Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra X9 388H + AMD Radeon 880M

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD Radeon 880M sits near the bottom of the tested field for Lockdown Protocol, ranking 2763 out of 2828 total CPU-GPU combinations. That places it in the bottom 2.3% of all tested combos, indicating that this system is positioned for modest 1080p gaming rather than high-resolution or high-fidelity experiences. The data shows a clear pattern: this integrated-graphics platform can handle the game at playable frame rates only when resolution and settings are kept conservative, and even then, performance margins are thin. Understanding where this combo lands relative to other tested systems helps set realistic expectations for what the hardware can deliver in a fast-paced FPS title like Lockdown Protocol.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2763 out of 2828 tested combinations places it in the bottom percentile of systems evaluated for Lockdown Protocol. This is not surprising given the hardware profile: the Radeon 880M is an integrated GPU with a 43rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the Core Ultra X9 388H ranks in the 88th percentile among CPUs. The massive gap between CPU capability and GPU capability means the graphics solution is the primary constraint in nearly every scenario. The data suggests that only about 65 other combinations performed worse than this setup, which means users should expect lower frame rates than the majority of tested systems when running this game.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals provides context for the processor's role. The Core Ultra X9 388H averages 44466 in benchmark scores, sitting just 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44573), 0.3% above the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342), and 0.4% above the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309). These are extremely tight margins, with all four processors clustered within 0.7% of each other. The CPU is clearly not the bottleneck in this system. The GPU, by contrast, sits in a much lower performance tier, with its nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (8427, 0.1% higher), NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (8458, 0.3% higher), and AMD Radeon R9 M375X (8325, 1.3% lower). The Radeon 880M's average benchmark score of 8436 places it in direct competition with decade-old discrete mobile GPUs, which explains why the combo ranks so poorly overall.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 880M is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture using TSMC's 4 nm process, with the chip measuring 233 mm² and containing 34,000 million transistors. It operates with a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, which is a substantial boost ratio that allows the GPU to ramp up significantly under load. The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning the GPU uses the same LPDDR5X memory as the CPU rather than having dedicated VRAM. This shared memory architecture is a critical factor in Lockdown Protocol performance, as bandwidth is system-dependent and cannot be optimized independently for graphics workloads.

The GPU's compute resources include 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output pipelines, along with 12 ray-tracing cores. These specifications generate a pixel rate of 46.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 139.2 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 4.454 TFLOPS. The RDNA 3.5 architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means the GPU is feature-complete for modern game APIs. However, the 16 ROPS are a limiting factor for fill-rate-heavy scenarios, and the 4.454 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is modest compared to discrete solutions. The GPU's TDP is rated at 15 W, which is typical for an integrated solution but severely limits sustained performance compared to even entry-level discrete GPUs.

The benchmark data reinforces the GPU's mid-to-low tier positioning. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 535 and PassMark G3D score of 7615 indicate that while the GPU can run modern games, it does so at minimal settings. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 31285 and Vulkan score of 40006 show reasonable compute capabilities for an iGPU, but the PassMark DirectX 11 score of 73 and DirectX 12 score of 32 highlight that raw gaming performance is constrained. The GPU's 43rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with its nearest rivals being older discrete mobile chips, suggests that Lockdown Protocol's demands will push this GPU to its limits even at lower settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 25 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports LPDDR5X memory through a dual-channel interface with 153.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is shared with the integrated GPU. This memory bandwidth figure is important because the Radeon 880M relies entirely on system memory, so the CPU's memory controller directly impacts GPU performance.

The processor's benchmark results show strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 18911 multi-core and 2200.5 single-core, while in R20 it scores 13101 multi-core and 1849 single-core. PassMark results include a multithread score of 36811, single-thread score of 4280, and notable scores in integer math (90882), floating-point math (112550), and data compression (361763). The CPU's 88th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44466, places it in the upper tier of mobile processors. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average score, confirming that the CPU is competitive with high-end desktop and mobile chips from the same generation.

For Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is largely supportive. The game is an FPS that likely benefits from strong single-thread performance for game logic and physics, and the Core Ultra X9 388H delivers a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2200.5, which is robust. The 16 threads provide ample multi-threading headroom for background tasks, and the 18 MB of L3 cache helps with data locality. However, the benchmark results show that even with this capable CPU, the system's overall performance is dragged down by the GPU. The data indicates that in Lockdown Protocol, the CPU is never the limiting factor; instead, the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput cap frame rates well below what the CPU could otherwise support.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution where this combo performs best, the measured frame rates show a clear progression across settings. Low settings produce an average of 74 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. Medium settings drop to 53 FPS average, with a minimum of 45 FPS and maximum of 61 FPS. High settings yield 46 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 35 FPS average. These numbers indicate that 1080p is the only resolution where the system can maintain playable frame rates across all settings, though Ultra dips below the 60 FPS threshold that competitive FPS players typically prefer.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degradation is significant. Low settings average 54 FPS, which is still playable but a substantial drop from the 74 FPS at 1080p. Medium settings average 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and maximum of 44 FPS, making sustained 60 FPS impossible. High settings drop to 34 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 25 FPS average. The data shows that 1440p is only viable at Low settings for a smooth experience, and even then, the 54 FPS average leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 35 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS with a minimum of 21 FPS and maximum of 29 FPS, High averages 22 FPS, and Ultra averages 16 FPS. These numbers are below the threshold for comfortable gaming, particularly in a fast-paced FPS where frame timing consistency matters. The 4K results clearly indicate that this resolution is not suitable for Lockdown Protocol with this hardware, as even the lowest settings fail to reach 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system achieves 60+ FPS, specifically at Low settings (74 FPS average). At 1440p, the best average is 54 FPS (Low), and at 4K, the best average is 35 FPS (Low). For consistently smooth gameplay, 1080p is the recommended resolution.

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

A: The Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44466, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44573), 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342), and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309). The CPU ranks in the 88th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 88th percentile among all CPUs (44466 average score), while the GPU ranks in the 43rd percentile (8436 average score). The GPU's nearest rivals are older discrete mobile chips like the GTX 675MX and MX330, whereas the CPU competes with high-end desktop processors.

Q: What settings should be used at 1080p for the best experience?

A: Low settings at 1080p provide the highest average FPS at 74, which is the only setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. Medium settings offer a playable 53 FPS average with a 45 FPS minimum, while High (46 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS) are progressively less smooth. For competitive play, Low is recommended; for visual quality, Medium offers a balance.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The Radeon 880M uses system-shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, and its memory bandwidth is system-dependent. This means the GPU shares the CPU's LPDDR5X memory, which is rated at 153.6 GB/s for the dual-channel interface. The shared memory architecture limits the GPU's ability to handle high-resolution textures and large data sets, which contributes to the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions.

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

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 54 FPS while Ultra settings average 25 FPS, representing a 29 FPS difference. This is a 53.7% reduction in average frame rate from Low to Ultra, which highlights the GPU's limited headroom for graphical enhancements at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for Lockdown Protocol depend heavily on the user's priority between frame rate and visual quality. At 1080p, Low settings deliver 74 FPS average, which is the only configuration that provides a smooth experience for fast-paced FPS gameplay. Medium settings at 1080p yield 53 FPS average with a 45 FPS minimum, which is still playable but may suffer during intense firefights. For players who prioritize responsiveness and competitive advantage, Low settings at 1080p is the clear choice, as the 74 FPS average provides the best margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

If visual fidelity is more important, Medium settings at 1080p (53 FPS average) represents the best compromise between image quality and playability. High settings at 1080p (46 FPS average) are borderline, and Ultra (35 FPS average) should be avoided for active gameplay. At 1440p, only Low settings (54 FPS average) are recommended for smooth play, while Medium (39 FPS) and above are likely to feel sluggish. At 4K, no settings configuration achieves acceptable performance, with the highest average being 35 FPS at Low. The data suggests that users should stick to 1080p with Low or Medium settings to get the most consistent experience from this hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU-bound nature of this system. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 74 FPS at 1080p to 54 FPS at 1440p (a 27% reduction) and then to 35 FPS at 4K (a 52.7% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is steeper than what would be expected from a purely GPU-bound workload, suggesting that the shared memory bandwidth becomes increasingly constrained as resolution increases. The pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the frame rate only drops by roughly half, which indicates that the GPU is not purely fill-rate limited at lower resolutions.

At Medium settings, the progression is 53 FPS (1080p) to 39 FPS (1440p) to 25 FPS (4K), representing a 26.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 52.8% drop from 1080p to 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that the scaling is primarily resolution-driven rather than settings-driven. At High settings, the numbers are 46 FPS (1080p), 34 FPS (1440p), and 22 FPS (4K), with drops of 26.1% and 52.2% respectively. The Ultra settings show 35 FPS (1080p), 25 FPS (1440p), and 16 FPS (4K), with drops of 28.6% and 54.3%.

The data implies that the limiting component is the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute throughput, as the CPU's performance would not degrade with resolution. The 153.6 GB/s system memory bandwidth is shared between CPU and GPU, and at higher resolutions, the GPU requires more memory bandwidth for larger framebuffers and texture data. This shared resource contention likely explains why the FPS drops are so pronounced at 4K. The system's 16 ROPS also become a bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the pixel fill rate of 46.40 GPixel/s is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K. Overall, the scaling behavior confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p as a stretch target at low settings, and 4K effectively out of reach for playable performance.