Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that stresses both the CPU and GPU depending on how you configure it. The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT produces a wide spread of performance across resolutions and quality presets. The measured data shows a system that can comfortably handle high-refresh 1080p gaming but will require compromises at 4K to maintain playable frame rates. This analysis breaks down exactly what those numbers mean for your build, focusing on where the bottleneck shifts and how the hardware components respond.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, revealing a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 118 FPS at 1920x1080 to 87 FPS at 2560x1440, then down to 56 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 53% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, which is a steep curve that points directly at the Radeon RX 6700 XT as the limiting factor. The GPU is doing the heavy lifting as pixel count increases, and the data shows it struggles to keep pace at the highest resolution.

The scaling pattern is consistent across other settings. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 191 FPS at 1080p to 140 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 90 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53% drop as well, but the absolute numbers are much higher. The fact that Low settings at 4K (90 FPS) still outperforms High settings at 1080p (118 FPS) is counterintuitive, but it highlights how much of the performance headroom is tied to graphical complexity rather than raw resolution. The GPU has enough compute power to handle 4K at lower fidelity, but it runs out of steam when you combine high resolution with demanding effects.

At Ultra settings, the situation becomes more pronounced. The average FPS at 1080p is 89, dropping to 65 at 1440p and just 42 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest in the entire dataset, and it suggests the RX 6700 XT is severely overstretched at that combination. The gap between Medium and Ultra settings at 4K is also telling: 64 FPS versus 42 FPS, a 34% performance hit for the highest quality preset. This indicates that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive on this GPU, likely related to shading or texture workloads that scale poorly on the RDNA 2 architecture.

The data also shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution. The Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, provides enough headroom that frame rates scale predictably with resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across different resolutions, but that is not the case. Instead, the consistent downward trend from 1080p to 4K confirms that the RX 6700 XT is the component that determines playability here. For a 1080p gamer, this combo is ideal; for 4K enthusiasts, you will need to stick to Low or Medium settings to stay above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall benchmark database, this combination of CPU and GPU ranks 1473 out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the upper-middle tier of configurations, roughly the 48th percentile. This is a respectable position, but it is not a top-tier setup. The ranking reflects that while the Core Ultra 5 235 is a strong modern CPU, the RX 6700 XT is an older, end-of-life GPU that holds the combo back from reaching the upper echelons of performance.

The CPU itself performs well on its own. It scores in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, 0.1% lower). This puts the Ultra 5 235 in elite company, essentially matching the performance of those high-end chips. The data shows the CPU is not the weak link in this pairing.

On the GPU side, the RX 6700 XT scores in the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27425. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (27435, 0.0% difference), which indicates that the desktop RX 6700 XT is performing on par with a mobile RTX 4070. It also sits close to the RTX 3090 (27565, -0.5%), though that comparison is more about raw benchmark scores than real-world gaming. The 72nd percentile is solid, but it is clear that the GPU is the lower-performing component in this combo, and that is reflected in the overall rank.

The combo rank of 1473 out of 2828 suggests that many other pairings with more modern GPUs will outperform this one in Lockdown Protocol. However, the ranking must be viewed in context: the CPU is capable of pushing much higher frame rates if paired with a faster GPU. This is a balanced setup for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not optimized for 4K or for chasing maximum FPS in competitive scenarios. If you are building for longevity, the CPU has headroom for a future GPU upgrade, but the current combo is what it is.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the determining factor in this game's performance. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory runs at 2000 MHz, with 16 Gbps effective speed. For Lockdown Protocol, 12 GB is sufficient for all tested settings, as there is no indication of memory capacity limiting performance in the measured data. The frame rates scale consistently with settings, which suggests the GPU is not hitting a VRAM wall at 4K Ultra, just a raw compute limit.

The clock speeds are notable. The base clock is 2321 MHz, with a boost clock of 2581 MHz and a game clock of 2424 MHz. These are high clocks for an RDNA 2 GPU, and they contribute to the card's ability to maintain competitive frame rates at 1440p. The boost clock of 2581 MHz is what you will see during sustained gaming loads, and the data shows that the GPU can hold decent performance at this frequency. The 2560 shading units and 160 texture mapping units provide the compute throughput, while 64 ROPs handle the pixel output. The pixel rate of 165.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 413.0 GTexel/s explain why the card performs better at lower resolutions where these resources are less strained.

The GPU's benchmark results are mixed. It scores 19786 in Passmark G3D and 9336 in Passmark GPU Compute, which places it in the 72nd percentile overall. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2435, which is a decent result for a card of this vintage. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 93500 is strong, suggesting the card handles modern APIs well. However, the DirectX 12 Passmark score of 77 is low, which might indicate driver overhead or architectural inefficiencies in certain workloads. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the measured FPS tells the real story: the GPU is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires dropping settings to achieve playable frame rates.

The 40 ray tracing cores are present but not heavily utilized in this game, as the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 4K (56 vs 42 FPS) suggests that rasterization is the primary workload. The GPU's FP32 performance of 13.21 TFLOPS is solid for its class, but it is clear from the data that Lockdown Protocol at 4K Ultra pushes the card beyond its comfort zone. At 1080p, the card has plenty of headroom, as evidenced by the 191 FPS at Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of what this combo can achieve. At 1920x1080, the performance is strong across all settings. Low settings deliver an average of 191 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh monitors. Medium settings produce 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. High settings drop to 118 FPS, still very playable. Ultra settings bring the average down to 89 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for competitive play. At 1080p, this combo is capable of handling any settings you throw at it.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable. Low settings average 140 FPS, which is impressive for 1440p. Medium settings produce 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS, providing a stable experience. High settings average 87 FPS, which is playable but not as smooth as 1080p. Ultra settings drop to 65 FPS, which is on the edge of what many would consider acceptable for a fast-paced FPS. At 1440p, you will want to stick to Medium or High settings for the best balance of quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU starts to struggle. Low settings average 90 FPS, which is surprisingly good for 4K. Medium settings produce 64 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable dips. High settings average 56 FPS, which is borderline for a shooter. Ultra settings average just 42 FPS, which is not recommended for a game like Lockdown Protocol. At 4K, you will need to use Low or Medium settings to maintain a playable frame rate. The data shows a clear trend: this combo is excellent for 1080p, good for 1440p, and only acceptable for 4K at reduced settings.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The measured data shows 90 FPS at 4K Low and 64 FPS at 4K Medium, but High settings drop to 56 FPS and Ultra falls to 42 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At High settings, you get 118 FPS average, and at Low settings, you get 191 FPS. This gives you plenty of headroom for high-refresh displays.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX. It performs on par with these chips.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor in this setup?

A: Yes. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT scores in the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, while the CPU scores in the 89th percentile. The GPU's performance drops significantly at higher resolutions, confirming it is the bottleneck.

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

A: Medium settings provide 99 FPS average with a minimum of 84 FPS, which is the best balance of quality and performance. High settings average 87 FPS, which is also playable, but Ultra drops to 65 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank overall in Lockdown Protocol?

A: It ranks 1473 out of 2828 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier. This is a solid result, but not top-tier, due to the GPU's age relative to newer cards.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a strong performer that does not bottleneck the GPU in this game. It has 14 cores and 14 threads, which is an unusual configuration that prioritizes parallel workloads over hyper-threading. The base clock is 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, providing excellent single-thread performance when needed. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps with game data access.

The CPU's benchmark results are impressive. It scores 14769 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2085 in single-core, which places it in the 89th percentile against all CPUs. The Passmark multi-thread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 further confirm its capability. The average benchmark score of 46062 puts it in the same league as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, as noted in the rivals data. This means the CPU is not holding back the RX 6700 XT in any meaningful way.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 191 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can handle high-FPS scenarios without becoming a bottleneck. The fact that frame rates scale down smoothly with resolution increases confirms that the CPU has headroom. At 4K Ultra, where the GPU is clearly struggling at 42 FPS, the CPU is likely not even breaking a sweat.

The architecture is Arrow Lake, built on a 3 nm process with 17,800 million transistors. This is a modern, efficient design that supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The CPU also includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 24 execution units, though this is not relevant for gaming with a discrete GPU. The PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes provides ample bandwidth for the RX 6700 XT, which uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The launch MSRP is $257, positioning it as a mid-range CPU that offers strong value for its performance class.

The data indicates that if you were to upgrade the GPU in the future, the CPU would not need to be replaced. The Core Ultra 5 235 has enough performance to support a faster GPU, and the 89th percentile ranking suggests it will remain relevant for several years. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the CPU is more than adequate, and the overall combo performance is determined almost entirely by the GPU. This is a well-balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with the CPU providing a stable foundation for the GPU to work from.