Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT lands at rank 2105 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-mid tier of systems. The pairing brings together a 14-core Arrow Lake desktop processor with an 8 GB RDNA 1.0 GPU that launched in 2019, and the measured frame rates across resolutions show a system that can handle the game at 1080p but struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2105 out of 2828 places this configuration in the 25th percentile of all tested pairings for Lockdown Protocol. This is not a top-tier result, but it is far from the bottom of the barrel. The rank reflects a bottleneck situation where the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions, while the CPU shows enough headroom to push higher frame rates at 1080p. In the context of the full test pool, this combo sits in a zone where competitive 1080p play is achievable with settings adjustments, but 4K performance falls short of what most players would consider acceptable for a fast-paced FPS.

The CPU itself performs admirably in general benchmarks, with an average benchmark score of 46062 and a percentile rank of 89 among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at 46030 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46098 (0.1% lower), the AMD EPYC 4364P at 45970 (0.2% higher), and the AMD EPYC 7303 at 45960 (0.2% higher). This places the Core Ultra 5 235 in extremely close competition with those parts, all within a 0.3% spread. The GPU, however, only reaches the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361, and its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M at 16351 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell at 16408 (0.3% lower), the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 at 16415 (0.3% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 at 16504 (0.9% lower).

The disparity between CPU and GPU percentile rankings is telling. The processor is a modern part with strong multi-threaded capabilities, while the GPU is an older design that has aged out of the high-performance tier. In Lockdown Protocol, this imbalance manifests as a clear GPU bottleneck at 1440p and above.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the Navi 10 chip using RDNA 1.0 architecture on a 7 nm process from TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. Memory runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective throughput. The card has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units.

In Lockdown Protocol, the 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at the tested settings, but the compute capabilities of the RDNA 1.0 architecture limit performance at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows the GPU's scaling behavior: at 4K Ultra, the card manages only 34 FPS average, while at 4K Low it reaches 74 FPS. This 40 FPS spread between Ultra and Low at 4K demonstrates that the GPU's raw throughput is the limiting factor when pixel count increases.

The GPU's pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s are modest by current standards. The FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS places this card in a range where it can handle esports titles but struggles with demanding modern FPS games at high settings. The Radeon RX 5700 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers the API requirements for Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 111 FPS average with a minimum of 94 FPS and maximum of 127 FPS. This is the sweet spot for smooth gameplay, as the Low preset at 156 FPS is playable but sacrifices visual quality, and the High preset at 97 FPS is still playable but closer to the edge of acceptable performance. The Ultra preset at 72 FPS is below the ideal threshold for a competitive FPS, so Medium is the recommended choice for 1080p.

At 1440p, the Medium preset produces 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS. This is the only settings level that maintains an average above 80 FPS at this resolution. The High preset at 71 FPS is borderline, while the Low preset at 114 FPS is smooth but visually compromised. For a balance of visual fidelity and responsiveness, Medium is the recommended preset at 1440p.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Medium preset achieves 52 FPS average with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS. This is the highest average among 4K presets that remains above 50 FPS. The Low preset at 74 FPS is smoother but requires significant visual compromises. The High preset at 46 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS are both below playable thresholds for a fast-paced FPS. For 4K, the Medium preset is the best option, though players seeking higher frame rates should consider the Low preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings shows the GPU's capabilities. The Low preset delivers 156 FPS average, making it the highest-performing configuration at this resolution. Medium produces 111 FPS average with a minimum of 94 FPS and maximum of 127 FPS, offering a solid balance. High achieves 97 FPS average, which is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra drops to 72 FPS average, which is the lowest at 1080p but still within the range of acceptable performance for less competitive play.

At 2560x1440, the scaling from 1080p shows a significant performance cost. Low delivers 114 FPS average, down 42 FPS from 1080p Low. Medium achieves 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS from the equivalent 1080p setting. High produces 71 FPS average, down 26 FPS from 1080p High. Ultra drops to 53 FPS average, down 19 FPS from 1080p Ultra. The percentage drops from 1080p to 1440p range from approximately 26% for Low to 33% for Medium, indicating that resolution scaling has a substantial impact on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the performance hits are more pronounced. Low achieves 74 FPS average, which is 82 FPS lower than 1080p Low. Medium produces 52 FPS average with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS, a 59 FPS reduction from 1080p Medium. High delivers 46 FPS average, down 51 FPS from 1080p High. Ultra drops to 34 FPS average, down 38 FPS from 1080p Ultra. The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K range from approximately 53% for Ultra to 57% for Medium, showing that 4K more than doubles the rendering load.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU-bound nature of this combo. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 111 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium reduces this to 81 FPS, a 27% drop. Moving to 4K Medium reduces it further to 52 FPS, a 53% drop from 1080p. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that is running out of raw compute headroom as pixel count increases.

The Low preset shows a similar trend: 156 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p (27% drop), and 74 FPS at 4K (53% drop). The High preset goes from 97 FPS at 1080p to 71 FPS at 1440p (27% drop) to 46 FPS at 4K (53% drop). The Ultra preset drops from 72 FPS at 1080p to 53 FPS at 1440p (26% drop) to 34 FPS at 4K (53% drop). The consistent percentage drops across settings indicate that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven.

This scaling behavior points to the GPU as the limiting component. The CPU, with its 14 cores and boost clock of 5.00 GHz, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth cannot keep pace with the increasing pixel workload at 1440p and 4K. The 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the tested settings, but the RDNA 1.0 architecture's throughput limits the frame rates at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The processor features 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU shows its strength in the measured FPS at 1080p. The Low preset at 156 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can push high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The 14 cores provide sufficient multi-threading for the game's physics and logic, and the 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for the main game loop.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14769 in multi-core and 2085 in single-core. In PassMark, it achieves 37816 in multithread, 4516 in single-thread, and 2570 in physics. These scores place the processor in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that it is not the limiting factor in this combo.

The nearest CPU rivals show just how tightly grouped this processor is with other high-end parts. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 is only 0.1% faster on average, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX is 0.1% slower. This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the Core Ultra 5 235 performs on par with some of the best mobile and desktop processors available. However, in the context of this combo with the RX 5700 XT, the CPU's performance headroom is largely unused at resolutions above 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, with the Medium preset delivering 111 FPS average and the Low preset reaching 156 FPS. At 1440p, the Medium preset drops to 81 FPS, and at 4K, the Medium preset falls to 52 FPS.

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

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p. The CPU scores in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 59th percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows consistent drops of approximately 53% across all settings, indicating GPU-bound behavior.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16361, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, 0.3% lower than the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell, 0.3% lower than the AMD Radeon PRO W7500, and 0.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gameplay?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS, making it the best option. The High preset at 71 FPS is playable but less consistent, while the Low preset at 114 FPS is smoother but with reduced visual quality.

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

A: At 4K, the Medium preset achieves 52 FPS average with a minimum of 44 FPS and maximum of 60 FPS. The Low preset reaches 74 FPS, but the High preset drops to 46 FPS and Ultra falls to 34 FPS. Smooth 4K play is limited to the Low preset.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-13900HX, 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P, and 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 7303.