Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a high-refresh-rate experience across all tested resolutions in Lockdown Protocol, with the combo ranking in the 94th percentile of all tested configurations. The data shows a system that remains playable even at 4K Ultra, though the scaling pattern reveals a GPU-bound title at higher resolutions and a surprisingly strong CPU contribution at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a fast-paced FPS. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 205 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces that to 151 FPS, a 26% decrease. At 4K High, the average falls to 97 FPS, which is 53% below the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises; the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions but cannot compensate for the GPU's rendering load at 4K.

The Low preset scaling tells a similar story. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 331 FPS, which drops to 243 FPS at 1440p and 157 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 53% for Low, matching the High preset's scaling. This consistency suggests that the game's rendering pipeline scales predictably with resolution regardless of quality settings, and the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the dominant constraints at 4K.

Medium settings show the same trend: 235 FPS at 1080p, 172 FPS at 1440p, and 111 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result includes a minimum FPS of 95 and a maximum of 128, indicating some frame-time variance but still a smooth experience. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 154 FPS at 1080p, 113 FPS at 1440p, and just 73 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is the only measured result below 100 FPS, and it represents a 53% drop from 1080p Ultra, again confirming the GPU-bound nature at high resolution.

The scaling pattern across all settings shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM and 736.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient to avoid any capacity-related stutters, but the raw compute throughput at 4K is the ceiling. The CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where the 331 FPS Low result indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus can feed frames fast enough to fully utilize the GPU.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process and features 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. Its boost clock of 2550 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz are the key drivers of raw compute performance, producing 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput. The memory subsystem consists of 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications explain why the card handles 4K High at 97 FPS: the pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s are adequate for this game's visual complexity, but not overkill.

In benchmark terms, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 34,245 in Passmark G3D and 19,822 in Passmark GPU Compute. Its average benchmark score is 54,209, placing it at the 86th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, scores 54,247 on average, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the SUPER variant is effectively identical in overall performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X sits 1.1% higher, and the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.7% higher on average, though those results are aggregate benchmarks and not game-specific.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor at any resolution. Even at 4K Ultra, the 16 GB pool is sufficient, as indicated by the 73 FPS average rather than any memory-related crash or severe frame drops. The 23 Gbps effective memory speed provides enough bandwidth to keep the GPU fed at 1440p and 4K, where the scaling from Medium to Ultra at 4K (111 to 73 FPS) reflects compute-bound rendering rather than memory bottlenecks.

The GPU's performance relative to its peers explains the 4K results. Since the RTX 4080 SUPER is within 0.1% of the standard RTX 4080 in aggregate benchmarks, users can expect nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The 97 FPS at 4K High is a strong result for a title of this genre, and the 157 FPS at 4K Low shows that competitive players can push well beyond 144 Hz even at 4K if they lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 175th out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 6.2% of all configurations, which is a strong showing for a pairing of a high-end CPU and a near-flagship GPU. The rank reflects the balanced nature of the setup: the CPU's 24 cores and 24 threads, along with its 5.50 GHz boost clock, ensure that the GPU is not starved at lower resolutions, while the GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS of compute handles the rendering load at 4K.

To contextualize the CPU's contribution, the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has an average benchmark score of 93,785, placing it at the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, scores 93,786 on average, a delta of 0%, meaning they are statistically tied. The AMD EPYC 4564P is 1.5% higher, the EPYC 9175F is 1.9% higher, and the EPYC 4565P is 2.1% higher. These rivals are all server-class processors, which highlights the Ultra 7 270K Plus's position as a high-end desktop part that competes with enterprise silicon in raw throughput.

The combo's rank of 175 suggests that there are 174 configurations with higher measured FPS in Lockdown Protocol, but given the 2,828 total combos, this system is firmly in the upper echelon. The data indicates that the pairing is well-matched: the CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Passmark single-thread score of 5,068 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,439, provides the responsiveness needed for a fast-paced FPS, while the GPU's 86th percentile standing ensures high frame rates across resolutions.

When compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the combo's performance is consistent with expectations. Since the RTX 4080 SUPER is within 2.8% of the AMD Radeon 8060S and RX 6750 GRE in aggregate benchmarks, those GPUs paired with a similarly strong CPU would likely produce comparable FPS, but the exact ranking would depend on the specific CPU pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance depends on the target refresh rate. At 1080p, all settings exceed 154 FPS, so any preset is viable. For players with a 240 Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 235 FPS is the best choice, as it offers higher visual fidelity than Low (331 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate above 200. The High preset at 205 FPS is also excellent, but Medium's 235 FPS provides more headroom for frame-time spikes; the Medium preset shows a minimum of 200 FPS and a maximum of 270 FPS, indicating smooth performance.

For 1440p, the data shows a clear breakpoint. The High preset delivers 151 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz monitors. The Medium preset at 172 FPS is even better for high-refresh displays, with a minimum of 147 FPS ensuring no drops below the 144 Hz threshold. Ultra at 113 FPS is still playable, but the 38 FPS gap between High and Ultra suggests that the visual gains may not justify the performance cost. Low at 243 FPS is excessive for most displays, so it is only recommended for competitive players seeking maximum responsiveness.

At 4K, the recommended preset is High, which averages 97 FPS. This is suitable for 60 Hz displays and even some 120 Hz panels, though the frame rate will not consistently saturate a 120 Hz screen. Medium at 111 FPS is a better option for 120 Hz monitors, with a minimum of 95 FPS ensuring that the experience remains smooth. Ultra at 73 FPS is playable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes; the data shows no minimum FPS for Ultra, but the 24 FPS drop from High suggests that this preset should be avoided for competitive play. Low at 157 FPS is the only 4K setting that exceeds 144 Hz, making it the choice for players who prioritize frame rate over visuals at this resolution.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is the High preset at 1440p, offering 151 FPS with a good balance of quality and speed. For 4K users, Medium at 111 FPS provides the most consistent high-refresh experience, while High at 97 FPS is the best visual quality that remains comfortably above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo achieves in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 331 at 1080p with Low settings. The next highest is 243 FPS at 1440p Low, and 157 FPS at 4K Low.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in this context?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54,209, while the standard RTX 4080 scores 54,247, a delta of -0.1%. This means they are effectively identical in aggregate performance, so Lockdown Protocol frame rates should be nearly the same.

Q: What is the lowest measured FPS at any resolution and settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 73 at 4K Ultra settings. The next lowest is 97 FPS at 4K High, followed by 111 FPS at 4K Medium.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 331 FPS, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU well beyond typical refresh rates. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 5,068 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,439 support this conclusion.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 175th out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 6.2% of all configurations.

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

A: The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 172 FPS with a minimum of 147 FPS, ensuring the frame rate never drops below the 144 Hz threshold. High at 151 FPS is also viable but has less headroom.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm TSMC process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with 36 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications yield a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44,253 and a single-core score of 2,439. The Passmark multithread score is 68,574, and the single-thread score is 5,068. The CPU sits at the 96th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 93,785.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, where frame rates reach 331 FPS on Low settings. This high ceiling indicates that the processor's single-thread performance, driven by the 5.50 GHz boost clock, is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck even at extreme frame rates. The 24 threads ensure that background tasks and game logic do not interfere with rendering, though the game is not heavily multithreaded given the FPS scaling with resolution.

The CPU's nearest rivals are all server-class processors: the Intel Xeon 6520P (delta 0%), AMD EPYC 4564P (-1.5%), AMD EPYC 9175F (-1.9%), and AMD EPYC 4565P (-2.1%). These comparisons show that the Ultra 7 270K Plus performs in the same league as enterprise silicon, which is notable for a desktop part. The 125 W TDP and 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die indicate an efficient design that does not require excessive power delivery.

At 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The consistent 53% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings (e.g., 205 to 97 FPS at High, 331 to 157 FPS at Low) demonstrates that the GPU's rendering load dominates. However, the CPU's strong single-core performance ensures that frame pacing remains stable, as evidenced by the 4K Medium minimum FPS of 95, which is close to the average of 111.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and 115.2 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient data throughput for the game's assets. The 36 MB L3 cache helps with repeated data access, reducing latency in gameplay scenarios. Overall, the Ultra 7 270K Plus is a capable pairing for the RTX 4080 SUPER, ensuring that the GPU is the primary performance driver at higher resolutions while the CPU enables extreme frame rates at 1080p.