Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol places this particular Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB configuration at rank 1488 out of 3714 tested combos. That places it in the 60th percentile of all systems measured for this game, meaning it outperforms a majority of the field while sitting well below the top tier. The rank reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is dramatically holding the other back, but the overall position is constrained by the GPU's 8 GB memory frame buffer at higher resolutions. The combo's standing suggests it is a mid-pack performer, capable of handling the game's demands without reaching the upper echelons of performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The rank of 1488 out of 3714 combos positions this system in the upper-middle segment of the tested pool. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 contributes a percentile rank of 89 against all CPUs, indicating strong processing capability relative to the broader market. The GPU, however, sits at a 29th percentile against all GPUs, creating a notable imbalance in the pairing. The CPU's high percentile shows it can feed frames efficiently, but the GPU's lower standing caps the system's overall rank in Lockdown Protocol. The data indicates the combo outperforms roughly 60% of tested configurations, yet the GPU's modest percentile relative to other graphics cards is the primary factor limiting a higher placement.

When compared to CPU rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 shows near-identical average benchmark scores: it is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P, while trailing the Intel Core i9-13900HX by 0.1%. This tight clustering means the CPU delivers performance on par with several established competitors. The GPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD FirePro W5130M (0.1% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (0.2% slower), and the AMD Radeon R7 M265 (0.6% slower). These figures illustrate that the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB's average score places it in company with older or lower-tier cards, which explains its modest 29th percentile standing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB operates with a base clock of 2407 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, paired with 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is substantial for the memory bus width, and the 28 Gbps effective memory speed indicates high per-pin throughput. In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role becomes increasingly central as resolution rises, with the 8 GB frame buffer emerging as a potential constraint at 4K. The card features 4608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units, with 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores supporting ray tracing and AI features. The 23.70 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provides the raw compute headroom for the game's rendering demands.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a mixed profile: it achieves 4019 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 21981 in PassMark G3D, and 11365 in PassMark GPU Compute. The DirectX 12 score of 82 in PassMark is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 220, suggesting the card's performance varies significantly across API workloads. In Lockdown Protocol, the measured FPS data reflects this variability, with the GPU handling lower settings efficiently but struggling at Ultra presets. The 8 GB memory capacity becomes a limiting factor at 3840x2160 Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 48, indicating the frame buffer is insufficient for the combination of high resolution and maximum detail settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows clear scaling patterns across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 217 FPS, which drops to 159 FPS at 1440p Low and 103 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 53% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The scaling is more pronounced at higher settings: 1080p High yields 135 FPS, 1440p High yields 99 FPS (a 27% drop), and 4K High yields 64 FPS (a 53% drop from 1080p). The data indicates the system is increasingly GPU-bound as resolution climbs, with the CPU's strong performance allowing it to maintain higher frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work per frame.

The Medium preset shows the most complete data with min and max FPS values: 1080p Medium averages 154 FPS (min 131, max 178), 1440p Medium averages 113 FPS (min 96, max 130), and 4K Medium averages 73 FPS (min 62, max 84). The drop from 1080p to 1440p Medium is 27%, and from 1440p to 4K Medium is 35%. This progressive decline suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth and capacity become more restrictive at higher resolutions. The Ultra preset shows the steepest scaling: 1080p Ultra averages 101 FPS, 1440p Ultra averages 74 FPS (a 27% drop), and 4K Ultra averages 48 FPS (a 35% drop from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result at 48 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold often considered smooth, indicating the 8 GB memory buffer is the limiting factor at this extreme configuration.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 provides the best balance of performance and visual fidelity. At Medium settings, it delivers 113 FPS average, while 1080p Medium hits 154 FPS. The 1440p result maintains high frame rates while offering more detail than 1080p, and the drop to 4K Medium (73 FPS) is significant enough to warrant the lower resolution for smoother gameplay.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 achieves an average benchmark score of 46062, placing it 0.1% above the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and 0.2% above the AMD EPYC 4364P (45970). It trails the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098) by 0.1%. These minimal differences indicate the CPU performs on par with these competitors in general benchmarks.

Q: Is the GPU's 8 GB memory sufficient for 4K gaming?

A: The data shows 4K Ultra averages 48 FPS, which is noticeably below 4K High (64 FPS) and 4K Medium (73 FPS). The 8 GB frame buffer appears to limit performance at Ultra settings specifically, where the combination of high resolution and maximum detail exceeds available memory. Lowering settings to Medium at 4K yields playable frame rates.

Q: What settings preset offers the most consistent frame times?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with reported min and max FPS values across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 131 to 178 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 96 to 130 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 62 to 84 FPS. This consistency suggests Medium provides more predictable performance than other presets.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark performance compare to its rivals?

A: The RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB has an average benchmark score of 4901. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD FirePro W5130M (4904), 0.2% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (4893), and 0.6% faster than both the AMD Radeon R7 M265 (4929) and AMD Radeon R7 M360 (4931). These are extremely small differences, indicating the GPU's average score is clustered tightly with these older cards.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The 65 W TDP and 3 nm process node from TSMC provide efficient operation, while the 24 MB shared L3 cache supports high-bandwidth workloads. The CPU's benchmark results show strong single-thread performance (2085 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 4516 in PassMark single-thread) and robust multi-thread scores (14769 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 37816 in PassMark multithread). These figures place the CPU in the 89th percentile of all processors, indicating it is well above average for gaming workloads.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is less burdened. The 1080p Low result of 217 FPS demonstrates the CPU's ability to feed frames rapidly, while the 1440p Low result of 159 FPS shows scaling that is consistent with CPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's 5.00 GHz boost clock and 14 cores provide ample headroom for the game's physics and AI calculations. The PassMark data compression score of 390711 and integer math score of 87948 indicate strong general-purpose performance, which translates to consistent frame delivery in CPU-intensive sections of the game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 217 FPS, but Medium offers 154 FPS with a range of 131 to 178 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium provides better visual quality while maintaining high frame rates, making Medium the recommended choice at this resolution. At 1440p, Medium averages 113 FPS, which is above the smooth threshold, while High drops to 99 FPS and Ultra falls to 74 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p balances visual fidelity with performance, offering a substantial improvement over Low (159 FPS) without the steep drop seen at High.

At 4K, the situation changes significantly. Medium averages 73 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play, while High averages 64 FPS and Ultra drops to 48 FPS. The Low preset at 4K achieves 103 FPS, making it the only 4K option that maintains high frame rates. For users prioritizing smooth gameplay over visual detail, the Low preset at 4K is the recommended choice, as it provides more than double the frame rate of Ultra. For those who prefer visual quality, Medium at 4K offers a reasonable compromise at 73 FPS, but the data suggests the 8 GB frame buffer limits the viability of higher presets at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low averages 217 FPS, Medium averages 154 FPS with a minimum of 131 and maximum of 178, High averages 135 FPS, and Ultra averages 101 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 53% reduction in average FPS, with the largest single drop occurring between Low and Medium (a 29% decrease). The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data at this resolution, indicating frame times remain within a 47 FPS range.

At 2560x1440, frame rates decrease across all settings. Low averages 159 FPS, Medium averages 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 and maximum of 130, High averages 99 FPS, and Ultra averages 74 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent at approximately 27% for each setting, suggesting the GPU scales predictably with resolution. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a 34 FPS range between minimum and maximum, slightly tighter than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the 8 GB memory buffer becomes evident as a limiting factor. Low averages 103 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84, High averages 64 FPS, and Ultra averages 48 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration in the entire dataset to fall below 50 FPS, highlighting the memory constraint. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 35% reduction at Medium (113 to 73 FPS) and a 35% reduction at Ultra (74 to 48 FPS), indicating the GPU's memory bandwidth is stretched at this resolution regardless of settings.