Lockdown Protocol

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture (Arrow Lake-S) using TSMC's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 via a dual-channel interface, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's single-thread performance is often the primary determinant of frame pacing and physics updates. Benchmark data shows a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and a multi-core score of 14769. The PassMark single-thread score of 4516 places this chip in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong per-core capability. This matters because Lockdown Protocol's gameplay logic, enemy AI, and hit detection typically run on a limited number of threads, so the 5.00 GHz boost clock directly contributes to maintaining high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The 14 threads (equal to the core count, meaning no hyper-threading) are sufficient for the game's background tasks, but the real strength lies in the single-core performance. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 235's average benchmark score of 46062 is essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030, 0.1% faster) and Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098, 0.1% slower). The chip also edges out the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970, 0.2% faster) and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960, 0.2% faster). These differences are within noise, meaning the CPU's contribution to Lockdown Protocol's performance is consistent with other high-end processors in its class.

At 1080p Low settings, the CPU's role becomes more pronounced. The measured 242 FPS average at 1920x1080 Low suggests that the processor can feed frames quickly when graphical load is minimal. The 14 cores handle the game's multithreaded elements like asset streaming and audio processing without creating a bottleneck, as evidenced by the PassMark multi-thread score of 37816. However, the lack of extra threads (14 threads for 14 cores) means the CPU relies heavily on its clock speed rather than thread oversubscription, which is appropriate for a game that favors fewer, faster cores.

# FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in overall performance?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062. It is 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098) and 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030). It also outperforms the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970) and AMD EPYC 7303 (45960) by 0.2% each.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance, and why does it matter for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2085, and the PassMark single-thread score is 4516. Since Lockdown Protocol is an FPS, single-thread performance directly impacts game logic, input response, and frame scheduling. A high boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures the main game thread runs efficiently.

Q: Does the CPU's memory bandwidth affect in-game performance?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. This is adequate for feeding the GPU and handling game asset streaming. Benchmark results show no memory-related bottlenecks, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings changes.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core score translate to game performance?

A: The Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14769, and the PassMark multi-thread score is 37816. These scores indicate the CPU can manage background tasks, voice chat, and streaming without stealing cycles from the game. In Lockdown Protocol, this translates to stable minimum FPS, as seen in the Medium preset min FPS values (e.g., 146 FPS at 1080p).

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck at lower resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 242, which is significantly higher than at 4K Low (115 FPS). This suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p; the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs supports this interpretation.

Q: What is the CPU's launch MSRP?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has a launch MSRP of $257.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling in Lockdown Protocol. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 242 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 177 FPS, a reduction of 65 FPS (approximately 27% lower). At 4K Low, the average falls to 115 FPS, which is 127 FPS below the 1080p result (approximately 52% lower). This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component, as the CPU's performance headroom is sufficient to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions.

For the High preset, the scaling is similar but with lower absolute numbers. The 1080p High average is 150 FPS, dropping to 110 FPS at 1440p High and 71 FPS at 4K High. The percentage drops are 27% (1080p to 1440p) and 53% (1080p to 4K), showing that the GPU's workload scales consistently with pixel count regardless of preset.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 113 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 82 FPS (27% lower), and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 53 FPS (53% lower). This consistency across presets suggests that Lockdown Protocol's rendering pipeline is resolution-bound rather than settings-bound in this configuration.

The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 172 FPS with min 146 and max 198. At 1440p Medium, the average is 126 FPS with min 107 and max 145. At 4K Medium, the average is 81 FPS with min 69 and max 94. The min FPS values scale proportionally, indicating no sudden frame drops due to CPU limitations. The gap between 1080p and 1440p Medium is 46 FPS (27% drop), and between 1080p and 4K Medium is 91 FPS (53% drop), reinforcing that the GPU's fill rate is the limiting factor.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks 837th out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the combo in the top 30% of all systems tested for this game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's substantial rendering capabilities.

Given the CPU's 89th percentile ranking and the GPU's 85th percentile ranking, this combo is well-matched. The CPU does not hold back the GPU in most scenarios, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p. The rank of 837 suggests that many other combos outperform this pairing, likely due to more recent GPU architectures or higher-end CPUs, but the delta is not extreme.

The combo's performance is consistent with the CPU's nearest rivals (Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Core i9-13900HX), which all have similar average scores. The GPU's nearest rivals (RTX A1000 Mobile, Arc A550M, RTX 5070 Ti, RX Vega 64) show that the RX 6800 XT sits in a competitive middle ground. Specifically, the RX 6800 XT outperforms the RTX A1000 Mobile by 1.5% but trails the Arc A550M by 2.5%, the RTX 5070 Ti by 3%, and the RX Vega 64 by 3%. This ranking reflects the GPU's position in the market, neither top-tier nor entry-level.

# GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 21 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process. It features 4608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, with 72 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. Memory consists of 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is dominant at higher resolutions and settings. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's textures and geometry, as evidenced by stable performance at 4K Ultra (53 FPS average). The 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets do not cause stuttering, as the min FPS values for Medium settings (69 FPS at 4K) are close to the averages.

The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 20.74 TFLOPS FP32, drive the rendering pipeline's pixel and texture rates: 288.0 GPixel/s and 648.0 GTexel/s, respectively. These raw throughput figures explain why the GPU scales so predictably with resolution. At 1080p Low, the GPU is underutilized, allowing the CPU to push 242 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully saturated, resulting in 53 FPS.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3689, Geekbench Vulkan score of 136875, and PassMark G3D score of 24980. The GPU's 85th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a capable mid-to-high-end part, though not top-tier. The nearest rival comparison shows the RTX A1000 Mobile is 1.5% slower, while the Arc A550M, RTX 5070 Ti, and RX Vega 64 are 2.5%, 3%, and 3% faster, respectively. This places the RX 6800 XT in a tight cluster where small clock differences determine ranking.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol spans four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160). All values are average FPS unless noted otherwise.

1920x1080:

• Low: 242 FPS
• Medium: 172 FPS (min 146, max 198)
• High: 150 FPS
• Ultra: 113 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 177 FPS
• Medium: 126 FPS (min 107, max 145)
• High: 110 FPS
• Ultra: 82 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 115 FPS
• Medium: 81 FPS (min 69, max 94)
• High: 71 FPS
• Ultra: 53 FPS

The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent pattern. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 129 FPS (242 vs 113). At 1440p, the difference is 95 FPS (177 vs 82). At 4K, the difference is 62 FPS (115 vs 53). This narrowing gap indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more saturated, and the relative impact of graphics settings diminishes.

The Medium preset provides the only min/max data, allowing for frame time analysis. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS of 146 is 85% of the average, indicating good frame consistency. At 1440p Medium, the min FPS of 107 is 85% of the average. At 4K Medium, the min FPS of 69 is 85% of the average. This consistent ratio suggests that the game's frame pacing is stable across resolutions, with no sudden CPU-related hitches.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p, the High preset at 150 FPS average provides a smooth experience for competitive play, while the Ultra preset at 113 FPS still exceeds the typical 60 FPS threshold for casual play. However, the Low preset at 242 FPS is ideal for players with high-refresh-rate monitors (240 Hz or higher), as it maximizes frame throughput. The Medium preset at 172 FPS offers a balanced middle ground with min FPS of 146, ensuring no significant dips.

At 1440p, the High preset at 110 FPS is the best choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset at 126 FPS is suitable for players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, while the Ultra preset at 82 FPS remains playable but approaches the lower end of competitive viability. The Low preset at 177 FPS is excessive for most 1440p monitors (typically 144 Hz), but it is an option for extreme frame rate enthusiasts.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 81 FPS average (min 69) is the recommended choice, as it stays above 60 FPS while offering improved visuals over Low. The High preset at 71 FPS is playable but may suffer during intensive scenes. The Ultra preset at 53 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 115 FPS is viable for players who prioritize frame rate over all else, though it sacrifices significant visual quality.

For the best overall experience at each resolution, the data suggests: 1080p Medium (172 FPS) for a smooth 144 Hz experience, 1440p High (110 FPS) for quality and speed, and 4K Medium (81 FPS) for the highest fidelity at playable frame rates. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K due to sub-60 FPS performance, but it is acceptable at 1080p and 1440p for players who prefer maximum visuals.