Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol’s measured performance with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 570 presents a clear picture of a system heavily constrained by its graphics card. The data, captured across three resolutions and four settings presets, shows that the RX 570 is the definitive bottleneck, with the capable 20-core CPU left largely underutilized. The FPS deltas between Low and Ultra settings at every resolution are stark, revealing a GPU that struggles to maintain playable frame rates as graphical load increases. This analysis breaks down the measured results to understand where this combination stands and what it means for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 has a dramatic and predictable impact on the average FPS, confirming that the Radeon RX 570 is the primary limiting factor. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 47 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 1440p, a significant 25.5% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings yields an even steeper decline, with the average FPS falling to 22, representing a 37.1% drop from the 1440p figure. The cumulative effect is that 4K High performance is less than half (46.8%) of what is achieved at 1080p High, illustrating how quickly the GPU’s pixel-pushing capabilities are exhausted.

This scaling pattern is even more pronounced on the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves a respectable 77 FPS, which is the highest average recorded in the entire dataset. This drops to 56 FPS at 1440p Low, a 27.3% decrease, and then to 36 FPS at 4K Low, another 35.7% decrease from the 1440p figure. The fact that even the lowest settings cannot maintain 60 FPS at 1440p or 4K strongly indicates that the RX 570’s raw rendering throughput, not CPU overhead or memory bandwidth, is the wall. The GPU is simply unable to fill the increasing number of pixels at a high rate, regardless of the reduced visual complexity.

The data suggests a classic GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a much smaller performance gap between resolutions, particularly at lower settings where the GPU has less work to do. Instead, the FPS scales almost linearly with the number of pixels being rendered. For instance, the jump from 1080p (approximately 2 million pixels) to 4K (approximately 8 million pixels) should theoretically require four times the GPU fill rate. The measured results at High settings (47 FPS to 22 FPS) and Low settings (77 FPS to 36 FPS) show a performance halving, which is less than the theoretical 4x increase in workload would suggest, but still points squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck. The Core Ultra 7 265, with its 20 cores and high boost clock, is more than capable of feeding frames to the GPU; the RX 570 is what fails to keep up.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the most effective way to experience Lockdown Protocol with this hardware is to prioritize the Low preset at 1920x1080. This is the only configuration in the dataset that achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS, with an average of 77 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience that is critical for a fast-paced FPS title. All other settings at 1080p fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less ideal for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, yielding an average of 56 FPS. While this is below the 60 FPS mark, it is close enough to be considered acceptable for single-player or less demanding scenarios. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 40 FPS average, which may feel noticeably less fluid. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p, with averages of 35 and 26 FPS respectively, are too demanding for this GPU and should be avoided if smooth gameplay is a priority.

At 4K, all presets result in an average FPS below 40. The Low preset at 36 FPS is the highest achievable, but this is likely to be a subpar experience for an FPS. The data indicates that 4K is not a realistic target for this GPU combination, even on the lowest settings. The recommendation is clear: for the best balance of visual quality and performance, 1080p Low is the sweet spot. Users with a 1440p monitor could consider Low settings for a playable experience, but should be prepared for frame rates that dip below 60. The Medium preset provides a marginal visual upgrade over Low but comes with a significant performance cost, making it a poor trade-off given the measured FPS drops.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this CPU/GPU combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 77, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

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

A: The data shows that it cannot. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 17 on Ultra to 36 on Low, all of which are below what is generally considered smooth for an FPS game.

Q: How does the Medium preset compare to Low in terms of performance?

A: Switching from Low to Medium has a significant performance cost. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 77 to 54. At 1440p, it drops from 56 to 40. At 4K, it drops from 36 to 26. This indicates a substantial FPS penalty for the visual improvements Medium offers.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 or the AMD Radeon RX 570 the bottleneck?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the bottleneck. The FPS scales heavily with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU limitation. The high CPU performance, evidenced by its benchmark scores, is not the constraining factor here.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 35 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. This is a 9 FPS (or roughly 25.7%) reduction in average performance for the highest visual quality setting.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 1080p with the Medium preset?

A: The measured average FPS for 1920x1080 with the Medium preset is 54, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 63. This suggests inconsistent frame times that could lead to noticeable stuttering.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section details the exact average FPS values measured for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080

• Low: 77 FPS average. This is the highest performance point in the dataset.
• Medium: 54 FPS average, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 63 FPS. The variance indicates frame pacing issues.
• High: 47 FPS average. A significant step down from Medium, showing the cost of higher fidelity effects.
• Ultra: 36 FPS average. This is near the edge of playability for a fast-paced game.

2560x1440

• Low: 56 FPS average. This is the only 1440p setting that approaches a playable frame rate.
• Medium: 40 FPS average, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46 FPS. The frame rate is becoming less stable.
• High: 35 FPS average. This falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay for many users.
• Ultra: 26 FPS average. The visual quality is not worth the significant performance penalty at this resolution.

3840x2160

• Low: 36 FPS average. Even the lowest settings cannot overcome the GPU’s 4K limitations.
• Medium: 26 FPS average, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30 FPS. This is a slideshow-like experience for an FPS.
• High: 22 FPS average. The system is clearly overwhelmed by the combination of resolution and settings.
• Ultra: 17 FPS average. This is the worst-performing configuration measured, confirming 4K is unplayable.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the definitive limiting factor in this configuration. The measured FPS data shows that performance is directly tied to the GPU’s workload, which is manipulated by resolution and settings. The card’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration appears insufficient for higher resolutions and settings, but the core issue is the GPU’s raw compute power. With a boost clock of 1244 MHz, 2048 shading units, and an FP32 throughput of 5.095 TFLOPS, the RX 570 is a dated part that is outclassed by the demands of Lockdown Protocol at higher presets.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce this picture. Its average benchmark score of 28766 places it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, but its closest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 470 and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000, showing it is an entry-level performer by modern standards. The data suggests the RX 570 is a capable card for 1080p gaming on older or less demanding titles, but it lacks the headroom needed for a modern FPS at high settings. The massive FPS drops from Low to Ultra settings (e.g., from 77 to 36 at 1080p) are a direct consequence of the GPU’s limited shader and texture processing capabilities.

The VRAM is also a likely contributor to performance issues. At 4K with High or Ultra settings, the demands on the 4 GB frame buffer could easily exceed its capacity, leading to texture swapping and severe stutters. The measured minimum FPS of 22 at 4K Medium suggests such instability. The GPU’s 150W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for its class, but its end-of-life production status and 2017 release date show its age. In this system, the RX 570 is a legacy part that is holding back the rest of the hardware.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a secondary, supporting role in this benchmark, as it is clearly not the bottleneck. The CPU is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its high multi-threaded and single-threaded benchmark scores indicate it is more than capable of handling the game logic and frame preparation for Lockdown Protocol. The fact that the FPS drops so significantly when resolution increases is proof that the CPU is not limiting the frame rate; the same CPU work is being done regardless of resolution, but the GPU’s output decreases.

The CPU’s performance is evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores of 42216 multi-core and 5960 single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include server-class parts like the AMD EPYC 4464P and EPYC 9124, which shows its immense compute capability. With 30 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth, the Ultra 7 265 has all the resources needed to feed the RX 570 with data. The CPU is essentially waiting for the GPU to catch up.

The data implies that the CPU’s 20 cores and high clock speeds are overkill for the graphical demands of this game, especially when paired with this GPU. In a system with a more powerful GPU, the Ultra 7 265 would likely allow for much higher frame rates, as it would not be a limiting factor. The launch MSRP of $394 positions it as a high-end desktop processor, and its benchmark scores confirm its status. For this specific configuration, the CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of instructions, a task it handles with ease, leaving the GPU as the sole arbiter of performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and AMD Radeon RX 570 is ranked 2723 out of a total of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 4% of all systems, which is a direct reflection of the GPU’s limitations. The CPU is a top-tier performer, but the GPU is a legacy entry-level part, and the overall score is dragged down by this imbalance. This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows that the system cannot achieve high frame rates at any resolution above 1080p Low.

The combo’s rank of 2723 is a stark contrast to the individual performance of its components. The CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking and the GPU’s 74th percentile ranking would suggest a mid-range to high-end system, but the pairing results in a bottom-tier outcome for this game. This highlights how a single weak component can bottleneck an entire system. The GPU’s end-of-life status and the fact that it is nearly a decade old, released in 2017, makes it the clear outlier. The Core Ultra 7 265, released in 2025, is a modern powerhouse that is being held back by a part from a previous generation.

This ranking serves as a cautionary tale about system balance. The data shows that investing in a high-end CPU like the Ultra 7 265 yields no benefit in this game when paired with an RX 570. The measured FPS is entirely dependent on the GPU. For users with this combination, the only path to a better rank in Lockdown Protocol is to upgrade the graphics card. The massive performance gap between the CPU and GPU is the defining characteristic of this combo, and its low rank of 2723 out of 2828 is the quantitative result of that mismatch.