Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, a combination that sits in the 969th spot out of 2828 tested combos for this game. The measured frame rates show a system that excels at high-refresh 1080p play, remains very capable at 1440p, and only starts to show real strain at 4K with maxed-out settings. The CPU’s 96th percentile standing among all processors and the GPU’s 75th percentile position among all graphics cards indicate a pairing where the processor has substantial headroom, especially at lower resolutions where the graphics card becomes the primary constraint.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate does this combo achieve at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 105. This is the lowest of the four settings presets at this resolution, with Low hitting 225 FPS, Medium at 160 FPS, and High at 139 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 Ti a bottleneck for the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate yes, particularly at 1080p. At Low settings, the average FPS jumps to 225, while the CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 4823 and multi-thread score of 60860 suggest it is not the limiting factor. The GPU’s 75th percentile ranking versus the CPU’s 96th percentile shows the graphics card is the weaker component in this pairing.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile, scores 29928, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, which is 0.5% higher. The RTX 2080 Ti scores 29783, 0.5% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 30433, 1.6% higher.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 139. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS drops to 66. This represents a 52.5% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus beat the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K in average benchmark score?

A: Yes, but by a very narrow margin. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84003, while the Core Ultra 9 285K scores 83807. This is a delta of 0.2% in favor of the 290K Plus.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 99, with an average of 117 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS. This is the only resolution where min and max values are provided for Medium settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA104 chip, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It carries 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. Memory duties are handled by 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1188 MHz, which translates to 19 Gbps effective. The GPU’s pixel rate is 169.9 GPixel/s, texture rate is 339.8 GTexel/s, and it achieves 21.75 TFLOPS for FP32 and FP16 compute.

These specifications shape the performance in Lockdown Protocol. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the resolution range tested, but the frame rate data shows that the GPU is the deciding factor in most scenarios. The measured FPS at 1080p Low hits 225, which is more than double the 105 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where reducing graphical load directly translates to higher frame rates. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 23356 and its 75th percentile ranking place it in the upper-middle tier of graphics cards, which aligns with the observed performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3478 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 139541 provide additional context for its DirectX 12 and Vulkan capability.

The RTX 3070 Ti’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the RTX 5070 Mobile at 29928, the RX 6800 at 30095, the RTX 2080 Ti at 29783, and the RX 6700 at 30433. The deltas are small, ranging from -1.6% to +0.5%, meaning the RTX 3070 Ti sits in a tightly contested performance bracket. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the GPU’s role is most evident at 4K, where even Low settings produce 106 FPS, but Ultra drops to 49 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 57 FPS, which is a larger absolute difference than at 1080p, where the gap is 120 FPS. This indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth become increasingly critical.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern in how Lockdown Protocol scales across resolutions. Starting with High settings, the average FPS is 139 at 1920x1080, 102 at 2560x1440, and 66 at 3840x2160. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is another 36 FPS. This is a nearly linear decline in frame rate as pixel count increases, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited workload. The RTX 3070 Ti’s 608.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate are being taxed more heavily as the resolution rises.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar but with higher absolute numbers. The average FPS is 225 at 1080p, 165 at 1440p, and 106 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 60 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 59 FPS. The relative decrease is smaller, but the absolute drop is larger because the starting frame rate is higher. At 1080p Low, the CPU’s capabilities are more likely to come into play, but the 225 FPS result still suggests the GPU is handling the workload adequately.

Medium settings provide the only complete min/max data in the measured results. At 1080p, the average is 160 FPS with a min of 136 and max of 184. At 1440p, the average drops to 117 FPS with a min of 99 and max of 135. At 4K, the average is 76 FPS with a min of 64 and max of 87. The min FPS at 4K Medium is 64, which is still playable but indicates that frame pacing can dip noticeably under load. The spread between min and max is 48 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K, suggesting that higher resolutions produce more consistent frame times, likely because the GPU is more uniformly saturated.

Ultra settings show the steepest scaling curve. The average FPS is 105 at 1080p, 77 at 1440p, and 49 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 56 FPS, which is a 53.3% reduction. This is the largest percentage drop of any settings preset, indicating that Ultra settings amplify the GPU’s workload disproportionately with resolution. The 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider smooth, suggesting that this combination is not ideal for 4K Ultra gaming in Lockdown Protocol.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU across all resolutions. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, base clock of 3.70 GHz, and boost clock of 5.80 GHz, has ample processing power. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 51731 and single-core score of 7303 are strong indicators of CPU capability. If the CPU were the bottleneck, frame rates would not scale as dramatically with resolution changes. The data shows that reducing resolution from 4K to 1080p more than doubles FPS at Low settings, which is definitive evidence of GPU-bound behavior.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance for most players. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The 1440p Medium result of 117 FPS average with a 99 FPS minimum is also excellent, providing smooth gameplay on 1440p displays. Even at 4K, Medium produces a 76 FPS average with a 64 FPS minimum, which is playable on most screens.

High settings are a reasonable alternative for players who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate. At 1080p, High hits 139 FPS, which is still very smooth. At 1440p, High averages 102 FPS, which is adequate for most competitive play. The problem with High appears at 4K, where the average drops to 66 FPS. This is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The lack of min/max data for High settings makes it harder to judge frame consistency, but the average suggests it is viable at 1080p and 1440p.

Ultra settings are only recommended for 1080p gaming. The 105 FPS average at 1080p Ultra is good, but it comes at the cost of significant frame rate reductions at higher resolutions. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 77 FPS, which is still usable but not ideal for fast-paced FPS gameplay. At 4K Ultra, the 49 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth play in a competitive shooter. The performance cost of Ultra over Medium is substantial: 55 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. This makes Ultra a poor choice for players who want consistent high frame rates.

Low settings are for players who prioritize maximum performance above all else. The 225 FPS average at 1080p Low is exceptional, and even 4K Low produces 106 FPS. However, the visual quality trade-off is significant, and the data shows that Medium provides a much better experience for only a moderate FPS cost. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium is 65 FPS, while at 4K, it is 30 FPS. Given that Medium at 4K still averages 76 FPS, it is the superior choice unless a player is chasing the absolute highest frame rates possible.

For most users, the recommendation is Medium at 1440p. This configuration offers a 117 FPS average with a 99 FPS minimum, providing both high frame rates and good visual quality. Players with 1080p monitors can use Medium or High, as both exceed 130 FPS. Those with 4K displays should stick to Medium, as it is the only preset that consistently stays above 60 FPS at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low produces 225 FPS, Medium produces 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS and maximum of 184 FPS, High produces 139 FPS, and Ultra produces 105 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 120 FPS, showing that settings have a profound impact on performance at this resolution. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 136 is higher than the Ultra average of 105, highlighting the performance cost of maximum graphical settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops across all presets. Low produces 165 FPS, Medium produces 117 FPS with a minimum of 99 FPS and maximum of 135 FPS, High produces 102 FPS, and Ultra produces 77 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 88 FPS, but the relative performance loss from 1080p is consistent. The Medium preset at 1440p has a min FPS of 99, which is exactly the same as the High average FPS at this resolution. This indicates that Medium provides a more stable experience than High, as the minimum frame rate matches the average of the higher preset.

At 3840x2160, the measured averages are: Low produces 106 FPS, Medium produces 76 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 87 FPS, High produces 66 FPS, and Ultra produces 49 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K is significant for every preset. Low loses 119 FPS, Medium loses 84 FPS, High loses 73 FPS, and Ultra loses 56 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 76 FPS is the best compromise at this resolution, as it stays above 60 FPS on average. The 4K High result of 66 FPS is borderline, while 4K Ultra at 49 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The min/max data for Medium settings provides insight into frame consistency across resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 48 FPS (136-184), at 1440p, the range is 36 FPS (99-135), and at 4K, the range is 23 FPS (64-87). This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded, reducing frame time spikes. However, the absolute minimum FPS also drops, reaching 64 at 4K, which is close to the threshold where stuttering becomes noticeable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture using a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The CPU supports ECC memory and has 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Its integrated graphics are Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units.

Benchmark results for this CPU are strong across the board. Cinebench R23 multicore score is 51731, and single-core is 7303. Cinebench R20 scores are 21727 multicore and 3067 single-core. Cinebench R15 scores are 5214 multicore and 736 single-core. Passmark tests show a multi-thread score of 60860, single-thread score of 4823, and a data compression score of 698346. The average benchmark score is 84003, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K with an average score of 83807 (0.2% higher), the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090 (1.1% higher), the AMD EPYC 9135 at 82980 (1.2% higher), and the AMD EPYC 7F72 at 85072 (1.3% lower).

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The 24 cores and 24 threads provide ample parallelism, and the 5.80 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance where it matters. The Passmark single-thread score of 4823 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 indicate that the CPU can handle the game’s main thread without becoming a bottleneck. The measured FPS data supports this, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance.

The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking versus the GPU’s 75th percentile ranking creates a significant performance gap. This means that in most scenarios, the RTX 3070 Ti will be the limiting factor, and the CPU will have headroom to spare. At 1080p Low, the 225 FPS average suggests the CPU is still keeping up, but this is near the upper limit of what the GPU can produce in this game. The CPU’s high memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s and dual-channel DDR5 support help ensure that data can be fed to the GPU quickly, reducing potential stutter from memory bottlenecks.

The comparison to the Core Ultra 9 285K is notable, as the 290K Plus is only 0.2% faster in average benchmark score. This indicates that for Lockdown Protocol, the CPU choice between these two processors would have minimal impact on FPS. The AMD EPYC rivals are server-class processors with different performance characteristics, and their deltas of 1.1% to 1.3% are small enough that they would not meaningfully alter in-game performance. The CPU’s role in this pairing is to provide a stable foundation for the GPU, and the data shows it does so effectively without becoming the primary constraint even at 1080p with high frame rates.