Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that demands high frame rates, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers exceptional performance across all tested resolutions. Benchmark data shows that this pairing achieves well above the 60 FPS playability threshold at every preset level, from 1080p all the way up to 4K. The measured frame rates indicate that this system is not merely capable but overwhelmingly powerful for this title, with the GPU providing substantial headroom even under the most demanding graphical settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 175 FPS. This represents the highest visual fidelity option available, and the system still produces frame rates nearly three times the playability threshold. For players seeking maximum smoothness at this resolution, the Low preset pushes the average to 355 FPS, but the data confirms that Ultra is entirely viable without compromising competitive performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again delivers the best visual experience while maintaining an average of 128 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning there is no need to sacrifice graphical quality for performance at this resolution. The High preset achieves 171 FPS, and Medium reaches 196 FPS, but the Ultra setting at 128 FPS remains the optimal choice for those prioritizing image quality.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset still holds an average of 83 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS requirement with a solid margin. This is notable because 4K Ultra is typically the most punishing configuration for any system, yet the RTX 5090 handles it with ease. The High preset at 111 FPS and Medium at 127 FPS provide additional headroom for very high refresh rate displays, but Ultra remains the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this CPU and GPU combination achieves a combo rank of 57 out of 3714 tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 1.5 percent of all tested hardware pairings, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of alternatives. The percentile rankings for the individual components corroborate this: the Core Ultra 5 235 sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 5090 ranks at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

The combo rank reflects the synergy between these two components, where the GPU's immense compute capability is not bottlenecked by the processor. The data shows that this pairing delivers sustained high frame rates across all resolutions, which is consistent with a balanced configuration where neither component becomes the limiting factor. While the rank of 57 is excellent, it also suggests that a handful of other combinations may edge out this setup in specific scenarios, likely involving higher-end CPUs paired with the same GPU.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 83 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. This makes Ultra the recommended best setting at 4K, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable at 1080p?

A: The maximum measured average FPS at 1920x1080 is 355, which occurs with Low settings. However, even at Ultra settings, the system achieves 175 FPS average, demonstrating that the hardware has substantial performance reserves at this resolution.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p compared to 1080p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rates range from 128 FPS at Ultra to 276 FPS at Low. This represents a performance reduction of roughly 27 percent at Ultra settings compared to 1080p, but the system still maintains frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold across all presets.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data does not indicate a significant bottleneck. At 4K Ultra the system delivers 83 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it reaches 175 FPS, showing that performance scales with resolution in a manner consistent with GPU-bound workloads. The CPU's benchmark scores suggest it has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU effectively.

Q: Are there any settings where the system drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. Every measured configuration, from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra, maintains an average frame rate above 60 FPS. The lowest recorded average is 83 FPS at 4K Ultra, which remains comfortably above the playability threshold.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded in any test?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 108, which occurred at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This indicates that even the worst-case frame pacing stays well above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring consistent smoothness.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provides context for what other hardware would behave similarly. For the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, the closest competitors include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, which has an average benchmark score of 46030 versus 46062 for the Intel chip, a difference of just 0.1 percent. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098, representing a negligible 0.1 percent advantage. Both AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303 score 45970 and 45960 respectively, trailing by 0.2 percent. These processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090's nearest rivals are somewhat unexpected, given the flagship positioning of this card. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, just 0.3 percent behind the RTX 5090's 79842 average, while the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB trails by 0.6 percent. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, a 1.1 percent deficit, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, which is 1.4 percent ahead. These comparisons suggest that while the RTX 5090 leads in raw gaming benchmarks, its overall compute average is closely matched by enterprise and mobile workstation parts.

For a user considering alternatives, pairing a CPU from the same performance class—such as the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 or Core i9-13900HX—with a GPU in the RTX 5090's vicinity would yield comparable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The deltaPct values indicate that differences among these components are within the margin of measurement error, meaning real-world gameplay would be indistinguishable.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the scaling between resolutions and presets reveals which component dominates performance in Lockdown Protocol. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, frame rates decrease substantially, which is characteristic of GPU-bound workloads. At 1080p Ultra, the system achieves 175 FPS, dropping to 128 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and further to 83 FPS at 4K Ultra. This represents a 53 percent reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is the primary performance driver at higher resolutions.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions where frame rates are extremely high. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 355 FPS, and at 1080p High it achieves 234 FPS. These frame rates require the CPU to process game logic and draw calls at a very rapid pace, and the Core Ultra 5 235's benchmark scores—including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and single-core score of 2085—suggest it has ample processing power for this task.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution also informs the component balance. At 1080p, the difference between Low (355 FPS) and Ultra (175 FPS) is 180 FPS, a 51 percent reduction. At 1440p, the spread narrows to 148 FPS (276 to 128), and at 4K it further narrows to 95 FPS (178 to 83). This pattern indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises, while the CPU's contribution remains relatively constant. At 4K, the settings-dependent variance is smaller in absolute terms because the GPU is already heavily loaded, whereas at 1080p the CPU can feed frames fast enough to expose the GPU's scaling across presets.

The Verdict

This system can unequivocally run Lockdown Protocol at all tested resolutions and settings, with performance that far exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. The verdict by resolution confirms that Ultra settings are playable everywhere: at 3840x2160 the average is 83 FPS, at 2560x1440 it is 128 FPS, and at 1920x1080 it reaches 175 FPS. This means the user can select the highest graphical preset at any resolution without concern for frame rate drops below playable levels.

The combination of the Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 5090 demonstrates a balanced yet GPU-heavy configuration that excels in this FPS title. The 4K Ultra result of 83 FPS is particularly impressive, as it provides a console-beating experience on a high-resolution display. For competitive players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 355 FPS, which would satisfy even the most demanding esports displays. In summary, this PC is not merely capable of running Lockdown Protocol—it dominates it with substantial headroom at every setting.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data provides a detailed picture of performance across all configurations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 355 FPS, High reaches 234 FPS, Medium records 268 FPS with a minimum of 227 and maximum of 308, and Ultra delivers 175 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one at this resolution with full min/max data, showing consistent frame delivery without significant dips.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 276 FPS, High reaches 171 FPS, Medium records 196 FPS with a minimum of 167 and maximum of 226, and Ultra achieves 128 FPS. The frame rate reduction from 1080p to 1440p ranges from 22 percent at Low (355 to 276) to 27 percent at Ultra (175 to 128), reflecting the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 178 FPS, High reaches 111 FPS, Medium records 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 and maximum of 146, and Ultra achieves 83 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K brings a further reduction of 35 percent at Ultra (128 to 83), which is consistent with the quadrupling of pixel count relative to 1080p. The minimum frame rate of 108 at 4K Medium represents the lowest recorded value across all tests, yet it still stands far above the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that this system maintains smooth gameplay even in the most demanding scenarios.