Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents an interesting performance profile when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. This combination, ranked 897th out of 2828 tested combos, demonstrates a clear dependency on resolution and setting levels, with the data revealing which component becomes the limiting factor as graphical load increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a substantial and predictable decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 146 FPS at 1080p to 107 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 39 FPS, and then further down to 69 FPS at 4K. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the workload on the rendering hardware scales directly with pixel count.

Looking at the Low settings preset, the scaling is even more dramatic in absolute terms. The system delivers 235 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 172 FPS at 1440p and then to 111 FPS at 4K. The 124 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings highlights how much headroom the CPU has at lower resolutions, where it can feed frames quickly, but the GPU’s rendering capacity becomes the constraining factor as resolution climbs.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend, with average FPS of 167 at 1080p, 122 at 1440p, and 79 at 4K. The minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings also scale down: 142 at 1080p, 104 at 1440p, and 67 at 4K. This consistency across presets reinforces the conclusion that resolution scaling is the dominant variable in this combo’s performance, with the GPU’s ability to fill pixels being the limiting component at 1440p and especially at 4K.

At Ultra settings, the performance drop is steepest. The average FPS at 1080p is 109, which is already lower than the High preset at the same resolution. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 80 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 52 FPS. The 57 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings is the largest of any preset, indicating that the highest quality settings place a heavy burden on the GPU that scales poorly with resolution. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, even High settings (69 FPS) may be the practical ceiling, while Ultra at 4K (52 FPS) is only suitable for less demanding scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,303 in single-core, place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier processing capability. In Lockdown Protocol, this CPU’s role is to ensure that the GPU is fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions.

The evidence for this comes from the FPS differences between resolutions at Low settings. At 1080p, the system achieves 235 FPS, which is 63 FPS higher than at 1440p and 124 FPS higher than at 4K. This large gap at Low settings suggests that the CPU is capable of generating frames much faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions. The CPU’s high single-core performance, evidenced by its 4,823 Passmark single-thread score, is likely a key factor in maintaining high frame rates in a game like Lockdown Protocol, which may rely heavily on a few threads for game logic and physics.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83,807) and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83,090). It also sits 1.2% above the AMD EPYC 9135 (82,980) and 1.3% below the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85,072). These small deltas indicate that the CPU is not the differentiator in this combo’s gaming performance; instead, its ample core count and high clock speeds ensure it is never the bottleneck in Lockdown Protocol until the GPU is fully saturated.

The 24-thread configuration with a 125 W TDP and support for DDR5 memory (dual-channel, 115.2 GB/s bandwidth) provides a solid foundation for gaming. However, the benchmark results suggest that in this specific title, the CPU’s performance headroom is only fully utilized at 1080p with lower settings, where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU’s role diminishes to maintaining consistent frame pacing rather than pushing higher maximums.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a 5 nm process, features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2430 MHz and game clock of 2124 MHz, combined with 3,840 shading units and 96 ROPs, give it a pixel rate of 233.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 583.2 GTexel/s. These specifications indicate a capable mid-to-high-range GPU, though its percentile ranking of 51st among all GPUs suggests it is not at the absolute top tier.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s role is clearly dominant as resolution increases. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K at High settings (146 to 69 FPS) and at Low settings (235 to 111 FPS) both point to the GPU being the primary constraint at higher pixel counts. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, and with a memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s, there is no indication of memory bandwidth limits affecting performance, even at 4K Ultra.

The GPU’s benchmark scores, including 24,176 in Passmark G3D and 41,57 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, place it in a specific performance tier. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, which has an average score of 11,680 (0.5% higher than the RX 7800 XT’s 11,627), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M at 11,528 (0.9% lower). These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, but in gaming, the RX 7800 XT’s modern architecture and higher VRAM capacity likely give it an edge in newer titles like Lockdown Protocol.

The fact that the GPU’s percentile rank is 51st, while the CPU is in the 96th percentile, creates an imbalance in this combo. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is the limiting factor even at Low settings, as the CPU could likely push higher frame rates if given a stronger GPU. At 4K, the GPU’s workload is so heavy that even at Low settings, the frame rate drops to 111 FPS, which is still playable but shows the GPU’s limits. The Ultra preset at 4K (52 FPS) demonstrates that this GPU is not designed for maximum quality at the highest resolution, but it handles 1440p High (107 FPS) and even 4K High (69 FPS) comfortably.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the data, 1440p High (107 FPS) offers a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness. 1080p High (146 FPS) is better for high refresh rate monitors, while 4K High (69 FPS) is playable but requires accepting lower frame rates.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 146 at 1080p to 107 at 1440p, and then to 69 at 4K. This represents a total reduction of 77 FPS, or approximately 53% of the 1080p performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting component, especially at 1440p and 4K. The CPU’s high performance (96th percentile) is underutilized at higher resolutions, as frame rates are constrained by GPU rendering capabilities.

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

A: Yes, but only at an average of 52 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, so it is not recommended for competitive play, but it is playable in slower-paced modes.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings average 172 FPS, while Ultra settings average 80 FPS. This is a 92 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset demands significantly more from the GPU.

Q: How does the RX 7800 XT compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7800 XT has an average benchmark score of 11,627, which is 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (11,680) and 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M (11,528).

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is ranked 897th out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 68th percentile of all combos, indicating that it performs better than a majority of systems but is not in the top tier. The rank reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning, as the CPU is high-end, and the overall score is dragged down by the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions.

The combo’s ranking suggests that while it can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming very well, it is not optimized for 4K Ultra settings. In the database of tested combos, systems with higher-ranked GPUs would likely achieve better frame rates at 4K, pushing this combo lower in the rankings. However, for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combination is solid, with the CPU providing ample headroom for future GPU upgrades without becoming a bottleneck.

The rank of 897 out of 2828 means there are 1,931 combos that rank lower, which gives context to its performance. It is not a bottom-tier setup, but it is also not a top-100 contender. The data shows that the limiting factor is the GPU, as the CPU’s performance is in the 96th percentile, while the GPU is only in the 51st. This imbalance means that the combo’s rank in-game is primarily determined by the GPU’s capabilities, and any improvement in GPU would significantly boost the rank.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience in Lockdown Protocol, the data suggests that the High settings preset provides the optimal balance of visual fidelity and frame rate across all resolutions. At 1080p, High delivers 146 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. At 1440p, High gives 107 FPS, which is also excellent. Even at 4K, High achieves 69 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset offers higher frame rates (167 at 1080p, 122 at 1440p, 79 at 4K) but comes with reduced visual quality, and the difference is more noticeable at lower resolutions.

For competitive players, Low settings at 1080p (235 FPS) or 1440p (172 FPS) would be the best choice, as these provide the highest frame rates and lowest input latency. However, the visual downgrade may be significant. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it drops frame rates to 109 at 1080p, 80 at 1440p, and 52 at 4K, which are all below what the High preset offers at the same resolutions. The only exception would be for players with 120Hz+ monitors who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, but even then, the 4K Ultra performance is below 60 FPS.

Given that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, players with 1440p or 4K monitors should stick with High settings to maintain a stable 60+ FPS. For 1080p users, either High or Medium is viable, with Medium offering a slight FPS boost at the cost of some visual effects. The data does not include any upscaling technologies, so these recommendations are based solely on native rendering performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Lockdown Protocol covers four resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). The values are average FPS, with additional minimum and maximum FPS data for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the results are:

• Low: 235 FPS average
• Medium: 167 FPS average, with a minimum of 142 and maximum of 192
• High: 146 FPS average
• Ultra: 109 FPS average

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 172 FPS average
• Medium: 122 FPS average, with a minimum of 104 and maximum of 141
• High: 107 FPS average
• Ultra: 80 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 111 FPS average
• Medium: 79 FPS average, with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 91
• High: 69 FPS average
• Ultra: 52 FPS average

The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data, showing that at 1080p, frame times are relatively consistent (142-192 range), while at 4K, the range narrows (67-91), indicating more consistent but lower performance. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a clear inverse relationship between settings and FPS, with Low always being the fastest and Ultra the slowest.

The data also reveals that the transition from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings costs 63 FPS (235 to 172), while the transition from 1440p to 4K at Low costs another 61 FPS (172 to 111). This consistent drop suggests a linear scaling with pixel count, which is typical for GPU-bound scenarios. At High settings, the drops are 39 FPS (146 to 107) and 38 FPS (107 to 69), showing a similar pattern but with less absolute headroom at the starting point. These numbers confirm that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the primary factor determining performance in this game.