Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, shows exceptional performance with this Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 pairing. The measured data reveals a system capable of high refresh rate gaming across all resolutions, with the 1080p Low preset hitting 360 FPS and even 4K Ultra maintaining an average of 83 FPS. This combination ranks 45th out of 2,828 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.6% of all configurations evaluated.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data shows clear performance tiers across settings presets, and the optimal choice depends heavily on your target resolution and display refresh rate. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 175 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for high refresh rate monitors. However, the jump from Medium at 268 FPS to Low at 360 FPS represents a 34% performance increase, making Low the best option for competitive play where maximum frame rates matter most. The RTX 5090's raw power means even Ultra settings at 1080p maintain excellent fluidity, but the data suggests that for esports-level responsiveness, Low is the sweet spot.

At 1440p, the story shifts slightly. High settings produce 171 FPS, while Medium hits 196 FPS and Low reaches 276 FPS. The Medium preset offers a strong balance between visual quality and performance, with the measured minimum of 167 FPS ensuring consistent frame delivery. Ultra at 1440p still manages 128 FPS, which remains smooth for most gaming scenarios. For 1440p users with 144Hz or 165Hz displays, Medium is the recommended starting point, as it provides a comfortable margin above typical refresh rates while maintaining better visual fidelity than Low.

The 4K results are where the RTX 5090's capabilities become most apparent. High settings achieve 111 FPS, Medium delivers 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 FPS, and Low reaches 178 FPS. Ultra drops to 83 FPS, which is still playable but approaches the threshold where frame pacing becomes noticeable on high refresh rate displays. For 4K gaming, High settings offer the best experience—the 111 FPS average keeps gameplay smooth, and the visual upgrade over Medium is substantial without the performance penalty of Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K also warrants consideration, as its 127 FPS average and 108 FPS minimum provide a more robust frame rate guarantee for demanding scenes.

FAQ

Q: Does this system achieve playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average of 83 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, the data shows a significant 28 FPS drop from High to Ultra, indicating that Ultra's additional visual effects come at a substantial performance cost. Players prioritizing frame rate stability should consider High, which delivers 111 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ultra 5 245 scores 48,995 in average benchmark score, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. It performs within 0.8% of the Intel Core i5-14600K (48,618, +0.8% delta) and within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228, -0.5% delta). This indicates the Ultra 5 245 sits in a highly competitive performance tier.

Q: What is the RTX 5090's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 5090 ranks in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, +1.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80,959, -1.4% delta), showing the 5090's position in a tightly contested performance band.

Q: Is there a significant frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings?

A: Yes, the data shows a consistent reduction. At High settings, 1080p delivers 234 FPS while 1440p delivers 171 FPS—a 27% decrease. At Low settings, the drop is from 360 FPS to 276 FPS, a 23% decrease. This scaling pattern indicates the GPU remains the primary bottleneck as resolution increases.

Q: Does the Ultra 5 245's 14-core, 14-thread configuration limit gaming performance?

A: The measured gaming results show no evidence of CPU limitation. The processor's 14 cores and 14 threads, combined with a 5.10 GHz boost clock, support frame rates exceeding 360 FPS at 1080p Low. The absence of hyper-threading does not appear to impact Lockdown Protocol's performance, as the game's frame rates scale consistently with GPU workload rather than hitting CPU ceilings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + RTX 5090 combination ranks 45th out of 2,828 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.6% of all configurations. This high ranking reflects the RTX 5090's dominant GPU performance combined with the Ultra 5 245's strong single-threaded capabilities.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 brings 14 cores and 14 threads to this pairing, operating with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This Arrow Lake-S architecture processor, built on TSMC's 3nm process node, includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The absence of hyper-threading means 14 threads match the core count, which could theoretically limit heavily threaded workloads, but Lockdown Protocol's benchmark results show no such constraint.

The CPU's single-threaded performance is particularly relevant for gaming. In Cinebench R23, the Ultra 5 245 scores 4,648 in single-core and 32,924 in multi-core tests. These figures demonstrate robust per-thread performance that gaming engines typically leverage. The PassMark single-thread score of 4,394 reinforces this strength, while the multi-thread score of 38,706 shows capable scaling across all 14 cores. The processor's 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it sits comfortably in the upper tier of available processors.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K follows a pattern consistent with GPU-bound performance—as resolution increases, frame rates decrease proportionally, suggesting the Ultra 5 245 provides sufficient headroom to keep the RTX 5090 fed with data. The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz helps maintain responsive frame delivery, particularly in scenes with many CPU-driven game logic calculations. The 65W TDP indicates efficient operation, and while the processor is not multiplier unlocked, its stock performance proves adequate for this demanding GPU pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a rank of 45 out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 1.6% of all configurations, evidence of the RTX 5090's immense graphics throughput. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842, provides the foundation for this exceptional game performance. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking complements the GPU without creating a significant bottleneck.

Comparing against the GPU's nearest rivals contextualizes this performance. The RTX 5090 scores within 1.1% of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and within 0.3% of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB. This tight grouping suggests that no single GPU in this performance band holds a decisive advantage, yet the 5090's combination of 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth delivers the sustained throughput that Lockdown Protocol demands at high resolutions.

The CPU's position relative to its rivals further explains the combo's high rank. The Ultra 5 245 performs within 0.8% of the Intel Core i5-14600K, a popular gaming processor, and within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900. This performance parity means the Ultra 5 245 does not diminish the RTX 5090's capabilities—the two components work in concert to produce the measured frame rates. The rank of 45 out of 2,828 combos indicates that only 44 alternative configurations outperform this pairing in Lockdown Protocol, a remarkable result for a system built around a mid-range CPU and flagship GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals consistent performance scaling across resolutions, with frame rates declining as pixel count increases. At Low settings, the progression from 1080p at 360 FPS to 1440p at 276 FPS to 4K at 178 FPS represents drops of 23% and 36% respectively. This pattern indicates that the RTX 5090 remains the limiting component even at 4K, as the GPU workload increases with resolution while the CPU's role stays relatively constant.

High settings show a similar trend: 1080p delivers 234 FPS, 1440p drops to 171 FPS (27% reduction), and 4K falls to 111 FPS (35% reduction from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across settings presets suggest that resolution scaling is predictable and GPU-bound. Medium settings follow the same pattern with 268 FPS at 1080p, 196 FPS at 1440p, and 127 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings show 175 FPS, 128 FPS, and 83 FPS across the three resolutions.

The 4K to 1440p ratio reveals the GPU's capability ceiling. At Low settings, 4K achieves 64% of 1440p performance, while at High settings, 4K achieves 65% of 1440p performance. This relatively flat ratio across settings indicates that the RTX 5090's 32 GB memory buffer and 512-bit bus width provide sufficient bandwidth to handle 4K rendering without disproportionate penalties. The CPU's role remains secondary throughout, as the frame rate scaling follows GPU workload expectations rather than showing signs of CPU saturation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the benchmark results show exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce the highest average at 360 FPS, followed by Medium at 268 FPS with a minimum of 227 FPS and maximum of 308 FPS. High settings achieve 234 FPS average, while Ultra delivers 175 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra represents a 51% performance range, giving players substantial flexibility to prioritize either frame rate or visual quality.

The 2560x1440 results demonstrate the RTX 5090's strong 1440p performance. Low settings reach 276 FPS average, Medium delivers 196 FPS with a minimum of 167 FPS and maximum of 226 FPS, High achieves 171 FPS, and Ultra maintains 128 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 167 FPS ensures consistent frame delivery above typical 144Hz refresh rates, making it the most reliable choice for 1440p gaming.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains impressive for 4K gaming. Low settings achieve 178 FPS average, Medium delivers 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 FPS and maximum of 146 FPS, High reaches 111 FPS, and Ultra maintains 83 FPS. The Medium preset's 108 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes, while High settings offer a solid 111 FPS average for those seeking enhanced visual fidelity. Ultra's 83 FPS average remains playable but represents the first setting where frame rates approach the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that Ultra's additional visual effects strain even the RTX 5090's considerable resources at 4K.