Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol: Intel Core Ultra 7 265 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

This combination pairs Intel's 20-core Arrow Lake desktop processor with NVIDIA's Blackwell-based RTX 5070, producing a system that ranks 517th out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. The measured data shows this is a high-refresh 1440p machine and a capable 4K performer, but the scaling patterns reveal where each component takes charge.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 brings 20 cores and 20 threads to the table, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This is a notably high-boost design from the Arrow Lake-S generation, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. The processor carries 30 MB of shared L3 cache, plus 3 MB of L2 per core and 192 KB of L1 per core. It supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, with a theoretical memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In synthetic workloads, this CPU scores a Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 42,216 points and a single-core result of 5,960 points. The Passmark multi-thread score sits at 49,682, with a single-thread score of 4,689. These numbers place the Ultra 7 265 in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outclasses roughly 93% of processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 64,640 is essentially tied with the AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores 64,823 (0.3% higher). The closest rivals are all server-class EPYC parts: the EPYC 9124 scores 65,104 (0.7% higher), the EPYC 7343 scores 64,202 (0.7% lower), and the Ultra 7 265F scores 64,438 (0.3% lower).

For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the CPU's job is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system hits 278 FPS average. That number is far beyond what any 60 Hz or 144 Hz display needs, which indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions in this title. The gap between 1080p Low (278 FPS) and 1440p Low (204 FPS) is a 74 FPS drop, which is substantial and points to GPU limitation as resolution increases. However, the fact that 1080p Low reaches nearly 300 FPS suggests the Ultra 7 265 has plenty of headroom for competitive play.

The 20-core, 20-thread configuration is unusual — there's no hyperthreading, so each core handles one thread. For a game like Lockdown Protocol, which is an FPS, the single-core performance matters more than raw thread count. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,960 and the Passmark single-thread score of 4,689 both sit in the upper echelon of desktop processors. This translates to snappy frame pacing and consistent 1% lows, as evidenced by the Medium preset's min FPS values (168 at 1080p, 123 at 1440p, 79 at 4K).

The CPU's 65 W TDP is modest for a 20-core part, which means thermals are manageable with a capable air cooler. The processor uses the Intel Socket 1851 platform with PCIe Gen 5 (20 lanes from the CPU), so it pairs well with the RTX 5070's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. The integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 32EU is present but irrelevant for gaming with a discrete GPU installed.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB205 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. It packs 6,144 shading units, 192 tensor cores, and 48 RT cores, with 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs. The GPU runs at a base clock of 2325 MHz and boosts to 2512 MHz. Memory consists of 12 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5070 scores 5,077 in 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12), 178,923 in Geekbench Vulkan, and 172,660 in Geekbench OpenCL. The Passmark G3D score is 29,137, with a GPU compute score of 15,787. These results place the card in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 40,377 is close to several workstation cards: the AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 40,318 (0.1% lower), the Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40,063 (0.8% lower), the Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40,870 (1.2% higher), and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39,568 (2.0% lower). The comparison to professional cards rather than gaming GPUs is notable — the RTX 5070's raw compute is strong, but its gaming performance in Lockdown Protocol is what matters here.

The GPU's 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for Lockdown Protocol at all tested settings, including 4K Ultra. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is 61 FPS average, which is playable but not smooth for a fast-paced FPS. The card's 672 GB/s memory bandwidth helps at high resolutions, as evidenced by the relatively small drop from 1440p Ultra (95 FPS) to 4K Ultra (61 FPS) — a 34 FPS decrease that could be worse given the 2.25x pixel count increase.

The RTX 5070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers all modern rendering APIs. The card's 250 W TDP with a suggested 600 W PSU is typical for this performance class. The dual-slot design and 245 mm length mean it fits in most mid-tower cases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At Low settings, the system delivers 278 FPS at 1080p, 204 FPS at 1440p, and 132 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 74 FPS (a 26.6% reduction), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 72 FPS (a 35.3% reduction). This is consistent with the GPU becoming the primary limiter at higher resolutions.

At High settings, the pattern shifts slightly: 172 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p, and 82 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops here are 26.7% from 1080p to 1440p and 34.9% from 1440p to 4K — nearly identical scaling to Low settings. This suggests the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck at High settings either, since the rate of FPS loss tracks closely with pixel count.

Medium settings show the same trend: 197 FPS at 1080p, 145 FPS at 1440p, and 93 FPS at 4K. The drops are 26.4% and 35.9% respectively. The min FPS values at Medium — 168 at 1080p, 123 at 1440p, and 79 at 4K — indicate that frame pacing remains consistent across resolutions, with no catastrophic 1% low drops.

Ultra settings produce the most pronounced resolution scaling: 129 FPS at 1080p, 95 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 26.4%, and from 1440p to 4K is 35.8%. At 4K Ultra, the system is clearly GPU-bound, as the 61 FPS average is close to the 60 FPS target for console-like smoothness but marginal for competitive play.

The key takeaway: this system is CPU-bound at 1080p Low (where the GPU is barely stressed) but becomes GPU-bound at 1440p and especially 4K. The Ultra 7 265's strong single-core performance ensures the GPU is fed adequately at all resolutions, but the RTX 5070 cannot sustain 4K Ultra at high refresh rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra smoothly?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 61 FPS. This is technically playable but leaves no headroom for drops. For consistent 60+ FPS with v-sync, it works, but competitive players may prefer lower settings for higher frame rates.

Q: What's the best setting for 1440p gaming?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the system averages 126 FPS. Medium averages 145 FPS, and Low averages 204 FPS. For most players, High at 1440p hits the sweet spot between visual quality and smoothness, staying above 120 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system hits 278 FPS average, which indicates the GPU is underutilized and the CPU is relatively more important. The Ultra 7 265's strong single-core performance (5,960 in Cinebench R23 single-core) keeps the system from becoming CPU-limited at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 40,377 places it in the 82nd percentile. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, scores 40,318 (0.1% lower). This is a top-tier consumer GPU, though not in the absolute highest echelon.

Q: Should I use Medium or High settings for competitive play?

A: At 1080p Medium, the system averages 197 FPS with a min FPS of 168. At 1080p High, it averages 172 FPS. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, both are sufficient; if you have a 240 Hz display, Medium's higher average gives more headroom.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM hold back 4K performance?

A: The 4K Ultra average of 61 FPS suggests VRAM is not the limiting factor at these settings. The GDDR7 memory provides 672 GB/s bandwidth, which is ample for this title. The FPS drops are more attributable to raw compute limits.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on your display and performance targets.

For 1080p displays, all settings are playable. Low hits 278 FPS average, which suits 240 Hz monitors. Medium hits 197 FPS with a 168 FPS minimum, making it the best choice for 165-180 Hz displays where you want more visual quality. High hits 172 FPS average, which is still above 144 Hz. Ultra at 129 FPS average is fine for 120 Hz screens but doesn't justify the visual cost over High for a competitive FPS.

For 1440p displays, High is the recommended preset. It averages 126 FPS, which is smooth on 120 Hz and 144 Hz monitors. Medium averages 145 FPS, giving extra headroom if you have a 165 Hz or 180 Hz display. Low at 204 FPS is overkill for most 1440p monitors (which max out at 240 Hz) but could be used for maximum responsiveness. Ultra at 95 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

For 4K displays, the choice is between Low (132 FPS) and Medium (93 FPS). High at 82 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 61 FPS is only suitable for slower gameplay. Medium at 4K provides the best balance: 93 FPS average with an 79 FPS minimum, which keeps frame times consistent. If you prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, High at 82 FPS is acceptable for single-player experiences, but for multiplayer, drop to Medium or Low.

The data shows diminishing returns beyond Medium settings at every resolution. The jump from Low to Medium costs roughly 34-39% of FPS at each resolution, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 24-36%. The jump from High to Ultra is the most expensive, costing 33-39% of FPS depending on resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 132 FPS average
• Medium: 93 FPS average, 79 FPS min, 107 FPS max
• High: 82 FPS average
• Ultra: 61 FPS average

At 4K, Low settings nearly double the frame rate of Ultra (132 vs 61 FPS). Medium provides a significant uplift over High (93 vs 82 FPS) with a modest visual trade-off. The min FPS of 79 at Medium indicates the system rarely drops below 79 FPS, making it the safest 4K choice for consistent performance.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 204 FPS average
• Medium: 145 FPS average, 123 FPS min, 166 FPS max
• High: 126 FPS average
• Ultra: 95 FPS average

At 1440p, Low settings push past 200 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium's 145 FPS average with a 123 FPS minimum makes it the best choice for 144 Hz displays with a safety margin. High at 126 FPS is still above 120 Hz but leaves less room for frame time spikes. Ultra at 95 FPS is the only setting that dips below the 100 FPS mark, making it less suitable for competitive play.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 278 FPS average
• Medium: 197 FPS average, 168 FPS min, 227 FPS max
• High: 172 FPS average
• Ultra: 129 FPS average

At 1080p, Low settings produce 278 FPS, which is more than enough for any display currently on the market. Medium's 197 FPS average with a 227 FPS max shows the system can sustain high frame rates even under load. High at 172 FPS is still excellent for 165 Hz monitors. Ultra at 129 FPS is the only setting below 144 FPS, but it remains playable on 120 Hz displays.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each setting shows consistent GPU-bound behavior: approximately 27% FPS loss from 1080p to 1440p, and an additional 35% loss from 1440p to 4K. This pattern holds across all four settings presets, confirming that neither the CPU nor VRAM introduces unexpected bottlenecks at higher resolutions. The Ultra 7 265's compute capabilities — evidenced by its 93rd percentile CPU ranking — keep pace with the RTX 5070's rendering workload across the entire resolution spectrum.