Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a top-tier combination for Lockdown Protocol, delivering frame rates that range from highly competitive at 4K to exceptionally high at 1080p. The data shows a system that is consistently capable of pushing past the 60 FPS mark at maximum settings in 4K, while obliterating high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, scaling characteristics, and optimal settings for this specific hardware pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for a 144Hz monitor?

A: The data indicates that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 138 FPS. This is the optimal balance for a 144Hz display, as it hits the target refresh rate without requiring the performance drop to Ultra settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes. The measured results show a 3840x2160 Ultra preset still produces an average of 67 FPS. While not enough for high-refresh 4K, it is perfectly playable for a smooth experience on a standard 60Hz 4K display.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The gap is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 304 FPS on Low to 141 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of over half. The same pattern holds at other resolutions, with the Ultra preset consistently demanding significantly more from the hardware.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results suggest the GPU is the primary bottleneck. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the average FPS drops significantly across all settings, indicating that the rendering load on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the limiting constraint rather than the CPU.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The highest measured average is 304 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset. This is a massive frame rate that is well beyond the refresh rate of most high-end gaming monitors.

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

A: For Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing ranks 460th out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the top percentile of all systems, confirming its high-end performance class.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the driving force behind this system's gaming performance. With a massive 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, it provides a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This substantial VRAM allocation ensures that texture-heavy scenes and high-resolution assets in Lockdown Protocol are handled without issue, preventing potential stutters or texture pop-in. The GPU's architecture, RDNA 3.0, with a boost clock of 2498 MHz and a game clock of 2365 MHz, provides the raw compute power necessary for high frame rates. The measured data shows this power in action; the GPU is clearly capable of processing the game's data quickly enough to feed high-refresh-rate displays, especially at 1080p and 1440p.

The performance scaling across settings highlights the GPU's workload. At 4K, moving from Low to Ultra settings reduces the average frame rate from 144 FPS to 67 FPS. This 77 FPS drop is a direct result of the increased graphical load on the 7900 XTX, from simpler shaders and effects to more complex lighting and geometry. The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 61.39 TFLOPS FP32, are what allow it to maintain playable frame rates even at the most demanding settings. While the CPU is a top-tier 24-core processor, the benchmark patterns—where FPS scales inversely with resolution—clearly show that the Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the component that dictates the performance ceiling in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p, the system is practically unchallenged. With the High preset, it achieves an average of 188 FPS, and this jumps to 304 FPS on Low settings. This suggests that at 1080p, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is capable of feeding the GPU more than enough frames, and the GPU is not being fully utilized.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high but show the first signs of the GPU working harder. The High preset drops from 188 FPS at 1080p to 138 FPS, a 50 FPS reduction. The Low preset sees a similar drop from 304 to 223 FPS. This is a significant decrease, but the performance is still excellent for competitive play. At 4K (3840x2160), the GPU is pushed to its limits. The High preset average falls to 89 FPS, and Low settings still command a solid 144 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding scenario, yielding an average of 67 FPS.

This scaling pattern tells a clear story: the RX 7900 XTX is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 4K results, where the frame rate drops by more than half compared to 1080p at the same settings, illustrate the exponential increase in pixel count and shading work. The data indicates that for maximum refresh rates, 1080p is the target, but 1440p offers a fantastic balance, while 4K is best for visual fidelity over raw speed.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of the benchmark database, this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is a high performer. It holds the 460th rank out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 12.4% of all systems. This is a strong showing, but it also indicates that there are other combinations that can achieve higher frame rates, likely with more powerful GPUs.

The CPU itself is a powerhouse, with an average benchmark score of 84003, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. It is a mere 0.2% ahead of its direct predecessor, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, and 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX. This shows that the 290K Plus is at the very top of the CPU performance charts, and it is not a source of bottleneck in this system. The GPU, however, presents a different picture. Its average benchmark score is 19410, placing it in the 64th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are older cards like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB and the NVIDIA TITAN Xp, with score deltas of only 0.4% and 1.2%, respectively. This is a surprising result, indicating that the RX 7900 XTX's benchmark average is not as dominant as its specs suggest. Despite this, its in-game performance is clearly high-tier, as evidenced by the measured FPS. The combo's rank of 460 out of 3714 reflects the strength of its CPU, which helps it achieve a rank that is higher than the GPU's percentile would imply.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate of the display. For those with a 1080p high-refresh monitor (240Hz or more), the Low settings preset is the only option that can fully saturate the display, hitting an average of 304 FPS. However, the visual quality trade-off is significant. For a 1440p setup, the High preset is the clear winner. It delivers an average of 138 FPS, which is perfect for a 144Hz monitor, while still providing a high level of graphical fidelity. The Medium preset at 1440p also offers a great experience at 158 FPS, with a minimum of 134 FPS ensuring smooth gameplay, but for most, the extra visual polish of High is worth the slight FPS reduction.

At 4K, the choice is between High and Medium. The High preset provides an average of 89 FPS, which is excellent for a 60Hz display and even allows for some headroom. The Medium preset is slightly more conservative at 102 FPS, but it has a measured minimum of 87 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 4K, while playable at 67 FPS, offers a less stable experience and should only be used if maximum visual quality is prioritized over frame rate consistency. For most users, the High preset at 1440p offers the best overall blend of image quality and performance, maximizing the capabilities of this hardware without leaving performance on the table.

Measured FPS Breakdown

A detailed look at the measured data shows a consistent hierarchy of performance across all resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system performs exceptionally well. The Low settings preset achieves the highest average of the entire test at 304 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 216 FPS, with a minimum of 183 FPS and a maximum of 248 FPS. The High preset yields 188 FPS on average. The most demanding Ultra preset still manages a very playable 141 FPS average.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains high. The Low preset averages 223 FPS. The Medium preset produces an average of 158 FPS, with a minimum of 134 FPS and a maximum of 182 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 138 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset maintains a solid 103 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the RX 7900 XTX is truly challenged. The Low preset still delivers an impressive 144 FPS average. The Medium preset averages 102 FPS, with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, providing a stable 4K experience. The High preset averages 89 FPS, suitable for high-refresh 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of 67 FPS, which is still playable on a standard 60Hz display. These numbers confirm a powerful, versatile system that can be tuned to match any monitor's capabilities.