Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and this particular pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX with the AMD Radeon 880M integrated graphics produces a very specific performance profile. The data shows a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics solution, yet the underlying processor’s strength ensures that frame rates scale predictably and remain playable only at lower resolutions and settings. The measured results paint a clear picture of an iGPU-bound experience where the 24-core CPU is never the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 74 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 54 FPS, a reduction of 20 FPS or roughly 27%. The jump to 3840x2160 at Low settings further craters the average to 35 FPS, which is 39 FPS below the 1080p result. This consistent decline with every pixel-count increase demonstrates that the AMD Radeon 880M’s rendering throughput is the primary bottleneck; the CPU is feeding frames faster than the iGPU can draw them.

The scaling pattern holds across all settings presets. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 46 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 1440p, and then to 22 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows the same trajectory: 53 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K. Even the Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, follows the curve precisely—35 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. The consistency of these drops—roughly 12-20 FPS lost at each resolution step—indicates that the game’s rendering load is scaling uniformly with pixel count, and the iGPU’s fixed execution resources are being saturated in a linear fashion.

At 1080p, the system is still marginally playable in less demanding scenes, but the measured averages above 60 FPS only occur at the Low preset. The fact that the 1080p Low average of 74 FPS is more than double the 4K Ultra average of 16 FPS underscores how resolution is the dominant variable here. For a user targeting 4K, even the lowest settings yield only 35 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth competitive play. The data suggests that the limiting component is unambiguously the AMD Radeon 880M, as the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX’s substantial multi-threaded capabilities are not being exercised by the frame pacing at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s performance in Lockdown Protocol places it at rank 2763 out of 2828 tested combinations. This percentile position—roughly the bottom 2%—reflects the integrated GPU’s modest absolute performance rather than any deficiency in the processor. The rank is a direct consequence of the AMD Radeon 880M’s benchmark standing, which sits at the 43rd percentile among all GPUs. In contrast, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX ranks at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, a massive disparity that explains why the combo’s overall standing is so low.

When compared to other tested combos, this pairing is essentially at the tail end of the distribution. The rank of 2763 out of 2828 means that over 97% of all CPU-GPU combinations tested in this game deliver higher average frame rates. This is not surprising given that the Radeon 880M is an integrated solution competing against a field that includes discrete graphics cards. The data indicates that while the CPU is a top-tier mobile part, the GPU’s performance ceiling caps the entire system’s gaming potential. In practical terms, a user with this combo would be experiencing performance similar to what the GPU’s nearest rivals suggest: the AMD Radeon 880M’s average benchmark score of 8436 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (8427, a 0.1% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (8458, -0.3%), and the AMD Radeon HD 8870M (8462, -0.3%). These are all older or entry-level discrete parts, and the integrated Radeon 880M matches them.

The combo rank is a stark reminder that the processor’s power cannot compensate for the graphics bottleneck. Even with a CPU that scores 35,589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, the frame rates in Lockdown Protocol are dictated by the GPU’s 4.454 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 16 ROPs. The data shows that for this game, the combo is effectively a low-end gaming platform, and the rank reflects that reality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 2.70 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.40 GHz. This is an extremely capable mobile CPU, as evidenced by its benchmark scores: 35,589 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 19,899 in R20 multi-core, and 20,795 in Geekbench multi-core. Its single-thread performance is equally strong, with a 2,204 score in Cinebench R23 single-core and 2,458 in Geekbench single-core. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs places it in the top tier of processors.

In Lockdown Protocol, however, the CPU’s role is largely to stay out of the way. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 74 FPS, but this is not a CPU limit. If the processor were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau regardless of resolution, but instead they drop consistently as resolution increases. The fact that 4K Ultra manages only 16 FPS while 1080p Low reaches 74 FPS proves that the CPU is feeding the GPU far more frames than the Radeon 880M can render. The 24 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for this game’s engine, which is not known for heavy multi-threading demands.

The CPU’s 36 MB of L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth provide a solid foundation for the iGPU, which relies on system memory for its frame buffer. However, the iGPU’s performance is still limited by its own execution units. The data shows that the CPU’s high boost clock of 5.40 GHz does not translate into higher frame rates at higher resolutions, reinforcing that the GPU is the sole constraint. In this combo, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is essentially a high-end passenger in a low-end vehicle; its performance headroom is vast, but the Radeon 880M cannot utilize it.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo’s behavior across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 74 FPS on Low, 53 FPS on Medium, 46 FPS on High, and 35 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset also reports a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS, indicating some frame pacing variance but no severe stutters. The Low preset, which achieves the highest average, does not report min/max values, but the 74 FPS average suggests a playable experience for fast-paced action.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 54 FPS on Low, 39 FPS on Medium, 34 FPS on High, and 25 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS, which is a narrower band than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is working closer to its limits. The 1440p Low average of 54 FPS is still technically playable, but the 25 FPS Ultra average is not.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unusable for competitive play. The Low preset averages 35 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS (with a min of 21 and max of 29), High averages 22 FPS, and Ultra averages 16 FPS. The 4K Medium data is the only 4K row with min/max values, and the 21-29 FPS range shows that even the best-case scenarios are below 30 FPS. The progression from 1080p Low (74 FPS) to 4K Ultra (16 FPS) represents a 78% reduction in average frame rate, which is a steep but expected penalty for an integrated GPU.

The data also reveals that settings presets have a significant impact at each resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 39 FPS (from 74 to 35), while at 4K, the same move costs 19 FPS (from 35 to 16). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the GPU has enough headroom to render higher settings, but at 4K, even Low settings push the iGPU to its limit. The measured results are consistent across all rows, confirming that the AMD Radeon 880M’s performance is the binding constraint in every scenario.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves an average above 60 FPS, and that is only at the Low preset (74 FPS). At 1440p, the highest average is 54 FPS on Low, and at 4K, even Low settings only reach 35 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has an average benchmark score of 67,469, which is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (67,673, -0.3% delta), the AMD EPYC 4484PX (67,822, -0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (67,868, -0.6%). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon 6515P (67,006, +0.7%).

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 880M a capable GPU for this game?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 8,436 places it at the 43rd percentile, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (8,427, +0.1%), NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (8,458, -0.3%), and AMD Radeon HD 8870M (8,462, -0.3%). In Lockdown Protocol, it delivers playable frame rates only at 1080p Low.

Q: What settings preset offers the highest average FPS at 1080p?

A: The Low preset provides the highest average at 74 FPS. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, High averages 46 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The Medium preset also has a minimum of 45 FPS, which is above the Low preset’s unmeasured minimum.

Q: Why does the combo rank so low (2763 out of 2828) despite having a top-tier CPU?

A: The rank is determined by the GPU’s performance. The Radeon 880M’s 43rd percentile ranking among GPUs drags the combo down, while the CPU’s 94th percentile ranking cannot compensate. The game is GPU-bound, so the iGPU’s limits define the overall position.

Q: Does the CPU’s boost clock of 5.40 GHz help at 4K?

A: No. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 16, and at 4K Low, it is 35. The CPU’s high boost clock does not affect these results because the GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rates at 4K are consistently low across all settings, indicating that the iGPU’s rendering throughput is the sole limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data strongly suggests playing at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This configuration yields an average of 74 FPS, which is the only measured scenario that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold commonly desired for smooth FPS gameplay. The Low preset at 1080p is the clear winner because it provides the highest frame rate and the lowest input latency, which is critical for a fast-paced FPS like Lockdown Protocol.

If a user prefers higher visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1080p is the next best option, averaging 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS. This is still playable, but the 21 FPS gap between Low and Medium averages is significant, and the lower minimum FPS could lead to occasional dips during intense combat. The High preset at 1080p (46 FPS) is borderline, while Ultra (35 FPS) is not recommended for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset (54 FPS) is the only viable option, though it falls short of 60 FPS. The Medium preset (39 FPS) and High (34 FPS) are too slow for a fast-paced shooter, and Ultra (25 FPS) is unplayable. At 3840x2160, all settings produce averages below 35 FPS, making 4K unsuitable for this combo in Lockdown Protocol. The data indicates that users should stick to 1080p Low to maximize performance, with 1080p Medium as a fallback if visual quality is prioritized over frame rate. There is no measured scenario where Ultra settings provide a playable experience, so they should be avoided entirely.