Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-released FPS title, responds strongly to both processor and graphics hardware, but the measured frame rates for this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 reveal a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The data indicates a configuration capable of delivering high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, while still maintaining playable triple-digit frame rates at 4K on most presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, which are the primary figures driving its single-thread performance. This is crucial for Lockdown Protocol, as FPS titles typically rely heavily on the CPU to process game logic, physics, and draw calls. The processor's performance in synthetic benchmarks reflects its capability: it scores 4,648 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32,924 in multi-core, positioning it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and Intel Core i5-14600K, are within 0.8% of its average benchmark score, indicating that this CPU sits at a competitive performance tier for gaming workloads.

In the context of the measured FPS, the CPU's role becomes evident when observing the frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 360 FPS, which is exceptionally high. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to reach such frame rates, and the bottleneck is likely no longer the processor at this point. The 14 threads, while not a massive count by modern standards, are sufficient for this game's engine to avoid presenting a computational wall. The L3 cache of 24 MB shared and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth further assist in maintaining smooth data flow, reducing the likelihood of stutter in fast-paced combat scenarios. The data shows that this CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, but its performance headroom allows the RTX 4090 to operate at full capacity, which is a hallmark of a balanced pairing for this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the primary driver of visual fidelity and resolution scaling in this configuration. With 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, it provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for handling high-resolution textures and complex shaders in Lockdown Protocol. The GPU's clock speeds are listed at a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz. These, combined with its 16,384 shading units and 128 RT cores, deliver the raw compute power required for the frame rates seen in the measured data. The GPU's average benchmark score of 60,347 places it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, showing a 0% delta, though the RTX 4090's gaming performance is significantly higher in practice as per the FPS data.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases and settings are raised. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 81, whereas at 1080p Low it reaches 360 FPS. This dramatic scaling indicates that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions and graphical presets. The 24 GB VRAM capacity is a clear advantage; even at 4K Ultra, there is no indication of a memory capacity limitation, as the frame rates remain stable and high. The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for modern game engines. The measured data confirms that the RTX 4090 is a formidable component for this title, but its performance is still subject to the laws of rendering resolution and settings, with the CPU providing enough headroom to avoid artificially capping the GPU's output at lower settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 261, with a minimum of 222 and a maximum of 301.

Q: How does the CPU's synthetic benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48,995. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 has an average score of 49,228, which is -0.5% relative to the Ultra 5 245, and the Intel Core i5-14600K is 0.8% ahead with a score of 48,618.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance bottlenecked by the CPU at 4K?

A: The data suggests no. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 81, which is significantly lower than the 1080p Low result of 360 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom to maintain high frame rates at lower settings.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average FPS on Low settings is 270, while on Ultra settings it drops to 125. This represents a reduction of 145 FPS, or roughly 54%, when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 have enough VRAM for Lockdown Protocol at maximum settings?

A: Yes, with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, the GPU has ample capacity. The measured frame rates at 4K Ultra (81 FPS) are stable and do not indicate any performance drops associated with VRAM exhaustion.

Q: What is the rank of this specific CPU and GPU combination among all tested combos?

A: The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 65th out of 2,828 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. The data shows that the "High" preset offers a balanced mix of visual quality and performance. At 1080p High, the system achieves 228 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors (e.g., 240Hz). At 1440p High, the average FPS is 167, which is still well above 144 FPS, making it ideal for 144Hz displays. Even at 4K High, the average FPS is 108, which is playable on a 120Hz display, though it may not fully saturate a 144Hz panel.

The "Medium" preset provides a slight boost in frame rates with a modest visual compromise. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 261, and at 1440p Medium, it is 192. These figures are beneficial for competitive play where maximizing frame rates is a priority. The "Ultra" preset, while visually superior, shows a significant performance cost: at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS drops to 171, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 81. For most users, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a substantial improvement in visual fidelity over Medium with only a moderate FPS penalty compared to Low. If the goal is to achieve the highest possible frame rates for a 360Hz monitor, then Low at 1080p (360 FPS) is the only way to fully utilize such a display, but this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The data supports High as the best overall preset for a balance of image quality and smoothness across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds a rank of 65 out of 2,828 total combos. This places it in the top 2.3% of all tested configurations, which is a strong result. The high rank is likely driven by the RTX 4090's dominant GPU performance, as indicated by the high frame rates at all resolutions, and the CPU's adequate single-thread performance that prevents it from becoming a major bottleneck. The CPU's 90th percentile standing among all CPUs and the GPU's 88th percentile standing among all GPUs suggest that neither component is a weak link. However, the rank of 65 implies that there are 64 other combinations that perform better. These likely feature even more powerful CPUs (e.g., higher-end models with more cache or higher clocks) that can push frame rates slightly higher at 1080p, or they may use the same GPU with a more capable processor. The data shows that while this is a top-tier combo, it is not the absolute best, and the CPU is the component most likely holding back the GPU in CPU-bound scenarios. The delta between this combo and the top-ranked ones is not quantified in the data, but the rank position indicates a very high level of performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 360. This is the peak measured performance in the dataset, indicating a CPU and GPU combination that can handle the game at its most basic rendering level with ease. Moving to Medium, the average FPS is 261, with a minimum of 222 and a maximum of 301. The High preset yields an average of 228 FPS. The Ultra preset reduces the average to 171 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a clear performance curve, with a total drop of 189 FPS from the lowest to the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain impressively high. Low settings produce an average of 270 FPS, which is still sufficient for very high refresh rate displays. Medium settings average 192 FPS, with a minimum of 163 and a maximum of 220. High settings average 167 FPS. Ultra settings drop the average to 125 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction in FPS across all settings, with the drop being more pronounced at lower settings (e.g., Low goes from 360 to 270 FPS, a 90 FPS drop) compared to higher settings (e.g., Ultra goes from 171 to 125 FPS, a 46 FPS drop). This suggests that at higher settings, the GPU is already heavily loaded, so the resolution increase has a relatively smaller absolute impact.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system remains capable of delivering playable frame rates. Low settings average 174 FPS, which is still high for 4K. Medium settings average 124 FPS, with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 142. High settings average 108 FPS. Ultra settings average 81 FPS. The 4K results show that the RTX 4090 is powerful enough to handle this resolution, but the average FPS on Ultra is below the 100 FPS mark, which may be a consideration for users with 120Hz or 144Hz 4K monitors. The data shows that a 60Hz 4K display is easily saturated even at Ultra settings, but for higher refresh rates, users would need to drop to High or Medium settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates how performance scales from 1080p to 4K, revealing the limiting component at each stage. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 360 at 1080p to 270 at 1440p and then to 174 at 4K. This represents a 52% reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K. The fact that the FPS does not scale inversely with the pixel count (4K has 4x the pixels of 1080p, which would theoretically result in 90 FPS if the GPU were the sole bottleneck) indicates that the CPU is a significant limiting factor at 1080p Low. The CPU cannot feed the GPU fast enough to exceed 360 FPS, so the GPU is underutilized at this resolution. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU becomes more saturated, and the FPS drops to 174, which is a more GPU-bound scenario.

At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 171 at 1080p to 125 at 1440p and then to 81 at 4K. This is a 53% reduction from 1080p to 4K. In this case, the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions, as the high settings demand significant pixel processing power. The CPU has enough headroom to keep up with the GPU's output at 1080p Ultra, but the GPU's workload increases with resolution, leading to the observed FPS drops. The data shows that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p Low to the GPU at 1080p Ultra and beyond. At 1080p Low, the CPU is the wall, capping performance at 360 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is the wall, with the CPU having ample headroom. This analysis confirms that for this game, the RTX 4090 is best paired with a high-refresh-rate 1440p monitor, where it can deliver over 160 FPS on High settings, while 4K gaming is viable but requires settings adjustments to exceed 120 FPS.