Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 162.4 FPS, Medium averages 143.3 FPS, High averages 136.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 115.2 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a wide margin, with the gap between the fastest and slowest settings being 47.2 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the measured averages remain strong but show the expected scaling penalty. Low settings produce 147.9 FPS, Medium produces 130.3 FPS, High produces 112.5 FPS, and Ultra produces 82.4 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most pronounced on the Ultra preset, which loses 32.8 FPS, while the Low preset loses 14.5 FPS. This indicates that higher quality settings are more sensitive to resolution increases, a pattern consistent with GPU-bound rendering workloads.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve steepens considerably. Low settings still deliver a very playable 117.5 FPS, Medium drops to 82.7 FPS, and High sits at 75.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 54.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. This makes Ultra the only non-playable configuration at 4K in the recorded data. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a reduction of 30.4 FPS on Low, 47.6 FPS on Medium, 36.7 FPS on High, and 28.0 FPS on Ultra. Notably, the Ultra preset at 4K suffers the least absolute drop from its 1440p counterpart, suggesting that it is already heavily constrained at the lower resolution.

The data does not include minimum or maximum frame time measurements, so the analysis relies on average FPS only. All figures represent sustained average performance over the benchmark run. The overall pattern indicates that the RTX 3080 has substantial headroom at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K Ultra is the sole configuration that fails to maintain 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals in the database for the Intel Core i5-9400 provide context for CPU-side comparisons. The Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 in the average benchmark, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-9400's 2254 average score. The Core i7-10710U scores 2248, putting it 0.3% behind. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, trailing by 0.4%. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, leading by 0.4%. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, meaning the i5-9400 sits in a tightly clustered performance band where no rival holds a meaningful advantage or disadvantage in synthetic CPU workloads.

For the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172. The nearest rival, NVIDIA P106-100, scores 23249, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, 0.4% higher. These margins are negligible in real-world gaming terms, so any of these GPUs would produce near-identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with a comparable CPU. The practical takeaway is that the i5-9400 and RTX 3080 sit at the center of their respective performance clusters, and swapping to any listed rival would not measurably change the gameplay experience.

It is importantly the GPU rivals listed are not direct architectural peers to the RTX 3080, but the database records them as the closest matches by aggregate score. The same applies to the CPU rivals, which include mobile and lower-core-count parts that happen to land near the i5-9400 in overall benchmarks. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the measured FPS figures are the definitive reference, and the rival comparisons serve as a sanity check for hardware tier positioning.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results across resolutions and presets reveal how the workload shifts between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high across all presets, with Low at 162.4 FPS and Ultra at 115.2 FPS. The spread of 47.2 FPS between Low and Ultra at 1080p suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter, as changing quality settings directly influences rendering load. The CPU, with its six cores and six threads, has enough throughput to feed the GPU at these frame rates, but the fact that Ultra still holds above 115 FPS indicates that even the most demanding preset leaves CPU headroom.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern continues but with a narrower spread: Low at 147.9 FPS and Ultra at 82.4 FPS, a difference of 65.5 FPS. The larger absolute gap between presets at 1440p compared to 1080p (65.5 versus 47.2) implies that the GPU is working harder as resolution increases, and the CPU is still not the bottleneck. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 82.4 FPS, which is a 28.5% reduction from the 1080p Ultra figure of 115.2 FPS. This scaling is consistent with GPU-bound rendering, where pixel throughput becomes the dominant cost.

At 3840x2160, the roles become clearer. Low still achieves 117.5 FPS, which is remarkably close to the 1080p Low figure of 162.4 FPS, but the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 63.1 FPS (117.5 versus 54.4). The Ultra preset at 4K falls below 60 FPS, which is the first sign of GPU exhaustion. The CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at 4K Ultra because the frame rate is low enough that the i5-9400 can easily supply draw calls and game logic updates. The data supports a conclusion that the RTX 3080 is the dominant component at all resolutions, with the CPU's role diminishing as resolution increases.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K on the Low preset shows a reduction from 162.4 to 117.5 FPS, a 27.6% drop. On the Ultra preset, the drop is from 115.2 to 54.4 FPS, a 52.8% reduction. This larger relative penalty on Ultra settings confirms that the GPU is the primary performance driver, and the CPU's contribution is relatively constant across resolutions. For users seeking higher frame rates, lowering the preset has a greater impact than reducing resolution, which is a typical signature of GPU-bound performance.

The Verdict

Based on the recorded measurements, this configuration can run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS or above in most scenarios. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with the Ultra preset averaging 115.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 82.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High, Low, and Medium presets are playable, with High averaging 75.8 FPS and Medium averaging 82.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls short, averaging 54.4 FPS, which is 5.6 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold.

The verdict by resolution is straightforward: 1080p and 1440p offer full preset flexibility, including Ultra, while 4K requires dropping to High settings for a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which delivers 75.8 FPS, providing a 15.8 FPS buffer over the threshold. Medium at 4K delivers 82.7 FPS, which is also a strong option, but High is the highest quality preset that remains playable. The data does not include minimum FPS values, so the average figures should be interpreted as representative sustained performance, not worst-case dips.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing of Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1368 out of 3714 total combos. This places it in the 63rd percentile of all recorded configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 63% of tested systems while trailing 37%. The rank reflects the balanced nature of the pairing: the RTX 3080 provides strong GPU throughput, while the i5-9400 is a mid-tier CPU that does not hold back the GPU at most settings. The 4K Ultra shortfall likely contributes to the rank not being higher, as many competing combos with stronger CPUs might sustain 60 FPS at that preset.

The rank of 1368 out of 3714 also indicates that there is substantial room above this combo in the database, but the measured FPS figures show that the practical gaming experience is solid for the majority of use cases. The combination is better suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it ranks well above the median, while 4K Ultra is the only scenario where it falls short of the playability bar.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 115.2 FPS. This is the recommended setting for maximum visual quality at this resolution, as it provides more than 55 FPS of headroom above the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is also Ultra, averaging 82.4 FPS. This gives a 22.4 FPS margin over 60 FPS, making it a safe choice for high-quality gaming without sacrificing smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is High, averaging 75.8 FPS. Medium is also playable at 82.7 FPS, but High offers better visual fidelity while still maintaining a 15.8 FPS buffer. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 54.4 FPS and is therefore not recommended for a consistent 60 FPS experience.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 54.4, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The highest playable setting at 4K is High, which averages 75.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 82.4 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Core i7-1068NG7 at 2259 (0.2% higher), the Core i7-10710U at 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246 (0.4% lower). All differences are under 1%.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 162.4 FPS and the Ultra preset averages 115.2 FPS. The difference is 47.2 FPS, with Ultra still well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at higher resolutions?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary performance driver. From 1080p to 4K, the Ultra preset drops from 115.2 to 54.4 FPS, a 52.8% reduction, while the Low preset drops from 162.4 to 117.5 FPS, a 27.6% reduction. The larger penalty on high settings at high resolutions is consistent with GPU-bound rendering.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol?

A: This combination ranks 1368 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it above the median. The RTX 3080 provides strong GPU performance, but the 4K Ultra preset cannot maintain 60 FPS, which limits the overall rank.