Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers a playable experience across most tested configurations in Lockdown Protocol, with the data showing a clear progression from unplayable 4K Ultra settings to a smooth 1080p experience. The CPU performs in the top 11% of all processors, while the GPU sits in the 59th percentile, creating a pairing where the graphics card becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. Benchmark results indicate this combo ranks 2194th out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are tightly clustered, with all four alternatives falling within 0.2% of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235's average score of 46062. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, a delta of 0.1% higher than the Core Ultra 5 235, making it the closest match. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, which is 0.1% higher than the 235's score, while the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970) and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960) both trail by 0.2%. For gaming workloads, any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, since the performance gap is negligible.

On the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129 and is 0.7% faster. The AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862) and AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15852) both come within 1% of the RX 9060's score, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679) trails by 2.1%. The RX 9060's passmark_g3d score of 17631 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 indicate that in practical gaming scenarios, the RTX 3060 Ti would deliver roughly equivalent performance in Lockdown Protocol, with the RX 7700 being another near-identical alternative.

The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU means that users upgrading from any of the listed rival processors would see no meaningful difference in this game, as the RX 9060 becomes the bottleneck in most scenarios. Conversely, swapping the RX 9060 for an RTX 3060 Ti or RX 7700 would produce nearly identical results in Lockdown Protocol.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a significant shift in component importance depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, the low preset achieves 175 FPS, while the ultra preset drops to 81 FPS, a reduction of 94 FPS (approximately 54%). This scaling suggests the GPU is the primary constraint even at 1080p, as the CPU's high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085) is sufficient to feed the graphics card at these frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the low preset delivers 128 FPS and ultra drops to 60 FPS, a reduction of 68 FPS. The medium preset shows a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS, with an average of 91 FPS. At 3840x2160, the low preset yields 83 FPS while ultra falls to 39 FPS, a reduction of 44 FPS. The scaling from 1080p low (175 FPS) to 4K low (83 FPS) represents a 52% performance drop, which aligns with the GPU being the dominant factor throughout.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p low, the frame rate of 175 FPS approaches the practical ceiling for many gaming scenarios, and the Core Ultra 5 235's PassMark single-thread score of 4516 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 indicate it can sustain high frame rates without bottlenecking. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads provide adequate multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769, but Lockdown Protocol's FPS data shows that resolution and preset changes have a larger impact than CPU-bound scenarios.

The data indicates that at 4K, the RX 9060 is the limiting factor, as even the medium preset only achieves 59 FPS average with a 50 FPS minimum. At 1440p, the GPU still governs performance, but the CPU's headroom allows the ultra preset to maintain exactly 60 FPS. At 1080p, the combination works more evenly, with the GPU handling the rendering load while the CPU provides enough throughput for 175 FPS at low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 175 FPS. The medium preset averages 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS. The high preset averages 109 FPS, while the ultra preset averages 81 FPS. All four presets at 1080p exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold, with the ultra preset still providing 35% more headroom than the minimum requirement.

At 2560x1440, the low preset averages 128 FPS. The medium preset averages 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS. The high preset averages 80 FPS, and the ultra preset averages exactly 60 FPS. The medium preset's minimum of 77 FPS indicates consistent performance, while the ultra preset sits precisely at the playable threshold with no minimum FPS data recorded.

At 3840x2160, the low preset averages 83 FPS, which is the only playable setting at this resolution. The medium preset averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, falling just below the 60 FPS threshold. The high preset averages 51 FPS, and the ultra preset averages 39 FPS. The medium preset's minimum of 50 FPS suggests noticeable frame drops during intense scenes, making it unsuitable for consistent play despite the average being close to the threshold.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step down from 4K to 1440p to 1080p provides roughly a 50-60% increase in average frame rates across corresponding presets. For example, 4K low (83 FPS) to 1440p low (128 FPS) represents a 54% improvement, and 1440p low to 1080p low (175 FPS) represents a 37% improvement.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 2194th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 59th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier position, as the CPU alone performs in the 89th percentile of all processors. The combination's rank is dragged down by the RX 9060's 59th percentile GPU standing, meaning systems with similarly strong CPUs but faster graphics cards would rank significantly higher.

In the context of the nearest rivals, the RX 9060's performance relative to the RTX 3060 Ti (0.7% slower) suggests that swapping to that GPU would yield a marginally higher rank. The RX 9060's passmark_g3d score of 17631 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 88183 demonstrate its position in the mid-range segment. The combo's rank of 2194 out of 3714 indicates that roughly 59% of tested configurations outperform it, which aligns with the GPU's percentile ranking and confirms that the graphics card is the determining factor for this pairing's standing.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, only the low preset achieves playable performance with an average of 83 FPS. The medium preset falls just short at 59 FPS average with a 50 FPS minimum, while high (51 FPS) and ultra (39 FPS) are not playable.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 2560x1440?

A: The ultra preset maintains an average of exactly 60 FPS, which meets the playable threshold. All four presets at 1440p exceed 60 FPS on average, with low at 128 FPS, medium at 91 FPS, and high at 80 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its closest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, making the NVIDIA card 0.7% faster. This difference is negligible in real-world gaming scenarios.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor, particularly at higher resolutions. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 59th percentile. At 4K ultra, the GPU limits performance to 39 FPS, whereas the CPU would be capable of much higher frame rates.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with high settings?

A: The high preset at 1920x1080 averages 109 FPS. The ultra preset averages 81 FPS, medium averages 124 FPS with a minimum of 106 FPS, and low reaches 175 FPS.

Q: Does the combo rank higher than other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 2194th out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier. Approximately 59% of tested systems perform better, which correlates with the GPU's 59th percentile ranking.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is low, which achieves an average of 83 FPS. The medium preset at 4K falls below the threshold with a 59 FPS average, so low is the only viable option for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the ultra preset achieves exactly 60 FPS average, making it the best playable setting. All presets at 1440p meet the 60 FPS requirement, with high at 80 FPS, medium at 91 FPS, and low at 128 FPS, but ultra provides the maximum visual quality while still clearing the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the ultra preset averages 81 FPS, which is the most demanding setting that stays above 60 FPS. The high preset averages 109 FPS, medium averages 124 FPS, and low reaches 175 FPS, but ultra offers the best visual fidelity while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the playable configurations vary significantly by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets — low (175 FPS), medium (124 FPS), high (109 FPS), and ultra (81 FPS) — clear the 60 FPS threshold, making this the ideal resolution for this combination. At 2560x1440, all four presets also remain playable, with ultra hitting exactly 60 FPS, high at 80 FPS, medium at 91 FPS, and low at 128 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only the low preset achieves playable performance at 83 FPS. The medium preset falls just below the threshold at 59 FPS average with a 50 FPS minimum, and both high (51 FPS) and ultra (39 FPS) are not playable. The verdict by resolution confirms that users seeking 4K gameplay must accept low settings, while 1440p and 1080p users can enjoy the highest preset with confidence. The system's overall rank of 2194 out of 3714 combos indicates it sits in the middle of the performance distribution, capable of handling this game well at mainstream resolutions and settings.