Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

The pairing of Intel's 20-core Core Ultra 7 265 with NVIDIA's end-of-life GTX 1050 Ti produces a profoundly GPU-limited experience in Lockdown Protocol, as the measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings remain far below what the CPU's compute headroom would permit. The data shows a system where the Pascal-based graphics card, with its 4 GB GDDR5 memory and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth, becomes the definitive bottleneck at every tested configuration. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, the scaling characteristics across resolutions, and the relative ranking of this combo against the broader tested field.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark and consistent decline as resolution increases, confirming that the GTX 1050 Ti is the limiting component in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 61 FPS, which drops to 45 FPS at 1440p Low and further to 29 FPS at 4K Low. That represents a 26% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 52% reduction from 1080p to 4K at the Low preset. For Medium settings, the progression is 44 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K — a 27% drop to 1440p and a 52% drop to 4K. High settings show 38 FPS at 1080p, 28 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K, with Ultra delivering 29 FPS, 21 FPS, and 14 FPS respectively.

The scaling pattern is remarkably linear across all four presets, with each resolution step costing roughly a quarter to a third of the previous frame rate. This behavior is classic for a GPU-bound scenario, where pixel throughput and memory bandwidth dictate performance. The GTX 1050 Ti's 128-bit memory bus and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth are simply insufficient for 4K workloads, as evidenced by the sub-30 FPS results at every 4K setting. The 4K Ultra result of 14 FPS is particularly telling, as it approaches single-digit territory and renders the game effectively unplayable at that configuration.

Notably, the CPU shows no signs of limiting at any resolution. The Core Ultra 7 265's substantial compute resources — 20 cores, 20 threads, and a 5.30 GHz boost clock — are never the constraint, as frame rates scale almost perfectly with resolution changes. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, but the data shows the opposite: a near-perfect inverse relationship between pixel count and performance. The 3nm Arrow Lake processor, with its 30 MB shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth, is effectively idle waiting for the GPU to render frames.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's tolerance for frame rate fluctuations. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 61 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset to cross the 60 FPS threshold. This makes 1080p Low the only truly playable option for smooth gameplay, though the visual quality sacrifice is significant. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 44 FPS average, with a measured range of 37 to 50 FPS, which provides a more balanced visual experience but requires accepting sub-60 FPS performance.

For users prioritizing visual fidelity over smoothness, the 1080p High preset at 38 FPS and the 1080p Ultra preset at 29 FPS represent progressively more demanding options, but both fall well below the 60 FPS ideal. The data suggests that Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, as it provides a 44 FPS average with a minimum of 37 FPS, keeping the frame time relatively consistent while offering better visual quality than Low.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset achieves 45 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. Medium drops to 32 FPS, and High falls to 28 FPS, with Ultra at 21 FPS. None of these configurations reach the 60 FPS mark, and the 1440p Medium minimum of 27 FPS indicates potential stuttering during intense scenes. For 4K, the results are uniformly poor: Low at 29 FPS, Medium at 21 FPS (with a minimum of 18 FPS), High at 18 FPS, and Ultra at 14 FPS. The recommendation is clear — 4K is not viable with this GPU, regardless of settings.

The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p Low at 61 FPS, with 1080p Medium at 44 FPS as the secondary option for those who prefer higher visual quality. The 1080p Medium minimum of 37 FPS is still above the 30 FPS playability floor, making it a defensible choice. For 1440p users, Low at 45 FPS is the only reasonable option, while 4K should be avoided entirely.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a minimal role in the measured performance of this combo, as the GTX 1050 Ti consistently bottlenecks the system. The CPU's specifications, however, provide context for why it is not the limiting factor. With 20 cores and 20 threads, the Arrow Lake processor offers substantial parallel processing capability, and its boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance for game logic and physics. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42,216 and single-core score of 5,960 place this CPU in the 93rd percentile among all tested CPUs, indicating it is far more capable than what this GPU pairing requires.

The CPU's memory subsystem is also robust, with dual-channel DDR5 support and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth, which prevents any memory-related stalling in game scenarios. The 30 MB shared L3 cache provides ample room for game data, and the 3 MB L2 cache per core reduces latency for frequently accessed data. These specifications, combined with the CPU's 93rd percentile ranking, suggest that Lockdown Protocol's CPU demands are easily met by this processor, even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead typically becomes more apparent.

The benchmark data for the Core Ultra 7 265 shows it outperforming its nearest rivals in some metrics. Against the AMD EPYC 4464P, the Intel chip is 0.3% slower in average benchmark score, while it is 0.3% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F and 0.7% faster than the AMD EPYC 7343. The AMD EPYC 9124 is 0.7% faster than the Core Ultra 7 265. These marginal differences underscore that the CPU is operating well within its performance envelope in this game, with the GPU being the sole determinant of frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this pairing is 2,797 out of 2,828 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 1% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the severe GPU limitation imposed by the GTX 1050 Ti, which sits in the 25th percentile among all GPUs and has an average benchmark score of 4,193. The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% higher score), NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% higher), NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (1.1% lower), and AMD Radeon Vega 3 (1.8% lower), all of which are similarly low-powered parts.

The rank of 2,797 out of 2,828 means that only 31 tested combos perform worse than this pairing, and those are likely to feature even more outdated or integrated graphics solutions. This ranking is primarily driven by the GPU's limitations, as the CPU's 93rd percentile standing would normally push a combo much higher in the rankings if paired with a more capable graphics card. The data suggests that this combo is only suitable for very low-resolution, low-settings gaming, and even then, only marginally so.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol specifically, the measured FPS values at 1080p Low (61 FPS) represent the only configuration that approaches acceptable playability. The combo's rank reflects this reality — it is positioned near the absolute bottom of the tested field, with performance that is inadequate for smooth gameplay at higher resolutions or settings. Users with this pairing would need to accept significant visual compromises to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The measured data shows that 1080p Low provides the highest average FPS at 61, making it the only configuration to exceed 60 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset offers 44 FPS average with a minimum of 37 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and playability.

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: No. The measured 4K results range from 29 FPS at Low to 14 FPS at Ultra, with the Medium preset averaging 21 FPS and dipping to 18 FPS minimum. These frame rates are below playable thresholds for a fast-paced FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is definitively the bottleneck. The GTX 1050 Ti has a 4 GB GDDR5 memory capacity and 112.1 GB/s bandwidth, while the Core Ultra 7 265 offers 20 cores and a 5.30 GHz boost clock. The FPS scaling pattern across resolutions confirms GPU limitation.

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

A: This pairing ranks 2,797 out of 2,828 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 1%. The low ranking is almost entirely due to the GTX 1050 Ti's 25th percentile GPU performance.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset averages 45 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS (minimum 27 FPS), High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 21 FPS. Only the Low preset is arguably playable, and even it falls short of 60 FPS.

Q: Is the GTX 1050 Ti's VRAM sufficient for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The GPU has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 112.1 GB/s bandwidth. The measured performance suggests this memory configuration is inadequate for higher resolutions and settings, as frame rates drop precipitously at 1440p and 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for Lockdown Protocol with this hardware pairing is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 61 FPS. The Medium preset averages 44 FPS with a measured range of 37 to 50 FPS. The High preset averages 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. This resolution provides the best overall performance, with only the Low preset achieving the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 45 FPS, representing a 26% drop from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 FPS and maximum of 37 FPS. The High preset averages 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 21 FPS. All 1440p configurations fall below 60 FPS, with the Medium and above presets dipping into potentially problematic territory.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 29 FPS, which is a 52% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 FPS and maximum of 24 FPS. The High preset averages 18 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 14 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with even the lowest settings failing to maintain 30 FPS.

The 1080p Medium preset's minimum of 37 FPS and maximum of 50 FPS shows a 13 FPS spread, indicating some frame time variance but not extreme stuttering. The 1440p Medium preset shows a 10 FPS spread (27 to 37 FPS), while the 4K Medium preset shows a 6 FPS spread (18 to 24 FPS), suggesting that higher resolutions compress the frame rate range even as the averages decline.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is the dominant factor in this combo's performance, and its specifications clearly explain the measured results. The GPU is built on the GP107 chip using a 14nm Samsung process, with 3,300 million transistors on a 132 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1291 MHz and a boost clock of 1392 MHz, with 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units.

The memory configuration is a significant limitation: 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.1 GB/s bandwidth. This bandwidth figure is particularly telling when compared to the CPU's 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth — the GPU's memory bandwidth is only marginally higher than the CPU's, yet the GPU must move vastly more data for rendering tasks. The pixel rate of 44.54 GPixel/s and texture rate of 66.82 GTexel/s are modest figures that explain the poor 4K performance, where pixel throughput becomes critical.

The GPU's benchmark results reinforce its low-end positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305, PassMark G3D score of 6,340, and Geekbench Vulkan score of 10,001 all point to a GPU that is several generations behind current standards. The PassMark DirectX 12 score of 26 is particularly low, suggesting limited DX12 efficiency, which could impact modern game titles. The GPU's 25th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 4,193 place it near the bottom of the performance spectrum.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all similarly low-powered parts: the AMD Radeon R5 M330 (0.6% higher), NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (1% higher), AMD Radeon Vega 3 (1.8% lower), and NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (1.1% lower). This grouping confirms that the GTX 1050 Ti is positioned in the entry-level segment, and its performance in Lockdown Protocol reflects this classification. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is unable to maintain playable frame rates at resolutions above 1080p with medium or higher settings, and even at 1080p Low, it only barely achieves 61 FPS average.