Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that stresses both CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and preset. The measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 shows a system that is well-balanced at 1080p, but becomes GPU-limited as resolution increases. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all tested settings and resolutions, interprets the performance against nearest rivals, and provides a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 81 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 22 FPS, and then further down to 38 FPS at 3840x2160. The transition from 1440p to 4K represents a 36% drop in performance, which is a typical indicator that the GTX 1070's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor.

At Low settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The average FPS at 1080p is 131, dropping to 96 at 1440p and 62 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 35 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 34 FPS. This nearly linear decline suggests that even at low graphical fidelity, the GPU is still the primary constraint, as the CPU has enough headroom to feed frames but the graphics card cannot keep up with the increasing pixel count.

Looking at the Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, the average at 1080p is 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 44 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS. The consistency of the minimum frame rates relative to averages (roughly 85% of the average) indicates that the system does not suffer from severe stuttering, but the overall performance ceiling is dictated by the GPU's pixel throughput.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the average is 61 FPS, which is already below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, it drops to 45 FPS, and at 4K, it bottoms out at 29 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is a 52% reduction from 1080p Ultra, confirming that this combination is not suitable for maximum settings at high resolutions. The data suggests that reducing resolution from 4K to 1440p at Medium settings provides a 55% improvement in average FPS, making it a more viable option than 4K at any preset.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets achieve playable frame rates. At 1080p, even Ultra averages 61 FPS, while High hits 81 FPS and Low reaches 131 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium presets exceed 60 FPS, with averages of 96 and 68 FPS respectively, while High falls just short at 59 FPS. At 4K, no preset averages above 62 FPS, with Medium at 44 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in overall GPU benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780, placing it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro W5000, scores 9803, which is 0.2% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M scores 9832 (0.5% higher), while the NVIDIA Tesla M10 scores 9724 (0.6% lower) and the NVIDIA Tesla C2070 scores 9716 (0.7% lower). The performance differences are minimal, suggesting these cards are closely matched in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a strong CPU for this game?

A: The CPU has a percentile rank of 90 among all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing processor. Its average benchmark score is 48995, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, 0.4% higher) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, 0.5% higher). It also outperforms the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, 0.6% lower) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618, 0.8% lower). Given that the GPU is the weaker component, the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck in most scenarios.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 131 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. This represents a 70 FPS difference, meaning Ultra settings deliver only 47% of the frame rate of Low settings. The Medium preset averages 93 FPS, and High averages 81 FPS, showing a gradual decline as graphical fidelity increases.

Q: Does the system maintain consistent frame times across different settings?

A: The Medium preset provides min and max FPS data. At 1080p, the average is 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. At 4K, the average is 44 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. The minimum frame rates are consistently about 15-16% below the averages, indicating stable performance without major dips.

Q: Which component is the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter at 3840x2160. The CPU is a high-end model with a 90th percentile ranking, while the GPU sits in the 47th percentile. The large FPS drops when moving from 1440p to 4K at all settings (59 to 38 FPS at High, 96 to 62 FPS at Low, 68 to 44 FPS at Medium, and 45 to 29 FPS at Ultra) point to the GTX 1070's inability to process the higher pixel count, rather than a CPU bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, demonstrating strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI, which are typically single-threaded or lightly threaded tasks. The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is beneficial for these workloads. The CPU's average benchmark score of 48995 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, and it is essentially on par with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 (0.5% higher). This means the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU with frames.

The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 131 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game. However, at 4K Low, the FPS drops to 62, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's performance is consistent across resolutions, as the frame rates decline proportionally with pixel count. This suggests that the Core Ultra 5 245 is not holding back the GTX 1070 in this title, and any performance improvements would require a GPU upgrade.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination ranks 2342 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the bottom 17% of all systems. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's modest performance, as the CPU is a top-tier component. The combo's rank reflects the overall system capability, which is heavily weighted towards the GPU in this FPS title.

When considering the CPU alone, it ranks in the 90th percentile, but the GPU's 47th percentile ranking drags the combo down. The disparity between the two components is stark: the CPU is a high-end offering, while the GPU is a mid-range card from a previous generation. The combo rank of 2342 suggests that most other tested systems have either a more balanced configuration or a stronger GPU.

The nearest GPU rivals to the GTX 1070, such as the AMD FirePro W5000 and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, have nearly identical benchmark scores (9803 and 9832, respectively). This means that swapping the GTX 1070 for one of these cards would yield similar performance in Lockdown Protocol, reinforcing that the GPU is the limiting factor. The combo's low rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's age and capabilities, not a reflection of the CPU's performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. The Low preset averages 131 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for a competitive FPS. The Medium preset averages 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS, providing a stable experience. High settings average 81 FPS, while Ultra averages 61 FPS. All presets at 1080p exceed 60 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for this combo.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low averages 96 FPS, still very playable, while Medium averages 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. High averages 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra averages 45 FPS. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p, users must stick to Low or Medium settings.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low averages 62 FPS, which is the only preset above 60 FPS. Medium averages 44 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The minimum FPS for Medium at 4K is 37, indicating that even the lowest moments are below 40 FPS. This resolution is only viable for casual play at Low settings, and even then, it is borderline.

The data shows a clear progression: 1080p is fully playable at all settings, 1440p requires lower presets for smooth gameplay, and 4K is only playable at Low settings. The Medium preset's min/max data across all resolutions shows a consistent pattern of about 85% of the average for the minimum and 115% for the maximum, indicating good frame pacing without major spikes or drops.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the High preset, which averages 81 FPS. This provides a balance between visual quality and performance, with a frame rate well above the 60 FPS target. The High preset is 20 FPS faster than Ultra (61 FPS) and only 12 FPS slower than Medium (93 FPS), making it the optimal choice for most players.

For players who prioritize smoothness over visuals, the Low preset at 1080p offers 131 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. This setting maximizes the refresh rate potential of high-Hz monitors and ensures minimal input lag. The Medium preset at 1080p (93 FPS) is a good middle ground, but the visual difference over High is likely minimal while the performance cost is 12 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset (68 FPS) is the recommended choice, as it is the only setting that consistently holds above 60 FPS. The Low preset (96 FPS) is also viable for those who want extra headroom, but Medium provides better visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 1440p (59 FPS) is borderline and may cause noticeable frame drops in intense scenes.

For 4K, the Low preset (62 FPS) is the only playable option, but it requires significant visual compromises. The Medium preset at 4K (44 FPS) is not recommended for fast-paced gameplay, as the minimum FPS of 37 can lead to stuttering. Given the data, 4K should be avoided unless visual fidelity is the absolute priority, and even then, the Low preset is the only feasible choice.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. It has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, with 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs. The GPU's FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 13498 in Passmark G3D and 1082 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is to handle rendering, including geometry, textures, and post-processing effects. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game's requirements at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s becomes a limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, as the frame rates drop significantly with increasing resolution.

The GPU's nearest rivals, the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803 avg score) and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832 avg score), have nearly identical performance, with deltas of -0.2% and -0.5% respectively. This indicates that the GTX 1070 is a solid mid-range card, but it is outclassed by more modern GPUs. The GPU's 47th percentile ranking means that 53% of all GPUs perform better, which is reflected in the combo's overall rank of 2342.

The GPU's boost clock of 1683 MHz is relatively high for its generation, but it cannot compensate for the lack of more advanced features like ray tracing or DLSS. In this game, the GPU's raw rasterization performance is the key factor, and the data shows it is insufficient for high settings at 1440p or any settings at 4K except Low. For a better experience, a GPU with a higher benchmark score would be necessary.