Lockdown Protocol

Best Settings per Resolution

For Lockdown Protocol, the database records a playability threshold of 60 FPS. At each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above that threshold is the recommended starting point.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the only playable setting is Low. The recorded average at Low is 75.8 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS line comfortably. Every higher preset falls below the threshold: Medium averages 54.7 FPS, High averages 44.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 33.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial, roughly 21 FPS, indicating that the step from Low to Medium carries a heavy rendering cost at this resolution. Pushing beyond Low at 4K is not viable for a steady 60 FPS experience.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the best playable preset is High, with an average of 74 FPS. This is a notable result because High at 1440p delivers the same average as Ultra at 1080p, showing that the combination of resolution and preset scaling is not linear. Medium at 1440p runs at 82.8 FPS, and Low runs at 118 FPS, but High is the most demanding preset that still holds above 60 FPS. Ultra at 1440p falls to 51.9 FPS, which is below the threshold and therefore not recommended for smooth play.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the best playable preset is Ultra, with an average of 74 FPS. This is the only resolution where the maximum preset remains playable. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is: Low at 157.3 FPS, Medium at 109.3 FPS, High at 95.4 FPS, and Ultra at 74 FPS. Every step down from Ultra increases the frame rate, but Ultra itself stays above 60 FPS, making it the optimal choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing playability.

The database verdicts align with these numbers: 4K is restricted to Low, 1440p supports up to High, and 1080p supports the full range including Ultra.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows how the balance between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT shifts across resolutions and presets. At 1080p, the frame rates are high across all settings, with Low reaching 157.3 FPS. This suggests that the GPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, and the CPU is not the limiting factor even at the highest preset. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p is from 157.3 to 74 FPS, a reduction of about 53%, which is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering workload. The CPU has to feed those frames, but the six-core, six-thread i5-9400 with a 2.90 GHz base and 4.10 GHz boost clock appears sufficient to keep up at these frame rates.

At 1440p, the picture changes. The average at Low is 118 FPS, falling to 82.8 at Medium, 74 at High, and 51.9 at Ultra. The relative drop from Low to Ultra is about 56%, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. This indicates that the GPU is now doing more work per frame due to the higher pixel count, and the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The i5-9400's performance, as measured by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935, is sufficient to avoid holding back the RX 5700 XT at 1440p, but the GPU's limits are more visible here.

At 4K, the pattern intensifies. Low averages 75.8 FPS, Medium 54.7, High 44.4, and Ultra 33.8. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a drop of 55%, but the absolute frame rates are much lower than at 1440p. At this resolution, the GPU is almost certainly the dominant factor. The RX 5700 XT, with 2560 shading units and a 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, is being pushed hard by the 3840x2160 pixel count. The CPU's role is minimal here, as the GPU's rendering throughput is what determines the final frame rate. The data suggests that for this combo, the GPU matters more at higher resolutions, while the CPU becomes less relevant as resolution increases.

Comparing across resolutions at the same preset, the scaling is instructive. At High, the average goes from 95.4 FPS at 1080p to 74 FPS at 1440p to 44.4 FPS at 4K. That is a 22% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Low, the numbers are 157.3, 118, and 75.8 FPS respectively, with drops of 25% and 36%. The larger relative drop at High settings indicates that the GPU's workload scales more steeply with resolution when the visual complexity is higher. The CPU's contribution is relatively constant, but the GPU's ability to fill pixels is what limits performance at 4K.

In summary, the i5-9400 is a capable partner for the RX 5700 XT, but the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence, but the GPU still dominates the scaling between presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly in this game.

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the database lists four close competitors based on average benchmark scores. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is within 0.4% of the i5-9400's average score, making it a near-identical match for CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core i7-10710U is 0.3% slower, while the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 is 0.2% slower. The Intel Core i3-10305 is 0.4% faster. These deltas are tiny, so in Lockdown Protocol, any of these CPUs would likely produce very similar frame rates when paired with the same GPU, especially at higher resolutions where the CPU matters less. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, meaning it is a mid-range part, and these rivals reflect that positioning.

For the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, the nearest rivals are more varied. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M is 0.1% slower, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell and AMD Radeon PRO W7500 are each 0.3% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 is 0.9% faster. These are all close in average GPU benchmark score, but their real-world performance in Lockdown Protocol could differ due to driver optimization and architecture. Still, the data suggests that swapping the RX 5700 XT for any of these would yield similar average frame rates at the same settings and resolution. The GPU is at the 59th percentile among all GPUs, so it is slightly above the mid-point, and these rivals are clustered around the same performance level.

In practical terms, a user with an i5-9400 and an RX 5700 XT could expect nearly identical performance if they substituted one of these CPUs or GPUs. The deltas are all under 1%, which is within run-to-run variance. This means the measured FPS values for this combo are representative of a broader set of hardware configurations.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured average at 3840x2160 Low is 75.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 54.7, 44.4, and 33.8 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best visual preset at 1440p that still maintains 60 FPS?

A: High is the most demanding playable preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 74 FPS. Medium runs at 82.8 FPS and Low at 118 FPS, but High offers the best visual quality while staying above the threshold. Ultra drops to 51.9 FPS, which is not playable.

Q: Is Ultra settings playable at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the only resolution where the maximum preset is playable. Lower presets all run faster: High at 95.4 FPS, Medium at 109.3 FPS, and Low at 157.3 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance compared to the GPU?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rates drop sharply from Low to Ultra, indicating the RX 5700 XT is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence, but the GPU still drives the scaling between presets. The i5-9400's mid-range benchmark scores (47th percentile) are sufficient to avoid holding back the GPU.

Q: Would a different GPU produce similar results?

A: Yes. The nearest rivals to the RX 5700 XT include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (0.1% slower), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (0.3% faster), the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (0.3% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (0.9% faster). These are all close enough that measured FPS would be nearly identical.

Q: What is the overall ranking of this combo in the database?

A: The combo ranks 2728 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of all tested systems. This reflects the mid-range CPU and GPU, which are capable of playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p but struggle at 4K beyond Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following averages are recorded for the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT in Lockdown Protocol. No minimum or maximum frame rates are available in the data, so the analysis relies on averages.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 75.8 FPS
• Medium: 54.7 FPS
• High: 44.4 FPS
• Ultra: 33.8 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 118 FPS
• Medium: 82.8 FPS
• High: 74 FPS
• Ultra: 51.9 FPS

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 157.3 FPS
• Medium: 109.3 FPS
• High: 95.4 FPS
• Ultra: 74 FPS

The pattern is consistent: lowering the preset increases the average FPS at every resolution, and lowering the resolution increases the average FPS at every preset. The largest gap between presets is at 1080p, where Low beats Ultra by 83.3 FPS. The smallest gap is at 4K, where Low beats Ultra by 42 FPS. This suggests that the GPU's rendering cost scales more steeply with resolution than with preset, but the preset still has a significant impact at all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 2728 out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower third of all systems in the database, which is consistent with the component choices. The CPU is at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU is at the 59th percentile among all GPUs, so the pairing is roughly mid-range.

In practice, this rank means that many other tested combos deliver higher frame rates, particularly at 4K where only Low is playable. However, the combo is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p, with Ultra available at 1080p and High available at 1440p. The rank reflects the hardware's limits at higher resolutions, not a fundamental inability to run the game. For users targeting 1080p or 1440p, this combo sits comfortably within playable territory, but for 4K enthusiasts, it would be a compromise.

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU are all within 1% of their respective average benchmark scores, so swapping any of those parts would likely produce a similar rank. The combination is balanced, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other in most scenarios. The data shows that this is a dependable mid-range setup for Lockdown Protocol, with clear trade-offs at the highest resolution.