Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol on an Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a smooth experience across most modern resolution targets, but 4K requires a settings compromise. At 1080p, the combo is effectively maxed out, holding 91 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, it still clears the 60 FPS threshold on the highest preset, albeit with a slim margin. The real bottleneck appears at 4K, where Ultra drops to 43 FPS, and even High sits just below the playable line at 57 FPS. The data shows a system that is well-balanced for high-refresh 1080p and solid 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for those willing to dial back visual fidelity.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is the target. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 91 FPS on average, making it the clear choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing fluidity. The gap between Low (196 FPS) and Ultra (91 FPS) is significant, but both are far beyond the playable threshold, so there is no reason to drop below Ultra unless chasing extremely high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset manages 67 FPS on average, which just clears the 60 FPS line. This is the best visual setting available at this resolution. High runs at 89 FPS, offering a more comfortable margin, but the data indicates Ultra is still viable for those prioritizing image quality over a larger frame rate cushion. The drop from 1080p Ultra (91 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (67 FPS) shows the expected scaling cost of higher pixel counts.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. Ultra falls to 43 FPS and High sits at 57 FPS, both below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset, however, averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, making it the highest settings tier that remains playable. Low runs at 93 FPS, but Medium is the recommended ceiling for 4K, as it provides the best visual fidelity while staying above the average playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The balance between the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti shifts noticeably across resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU's role is more pronounced. The jump from Low (196 FPS) to Medium (139 FPS) is a 29% performance reduction, and from Medium to High (121 FPS) another 13% drop. These large deltas at lower resolutions suggest the GPU is not the sole limiting factor; the CPU's single-thread performance and the game's engine overhead come into play when frame rates are high. The Core Ultra 5 235's PassMark single-thread score of 4516 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 indicate strong per-core capability, which helps sustain these high frame rates.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to take a firmer grip. The scaling from Low (144 FPS) to Medium (102 FPS) is a 29% reduction, but from Medium to High (89 FPS) it's only 13%, and from High to Ultra (67 FPS) it's 25%. This non-linear pattern suggests that at 1440p, the RTX 3060 Ti's raw pixel throughput becomes more influential, especially at the highest settings where shading and memory bandwidth demands increase.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The RTX 3060 Ti has an 8 GB GDDR6 memory buffer with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, and the data shows this is insufficient for Ultra settings at 3840x2160. The drop from Medium (66 FPS) to High (57 FPS) is a 14% reduction, while High to Ultra (43 FPS) is a 25% collapse. This severe scaling at the top end points to memory capacity or bandwidth saturation, not CPU limitations. The CPU's multi-threaded scores, such as Cinebench R23 multi-core at 14769, are more than adequate for this game's physics and logic, so the bottleneck is squarely on the GPU at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations in the benchmark database, this pairing of the Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 3060 Ti ranks 1854 out of 3714 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it near the middle of the pack, which is reasonable given the GPU's age and tier. The CPU itself is a strong performer, sitting in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. This disparity confirms that the graphics card is the limiting component in this pairing.

The combo's rank reflects a system that is not top-tier for this game but is far from inadequate. The 1080p and 1440p results show it can handle competitive settings, while the 4K struggles are typical for a mid-range GPU from the Ampere generation. The data suggests that for players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p or smooth 60 FPS gameplay at 1440p, this combo is well-positioned. For 4K enthusiasts, it is a compromise build.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core i9-13900HX has an average benchmark score of 46098, which is 0.1% higher than the Core Ultra 5 235's 46062. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030, just 0.1% lower. The AMD EPYC 4364P (45970) and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960) are also within 0.2% of the Core Ultra 5 235. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, as the game's CPU demands are not extreme. The performance delta is negligible, so swapping the Intel chip for any of these would not visibly change the FPS results.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are close in aggregate score. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT scores 16361, which is 1.4% higher than the RTX 3060 Ti's 16129. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351, also 1.4% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, which is 0.7% lower. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, 1.7% lower. These small deltas mean that swapping the RTX 3060 Ti for any of these cards would produce nearly identical performance in Lockdown Protocol. None of them would meaningfully change the 4K Ultra results, which are limited by the GPU's memory subsystem and shader throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results are as follows: Low averages 196 FPS, Medium averages 139 FPS with a minimum of 118 and a maximum of 160, High averages 121 FPS, and Ultra averages 91 FPS. The frame time consistency at Medium is solid, with the minimum staying well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset, while slower, still offers a smooth experience with no reported dips below the playable line.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 144 FPS, Medium averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 117, High averages 89 FPS, and Ultra averages 67 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 87 FPS is comfortable, and even Ultra's average of 67 FPS leaves a small buffer above 60. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 53% reduction, which is expected for a resolution that requires nearly double the pixels of 1080p.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 93 FPS, Medium averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76, High averages 57 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 56 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, indicating occasional stutters, but the average remains playable. High and Ultra are not viable for consistent 60 FPS gameplay, as their averages fall short and likely have lower minimums.

The Verdict

The data makes the capabilities clear. At 1920x1080, this system runs Lockdown Protocol on Ultra with an average of 91 FPS, leaving ample headroom above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Every preset at this resolution is fully playable, making 1080p the sweet spot for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 67 FPS, which clears the threshold. All four settings—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are listed as playable. The best settings for visual quality are Ultra, with a 67 FPS average, but players who prefer a larger frame rate cushion can drop to High for 89 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable. The best settings are Medium, which averages 66 FPS, though the minimum of 56 FPS suggests some frame drops. For a strict 60 FPS lock, Low at 93 FPS is the safer choice. Ultra and High are not recommended for 4K gameplay due to average frame rates of 43 and 57 respectively. Ultimately, this PC is a strong 1440p machine and a capable 1080p high-refresh system, but 4K requires significant settings reductions to stay smooth.