Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 5 135H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a playable but not exceptional experience in Lockdown Protocol, a competitive FPS released in March 2024. Across the twelve measured configurations, the system's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions while the CPU demonstrates sufficient headroom at 1080p. The data indicates a balanced pairing that favors high-refresh 1080p gaming, with diminishing returns as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 163 FPS at 1080p to 120 FPS at 1440p — a 26.4% reduction — and then to 77 FPS at 4K, which represents a 52.8% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical of GPU-bound workloads, where pixel count directly impacts rendering throughput.

The Medium settings row shows a similar trajectory: 116 FPS at 1080p, 85 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is 52.6%, nearly identical to the Low settings decline. This consistency suggests that the rendering pipeline's resolution sensitivity is largely independent of the quality preset, pointing to a fixed geometry and shading cost per pixel.

High settings exhibit slightly steeper scaling losses, with 101 FPS at 1080p falling to 74 FPS at 1440p (26.7% drop) and 48 FPS at 4K (52.5% drop). Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 76 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K — a 52.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The uniformity of these percentage drops across all four quality presets strongly indicates that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, with the GPU's fill-rate and bandwidth resources being the limiting component at 4K.

The 1440p-to-4K transition is particularly punishing, with average FPS dropping by roughly 35% across all settings. For example, High settings go from 74 FPS at 1440p to 48 FPS at 4K, while Low settings fall from 120 FPS to 77 FPS. This steep decline suggests that the RTX 5060's 8 GB GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus, though offering 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, become insufficient to sustain frame rates above 60 FPS at 4K even on Low settings. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming is only viable at the lowest preset, and even then, the 77 FPS average is below what competitive FPS players typically target.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm TSMC process, is the primary driver of Lockdown Protocol's frame rates. Its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which directly impacts texture streaming and memory-heavy scenes common in FPS titles. The GPU's 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, running at a base clock of 2280 MHz and boost clock of 2497 MHz, deliver a measured FP32 throughput of 19.18 TFLOPS.

The benchmark results position this GPU in the 72nd percentile among all tested graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (deltaPct -0.3%), NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (deltaPct -0.3%), and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (deltaPct -0.8%). The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT trails by 1.2%, indicating that the RTX 5060 sits in a competitive mid-range tier. However, these scores reflect synthetic workloads; in Lockdown Protocol specifically, the GPU's performance profile aligns with its 72nd percentile ranking — capable at 1080p, adequate at 1440p, and stretched at 4K.

The memory configuration deserves attention. With only 8 GB of VRAM, the RTX 5060 may encounter capacity limits at 4K Ultra, where the 36 FPS average suggests either memory pressure or compute saturation. The GDDR7 memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) is fast, but the 128-bit bus width constrains total bandwidth to 448.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the 163 FPS Low and 116 FPS Medium results at 1080p, but the 4K data indicates the bus width becomes a limiting factor. The GPU's pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s are adequate for the game's geometry, but the 4K frame times suggest that the ROP count of 48 is the binding constraint at that resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In Lockdown Protocol, the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H + RTX 5060 combination ranks 2473 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the 33.4th percentile of all possible pairings. This ranking reflects a mid-to-lower tier position, which is somewhat surprising given the individual component percentiles — the CPU sits at the 81st percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 72nd percentile. The combination underperforms relative to what the component percentiles might suggest, indicating that Lockdown Protocol's specific workload characteristics do not fully utilize the strengths of this pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (deltaPct -0.1%), Intel Xeon Phi 7210 (deltaPct -0.5%), AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (deltaPct 0.5%), and Intel Core i5-13500HX (deltaPct -0.6%). These are all desktop or high-performance mobile parts, and the Ultra 5 135H's position among them — within 0.6% either way — indicates that its 14 cores and 18 threads provide competitive multi-threaded performance despite its 28 W TDP. The GPU's rivals are similarly close, with the RTX 5060 within 1.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT and 0.8% of the RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary.

The rank of 2473 out of 3714 suggests that most tested combinations deliver better Lockdown Protocol performance. This is likely because the game benefits from higher-end GPUs more than from the CPU's multi-core capabilities. The RTX 5060's 8 GB VRAM and mid-range compute resources place it below many desktop GPUs that dominate the top ranks. For a competitive FPS where frame rates above 144 FPS are desirable, the 163 FPS peak at 1080p Low is respectable, but the 76 FPS at 1080p Ultra shows the GPU's limits when pushed with higher-quality settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the Lockdown Protocol experience. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 116 FPS and a minimum of 99 FPS. This stays comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and provides headroom for dips during intense combat. The High preset at 101 FPS is also viable, but the 15 FPS difference between Medium and High suggests diminishing returns for the visual upgrade. Ultra at 76 FPS is playable but risks dropping below 60 FPS in demanding scenes, making it less suitable for competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 120 FPS average, making it the only setting that maintains a high-refresh experience. Medium drops to 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS, which is acceptable for casual play but may feel less responsive in fast-paced encounters. High at 74 FPS and Ultra at 56 FPS are progressively less attractive, with Ultra falling below the 60 FPS threshold. For 1440p gaming, the data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for visual fidelity, while Low is preferred for competitive advantage.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. Low settings yield 77 FPS average, which is the only preset that clears 60 FPS. Medium averages 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS, indicating noticeable stuttering potential. High and Ultra at 48 FPS and 36 FPS respectively are not recommended for any gameplay scenario, as they fall well below smooth-play thresholds. The 4K data also shows that the RTX 5060's memory bandwidth and ROP throughput are insufficient for this resolution in a fast-paced FPS, so users should either drop to 1440p or accept Low settings at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play with this combo?

A: The 1920x1080 Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 163 FPS, which is ideal for competitive FPS play. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 120 FPS, which is still viable but offers 26.4% less performance.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 77 FPS. Medium averages 55 FPS, and High/Ultra drop to 48 FPS and 36 FPS respectively. 4K is technically playable only on Low settings, but 1440p provides a better experience.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 5060's average benchmark score of 26331 is within 0.8% of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary and 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT. It trails the AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 by 0.3% each.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the 52.6% FPS drop from Low to Ultra settings at the same resolution. The CPU's 81st percentile ranking and 14 cores provide sufficient headroom, but the RTX 5060's compute limits cap frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured minimum at 2560x1440 Medium is 72 FPS, with a maximum of 98 FPS and an average of 85 FPS. This indicates moderate frame-time variance but generally stable performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 2473 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower 66.6% of tested systems. The rank reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning despite the CPU's strong individual performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H, part of the Core Ultra Series 1 with a Meteor Lake architecture, provides the processing foundation for this combo. Its 14 cores and 18 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz, deliver a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and single-core score of 1700. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth support the GPU's data demands, though the 28 W TDP indicates a power-constrained mobile design.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 29093 places it at the 81st percentile among all processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (-0.1% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (+0.5% delta), and Intel Core i5-13500HX (-0.6% delta). This positioning shows that the Ultra 5 135H competes effectively with desktop-class CPUs from previous generations, despite its mobile form factor and lower power envelope. The PassMark multi-thread score of 22422 and single-thread score of 3521 corroborate this balanced performance profile.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions but becomes more relevant at 1080p Low, where the 163 FPS average suggests the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher settings. The 14-core configuration with 18 threads provides ample parallelism for game logic and physics, though the game's FPS nature likely relies more on single-thread performance. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1700 is modest, which may explain why the combo doesn't rank higher — at 1080p Low, the CPU could become a limiting factor if the GPU were faster. The measured data shows that at 1080p, the FPS drops from 163 at Low to 76 at Ultra, indicating the GPU is the binding constraint across all settings, but the CPU's headroom is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking at the lower presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 163 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 116 FPS with a minimum of 99 FPS and maximum of 133 FPS, showing a tight frame-time distribution. High settings average 101 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 76 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 87 FPS, representing a 53.4% reduction in average frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance tier shifts downward. Low settings maintain an average of 120 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold but 26.4% lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS and maximum of 98 FPS, providing a playable experience with some variance. High settings average 74 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 56 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS threshold. The 1440p results show a 64 FPS spread between Low and Ultra, a 53.3% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 77 FPS, which is the only 4K preset above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS and maximum of 63 FPS, indicating occasional dips below playable thresholds. High settings average 48 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 36 FPS. The 4K spread from Low to Ultra is 41 FPS, a 53.2% reduction. The minimum FPS values at 4K Medium (47 FPS) and 1440p Medium (72 FPS) versus 1080p Medium (99 FPS) show that frame-time consistency degrades noticeably with resolution, reinforcing the GPU as the performance-limiting component in this configuration.