Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX with the AMD Radeon 880M integrated graphics, a combination that lands near the very bottom of the benchmark database for this title. The measured data places this combo at rank 2763 out of 2828 tested combinations, putting it in the bottom 2% of all systems evaluated. This is not a surprise given the hardware involved, but the specific numbers reveal a clear story about what this platform can and cannot do in a fast-paced FPS.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on Arrow Lake-HX architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its boost clock reaches 5.10 GHz, and it carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 34731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4903 in single-core, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 8124P (delta -0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (delta 0.2%), the Intel Core i7-14700 (delta -0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-13900F (delta 0.7%). The CPU is clearly not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The AMD Radeon 880M, however, is a different story. This integrated GPU, based on RDNA 3.5 architecture with 768 shading units and 12 ray tracing cores, posts a Passmark G3D score of 7615 and sits in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX (delta 0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce MX330 (delta -0.3%), the AMD Radeon HD 8870M (delta -0.3%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M375X (delta 1.3%). The GPU's 4.454 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is modest, and its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," meaning it shares system memory with the CPU. This pairing creates a significant bottleneck for Lockdown Protocol, which is reflected in the measured FPS data.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2763 out of 2828 tested combinations places this system in the 2.3% percentile of all hardware pairings evaluated in Lockdown Protocol. Only 65 tested combos perform worse. This ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the CPU's 91st percentile standing is far above the GPU's 43rd percentile. The data suggests that this is a system designed for productivity or general use, not for competitive FPS gaming at high settings.

When examining the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, the highest average frame rate achieved is 74 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. Every other configuration falls below 60 FPS, and many drop well below playable thresholds. The gap between the CPU's capability and the GPU's output is stark. For context, the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34731 is comparable to desktop processors that routinely pair with dedicated graphics cards, yet the Radeon 880M cannot translate that processing power into frame rate.

The rank of 2763 is not a judgment on the CPU, which performs admirably in isolation. It is a reflection of the integrated GPU's limitations when faced with a modern FPS title. The 880M's Passmark G3D score of 7615 places it in the same performance tier as mobile GPUs from a decade ago, and Lockdown Protocol's engine clearly demands more. Users considering this combo for gaming should look at the measured FPS data and adjust expectations accordingly.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 74, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX has an average benchmark score of 52073, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD EPYC 8124P (52121), 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (51947), 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700 (52301), and 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i9-13900F (51730). These deltas are all within 1%, indicating near-identical synthetic performance.

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

A: The data points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck. The CPU scores in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU scores in the 43rd percentile. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo manages only 16 FPS, which is a GPU limitation rather than a CPU one.

Q: What are the measured FPS at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 39, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 44. This is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the Radeon 880M support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. However, API support does not compensate for raw performance, as evidenced by the measured frame rates.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1080p Ultra compared to 1080p Low?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 35. Dropping to Low settings more than doubles the frame rate to 74 FPS, a 111% improvement. This suggests that texture quality and shading effects are heavily taxing the integrated GPU.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy of playable settings for Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, which is the most common gaming resolution, the Low preset delivers an average of 74 FPS, which is the only configuration that achieves smooth, competitive frame rates. Medium settings at 1080p drop to 53 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced FPS where reaction time matters. High settings at 1080p yield 46 FPS, and Ultra drops to 35 FPS.

For users willing to accept lower resolutions, 2560x1440 with Low settings produces 54 FPS average, which is marginally playable. However, 1440p Medium (39 FPS), High (34 FPS), and Ultra (25 FPS) all fall below acceptable thresholds for competitive play. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only manage 35 FPS, and Medium drops to 25 FPS, High to 22 FPS, and Ultra to 16 FPS. None of the 4K configurations are viable for gaming.

The recommendation based on the data is straightforward: use 1920x1080 with Low settings for the best balance of frame rate and visual clarity. This configuration provides 74 FPS average, which is 21 FPS higher than the next best option (1440p Low at 54 FPS). If visual fidelity is more important than frame rate, Medium settings at 1080p offer a compromise at 53 FPS, but the data shows that Low settings are the only way to consistently stay above the 60 FPS threshold.

The minimum FPS data, where available, reinforces this recommendation. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 45, which means there are moments where the frame rate dips below 60. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 33 FPS, and at 4K Medium it falls to 21 FPS. Low settings at 1080p do not have recorded minimum FPS values, but the average of 74 FPS leaves enough headroom that dips are less likely to be noticeable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of this combo's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 35 (Ultra) to 74 (Low). The Medium preset averages 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 61. High settings average 46 FPS. This resolution is the only one where any preset approaches or exceeds 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 54 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution, followed by Medium at 39 FPS (minimum 33, maximum 44), High at 34 FPS, and Ultra at 25 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 15 FPS, indicating that even modest settings increases have a large impact on the integrated GPU.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings average 35 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS (minimum 21, maximum 29), High averages 22 FPS, and Ultra averages 16 FPS. The 4K results show the GPU's raw texture fill and pixel rate limits, with the Radeon 880M's 46.40 GPixel/s pixel rate and 139.2 GTexel/s texture rate proving insufficient for this resolution.

The progression across settings is consistent: Low to Medium typically costs 15-21% of the frame rate, Medium to High costs another 10-15%, and High to Ultra costs another 20-30%. This non-linear scaling suggests that the Ultra preset includes effects that are particularly expensive on integrated graphics.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU's limitations clearly. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 74 at 1920x1080 to 54 at 2560x1440 (a 27% reduction) and then to 35 at 3840x2160 (a 53% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is roughly proportional to the increase in pixel count: 1440p has 1.78 times the pixels of 1080p, and 4K has 4 times the pixels. The actual FPS drops are less severe than the pixel count increase, which suggests that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound at Low settings.

At Medium settings, the scaling is steeper. 1080p Medium averages 53 FPS, 1440p Medium drops to 39 FPS (26% reduction), and 4K Medium falls to 25 FPS (53% reduction). The minimum FPS follows a similar pattern: 45 at 1080p, 33 at 1440p, and 21 at 4K. At High settings, the averages are 46, 34, and 22 FPS respectively, with the 4K result being just 48% of the 1080p result.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 35 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p (29% reduction), and 16 FPS at 4K (54% reduction). The fact that the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is consistently around 50-54% across all settings, despite 4K having 4 times the pixels, indicates that the GPU is not the only factor at play. The CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock and 24 MB L3 cache help maintain frame rates at higher resolutions, but the GPU's 768 shading units and 16 ROPs are the ceiling.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely not fully utilized, but as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck. The 880M's FP32 performance of 4.454 TFLOPS is simply not enough for 4K rendering in a modern FPS. The data shows that 1080p is the only viable resolution for this combo, and even then, only at Low or Medium settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU performs exceptionally well. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34731 places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs tested. The Passmark multi-thread score of 40849 and single-thread score of 4683 further confirm its strength. The nearest rivals in average benchmark score are all within 1% of the 235HX's 52073 average, showing that this mobile CPU matches or exceeds desktop processors from previous generations.

However, in Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that frame rates are consistently low across all settings, even at 1080p Low where the CPU should have the least work to do. The 74 FPS average at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding frames to the GPU, but the GPU cannot render them fast enough. At higher resolutions, the CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads are largely idle while the GPU struggles.

The CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock and 24 MB L3 cache are beneficial for game logic, physics, and AI calculations, which are all single-thread or lightly-threaded tasks. The Passmark single-thread score of 4683 indicates strong per-core performance, which is important for FPS games where the main thread often becomes a bottleneck. But with the Radeon 880M's 43rd percentile GPU standing, the CPU's capabilities are wasted in gaming scenarios.

The data suggests that if this CPU were paired with a discrete GPU, Lockdown Protocol would run at much higher frame rates. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34731 is comparable to desktop CPUs that typically pair with mid-range to high-end graphics cards. The bottleneck is unambiguous: the 880M's 768 shading units and 4.454 TFLOPS FP32 performance cannot keep up with the CPU's ability to process game data. Users with this combo should consider it a productivity platform that can handle light gaming at reduced settings, not a gaming machine.