The consistent percentage reduction across Medium, High, and Ultra suggests these presets scale similarly with resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 174 FPS, Medium at 124 FPS with a minimum of 105 and maximum of 142, High at 108 FPS, and Ultra at 81 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 37 FPS variance from minimum to maximum, a 35.2% spread. The transition from 1440p to 4K costs 96 FPS at Low (35.6% reduction), 68 FPS at Medium (35.4% reduction), 59 FPS at High (35.3% reduction), and 44 FPS at Ultra (35.2% reduction). The remarkable consistency of these percentage reductions across all settings tiers indicates that resolution scaling is uniform regardless of the visual preset, confirming that the GPU is the primary limiter at these higher resolutions.