Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, with clear headroom at 4K for high-refresh-rate play if settings are moderated. The data shows this pairing is a versatile performer, though its ranking among all tested combos is more mid-pack than top-tier. Benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the primary scaling factor between presets, while the CPU handles even the lowest settings with massive frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates ranging from 54 FPS to 245 FPS. Minimum and maximum values are only available for the Medium preset at each resolution, so those figures provide the only frame-time variance data in the pack.

At 1920x1080, the combo starts at a very high baseline. The Low preset averages 245 FPS, making it the fastest configuration tested. Moving to High drops the average to 152 FPS, while Medium sits between them at 174 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 148 FPS and a maximum of 200 FPS, indicating a tight, consistent frame delivery. The Ultra preset averages 114 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold and leaves room for a high-refresh-rate monitor.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high. The Low preset averages 180 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the 1080p Low figure but still excellent. High averages 112 FPS, and Medium averages 128 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum is 109 FPS and maximum is 147 FPS, showing that even at 1440p, the frame pacing is stable. The Ultra preset averages 84 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold and suitable for smooth gameplay on a 144Hz display.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens. The Low preset averages 116 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. Medium averages 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. High averages 72 FPS, keeping the game playable. The Ultra preset dips to an average of 54 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it the only tested configuration that fails to maintain smooth performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results show a clear pattern: the GPU is the dominant factor in frame rate scaling across settings, while the CPU provides a high enough ceiling to avoid bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

Looking at the scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution, the frame rate drop is substantial. At 1080p, the difference between Low (245 FPS) and Ultra (114 FPS) is 131 FPS, a reduction of roughly 53%. At 1440p, the drop from Low (180 FPS) to Ultra (84 FPS) is 96 FPS, about 53% as well. At 4K, the drop from Low (116 FPS) to Ultra (54 FPS) is 62 FPS, about 53% as well. This consistent proportional drop indicates that the GPU’s rendering workload is the primary variable; the CPU is not limiting performance even at the lowest settings.

The resolution scaling further confirms this. When moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low, the frame rate drops from 245 FPS to 116 FPS, a reduction of 129 FPS. This is a significant hit, but the fact that 4K Low still averages 116 FPS suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently at lower graphical loads. The CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, provide enough single-thread and multi-thread performance for this FPS title. The single-core Cinebench R23 score of 2085 and multi-core score of 14769 are strong indicators of headroom.

At 4K Ultra, the frame rate falls to 54 FPS, which is the only point where the combo fails to meet the playable threshold. This is purely a GPU limitation, as the rendering load at 4K Ultra is too high for the RX 9070’s 36.13 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 644.6 GB/s memory bandwidth. The CPU’s role is secondary here; even with a faster GPU, the frame rate would likely improve, but the CPU is not the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank in Lockdown Protocol is 1099 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places it in the upper third of all tested systems, specifically around the 70th percentile. While this is a solid position, it is not elite; many higher-end CPU/GPU pairings will produce better frame rates, especially at 4K Ultra.

The CPU’s overall percentile versus all CPUs is 89, meaning it outperforms 89% of all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 46062, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030 (a 0.1% delta), the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 (a -0.1% delta), and the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970 (a 0.2% delta). This indicates the Core Ultra 5 235 is performance-neutral against these alternatives in synthetic tests, so choosing between them depends on platform features rather than raw speed.

The GPU’s percentile versus all GPUs is 69, which is lower than the CPU’s. Its average benchmark score is 23877. Its nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z scores 23736 (a 0.6% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 24063 (a -0.8% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile scores 23628 (a 1.1% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER scores 24170 (a -1.2% delta). This suggests the RX 9070’s raw compute performance is comparable to these older or mobile parts, which explains why it struggles at 4K Ultra in this game.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 54, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 72 FPS, which is playable.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming on this combo?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 84 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 9070 compare to a GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER?

A: The RX 9070 has an average benchmark score of 23877, while the RTX 2080 SUPER scores 24170. This is a -1.2% delta, meaning the RTX 2080 SUPER is slightly faster in synthetic tests, though the difference is negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 235 a bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: No. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo averages 245 FPS. This high frame rate indicates the CPU is not limiting performance, as it can feed the GPU well beyond typical monitor refresh rates.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 152 FPS. This is well above the playable threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Does the combo maintain consistent frame times at Medium settings?

A: Yes. At Medium settings, the minimum and maximum FPS are recorded. At 1080p, the range is 148 FPS to 200 FPS. At 1440p, it is 109 FPS to 147 FPS. At 4K, it is 70 FPS to 95 FPS. These ranges show relatively tight frame pacing without major stutters.

Best Settings per Resolution

The goal is to find the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best choice. It averages 72 FPS, which is above the threshold. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS and also qualifies, but High is more demanding and still playable. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS is not playable.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is the best option. It averages 84 FPS, which is above the threshold. All other presets (Low, Medium, High) also exceed 60 FPS, but Ultra provides the highest visual quality while maintaining smooth performance.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best option. It averages 114 FPS, which is well above the threshold. All presets at this resolution exceed 60 FPS, so the choice comes down to visual fidelity versus frame rate headroom.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol well at all three tested resolutions, with the single exception of 4K Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium. The best playable setting is High, with an average FPS of 72. The Ultra preset fails to meet the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 54 FPS.

At 2560x1440, all four settings are playable. The best setting is Ultra, with an average FPS of 84. This makes 1440p the sweet spot for this combo, offering high visual quality with a comfortable frame rate margin.

At 1920x1080, all four settings are playable. The best setting is Ultra, with an average FPS of 114. This provides a smooth experience on any 1080p display, including 144Hz and 165Hz panels.

In summary, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combo is a capable machine for Lockdown Protocol. It excels at 1080p and 1440p, offering high frame rates at maximum settings. At 4K, it requires a slight reduction to High settings to maintain smooth gameplay. The data indicates this is a balanced pairing for this game, with the GPU being the limiting factor only at the most demanding configuration.