Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that scales heavily with both GPU and CPU depending on the resolution selected. With the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, the measured data reveals a configuration that is exceptionally strong at 1080p, very capable at 1440p, and still playable at 4K with the right settings. This combo sits at rank 1023 out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 136 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 100 FPS, a 26% reduction. The jump to 4K yields 64 FPS, which is a 53% drop from the 1440p result and a 53% drop from 1080p. This steep decline indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload shifts heavily onto the GPU's pixel processing capabilities.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. At Low settings, the system delivers 219 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 161 FPS at 1440p and then to 104 FPS at 4K. The delta between 1080p and 4K is 115 FPS, or a 52% reduction. This near-linear drop with pixel count suggests that the GPU is being saturated at 4K, while at 1080p the CPU has enough headroom to push frame rates much higher. The 14-core Intel processor appears to be feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions, but the RX 7700 XT simply cannot maintain the same throughput as pixel counts increase.

The data also shows diminishing returns when raising settings at 4K. The gap between Low (104 FPS) and Medium (74 FPS) is 30 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High (64 FPS) is only 10 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset is hitting a sweet spot where additional graphical features do not cost as much performance as the initial jump from Low. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 48 FPS, which is a significant 25% reduction from High, making it the least efficient setting for this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p offers the best balance. It delivers 100 FPS on High settings and 161 FPS on Low, which is well above the 64 FPS at 4K High and still a solid improvement over the 136 FPS at 1080p High.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium settings, the combo averages 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 48 FPS, which may feel less smooth for fast-paced FPS action.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900. It is 0.6% faster than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% faster than the Intel Core i5-14600K.

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

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT has an average benchmark score of 22549. It outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile by 0.5% and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 1.7%, but it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 0.8% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 by 1.5%.

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

A: At 1080p, the Low preset yields 219 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces 102 FPS. This represents a 117 FPS difference, meaning Ultra is 53% slower than Low at this resolution.

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

A: The combo ranks 1023 out of 2828 total combinations tested for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 64th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of all tested systems.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT achieves a rank of 1023 out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the upper 36% of all configurations tested, indicating a solid mid-to-high-tier performance profile. The CPU alone sits in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 67th percentile among all GPUs, suggesting that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card in this pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals show how tight the competition is at this level. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, which is only 0.4% higher than the Ultra 5 245's 48995. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, a 0.5% margin. On the other side, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, 0.6% lower, and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, 0.8% lower. These small deltas indicate that the Ultra 5 245 is positioned squarely in a competitive band of processors where performance differences are negligible for gaming.

For the GPU, the RX 7700 XT's average score of 22549 places it just above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (22435, 0.5% lower) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (22170, 1.7% lower). It sits just below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729, -0.8%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, -1.5%). The tight grouping around the RX 7700 XT suggests that this GPU is a well-balanced choice for 1440p gaming, as it trades blows with these competitors within a couple of percentage points.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide spread across settings. The Low preset achieves 219 FPS, which is the highest average recorded for this combo. Medium produces 156 FPS with a minimum of 132 FPS and a maximum of 179 FPS. High drops to 136 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 102 FPS. The 1080p results indicate that the system is heavily CPU-bound at this resolution, as even the Ultra preset stays above the 100 FPS threshold, leaving the GPU with room to spare.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings yield 161 FPS, which is a 26% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High produces 100 FPS, and Ultra drops to 75 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor, but the system still delivers smooth frame rates even on the High preset.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low settings produce 104 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that exceeds the 100 FPS mark. Medium averages 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS. High drops to 64 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS. The 4K data reveals that the RX 7700 XT struggles to maintain high frame rates at this resolution, especially on the more demanding presets.

The minimum FPS data is only available for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 132 FPS, which is 84% of the average. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 97 FPS, which is 85% of the average. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 63 FPS, which is 85% of the average. This consistent ratio suggests that frame pacing remains stable across resolutions, with no sudden dips that would indicate stuttering issues.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node and packs 14 cores and 14 threads. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3. This configuration is well-suited for gaming, as the high boost clock ensures strong single-threaded performance, while the 14 cores provide ample multi-threaded headroom for background tasks.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the 1080p results. At Low settings, the system hits 219 FPS, which is likely near the engine's maximum frame rate limit. The fact that the FPS drops by 53% when moving from Low to Ultra at 1080p indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution, as the GPU is handling the increased graphical load. The CPU's single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648, ensures that the game's main simulation thread is never starved.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities also contribute to overall system responsiveness. With a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 38706, the Ultra 5 245 can handle the overhead of game anti-cheat, voice chat, and streaming software without impacting frame times. The 14 threads are more than sufficient for a game like Lockdown Protocol, which typically uses fewer than eight threads for core gameplay logic.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface provides adequate data throughput for the GPU. The 24 MB of L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing latency. While the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, its performance headroom at 1080p ensures that the GPU is fully utilized, as evidenced by the 219 FPS Low preset result.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing high frame rates in competitive play, the Low preset at 1440p is the optimal choice, delivering 161 FPS. This is 61% higher than the High preset at the same resolution and provides a significant competitive advantage in a fast-paced FPS. The 1080p Low preset at 219 FPS is even faster, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it for most users on a 1440p or 4K display.

For a balanced experience, the Medium preset at 1440p is the standout recommendation. It delivers 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense firefights. The Medium preset at 1080p also performs exceptionally well at 156 FPS, but the 1440p Medium result offers a better visual fidelity to performance ratio. At 4K, the Medium preset at 74 FPS is the only viable option for those who want to game at native 4K without dropping below 60 FPS.

The High preset is best reserved for 1080p or 1440p displays. At 1080p, it produces 136 FPS, which is still very smooth. At 1440p, it drops to 100 FPS, which is acceptable for most players but not ideal for those with high-refresh-rate monitors. The 4K High preset at 64 FPS is playable but sits close to the 60 FPS threshold, making it less suitable for competitive play.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution. At 1080p, it produces 102 FPS, which is only 65% of the Low preset's performance. At 1440p, it drops to 75 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The visual gains from Ultra over High are typically minimal in fast-paced FPS games, making the performance cost unjustified. For the best experience, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the strongest combination of visual quality, frame rate, and consistency.