Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 7 265K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090

This analysis examines the measured performance of Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The dataset comprises 12 measured FPS rows across four settings presets and three resolutions, with frame time data captured for Medium presets at each resolution. The combination ranks 41st out of 3,714 tested CPU-GPU pairings, placing it in the top 1.1% of all configurations in this game. The following sections break down settings behavior, component roles, and scaling characteristics using only the provided factual measurements.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data reveals a clear hierarchy across the four available presets, with the optimal choice depending on the target display resolution and frame rate preference. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 377 FPS, which is the highest raw frame rate in the entire dataset. However, the Medium preset achieves 268 FPS average with a documented minimum of 227 FPS and maximum of 308 FPS, providing substantial headroom over typical 144Hz displays while maintaining better visual fidelity. The High preset at 234 FPS average still exceeds 200 FPS, making it viable for high-refresh-rate monitors, though the step from Medium to High costs approximately 13% performance (268 to 234 FPS) with modest visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset produces 196 FPS average (minimum 167 FPS, maximum 226 FPS), which comfortably saturates 144Hz and approaches 165Hz-class displays. The High preset at 171 FPS remains playable for high-refresh gaming, while Ultra drops to 128 FPS — still above 120Hz but with diminishing returns for the visual uplift. For 4K (3840x2160), the Medium preset yields 127 FPS average (minimum 108 FPS, maximum 146 FPS), making it the only preset that consistently stays above the 100 FPS threshold at this resolution. High at 111 FPS is borderline for 120Hz displays, while Ultra falls to 83 FPS, which is noticeably less fluid for a competitive FPS title.

The data strongly favors the Medium preset as the best overall experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p, it provides 268 FPS with a 227 FPS minimum, ensuring no drops below 200 FPS. At 1440p, the 196 FPS average with 167 FPS minimum keeps frame times tight for high-refresh panels. At 4K, the 127 FPS average with 108 FPS minimum represents the best balance of visual quality and smoothness, as the gap between Medium and High (127 to 111 FPS) is 14%, while the gap between Medium and Ultra (127 to 83 FPS) is 53%. The Low preset, while delivering 377 FPS at 1080p and 276 FPS at 1440p, sacrifices too much visual detail for a game where visibility of enemy silhouettes and environmental cues matters. For users with 240Hz or higher refresh displays at 1080p, the Low preset at 377 FPS offers the lowest latency, but for the broad majority of scenarios, Medium provides the optimal balance of frame rate, frame time consistency, and image quality.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process at TSMC, brings 32 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 512-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and its 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs deliver a peak FP32 throughput of 104.8 TFLOPS. The GPU benchmarks show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 and a Passmark G3D score of 39,650, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 79,842 sits 0.3% above the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 1.1% above the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, while trailing the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4%.

In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution scales upward. At 1080p with Low settings, the 377 FPS average suggests the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU is far from saturated. Moving to Medium at 1080p drops to 268 FPS, and High further reduces to 234 FPS, indicating that the GPU is beginning to take on more work as settings increase. At 1440p, the pattern continues: Low at 276 FPS, Medium at 196 FPS, High at 171 FPS, and Ultra at 128 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings (268 to 196 FPS) represents a 27% reduction, which closely tracks the pixel count increase of 78% (2,073,600 to 3,686,400 pixels) when accounting for the GPU's headroom at lower resolutions.

The RTX 5090's 32 GB VRAM is far beyond what Lockdown Protocol requires at any tested setting — even at 4K Ultra, the frame rates are clearly limited by compute and memory bandwidth rather than capacity. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, combined with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, positions this GPU to handle the game's rendering workloads without any memory-related bottlenecks. The measured 4K Medium result of 127 FPS average (minimum 108 FPS) demonstrates that the GPU maintains playable frame rates at the highest resolution, while the 4K Ultra result of 83 FPS shows where the GPU finally becomes the dominant constraint. The GPU's Passmark DirectX 12 score of 185, while lower than DirectX 11 (341) and DirectX 9 (395), does not appear to hinder this title, which likely uses a modern rendering path.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, based on the Arrow Lake architecture (Arrow Lake-S) fabricated on a 3 nm process at TSMC, provides 20 cores and 20 threads with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3. Memory support is dual-channel DDR5 with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth, and the CPU connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. The processor achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35,850 and single-core score of 2,020, with a Geekbench multicore score of 23,085 and single-core score of 2,713. Its average benchmark score of 70,879 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, 1% above the Intel Core i7-14700KF and 1.3% above the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, while trailing the Intel Xeon 6511P by 0.2% and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 by 0.7%.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's influence is most evident at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1080p Low, the 377 FPS average represents a scenario where the CPU's single-thread performance and cache efficiency are the primary determinants of frame rate. The 5.50 GHz boost clock and 30 MB L3 cache help maintain high instruction throughput for game logic and physics. The 20-core configuration, while not fully utilized by most games, provides ample headroom for background processes and any multithreaded game systems. At 1440p Low, the 276 FPS average suggests the CPU is still a meaningful contributor, as the GPU should be capable of higher frame rates at this resolution.

The CPU's single-core performance, as indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,020 and Passmark single-thread score of 4,928, directly correlates with the 1080p Low result. As settings increase to Medium and High, the GPU takes on more rendering work, and the frame rate drops proportionally more at higher resolutions — the 1080p Medium 268 FPS versus 1440p Medium 196 FPS demonstrates this shift. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K, where even the Medium preset (127 FPS) is more than 70% lower than the 1080p Low result, indicating that the GPU is now the clear bottleneck. The CPU's 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR5 support ensure that memory access latency does not become a limiting factor, even at the highest frame rates measured.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 41st out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 1.1% of all configurations. This high ranking is consistent with both components' individual performance percentiles — the CPU at 94th and the GPU at 92nd — but the game-specific rank of 41 suggests that this pairing is particularly well-suited to Lockdown Protocol's workload. The top 40 combinations ahead of this pairing likely include higher-clocked CPUs or more specialized configurations, but the data does not specify those details.

The ranking reflects the synergy between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's massive compute resources. In a game like Lockdown Protocol, where frame rates at 1080p reach 377 FPS on Low settings, the CPU must deliver instructions fast enough to keep the GPU fed. The Ultra 7 265K's 5.50 GHz boost clock and 20-core design provide that throughput, while the RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance handles the rendering workload at higher resolutions and settings. The 41st rank out of 3,714 means that 3,673 other combinations perform worse, which positions this pairing as an elite configuration for this title.

Compared to the component-level rival data, the CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6511P, has an average score only 0.2% higher, and the GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, is 0.3% lower — these negligible differences suggest that the combo rank is more sensitive to game-specific optimization than to raw component scores. The fact that this pairing achieves top-50 placement despite the GPU's 92nd percentile (not 99th) indicates that Lockdown Protocol may be more CPU-sensitive than many modern titles, which would explain the 1080p Low result of 377 FPS. The combo rank also benefits from the GPU's 32 GB VRAM, which eliminates any memory capacity concerns even at 4K Ultra, and the CPU's 30 MB L3 cache, which reduces memory latency during high-frame-rate gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p 144Hz display?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 196 FPS average with a 167 FPS minimum and 226 FPS maximum, which fully saturates a 144Hz display. The High preset at 171 FPS average also works but provides less headroom for frame time spikes.

Q: Can this combination achieve 4K 120 FPS gameplay?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 127 with a minimum of 108 FPS, so it stays above 120 FPS on average but can dip below during demanding scenes. The High preset at 111 FPS average is not consistently above 120 FPS, while Ultra at 83 FPS falls short.

Q: How much performance is gained by using Low settings over Medium?

A: At 1920x1080, Low produces 377 FPS versus Medium's 268 FPS, a 41% improvement. At 2560x1440, Low yields 276 FPS versus Medium's 196 FPS, a 41% improvement. At 3840x2160, Low achieves 178 FPS versus Medium's 127 FPS, a 40% improvement.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p Low, where 377 FPS is achieved. The frame rate drops to 268 FPS at Medium and 234 FPS at High, indicating the GPU becomes more involved as settings increase, but the CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock and 20 cores keep frame rates exceptionally high.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Medium in terms of frame rate?

A: At all three resolutions, Ultra is significantly slower: 175 FPS versus 268 FPS at 1080p (35% slower), 128 FPS versus 196 FPS at 1440p (35% slower), and 83 FPS versus 127 FPS at 4K (35% slower). The consistent 35% penalty suggests a fixed rendering cost increase.

Q: What is the performance ranking of this specific combo?

A: This combination ranks 41st out of 3,714 tested CPU-GPU pairings in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 1.1% of all configurations. The CPU's 94th percentile and GPU's 92nd percentile contribute to this elite standing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured frame rates span from 175 FPS at Ultra to 377 FPS at Low. The Medium preset records 268 FPS average with a minimum of 227 FPS and maximum of 308 FPS, while High sits at 234 FPS. The progression is: Low (377 FPS), Medium (268 FPS), High (234 FPS), Ultra (175 FPS). The step from Low to Medium costs 109 FPS (29%), from Medium to High costs 34 FPS (13%), and from High to Ultra costs 59 FPS (25%). The Medium preset's minimum of 227 FPS ensures that even the worst-case frame time stays well above 200 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low at 276 FPS, Medium at 196 FPS (minimum 167, maximum 226), High at 171 FPS, and Ultra at 128 FPS. The relative penalties between presets are similar to 1080p: Low to Medium is 80 FPS (29%), Medium to High is 25 FPS (13%), and High to Ultra is 43 FPS (25%). The Medium preset's 167 FPS minimum is still above 144Hz, making it suitable for high-refresh displays, while the Ultra preset's 128 FPS average is borderline for 120Hz displays.

At 3840x2160, the measured frame rates are: Low at 178 FPS, Medium at 127 FPS (minimum 108, maximum 146), High at 111 FPS, and Ultra at 83 FPS. The penalties are: Low to Medium is 51 FPS (29%), Medium to High is 16 FPS (13%), and High to Ultra is 28 FPS (25%). The Medium preset's 108 FPS minimum is the only 4K setting that stays above 100 FPS, while the Ultra preset's 83 FPS average is the lowest result in the entire dataset. The 4K Medium result of 127 FPS average with 146 FPS maximum shows that the RTX 5090 can push this title well past 120 FPS at 4K under favorable conditions.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at each settings preset shows a consistent performance drop: Low goes from 377 to 276 FPS (27% reduction), Medium from 268 to 196 FPS (27% reduction), High from 234 to 171 FPS (27% reduction), and Ultra from 175 to 128 FPS (27% reduction). This uniformity across all settings — despite the pixel count increasing by 78% — indicates that at 1080p, the frame rates are not purely GPU-limited. If the GPU were the sole constraint, the frame rate would drop by approximately 44% (the inverse of the 1.78x pixel increase) when moving to 1440p. The observed 27% drop suggests that the CPU is still contributing to the frame rate at 1080p, and as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows but the CPU's contribution remains relatively constant.

Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the pixel count increases by 125% (from 3,686,400 to 8,294,400 pixels). The observed performance drops are: Low from 276 to 178 FPS (36% reduction), Medium from 196 to 127 FPS (35% reduction), High from 171 to 111 FPS (35% reduction), and Ultra from 128 to 83 FPS (35% reduction). These reductions are more substantial than the 1080p-to-1440p transitions, indicating that the GPU is becoming the dominant bottleneck at 4K. The fact that the percentage drop is nearly identical across all settings (35-36%) suggests that at 4K, the GPU's rendering throughput is the primary limiter, and the different settings presets scale the GPU workload proportionally.

The scaling behavior reveals the balance point of this combination. At 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter, as evidenced by the 377 FPS Low result and the 27% drop to 1440p that is smaller than the pixel-count increase would predict. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with the 35% drop from 1440p being closer to the 44% that pure pixel-count scaling would predict (1 - 1/1.78 = 44%). The 1440p resolution represents the sweet spot where both components are well-utilized, with the Medium preset achieving 196 FPS average and the High preset at 171 FPS, both of which are excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. This analysis indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has sufficient headroom to push frame rates above what the RTX 5090 can sustain at 4K, making the pairing ideal for 1440p high-refresh or 4K 120Hz gaming with Medium settings.