Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers strong performance in Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title. Measured data shows the combination is capable of smooth gameplay across all tested resolutions, with the most demanding preset at 4K falling just short of the 60 FPS threshold while every other configuration clears it comfortably. The CPU, a 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake part with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, sits at the 68th percentile among all processors, while the GPU, an Ampere-based card with 10,240 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, ranks at the 83rd percentile among all graphics cards. Their combined performance in this game places the pairing at rank 1081 out of 3714 tested combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 200 FPS, which is the peak recorded across any settings and resolution. The Medium preset averages 176 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 202 FPS. High settings average 161 FPS, and Ultra settings average 120 FPS. All four presets at this resolution deliver far more than the 60 FPS playability threshold, with even the lowest recorded minimum at Medium (149 FPS) more than doubling that baseline.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 180 FPS. Medium averages 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS. High settings average 118 FPS, while Ultra drops to an average of 88 FPS. The data shows a clear step-down from 1080p, but every setting at this resolution still maintains an average well above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 88 FPS average, is still 28 FPS above the playability threshold, indicating substantial headroom.

At 3840x2160, the impact of the higher resolution becomes evident. The Low preset averages 122 FPS, a significant reduction from the 200 FPS seen at 1080p Low. Medium averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS. High averages 76 FPS. Ultra is the only setting that falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, averaging 57 FPS. The minimum recorded at 4K Medium is 74 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS, suggesting that even during demanding sequences, the Ultra preset is the only configuration that dips below the playable line.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the processor and the graphics card. At 1920x1080, the GPU has the capacity to render many frames per second, and the CPU must keep up with the game logic and draw calls. The fact that Low settings at 1080p reach 200 FPS indicates that the CPU can sustain very high frame rates in this title, but the difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p (200 FPS versus 120 FPS) shows that the GPU is still the primary limiter when graphics settings are increased.

When resolution rises to 2560x1440, the average FPS at Low drops from 200 to 180, a 10% reduction. At Ultra, the drop is from 120 to 88, a 27% reduction. The larger percentage drop at Ultra settings points to the GPU becoming more dominant as both resolution and rendering complexity increase. The CPU, with its 4.30 GHz boost clock and 12 MB of shared L3 cache, provides enough throughput to avoid becoming a major constraint at 1440p, as evidenced by the still-high frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU workload expands considerably. Low settings at 4K average 122 FPS, which is 39% lower than the 200 FPS at 1080p Low. Ultra at 4K averages 57 FPS, which is 52% lower than the 120 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This nonlinear scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario: the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, and the measured frame rates fall accordingly. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck even at Low settings, where the 122 FPS average still indicates the processor can feed the graphics card adequately but the renderer cannot produce more frames.

The relationship between settings and resolution further clarifies the balance. At 1080p, raising from Low to Ultra costs 80 FPS (200 to 120). At 1440p, the same settings change costs 92 FPS (180 to 88). At 4K, it costs 65 FPS (122 to 57). The smaller absolute cost at 4K suggests that the GPU is already saturated at Low settings, so increasing the preset has less marginal impact relative to the resolution-driven load. This pattern confirms that the RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant factor at 4K, while the i5-10400F contributes more meaningfully at lower resolutions where frame rates are higher.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but not at the highest quality. The data shows the High preset averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, and Low averages 122 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: Ultra settings at 1440p average 88 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most demanding preset tested at this resolution, and it clears the playability mark by 28 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the average drops from 200 FPS at 1080p to 122 FPS at 4K, a 39% reduction. At Ultra settings, the average drops from 120 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 4K, a 52.5% reduction.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at any resolution?

A: The recorded data suggests the CPU is not the primary limiter at 4K, where the GPU dominates. At 1080p, the high frame rates (200 FPS at Low) indicate the processor can sustain fast gameplay, but the larger performance gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p compared to 4K implies the GPU becomes more limiting as settings increase.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded for this combination?

A: Minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the minimum is 149 FPS. At 1440p, it is 115 FPS. At 4K, it is 74 FPS. All of these minimums are above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 1080p?

A: Ultra settings at 1080p average 120 FPS, which is exactly double the 60 FPS playability threshold. This preset offers the highest visual quality at this resolution while maintaining a comfortable margin above the minimum playable frame rate.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU, Intel Core i5-10400F, has an average benchmark score of 14185 and sits at the 68th percentile among all processors. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Xeon 6756E with an average score of 14163, a negligible 0.2% difference, the Intel Core 7 160UL at 14232 (0.3% higher), the AMD EPYC 7552 at 14115 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C at 14277 (0.6% higher). These processors would deliver nearly identical compute performance in CPU-bound scenarios, meaning a system built with any of them alongside the same GPU would produce very similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU has a larger role.

The GPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, has an average benchmark score of 41187 and sits at the 83rd percentile among all graphics cards. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 with an average score of 40870 (0.8% lower), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB at 41707 (1.2% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 at 41897 (1.7% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 at 40377 (2.0% lower). These graphics cards would produce nearly indistinguishable frame rates in this game, with differences well within the margin of measurement error. The RTX 5070, being 2% slower on average, might show a few FPS difference at 4K Ultra, but the gap is small enough that the playability verdict would remain unchanged.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 1081 out of 3714 total combinations. This places it in the upper third of all tested systems, roughly at the 71st percentile. The ranking reflects the balance between a mid-range CPU and a high-end GPU, where the graphics card carries most of the performance load in this FPS title. The GPU's 83rd percentile standing contributes more to the combination's rank than the CPU's 68th percentile, which is consistent with the measured FPS data showing the GPU as the dominant factor at higher resolutions.

The rank of 1081 out of 3714 indicates that a substantial number of other combinations outperform this one, likely those pairing the RTX 3080 Ti with a stronger processor. However, the measured FPS results show that this configuration still achieves playable frame rates at all resolutions except 4K Ultra, meaning the rank position does not translate to a poor gaming experience for this specific title.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol with playable performance at all tested resolutions, provided the right settings are selected. At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) deliver average frame rates above 60 FPS, with the lowest average at Ultra being 120 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 88 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High, Medium, and Low presets all maintain averages above 60 FPS (76, 87, and 122 FPS respectively), but the Ultra preset falls short at 57 FPS average.

The playability verdict by resolution confirms this: at 4K, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best option at 76 FPS average. At 1440p and 1080p, all settings including Ultra are playable, with Ultra being the recommended best settings at 88 FPS and 120 FPS average respectively. The system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p and 1440p, and it can handle 4K gaming at High settings with a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 76 FPS. Medium also qualifies at 87 FPS average, but High offers better visual quality while still maintaining a 16 FPS margin above the playability threshold. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS average is the only configuration that fails to meet the 60 FPS requirement.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 88 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality available in the test set while keeping a 28 FPS buffer above the threshold. The minimum recorded FPS at this resolution, 115 FPS at Medium, indicates that even in the most demanding moments, the system does not approach the playability limit.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, with an average of 120 FPS. This doubles the playability threshold and offers the best visual experience at this resolution. The recorded minimum at Medium is 149 FPS, showing that the system maintains very high frame rates even under load, and the Ultra preset's 120 FPS average leaves substantial headroom for any future patches or additional in-game effects.