Lockdown Protocol

Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 form a system that handles Lockdown Protocol with clear headroom at standard resolutions, but the data reveals a sharp drop-off at 4K. The recorded measurements show a consistent pattern: lower resolutions allow higher quality presets while maintaining 60 frames per second, and the RTX 5050 becomes the limiting factor only when pixel count rises. This analysis breaks down what the numbers mean for actual gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS for each resolution, and the results are straightforward.

At 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, which delivers an average of 79 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 56 FPS average, just under the 60 FPS threshold, while High sits at 49 FPS and Ultra at 37 FPS. This resolution demands significant GPU headroom that the RTX 5050 does not provide beyond Low.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is High, producing an average of 76 FPS. Medium runs at 87 FPS average, Low at 123 FPS, but Ultra drops to 57 FPS, missing the threshold by a narrow margin. The jump from High to Ultra costs roughly 19 FPS, which is a steep penalty for the extra visual fidelity.

At 1920x1080, the system can run Ultra at 78 FPS average, making it the best setting that clears 60 FPS. High runs at 104 FPS, Medium at 119 FPS, and Low at 168 FPS. Every preset at 1080p is comfortably playable, with Ultra maintaining nearly double the minimum threshold.

The data implies that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combination, while 1440p requires a compromise on Ultra, and 4K is only viable with Low settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with high settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 49, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only the Low preset at 4K reaches a playable average of 79 FPS.

Q: What is the best quality setting at 1440p that stays above 60 FPS?

A: High is the best playable preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 76 FPS. Medium runs faster at 87 FPS, but Ultra drops to 57 FPS, which is not playable by the database threshold.

Q: Is the Ultra preset ever playable with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 78 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, Ultra averages 57 FPS, and at 4K, it averages 37 FPS, both below the playable mark.

Q: How much FPS is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 1080p?

A: The gain is significant. Low averages 168 FPS compared to Ultra's 78 FPS, an increase of 90 FPS. This suggests the GPU is heavily taxed by Ultra effects even at 1080p.

Q: What is the lowest recorded frame rate across all tested configurations?

A: The lowest average is 37 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The only configuration with a reported minimum FPS is Medium at each resolution: 48 FPS at 4K, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 101 FPS at 1080p.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Medium?

A: No. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The minimum recorded for that setting is 48 FPS, indicating occasional dips further below the target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data shows average, minimum, and maximum FPS for each resolution and preset combination. Note that the database only provides min and max values for Medium settings; other presets have only averages.

At 3840x2160, the averages decline steadily with quality. Low runs at 79 FPS, Medium at 56 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and maximum of 65 FPS, High at 49 FPS, and Ultra at 37 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 23 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is only 7 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts upward. Low averages 123 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a range from 74 FPS to 100 FPS, High averages 76 FPS, and Ultra averages 57 FPS. Notably, Medium at 1440p outperforms High at 1440p by 11 FPS, which is expected since Medium has fewer effects. The minimum of 74 FPS at Medium still clears the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1920x1080, all presets are playable. Low averages 168 FPS, Medium averages 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and maximum of 137 FPS, High averages 104 FPS, and Ultra averages 78 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 90 FPS, which is the largest range across all resolutions. Medium at 1080p has a minimum of 101 FPS, meaning even the lowest recorded frame time never approaches the 60 FPS line.

The data also shows resolution scaling. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p drops average FPS from 168 to 123, a reduction of 45 FPS. Moving from 1440p to 4K drops from 123 to 79, another 44 FPS loss. This linear scaling indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at Low settings. At Ultra, the drops are smaller in absolute terms: 78 at 1080p, 57 at 1440p, and 37 at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database provides nearest rivals for both the CPU and GPU based on average benchmark scores, which helps contextualize how this combo might behave with alternative hardware.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177 and sits at the 71st percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are closely matched: the AMD EPYC 7H12 scores 17120 with a delta of 0.3%, the Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239 with a delta of -0.4%, the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278 with a delta of -0.6%, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17074 with a delta of 0.6%. These deltas are all within one percent, meaning any of these CPUs would produce virtually identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The gaming performance here is not sensitive to the small differences between these chips.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035 and sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL at 21153 with a delta of -0.6%, the AMD Radeon HD 8970M at 21237 with a delta of -1%, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT at 20713 with a delta of 1.6%, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile at 21379 with a delta of -1.6%. The RX 5600 XT is the closest in performance with only a 1.6% gap, so a system with that GPU would deliver nearly identical FPS numbers. The RTX A4000 Mobile and HD 8970M are slightly ahead on paper but within a margin that would not change playable settings at any resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific CPU and GPU combination at position 2293 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 61st percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly six out of every ten combinations in the database.

The rank implies that while this system is not a top-tier performer, it sits comfortably above the median. The playable threshold of 60 FPS is met at 1080p with all presets and at 1440p with up to High settings, which aligns with a mid-range ranking. The 4K limitation to Low settings explains why the combo does not rank higher; systems that can handle 4K Medium or Ultra would necessarily occupy the upper tiers.

The ranking also reflects the balance between CPU and GPU. The CPU's 71st percentile standing is higher than the GPU's 66th percentile, suggesting the processor is slightly less of a bottleneck than the graphics card for this game. The overall combo rank of 2293 is close to what one would expect from pairing a slightly above-average CPU with a slightly above-average GPU.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is clear from the measured data.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable only on Low settings, with an average of 79 FPS. Medium falls to 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and High and Ultra are not viable. If the goal is 4K gaming, this combo requires significant visual compromises.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable on High, Medium, and Low settings. The best playable setting is High at 76 FPS average. Ultra misses the threshold at 57 FPS. This resolution offers a good balance of quality and performance for this hardware.

At 1920x1080, the system is playable on all four presets. Ultra runs at 78 FPS average, and even the lowest recorded minimum among presets (Medium at 101 FPS) is well above the threshold. This is the resolution where the combo performs without caveats.

In summary, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol. It delivers a smooth experience at 1080p with maximum settings, a strong experience at 1440p with high settings, and a limited but playable experience at 4K with low settings. The data does not support 4K High or Ultra, nor 1440p Ultra, for consistent 60 FPS gameplay.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data across resolutions and presets reveals which component constrains performance in Lockdown Protocol.

At Low settings, the GPU workload is lighter, so the CPU has more influence on the frame rate ceiling. The data shows that reducing resolution from 1080p to 1440p at Low drops average FPS from 168 to 123, a 27% decrease. Reducing from 1440p to 4K drops from 123 to 79, a 36% decrease. If the CPU were the sole bottleneck, these resolution changes would have minimal impact on FPS. Since FPS falls sharply with resolution, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor even at Low settings. The CPU's single-thread score of 868 in 3dmark and 2981 in Passmark single-thread suggest it can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at these resolutions.

At Ultra settings, the GPU workload increases substantially. The FPS drops from 78 at 1080p to 57 at 1440p, and then to 37 at 4K. The relative decreases are 27% and 35% respectively, which is a similar pattern to Low settings. This indicates that the GPU remains the primary bottleneck across all quality tiers. The CPU's multi-thread capabilities, as shown by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340, are not being taxed to their limit; the game likely uses fewer than the 12 threads available, and the per-core performance is sufficient.

The one place where the CPU might matter more is at 1080p with Low settings, where the average of 168 FPS approaches the CPU's practical frame delivery limit for this architecture. However, the CPU's nearest rivals, all within 0.6% in average score, would produce nearly identical results, so this is not a distinguishing factor. For all practical purposes, the RTX 5050 determines playable settings at each resolution, while the i5-11400F provides enough headroom to avoid holding the system back.