Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol Performance Analysis: Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + Intel Arc B580

This combo lands at rank 2126 out of 2828 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 25th percentile of all tested systems. That ranking reflects a pairing where the CPU and GPU each bring solid mid-pack credentials, yet the measured frame rates reveal a system that can handle the game comfortably at lower settings but struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at the highest presets. The data shows a configuration that is fundamentally balanced, with neither component dramatically outpacing the other, but the overall position in the rankings suggests there is significant headroom for improvement when compared to top-tier combos.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2126 out of 2828 places this system firmly in the lower-middle tier of all tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol. With 602 combos ranked below it, this pairing outperforms roughly 21% of tested systems while being surpassed by about 79% of them. The ranking is influenced by the Intel Core Ultra 5 235's position in the broader CPU landscape — it sits at the 89th percentile among all processors — and the Arc B580's 68th percentile standing among GPUs. These individual percentile scores suggest both components are above-average performers in their respective categories, yet their combined result in this game does not translate to a top-tier experience.

The deltaPct values from the nearest rivals provide context for the CPU's standing. The Core Ultra 5 235's average benchmark score of 46062 is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at 46030 (0.1% difference) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46098 (-0.1% difference). This means the processor is essentially tied with those alternatives in synthetic workloads, indicating that CPU choice is unlikely to be the differentiating factor in this game's performance. The GPU tells a similar story: the Arc B580's average score of 23021 is within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and within 0.7% of the RTX 3080, placing it in a competitive bracket with those older high-end cards.

What the ranking data implies is that this combo occupies a specific niche: it is not a budget-tier system by any means, but it also does not deliver the high-refresh-rate experiences that top-ranked combos achieve. The game's measured FPS figures confirm this interpretation, with the system capable of playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on medium settings, but dropping below 60 FPS at 4K on anything above low settings. The data suggests that users of this combo should expect a solid 1080p experience, a viable 1440p experience with settings adjustments, and a 4K experience limited to the low preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake architecture using TSMC's 3 nm process node. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide the computational foundation for this combo. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085, indicating strong multi-threaded capability relative to its single-thread performance. The PassMark multithread score of 37816 and single-thread score of 4516 reinforce this profile, suggesting the processor handles multi-threaded workloads particularly well.

For Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining consistent frame pacing and handling game logic, physics, and AI computations. The 14 cores without hyper-threading (14 threads equals 14 cores) mean the CPU can distribute workloads across physical cores, which can be beneficial for games that utilize multiple threads. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache provides a substantial buffer for game data, while the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth from dual-channel DDR5 support ensures the CPU can feed data to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals in the data shows it is essentially equivalent to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX in average benchmark scores. This parity suggests that in Lockdown Protocol, where frame rates at lower resolutions and settings are often CPU-bound, this processor should perform on par with those alternatives. However, the measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p low settings, the system achieves 154 FPS, which is respectable but not exceptional for competitive FPS gaming. At 1080p ultra, the frame rate drops to 72 FPS, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as settings increase.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using TSMC's 5 nm process node. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 456.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base and boost clock of 2670 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). Its 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs deliver a theoretical FP32 performance of 13.67 TFLOPS, with 20 ray tracing cores supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate features.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Arc B580 achieves a PassMark G3D score of 15748 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 109672 indicates strong API-level performance. Compared to its nearest rivals, the GPU's average score of 23021 is within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP and 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, while sitting 0.7% below the RTX 3080. This places the Arc B580 in a performance bracket with those established cards, suggesting it should handle similar workloads at comparable settings.

For Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's demands, even at 4K resolution. The 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high-resolution textures and effects without significant bandwidth constraints. However, the measured FPS data reveals that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher settings: at 4K ultra, the system manages only 34 FPS, while at 4K low it achieves 73 FPS. This dramatic scaling indicates that the GPU's compute capabilities, rather than its memory subsystem, are the primary constraint at higher resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 154 FPS on low settings, 109 FPS on medium (with a minimum of 93 and maximum of 126), 95 FPS on high, and 72 FPS on ultra. These figures show that 1080p gaming is viable across all settings, with even the ultra preset maintaining a playable frame rate. The jump from low to medium costs 45 FPS, while the jump from high to ultra costs 23 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the higher settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but manageable. Low settings produce 113 FPS, medium delivers 80 FPS (minimum 68, maximum 92), high achieves 70 FPS, and ultra drops to 52 FPS. The 1440p ultra figure falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many gamers consider the minimum for smooth gameplay, suggesting that users should stick to high settings or below for a consistent experience at this resolution. The gap between low and medium at 1440p is 33 FPS, while the gap between high and ultra is 18 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. Low settings yield 73 FPS, which is playable, but medium drops to 52 FPS (minimum 44, maximum 59), high falls to 45 FPS, and ultra plummets to 34 FPS. The 4K ultra figure is below the 30 FPS threshold that some consider the absolute minimum for playability, making that preset impractical for this combo. The scaling from 1080p low (154 FPS) to 4K low (73 FPS) represents a 52.6% reduction, while 1080p ultra (72 FPS) to 4K ultra (34 FPS) shows a 52.8% reduction, indicating consistent performance scaling across the resolution range.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: Yes, but only on low settings, where the measured average is 73 FPS. At medium settings, the average drops to 52 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS, so 60 FPS at 4K requires the low preset.

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

A: At 1080p, the measured frame rates range from 154 FPS on low to 72 FPS on ultra, making it the only resolution where all presets exceed 60 FPS. For high-refresh-rate monitors, 1080p low or medium settings provide the best performance.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

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 (46030) and 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970), but 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098).

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

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor as settings and resolution increase. At 1080p low, the system achieves 154 FPS, but at 4K ultra it drops to 34 FPS, a performance scaling pattern that points to GPU constraints at higher graphical loads.

Q: What frame rate can users expect at 1440p with medium settings?

A: The measured average is 80 FPS, with a minimum of 68 and maximum of 92 FPS. This provides a smooth experience for most gameplay scenarios, though demanding sequences may see brief dips.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested systems for Lockdown Protocol?

A: It ranks 2126 out of 2828 tested combos, placing it in the 25th percentile. This indicates it outperforms roughly 21% of tested systems but is surpassed by the majority.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's resolution and performance priorities. At 1080p, the medium preset with 109 FPS average provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance, though competitive players seeking maximum frame rates should consider the low preset at 154 FPS. The high preset at 95 FPS remains viable, while ultra at 72 FPS is acceptable for those prioritizing visual fidelity.

For 1440p users, the high preset at 70 FPS offers the best combination of visual quality and smooth gameplay, staying above the 60 FPS threshold. The medium preset at 80 FPS provides additional headroom, while the ultra preset at 52 FPS falls below the ideal range and is not recommended for consistent gameplay. The low preset at 113 FPS is suitable for competitive play, though the visual compromise may be significant.

At 4K, the low preset at 73 FPS is the only setting that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for this resolution. The medium preset at 52 FPS is playable but may exhibit noticeable stuttering in demanding scenes, while the high preset at 45 FPS and ultra at 34 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay. Users who prioritize 4K resolution should accept the visual limitations of the low preset rather than sacrificing frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals important characteristics about this combo's balance. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS reduction across all settings is approximately 27.3%, while from 1440p to 4K, the reduction is approximately 35.7%. This non-linear scaling indicates that the system becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU's role diminishing as pixel count increases.

At 1080p low, the system achieves 154 FPS, which drops to 113 FPS at 1440p low (26.6% reduction) and 73 FPS at 4K low (35.4% reduction from 1440p). This pattern suggests that even at low settings, the GPU's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The similar percentage reductions across all settings — roughly 26-27% from 1080p to 1440p and 35-36% from 1440p to 4K — indicate that the limiting component scales consistently with resolution.

The data implies that the CPU has sufficient headroom to support higher frame rates at lower resolutions, but the GPU cannot maintain those rates as pixel count increases. The 12 GB VRAM and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are not the bottlenecks, as even at 4K ultra, the memory subsystem has capacity to spare. Instead, the GPU's raw compute throughput — 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 — appears to be the limiting factor, particularly at higher settings where pixel and shader workloads increase substantially. This analysis suggests that users seeking better 4K performance would benefit more from a GPU upgrade than a CPU upgrade, while 1080p performance is well-balanced between the two components.