Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080

The measured data for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 shows a system that delivers high frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the RTX 5080's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth providing substantial headroom. The combination ranks 132nd out of 2,828 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 5% of all configurations evaluated. The benchmark results indicate a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the CPU's 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock become more relevant to overall performance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, though the magnitude of the drop varies significantly by settings preset. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 345 at 1920x1080 to 253 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 92 FPS or roughly 27%. Continuing to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 163 FPS, which represents a 53% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the RTX 5080 is the limiting factor at 4K, as the pixel count quadruples while the frame rate only drops by about half.

At Medium settings, the scaling follows a similar trajectory: 245 FPS at 1080p, 180 FPS at 1440p, and 116 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is approximately 53%, nearly identical to the Low setting behavior. The High preset shows 214 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p, and 101 FPS at 4K, with the 4K figure representing a 53% reduction from 1080p. The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest relative decline: 160 FPS at 1080p drops to 118 FPS at 1440p and then to 76 FPS at 4K, a 52.5% decrease from the 1080p baseline.

The consistency of the 1080p-to-4K percentage drop across all four settings presets — ranging from roughly 52% to 53% — strongly indicates that the RTX 5080 is the primary performance limiter at every settings level. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K would be less severe, as higher resolutions shift more of the workload onto the GPU. The data shows that even at Low settings, where the GPU workload is minimized, the 4K frame rate of 163 FPS is still substantially below the 1080p figure, confirming that the GPU's rendering capabilities cap performance at higher resolutions.

The 1440p results provide an intermediate data point that further supports this analysis. At every preset, the 1440p average sits roughly halfway between the 1080p and 4K values, consistent with a GPU-bound system where pixel count is the dominant factor. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum FPS of 153 and maximum of 207, indicating that frame times are relatively consistent without severe spikes, which would be expected if the GPU were struggling with memory bandwidth or other resource constraints.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 at High settings offers the best balance, delivering 157 FPS average while maintaining visual quality. At 4K, even High settings only achieve 101 FPS, which is playable but leaves less margin for demanding scenes. The 1440p High combination provides a 55% higher frame rate than 4K High while still offering substantial visual fidelity.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at each resolution?

A: The Ultra preset consistently delivers lower frame rates than High across all resolutions. At 1080p, Ultra averages 160 FPS versus 214 FPS for High, a 25% reduction. At 1440p, the gap narrows slightly: 118 FPS versus 157 FPS, a 25% reduction. At 4K, Ultra averages 76 FPS versus 101 FPS for High, again a 25% reduction. The consistent 25% penalty suggests Ultra adds a uniform workload increase regardless of resolution.

Q: Is the RTX 5080's 16 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming in this title?

A: The data indicates yes, as the 4K Ultra preset achieves 76 FPS average without any reported issues. The 16 GB of GDDR7 memory with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth appears adequate for Lockdown Protocol at 4K, as the measured FPS values show no signs of memory-related stuttering or frame drops. The minimum FPS of 99 at 4K Medium further suggests consistent memory performance.

Q: Does the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 bottleneck the RTX 5080 at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU keeps pace reasonably well. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 345 FPS, which is high but not exceptionally so for this GPU class. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads, combined with a 5.10 GHz boost clock, appear sufficient to feed the RTX 5080 at 1080p, though the 345 FPS ceiling may indicate some CPU limitation. However, the 53% drop from 1080p to 4K at all presets confirms the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the frame rate ranges from 208 to 282 FPS around a 245 average. At 1440p, the range is 153 to 207 FPS around a 180 average. At 4K, the range narrows to 99 to 133 FPS around a 116 average. This tightening range at higher resolutions suggests more consistent frame pacing as the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 132nd out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in approximately the top 4.7% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong performance of both the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 working together in this specific game title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 brings 14 cores and 14 threads to the table, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This processor, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node from TSMC, has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel configuration delivering 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's benchmark scores show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,924 and a single-core score of 4,648, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4,394.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but the 1080p results suggest it contributes meaningfully to overall frame rates. The 345 FPS at 1080p Low represents the highest measured average across all configurations, and this figure likely approaches the CPU's practical limit for feeding frames to the GPU. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48,995, places it slightly below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49,196, -0.4%) and AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228, -0.5%), while slightly above the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48,698, +0.6%) and Intel Core i5-14600K (48,618, +0.8%).

The fact that the 1080p to 4K frame rate drop is consistent across all settings — approximately 53% — indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting performance, the drop from 1080p to 4K would be less pronounced because the GPU would have more time to render each frame, allowing the CPU to keep up more easily. Instead, the consistent percentage drop suggests that the GPU's rendering workload scales predictably with pixel count, and the CPU provides sufficient throughput to avoid becoming a limiting factor.

The CPU's 14 threads, while not hyperthreaded, are adequate for an FPS title like Lockdown Protocol, which typically does not heavily utilize more than 8-16 threads. The 24 MB L3 cache likely helps with game asset streaming and physics calculations, while the 5.10 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for game logic and draw call processing. The PassMark physics score of 2,569 and integer math score of 91,187 suggest the CPU handles computational tasks efficiently, which is relevant for a fast-paced FPS where physics and AI calculations occur every frame.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS values show a clear progression across settings. Low settings deliver the highest average at 345 FPS, followed by Medium at 245 FPS with a minimum of 208 and maximum of 282. High settings average 214 FPS, while Ultra drops to 160 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 100 FPS, indicating that Medium settings add substantial GPU workload. The gap between High and Ultra is 54 FPS, suggesting Ultra imposes even more demanding effects that reduce performance by roughly 25% compared to High.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern emerges with lower absolute values. Low averages 253 FPS, Medium averages 180 FPS with a range of 153 to 207, High averages 157 FPS, and Ultra averages 118 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is relatively uniform, with Low dropping 92 FPS (27%), Medium dropping 65 FPS (27%), High dropping 57 FPS (27%), and Ultra dropping 42 FPS (26%). This uniform percentage scaling across settings reinforces that resolution impacts all presets equally.

At 3840x2160, the values continue to decline predictably. Low averages 163 FPS, Medium averages 116 FPS with a range of 99 to 133, High averages 101 FPS, and Ultra averages 76 FPS. The 4K Medium minimum of 99 FPS is notable, as it indicates that even in demanding scenes, the system maintains close to 100 FPS. The 4K Ultra average of 76 FPS is the lowest measured value but remains playable for most users. The progression from Low to Medium to High to Ultra at 4K shows increments of 47 FPS, 15 FPS, and 25 FPS respectively, with the Low-to-Medium jump being the most significant.

The Medium settings are the only preset with complete min/max data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from minimum to maximum is 74 FPS; at 1440p, it narrows to 54 FPS; and at 4K, it tightens further to 34 FPS. This narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently utilized, producing more stable frame times as the rendering workload increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this configuration, and the measured data reflects its capabilities. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, the GPU has substantial memory resources for high-resolution textures and effects. The GPU's 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs provide the raw compute power, while 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores handle ray tracing and AI workloads. The boost clock of 2617 MHz and FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS position this GPU strongly in the current market.

The GPU's benchmark results show a PassMark G3D score of 36,565 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 255,450, with a percentile ranking of 87 versus all GPUs. The nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757, +0.6%), AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, +0.7%), and AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, +2.3%), while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (57,367, -2.2%) outperforms it slightly in average benchmark score.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is clearly primary, as evidenced by the consistent 53% frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s appears sufficient for this title, as the 4K Medium minimum FPS of 99 suggests no memory-related bottlenecks. The GPU's 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than adequate for the game's requirements, as even at Ultra settings and 4K resolution, the system maintains playable frame rates without indications of memory pressure.

The GPU's performance scaling across settings shows that Ultra imposes a consistent 25% penalty over High at every resolution. This suggests that Ultra enables additional rendering features that increase GPU workload uniformly, regardless of pixel count. The RTX 5080's RT cores and tensor cores may be engaged at Ultra settings, which could explain the performance penalty, though the specific features are not detailed in the measured data.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset at 2560x1440 offers the most balanced experience. With an average of 157 FPS, this configuration provides smooth gameplay well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on modern monitors, while maintaining visual quality higher than Medium or Low. The 1440p High setting also leaves headroom for demanding scenes, as the 4K High average of 101 FPS suggests the GPU is not fully saturated at 1440p.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 345 FPS, which would maximize refresh rates on high-end 360 Hz gaming monitors. However, this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a reasonable middle ground at 245 FPS, with the recorded minimum of 208 FPS ensuring that even intense combat sequences remain above typical high-refresh thresholds.

For 4K gaming, the High preset is recommended over Ultra. High averages 101 FPS, while Ultra drops to 76 FPS, a 25% reduction. The 101 FPS figure is above the 60 FPS standard for console-like smoothness and approaches the 120 Hz threshold that many 4K displays support. The Ultra preset's 76 FPS, while playable, provides diminishing returns in visual improvement for a significant frame rate cost. The Medium preset at 4K, averaging 116 FPS with a minimum of 99, is also a strong choice for players who want high resolution without sacrificing frame rate stability.

The data suggests that High settings provide the best overall experience across all resolutions: 214 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p, and 101 FPS at 4K. This preset offers the most consistent scaling and avoids the steep performance penalties of Ultra while providing better visuals than Medium. For competitive players, the Low preset at 1080p or 1440p (345 FPS and 253 FPS respectively) offers the highest possible frame rates, though the visual trade-off may be significant for some users.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 132nd out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 4.7% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong synergy between the CPU and GPU, as well as their individual capabilities. The combo's position suggests that it outperforms the vast majority of tested systems while being outperformed by a small number of configurations, likely those pairing even more powerful CPUs with the RTX 5080 or higher-tier GPUs.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 48,995 places it near the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49,196, -0.4%) and AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228, -0.5%), while the GPU's average benchmark score of 56,083 places it near the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757, +0.6%) and AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, +0.7%). These close benchmark scores suggest that the combo's ranking is competitive with systems using similar-tier components.

The 132nd rank out of 2,828 combos indicates that the RTX 5080 is the primary driver of this ranking, as the GPU's 87th percentile versus all GPUs is higher than the CPU's 90th percentile versus all CPUs. The GPU's strong performance in Lockdown Protocol, where it consistently delivers high frame rates across all resolutions and settings, likely contributes more to the combo's ranking than the CPU. The measured FPS data supports this, as the GPU-bound nature of the game means that the RTX 5080's capabilities are the primary determinant of overall performance.