Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol’s measured frame rates reveal a configuration that is consistently GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but the margin between settings tiers narrows dramatically as pixel count drops. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800M delivers its most compelling results at 1440p, where the combination of a 24-core CPU and a 12 GB GPU strikes a balanced profile. At 4K, the data shows a hard ceiling imposed by the graphics processor, while at 1080p the CPU’s headroom becomes apparent but only partially utilized. The benchmark results indicate that this is a mobile setup built for high-refresh 1440p gaming, not for native 4K ultra settings. The measured FPS rows, spanning four resolutions and four quality presets, provide a complete picture of where this combo excels and where it falls short.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, signaling that the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is the primary limiting component in this pairing. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 162 FPS at 1920x1080 to 77 FPS at 3840x2160 — a reduction of 85 FPS, or roughly 52%. This is a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern: the CPU’s 24 threads and 36 MB of shared L3 cache are more than sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the Radeon’s 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 35.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance become the bottleneck as pixel count quadruples. The 1080p Low result of 162 FPS suggests the CPU can push well beyond 144 FPS in lighter scenes, but the GPU cannot sustain that throughput at higher resolutions.

Moving from 1440p to 4K yields a smaller absolute drop than from 1080p to 1440p, but the percentage change is still significant. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 74 at 2560x1440 to 48 at 3840x2160 — a 26 FPS decrease, or about 35%. The same pattern holds for Medium settings: 84 FPS at 1440p versus 54 FPS at 4K, a 30 FPS drop. Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling loss, with 55 FPS at 1440p collapsing to 36 FPS at 4K — a 19 FPS reduction that pushes the experience below playable thresholds for most competitive FPS titles. The data suggests that each step up in resolution costs roughly a third of the frame rate, regardless of preset, which is a hallmark of a GPU that has hit its architectural limits.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU, not the CPU. Evidence comes from the 1080p scaling: between Low (162 FPS) and Medium (115 FPS) at 1920x1080, the drop is 47 FPS, which is a massive penalty for a settings change that primarily affects shading and texture detail. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect smaller gaps between presets at lower resolutions. Instead, the GPU’s 96 ROPs and 240 TMUs are being saturated even at 1080p when quality settings increase. The Core Ultra 9 275HX, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589, is never the constraint in these measured rows.

At 4K, the scaling becomes even more pronounced. The gap between Low (77 FPS) and Ultra (36 FPS) at 3840x2160 is 41 FPS, meaning Ultra settings nearly halve the frame rate. This is a direct consequence of the GPU’s 12 GB GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus width; at 4K, the memory subsystem is under heavy pressure, and the 2250 MHz memory clock (18 Gbps effective) is insufficient to hide the bandwidth demands of higher detail levels. The 4K Medium result of 54 FPS, with a min FPS of 46, shows that even mid-tier settings can dip into stutter territory on this hardware.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M’s specifications directly explain the measured FPS behavior. With 3840 shading units, 60 RT cores, and a boost clock of 2335 MHz, the GPU is architecturally capable of high throughput, but its 12 GB memory pool and 192-bit bus width create a ceiling for 4K performance. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth is substantial for a mobile part, yet the benchmark data shows that Ultra settings at 3840x2160 only achieve 36 FPS average. That score places the GPU in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27883, but it is not a 4K-class part.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (deltaPct +0.2), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X (deltaPct -0.3), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (deltaPct -0.5). These comparisons show that the RX 7800M sits in a performance band roughly equivalent to older desktop flagship GPUs, but with a much larger memory buffer. The 12 GB VRAM is clearly an advantage at 1440p, where the High preset runs at 74 FPS, but it does not translate to 4K dominance because the raw compute is limited. The FP32 throughput of 35.87 TFLOPS is respectable, but the texture rate of 560.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 224.2 GPixel/s are not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Clocks play a role in the scaling behavior. The base clock of 1295 MHz and game clock of 2145 MHz indicate that the GPU is designed to boost aggressively under load, but sustained 4K workloads likely cause thermal or power throttling, given the 180 W TDP and IGP slot width. The data shows a 19 FPS drop from High to Ultra at 4K (48 to 36), which is a steeper penalty than the 11 FPS drop from High to Ultra at 1440p (74 to 55). This nonlinearity suggests that the GPU’s boost behavior is less stable at higher resolutions, where the memory controller and shader arrays are saturated. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2994 and the Passmark G3D score of 17613 corroborate the mid-range positioning; this is not a GPU that can brute-force 4K.

The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s is the key differentiator between 1080p and 1440p performance. At 1080p, the 162 FPS Low result shows that the GPU can push frames rapidly when memory pressure is low. At 1440p, the High preset’s 74 FPS indicates that the memory subsystem is still adequate, but the drop to 55 FPS at Ultra reveals the limits. The 12 GB capacity is never fully exhausted at these settings, but the bandwidth is the bottleneck. For a game like Lockdown Protocol, which is an FPS with likely heavy texture streaming, the 18 Gbps effective memory speed is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and AMD Radeon RX 7800M ranks 1894 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, which is surprising given the individual component scores. The CPU ranks in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 67469, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon w5-3525 (deltaPct -0.3), AMD EPYC 4484PX (deltaPct -0.5), and AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX (deltaPct -0.6). The GPU, meanwhile, sits in the 73rd percentile, with an average score of 27883. The combination of a top-tier CPU and mid-range GPU results in a combo rank that is dragged down by the graphics component.

The rank of 1894 out of 2828 means that approximately 67% of tested combos outperform this pairing in Lockdown Protocol. This is a stark verdict: the CPU’s 24 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations in this specific title. The data suggests that many combos with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs achieve higher frame rates, because Lockdown Protocol is more GPU-bound than CPU-bound. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and Geekbench multi-core score of 20795 are irrelevant when the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K.

However, the combo rank should be interpreted with nuance. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, this combo achieves 162 FPS, which is competitive for esports-style play. The rank of 1894 likely reflects a mix of resolutions and settings across all tested combos, and at 1440p Medium (84 FPS) and 1080p Medium (115 FPS), this pair performs admirably. The combo’s weakness is specifically at 4K Ultra (36 FPS), which drags down its overall rank. If the database weighted 1080p and 1440p more heavily, this combo would rank higher. But as is, the data shows a mid-pack finish.

The deltaPct values for the CPU’s nearest rivals are all within ±0.7%, indicating that the Core Ultra 9 275HX is performance-equivalent to several workstation and server processors in synthetic benchmarks. This is not the issue. The GPU’s nearest rivals show a similar tight cluster, with deltaPcts from +0.2 to -0.8%. The problem is that the GPU’s absolute performance level, as measured by its 73rd percentile ranking, is not sufficient to boost the combo in a game that scales heavily with GPU throughput. The combo rank of 1894 is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-range standing, not a failure of the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression across settings. Low settings produce an average of 162 FPS, which is the highest measured result for this combo. Medium settings drop to 115 FPS, with a min FPS of 98 and a max of 132, indicating some frame pacing inconsistency. High settings achieve 100 FPS on average, while Ultra settings fall to 75 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 87 FPS, which is substantial but expected given the GPU’s compute limits. The 1080p Medium result of 115 FPS is the sweet spot for high-refresh monitors, as it stays above 100 FPS with a min of 98.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly but remain playable. Low settings average 119 FPS, which is excellent for 1440p. Medium settings average 84 FPS, with a min of 72 and a max of 97 — this is the only preset at 1440p with min/max data, and it shows a 25 FPS variance, suggesting occasional dips. High settings average 74 FPS, while Ultra settings average 55 FPS. The 1440p High result of 74 FPS is borderline for competitive play, but the Low setting’s 119 FPS is the standout. The data indicates that 1440p Low is the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo.

At 3840x2160, the results are disappointing for high-end gaming. Low settings average 77 FPS, which is playable but not smooth for fast-paced FPS action. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a min of 46 and a max of 63 — the min FPS of 46 indicates noticeable stutter. High settings average 48 FPS, and Ultra settings average 36 FPS. The 4K results show that this combo is not viable for competitive play at this resolution, as even Low settings cannot maintain a stable 60 FPS. The 4K Medium min FPS of 46 is particularly concerning, as it suggests frame drops below 50 FPS during intense scenes.

The full matrix of measured FPS is as follows: at 1080p, Low 162, Medium 115, High 100, Ultra 75. At 1440p, Low 119, Medium 84, High 74, Ultra 55. At 4K, Low 77, Medium 54, High 48, Ultra 36. The data is empirical and measured, not estimated, which gives it high credibility. The absence of min/max data for most settings means we cannot fully assess frame consistency, but the available numbers (1440p Medium min 72, 4K Medium min 46) suggest that lower settings are more stable.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with Low settings provides the best balance, achieving 119 FPS average. At 1080p Low, the 162 FPS result is higher, but the visual quality difference between 1080p and 1440p is significant. The 1440p Medium setting at 84 FPS is also viable, but the Low preset’s 119 FPS offers more headroom for competitive play.

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

A: No. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, even Low settings only reach 77 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 36 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 54 FPS with a min FPS of 46, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This combo is not recommended for 4K in this title.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800M has an average benchmark score of 27883, placing it in the 73rd percentile. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (deltaPct +0.2), AMD Radeon Pro W5500X (deltaPct -0.3), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (deltaPct -0.5), and AMD FirePro S7150 (deltaPct -0.8). These are all within 1% of each other, indicating that the RX 7800M performs similarly to older workstation and desktop parts.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU?

A: No. The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX has 24 cores, a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589. Its average benchmark score of 67469 places it in the 94th percentile. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions where the FPS drops are larger than what a CPU limit would produce.

Q: What settings should I use for 1080p gaming?

A: For 1080p, the Medium preset at 115 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a high frame rate with a min FPS of 98. The High preset at 100 FPS is also acceptable, but the Ultra preset at 75 FPS is not recommended for competitive play. The Low preset at 162 FPS is optimal for esports-style play where max frame rate is the priority.

Q: How does the combo rank against all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1894 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This puts it in the lower-middle tier, with about 67% of combos performing better. The rank is primarily due to the GPU’s mid-range performance, as the CPU is in the top 6% of all processors.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data points to 1080p Medium as the most balanced preset for this combo. At 115 FPS average with a min of 98 and max of 132, it offers smooth gameplay with minimal frame drops. The visual quality is sufficient for most players, and the min FPS of 98 ensures that even the most intense scenes stay above the 90 FPS threshold. For players with 144Hz monitors, 1080p Low at 162 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maximizes refresh rate utilization and eliminates any potential for screen tearing in fast-paced firefights.

At 1440p, the Low preset at 119 FPS is the only option that provides a truly competitive experience. The Medium preset at 84 FPS is acceptable for casual play, but the min FPS of 72 is borderline for competitive FPS titles. The High preset at 74 FPS and Ultra at 55 FPS are not recommended, as they introduce noticeable input lag and frame pacing issues. For 1440p gamers, the trade-off is clear: sacrifice visual fidelity for a playable frame rate.

At 4K, no settings preset is recommended for this combo. The Low preset at 77 FPS is the only one that approaches playability, but the 54 FPS Medium result with a min of 46 shows that even mid-tier settings cause stutter. The Ultra preset at 36 FPS is unplayable. If 4K is a requirement, the data suggests that a different GPU is necessary, as the RX 7800M’s 12 GB memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for this resolution in Lockdown Protocol.

The best overall experience, based on the measured rows, is 1440p Low at 119 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds most 100Hz and 120Hz displays. The 1080p Medium preset at 115 FPS is a close second, offering similar performance with slightly lower resolution. For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low at 162 FPS is the definitive choice, but it comes at the cost of visual detail. The data does not support any 4K preset, and the 1440p High and Ultra presets should be avoided due to sub-60 FPS performance.