Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 shows a clear performance curve across the three tested resolutions: 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. At each resolution, four settings presets were measured: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The dataset includes average frame rates for every configuration, with minimum and maximum values captured only for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its highest averages. The Low preset reaches 163 FPS average, while the Medium preset averages 142 FPS with a minimum of 121 FPS and a maximum of 163 FPS. High settings produce 124 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 93 FPS average. The spread from Low to Ultra is 70 FPS, indicating that the preset selection at this resolution has a substantial impact on frame rate. The Medium preset shows a 42 FPS gap between its minimum and maximum, which suggests some scene-to-scene variability, but the minimum of 121 FPS remains well above the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern persists with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 147 FPS, Medium averages 104 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS, High averages 91 FPS, and Ultra averages 68 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not severe: the Low preset loses 16 FPS, Medium loses 38 FPS, High loses 33 FPS, and Ultra loses 25 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution still holds a minimum of 88 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably. Low settings average 95 FPS, Medium averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS, High averages 59 FPS, and Ultra averages 44 FPS. This is the only resolution where the High preset falls below 60 FPS average, and the only resolution where Ultra drops into the mid-40s. The Medium preset minimum of 57 FPS is just below the 60 FPS threshold, though its average of 67 FPS clears it. The data shows a steep drop from Low to Medium (28 FPS), then a gentler decline from Medium to High (8 FPS), and a further 15 FPS drop from High to Ultra.

Comparing the three resolutions at the same preset, the scaling is consistent. At Low settings, the frame rate goes from 163 FPS at 1080p to 147 FPS at 1440p to 95 FPS at 4K. At Medium, the progression is 142, 104, and 67 FPS. At High, it is 124, 91, and 59 FPS. At Ultra, it is 93, 68, and 44 FPS. The 4K resolution imposes a much larger penalty relative to 1440p than 1440p does relative to 1080p, particularly at the heavier presets.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playable threshold for this benchmark is 60 FPS average. Using that standard, the database identifies the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, every preset clears the threshold. The best settings are Ultra, which averages 93 FPS. This leaves a comfortable margin of 33 FPS above the playable threshold, so even with scene complexity spikes, the combination should stay fluid. High settings at 124 FPS and Medium at 142 FPS offer higher headroom, but Ultra is the best visual quality option that still maintains a playable average.

At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear 60 FPS. The best settings are Ultra at 68 FPS average. This is a narrower margin than at 1080p, with only 8 FPS of headroom above the threshold, but it still qualifies. High at 91 FPS and Medium at 104 FPS provide more safety margin for users who prefer consistent frame pacing.

At 3840x2160, only two presets clear the threshold: Low at 95 FPS and Medium at 67 FPS. The best settings are Medium, which averages 67 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration that stays playable at 4K, but the recorded minimum of 57 FPS for Medium suggests that some scenes will dip below 60 FPS even though the average clears it. High at 59 FPS and Ultra at 44 FPS are not playable by the 60 FPS standard.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the CPU and GPU split their responsibilities across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high across all presets, ranging from 93 FPS at Ultra to 163 FPS at Low. The large gap between Low and Ultra (70 FPS) at this resolution indicates that the GPU is doing most of the work: raising the preset increases the pixel shading load, and the frame rate responds accordingly.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with a compressed range. The spread from Low to Ultra is 79 FPS (147 down to 68), which is similar in magnitude to the 1080p spread. The fact that the delta between presets remains large even as resolution increases suggests the GPU continues to be the primary performance driver. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would flatten out at higher resolutions as the GPU load rises and the CPU waits for work.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. The Low preset still manages 95 FPS, but the Medium preset falls to 67 FPS, High to 59 FPS, and Ultra to 44 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 51 FPS, which is smaller in absolute terms than the 70 FPS drop at 1080p. This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is becoming the limiting factor more decisively: even at Low settings, the pixel throughput demand is high enough that the GPU cannot maintain the very high frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

The scaling between resolutions at the same preset reinforces this interpretation. At Low, moving from 1080p to 1440p costs 16 FPS, and moving from 1440p to 4K costs 52 FPS. At Ultra, the same transitions cost 25 FPS and 24 FPS respectively. The much larger 1440p-to-4K penalty at Low settings shows that the GPU is saturated at 4K even with minimal graphics work. The CPU, a 6-core, 6-thread Coffee Lake part with a 4.10 GHz boost clock, is capable enough to feed the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the GPU's raw throughput becomes the ceiling.

For users deciding between CPU and GPU upgrades, the data points to the GPU as the more impactful component for this game, especially at 1440p and 4K. The CPU's role is more visible in the 1080p results, where the frame rates exceed 120 FPS at most presets and the CPU must keep up with the GPU's output. At 4K, even a faster CPU would not lift the Ultra preset above 44 FPS, because the GPU is already at its limit.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places the Intel Core i5-9400 at the 47th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, are the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 (0.2% faster), the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264 (0.4% faster), the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248 (0.3% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 (0.4% slower). These deltas are all under half a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would produce essentially identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU.

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 sits at the 58th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15852. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 370X at 15862 (0.1% faster), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 at 16014 (1% faster), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 at 15679 (1.1% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti at 16129 (1.7% faster). The RX 9060 and RTX 3060 Ti would deliver slightly higher frame rates, but the differences are small enough that the playable settings at each resolution would remain the same: Ultra at 1080p, Ultra at 1440p, and Medium at 4K.

The narrow gap between the RX 7700 and its nearest rivals means that swapping to any of those GPUs would not change the benchmark verdict. The RTX 3060 Ti, at 1.7% faster, would push the 4K Medium average from 67 FPS to roughly 68 FPS, which does not alter the playable settings list. Similarly, the R9 370X at 0.1% faster is effectively a match. On the CPU side, the i5-9400's rivals cluster so tightly around its score that the choice among them is immaterial for this game.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 1080p Ultra is 93 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: Ultra is playable at 1440p, with an average of 68 FPS. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) clear the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. Low averages 95 FPS and Medium averages 67 FPS. High (59 FPS) and Ultra (44 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Why does the Medium preset at 4K have a minimum below 60 FPS even though its average is above 60?

A: The recorded data for 4K Medium shows an average of 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. Some scenes in the benchmark drop below the playable threshold even though the overall average clears it.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher). The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower). These differences are negligible for gaming performance.

Q: What GPU is closest to the RX 7700 in performance?

A: The AMD Radeon R9 370X is the closest, with an average score of 15862 versus 15852 for the RX 7700, a delta of 0.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is 1% faster.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations in the database, this pairing of Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1892 out of 3714 combos for Lockdown Protocol. That places it almost exactly in the middle of the field, at roughly the 49th percentile of tested systems. The rank reflects the fact that the GPU is a capable mid-range part at the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is a 6-core Coffee Lake processor at the 47th percentile of all CPUs. The combination does not lead the pack, but it sits comfortably ahead of the lower half of tested systems.

The ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates. At 1080p and 1440p, the combo delivers playable performance at every preset, including Ultra. At 4K, it delivers playable performance at Medium, which is a reasonable result for a system in the middle of the distribution. The rank of 1892 out of 3714 suggests that many other tested combos achieve similar or slightly better results, but a substantial number of systems in the database would not match these frame rates.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-9400 with AMD Radeon RX 7700 can run Lockdown Protocol. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra at 93 FPS as the best playable setting. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear the threshold, with Ultra at 68 FPS as the best playable setting. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium at 67 FPS as the best playable setting.

The system is most comfortable at 1080p and 1440p, where it has enough headroom to run Ultra settings without dipping below 60 FPS on average. At 4K, users should stick to Medium or Low if they want to stay above the playable threshold. The Medium preset at 4K has a recorded minimum of 57 FPS, so users who are sensitive to frame drops may prefer Low at 95 FPS for a more consistent experience. Overall, this is a system that handles the game well at mainstream resolutions and remains usable at 4K with reduced settings.