Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a top-tier experience in Lockdown Protocol, securing the #46 position out of 2,828 tested combinations. This places the combo in the top 1.6% of all systems evaluated, a strong indicator of its capability to handle the game’s demands across a wide range of settings and resolutions. The data suggests that users with this configuration will rarely encounter performance limitations, as the measured frame rates are consistently high even under the most demanding graphical loads.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 46 out of 2,828 is a decisive metric, placing this pairing in the 98th percentile of all tested hardware configurations for Lockdown Protocol. This is not merely a high ranking; it signifies that the system outperforms the overwhelming majority of alternatives. The ranking reflects a balanced yet powerful partnership where neither the CPU nor GPU acts as a significant bottleneck in typical gameplay scenarios. While there are 45 other combinations ranked higher, the practical difference in frame rates at this performance tier is often marginal, and the absolute numbers achieved here are exceptional.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s average benchmark score of 46,062 places it in a statistical dead heat with its nearest rivals. It is a mere 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and only 0.2% ahead of both the AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303. Conversely, it trails the Intel Core i9-13900HX by a negligible 0.1%. This suggests that the processor provides a solid, consistent foundation that does not hold back the GPU, even at lower resolutions where CPU load is typically higher. The 89th percentile ranking for the CPU across all tested processors further reinforces that it is a high-performing component in its own right.

The GPU’s performance is equally formidable. Its average benchmark score of 79,842 is within 0.3% of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 0.6% of the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB. It shows a 1.1% lead over the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and a 1.4% deficit compared to the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X. The RTX 5090’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its status as a flagship product. The synergy between these two components is clear: the data shows a system that is built to excel, and the game’s measured FPS values are a direct reflection of that capability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 plays a central role in this combination’s performance, particularly at higher resolutions. Its architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5 nm process and packs 92,200 million transistors. The GPU’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for feeding the high frame rates seen in Lockdown Protocol. The core clocks, with a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, allow the GPU to process the game’s geometry and effects with considerable speed.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are extensive, featuring 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 render output units. These specifications translate into a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s, ensuring that the game’s visual details are rendered without delay. The FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS confirms its raw processing power. In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases; the data shows that the gap between the CPU and GPU narrows at 4K, where the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates.

The RTX 5090’s benchmarks further illustrate its dominance. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,728 are indicative of its strength in modern game engines. The PassMark G3D score of 39,650 and G2D score of 1,413 show balanced performance for both 3D rendering and 2D tasks. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 API support ensures compatibility with the latest graphical features. This hardware is not just capable; it is designed to push frame rates to their limits, and the measured results in this game confirm that ambition.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the game scales with graphical settings, allowing for precise recommendations. At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset achieves an average of 175 FPS, which is well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset reaches 355 FPS, while High and Medium hit 234 FPS and 268 FPS, respectively. For competitive play at this resolution, the High preset at 234 FPS offers a superb balance of visual fidelity and speed, but for maximum responsiveness, the Low preset is the optimal choice.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 128 FPS, which is still excellent. The High preset delivers 171 FPS, and Medium provides 196 FPS. The Low preset remains the fastest at 276 FPS. For users with 1440p monitors, the High preset is the recommended starting point, as it maintains a high frame rate while offering significantly better visuals than Low. The Medium preset is also a strong option, providing a 25 FPS improvement over High while still looking good.

At 3840x2160, the demands on the GPU become significant. The Ultra preset averages 83 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The High preset is a much better choice, achieving 111 FPS and keeping the experience smooth. Medium yields 127 FPS, and Low jumps to 178 FPS. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot for 4K, providing a 28 FPS advantage over Ultra with a minimal perceived visual difference in most scenes. The Medium preset is a solid alternative for those seeking even higher frame rates without the visual compromises of Low.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 5090 combination in Lockdown Protocol?*

A: The combination ranks #46 out of 2,828 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.6% of all systems for this game.

Q: How does the CPU perform compared to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46,062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.2% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303. It is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX.

Q: What is the best graphical preset for a 4K display based on the measured data?

A: The High preset at 3840x2160 is recommended, as it achieves an average of 111 FPS, which is significantly smoother than the 83 FPS seen on the Ultra preset.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 355 FPS, which is 180 FPS higher than the Ultra preset’s 175 FPS average.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K on the same settings is substantial, indicating the GPU is handling the increased rendering load.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between the Medium and High presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 196 FPS, which is 25 FPS higher than the High preset’s 171 FPS average.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the inherent balance of this system. At 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 175. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 128 FPS, a decrease of 47 FPS or roughly 27%. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 83 FPS, another 45 FPS drop from 1440p. This pattern demonstrates that the GPU is increasingly burdened as resolution rises, which is expected given the higher pixel count.

The Low preset shows a similar trend. It starts at 355 FPS at 1080p, drops to 276 FPS at 1440p, and then to 178 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is about 50%, highlighting the GPU’s workload. In contrast, the CPU’s performance, as measured by its passmark scores, remains constant regardless of resolution. The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 4K; the GPU’s rendering capabilities define the ceiling. The scaling suggests that for users with a 4K display, the GPU is working near its limits, while at 1080p, the system has ample headroom, with the CPU potentially becoming more relevant in scenarios with high object counts or physics calculations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, part of the Core Ultra Series 2, is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It operates at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and can boost up to 5.00 GHz, which are strong frequencies for a desktop CPU. The processor’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which can be beneficial in game environments. Its memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support ensures the CPU can quickly feed data to the GPU.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics calculations. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,769 and single-core score of 2,085 indicate a well-rounded performer. The PassMark multi-thread score of 37,816 and single-thread score of 4,516 further confirm its capability. The CPU’s performance is statistically similar to its nearest rivals, as shown by the minimal deltaPct values. This means that in this game, the CPU is unlikely to be the source of frame rate differences compared to other top-tier processors. The data suggests that the CPU provides a stable foundation that allows the RTX 5090 to perform at its full potential, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU’s influence on frame rates is more pronounced.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 355 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 268 FPS, with a minimum of 227 FPS and a maximum of 308 FPS. The High preset reaches 234 FPS, while the Ultra preset settles at 175 FPS. This resolution shows the system’s immense power, with even the most demanding preset exceeding 144 Hz refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 276 FPS. The Medium preset scores 196 FPS, with a minimum of 167 FPS and a maximum of 226 FPS. The High preset produces 171 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 128 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1440p is a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming, as all presets remain playable. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 178 FPS. The Medium preset achieves 127 FPS, with a minimum of 108 FPS and a maximum of 146 FPS. The High preset delivers 111 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the only one to fall below 100 FPS, averaging 83 FPS. The data shows that for 4K, users should select the High or Medium presets to ensure a consistently smooth experience, as the Ultra preset’s frame rate may be too low for fast-paced action.