Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload that clearly exposes the performance boundaries of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card, yet capable of delivering smooth gameplay at mainstream resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, contextualizes the combination's standing, and examines the specific roles of the CPU and GPU in producing these results.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a system that is firmly limited by the GPU at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 120 FPS at 1920x1080 to 88 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 32 FPS. Moving to 4K at 3840x2160, the average drops further to 57 FPS, representing a 53% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior; as pixel count increases, the rendering load on the Radeon RX 9060 XT grows, and the CPU's capability to feed the GPU becomes less relevant.

The trend is even more pronounced at the higher Ultra setting. The average FPS plummets from 90 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p, and finally to 42 at 4K. This 48-frame difference between 1080p and 4K at the highest preset demonstrates that the RX 9060 XT's 8 GB frame buffer and compute resources are simply overwhelmed by the combined demands of 4K resolution and maximum visual fidelity. The data suggests that for a fluid 4K experience, even at High settings with an average of 57 FPS, the GPU is operating near its limit, with any demanding scene likely causing noticeable dips.

Conversely, the scaling at Low settings shows the GPU is still the primary bottleneck, but with more headroom. The average FPS at 1080p is 193, which drops to 141 at 1440p and 91 at 4K. While the percentage drop is still significant, the absolute frame rates at 4K Low are playable. This indicates that while the GPU is the limiting component, reducing the graphical load allows it to maintain a playable frame rate even at high pixel densities. The scaling pattern across all settings confirms that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is not the limiting factor in this title; the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT is the definitive performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB holds a rank of 1436 out of 2828 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 49th percentile of all tested combos, indicating a mid-pack performance tier. The rank suggests that while this pairing is far from the top, it is also not at the bottom, offering a balanced experience that aligns with its component selection.

The ranking is more indicative of the GPU's performance level than the CPU's. The CPU itself has a percentile rank of 89 when compared to all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing processor. However, the GPU's percentile rank is a mere 24 when compared to all GPUs. This massive disparity in percentile rankings between the two components underscores that the GPU is the weak link in this pairing. The combo's overall rank is dragged down by the graphics card, which is placed in the lower quartile of all GPUs. The benchmark results show a system where a powerful processor is paired with a relatively weak graphics solution, resulting in a mid-pack overall standing in a GPU-intensive game like Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

For users of this combination, the measured data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for a smooth experience. The primary goal should be to maintain an average FPS above 60, which is the threshold for fluid gameplay in a fast-paced FPS. At 1080p, the Medium preset achieves an average of 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. The High preset at 1080p is also an excellent choice, delivering 120 FPS on average. Given the high frame rates, players with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors can even consider the Ultra preset, which maintains an average of 90 FPS.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts to the High preset, which delivers an average of 88 FPS. This is a playable frame rate for most users. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a slightly higher average of 100 FPS and a minimum of 85 FPS, which could be preferred for those seeking extra headroom. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 66 FPS, is borderline; while it is above 60 FPS on average, the lack of a reported minimum FPS suggests potential for dips below the target in intense scenes. For a consistent experience, High or Medium at 1440p are the safer choices.

At 4K, the GPU's limitations become critical. The only preset that achieves an average FPS above 60 is Low, with an average of 91 FPS. The High preset at 4K yields an average of 57 FPS, which is below the ideal target. The Medium preset is even lower at 65 FPS, while Ultra drops to 42 FPS. For 4K gaming, users must accept the Low preset for a consistently smooth experience, or be prepared for lower frame rates at higher visual qualities. The data strongly suggests that 4K is not this combination's intended resolution, and the best experience will be found at 1080p or 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB combination in Lockdown Protocol.

1920x1080:

• Low: 193 FPS average.
• Medium: 137 FPS average, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS.
• High: 120 FPS average.
• Ultra: 90 FPS average.

2560x1440:

• Low: 141 FPS average.
• Medium: 100 FPS average, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS.
• High: 88 FPS average.
• Ultra: 66 FPS average.

3840x2160:

• Low: 91 FPS average.
• Medium: 65 FPS average, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS.
• High: 57 FPS average.
• Ultra: 42 FPS average.

The data shows a clear and consistent performance hierarchy. The difference between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, with the 1080p Low preset delivering more than double the frame rate of the 4K Ultra preset. The Medium preset at each resolution provides a balanced middle ground, with the reported minimum FPS figures indicating stable performance. The lack of min/max data for most presets limits a full analysis of frame pacing, but the averages provide a solid overview of the system's capabilities.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB is the dominant performance factor in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 322.3 GB/s of bandwidth, is a key constraint at higher resolutions and settings. The data suggests that the 8 GB frame buffer is insufficient for the demands of 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 42. The memory bandwidth is also a limiting factor, as the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates when rendering at higher pixel counts.

The GPU's clock speeds are substantial, with a base of 1700 MHz and a boost of 3130 MHz. The game clock is listed at 2530 MHz. Despite these high clocks, the GPU's performance in Lockdown Protocol is modest. Its benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad is 4093, placing it in the 24th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals based on this score include the Intel HD Graphics 630, NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M, and AMD Radeon R5 M330. This comparison highlights that while the RX 9060 XT is a modern architecture (RDNA 4.0), its measured performance in this database is on par with much older or lower-tier graphics solutions. The GPU's 25.64 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 32 ray tracing cores are not translating into high frame rates in this title, indicating that other aspects, such as memory capacity or bandwidth, are the primary bottlenecks.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 88 FPS.

Q: Is this combination capable of 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 91 FPS. At higher settings, the average FPS drops below 60, with Ultra settings yielding only 42 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol?

A: It ranks 1436 out of 2828 tested combinations.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 116 FPS.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck for this pairing?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The GPU's percentile rank is 24, while the CPU's is 89, and the frame rates scale heavily with resolution and graphics settings.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 322.3 GB/s, provided by 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a high-end processor that is not the bottleneck in this gaming scenario. With 14 cores and 14 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded capability. Its boost clock of 5.00 GHz and base clock of 3.40 GHz provide strong single-threaded performance, which is crucial for gaming. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085. Its Passmark single-thread score is 4516, and its multithread score is 37816.

The CPU's performance is well above the GPU's level. Its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, with negligible performance deltas of 0.1% and -0.1% respectively. This places the Ultra 5 235 in the top tier of desktop processors. The data shows that in Lockdown Protocol, the CPU is able to easily feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling being entirely dependent on resolution and graphics settings. The jump from 91 FPS at 4K Low to 193 FPS at 1080p Low is a direct result of reducing the GPU's workload, not a sign of CPU limitation. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth ensure it has the resources to handle the game's processing demands. In this pairing, the CPU is a high-performance component that is being held back by the GPU's lower performance class.