Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX paired with the AMD Radeon 890M is a combination strictly limited by its integrated graphics in Lockdown Protocol. Across all tested settings, the frame rate is dictated by the GPU's rendering capacity, not the CPU's processing power. The data shows this combo ranks in the bottom 6% of all tested configurations, placing it at a significant disadvantage for competitive play.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario where performance degrades sharply as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 78 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 58 FPS, a 25.6% reduction. At 4K, the average falls to 37 FPS, which is 52.6% lower than the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the Radeon 890M's shading units, TMUs, and ROPs are overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count.

The pattern holds across all quality presets. At High settings, the averages are 49 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings is 53.1%, nearly identical to the Low setting drop. This consistency suggests the limiting component is the GPU's raw throughput rather than any specific setting. The Radeon 890M's 5.939 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient for 4K rendering in this title.

The Medium preset data includes minimum and maximum frame times, providing additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 56 FPS with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 64. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47. At 4K Medium, the average is 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 and maximum of 30. The minimum frame rates scale proportionally with the averages, indicating no sudden stuttering or CPU-induced hitches.

The 4K Ultra result of 17 FPS is the lowest recorded value, confirming that this configuration cannot deliver playable frame rates at native 4K under any settings. Even at 4K Low, the 37 FPS average falls below the 58 FPS seen at 1440p Low, reinforcing that resolution is the primary performance killer. The data suggests that players should target 1080p or 1440p for any semblance of smooth gameplay, as 4K consistently produces sub-40 FPS results.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture. Its base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz provide substantial single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5737. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth ensure it is not a bottleneck in this GPU-limited scenario.

Benchmark results show this CPU sits in the 93rd percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 63173. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F, scores 63080, a mere 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G scores 63331, which is 0.2% higher than the 265HX. These close margins indicate the CPU is performing at the expected level for its class.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is largely passive. The game's frame rates are constrained by the Radeon 890M's integrated graphics, which shares system memory and operates at a 15W TDP. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 47985 and physics score of 2978 suggest it can handle the game's simulation and AI workloads without issue. However, the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 8076 places it in the 45th percentile among all GPUs, a stark contrast to the CPU's 93rd percentile ranking.

The disparity between CPU and GPU capabilities is clear. The 265HX's Cinebench R20 multicore score of 17069 and R15 multicore score of 4096 indicate strong parallel processing ability, but this does not translate to higher frame rates when the GPU is saturated. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the 78 FPS average is likely near the practical ceiling for this iGPU, regardless of CPU headroom.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p is the only resolution that consistently delivers playable frame rates. At Low settings, the average is 78 FPS, while Medium yields 56 FPS and High yields 49 FPS. At 1440p, the best result is 58 FPS on Low, which drops to 41 FPS on Medium. 4K is not viable, with the highest average being 37 FPS on Low.

Q: How does the Radeon 890M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Radeon 890M's average benchmark score is 9210, placing it in the 45th percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Vega 8, scores 9221, which is 0.1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 scores 9273, 0.7% higher, and the GTX 465 scores 9294, 0.9% higher. The 890M trails all four listed rivals by small margins.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: No. The highest 1440p average recorded is 58 FPS on Low settings. Medium drops to 41 FPS, High to 36 FPS, and Ultra to 27 FPS. None of the 1440p presets reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the impact of Ultra settings on performance?

A: Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates at every resolution. At 1080p, the average is 36 FPS, which drops to 27 FPS at 1440p and 17 FPS at 4K. These results are 53.8% lower than the Low preset at 1080p and 54.1% lower at 1440p.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63173, ranking in the 93rd percentile. The Intel Core i7-13790F scores 63080 (0.1% lower), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G scores 63331 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P185 scores 62839 (0.5% lower). The Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX scores 62738, which is 0.7% lower.

Q: Is the frame rate limited by the CPU or GPU?

A: The data indicates a GPU limitation. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking and high multicore scores contrast with the GPU's 45th percentile ranking. The consistent FPS drops from 1080p to 4K across all settings point to the Radeon 890M as the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 2675th out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the bottom 5.4% of all configurations. This low ranking is directly attributable to the Radeon 890M's integrated graphics, which cannot keep pace with discrete GPU solutions. The CPU's strong benchmark performance does little to boost the overall ranking when the GPU is the limiting factor.

The rank of 2675 means there are 153 combos that perform worse, but the vast majority of tested systems deliver higher frame rates. For context, the GPU's percentile ranking of 45th suggests it outperforms roughly half of all GPUs, but in this specific game, the demands are high enough to expose its weaknesses. The CPU's 93rd percentile ranking shows it is a top-tier processor, yet this advantage is nullified by the iGPU's constraints.

The combo's ranking reflects the reality of integrated graphics in a modern FPS. Even with a powerful CPU, the lack of dedicated VRAM and limited GPU compute resources result in subpar performance. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the best result of 78 FPS at 1080p Low is marginal for competitive play. Players seeking higher frame rates would need to consider a system with a discrete GPU, as this combo's rank indicates it is among the least capable for this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo are 1080p with Low or Medium quality. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 78 provides the smoothest experience, with the highest headroom for demanding scenes. Medium settings at 1080p yield 56 FPS, which is still playable but with less margin. The minimum FPS of 47 at Medium suggests occasional drops below 50 FPS, which could be noticeable in fast-paced action.

For players prioritizing visual quality over frame rate, 1440p Low offers 58 FPS average, which is close to the 60 FPS target. However, the lack of minimum FPS data for Low settings means the consistency is uncertain. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a minimum of 35 FPS, indicating potential stutters. High settings at 1080p provide 49 FPS, which is acceptable for casual play but not ideal for competitive scenarios.

Ultra settings should be avoided entirely. The 1080p Ultra average of 36 FPS and 1440p Ultra average of 27 FPS are below the playability threshold for an FPS. The 4K resolution should be avoided at all settings, as even Low produces only 37 FPS. The data supports a recommendation of 1080p Low as the primary configuration, with 1080p Medium as an alternative for those willing to trade frame rate for visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data is as follows, organized by resolution and settings:

1920x1080:

• Low: 78 FPS average
• Medium: 56 FPS average (minimum 47, maximum 64)
• High: 49 FPS average
• Ultra: 36 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 58 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average (minimum 35, maximum 47)
• High: 36 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 37 FPS average
• Medium: 26 FPS average (minimum 22, maximum 30)
• High: 23 FPS average
• Ultra: 17 FPS average

The data shows a clear progression: each step from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS by roughly 15-25% at every resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 42 FPS, representing a 53.8% drop. At 1440p, the difference is 31 FPS (53.4% drop), and at 4K, it is 20 FPS (54.1% drop). This proportional scaling confirms the GPU is the sole limiting factor.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete minimum and maximum data. At 1080p, the range is 47 to 64 FPS, a spread of 17 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 35 to 47 FPS, a spread of 12 FPS. At 4K, the range is 22 to 30 FPS, a spread of 8 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is more consistently saturated, reducing frame time variance but also lowering overall performance.

These numbers represent the full extent of the measured data for this combo. No other settings or resolutions were tested, so conclusions are limited to these 12 data points. The pattern is unambiguous: this integrated graphics solution delivers its best performance at 1080p Low, with diminishing returns at higher resolutions and quality presets.