Lockdown Protocol

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is High, delivering an average of 78.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 55.9 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, so it cannot be recommended for 4K play. Low and Medium settings at 4K also clear the threshold, with 123 FPS and 90.8 FPS respectively, but High offers the best visual quality while still maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the full range of presets is playable. Ultra runs at an average of 90.6 FPS, making it the best setting choice for this resolution. Medium and High follow at 126.7 FPS and 121.1 FPS, while Low reaches 149.3 FPS. Since Ultra clears 60 FPS by a wide margin, there is no reason to compromise on visual fidelity at 1440p.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best setting, averaging 120.1 FPS. High, Medium, and Low all exceed this figure, with 137.2 FPS, 145.1 FPS, and 165.9 FPS respectively. The headroom at 1080p is substantial enough that even the most demanding preset leaves significant performance in reserve.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling pattern across resolutions reveals how the balance between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 shifts as pixel count changes. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is 45.8 FPS (165.9 down to 120.1), indicating that the GPU is still the primary driver of frame rate changes across presets, but the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at high rates. The CPU's six cores and six threads, with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, appear sufficient to avoid severe bottlenecks at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the spread between Low and Ultra narrows to 58.7 FPS (149.3 down to 90.6). The larger pixel workload shifts more responsibility onto the GPU, and the recorded data shows that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth handle the increased demand without collapsing frame rates. The CPU still keeps pace, as evidenced by the relatively small performance gap between Low and High at this resolution (149.3 vs 121.1 FPS).

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The difference between Low and Ultra expands to 67.1 FPS (123 down to 55.9), and Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold. This is classic GPU-bound behavior: as resolution increases, the gap between settings widens because the GPU is working at its limits, while the CPU's role diminishes. The Core i5-9400, with its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and Geekbench multi-core score of 5141, is not the limiting factor at 4K; the RTX 4070's raw throughput is what determines whether a preset stays playable.

The data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU and GPU are well matched, with neither component clearly dominating. At 4K, the GPU workload grows enough that the RTX 4070's capabilities define the performance envelope, while the CPU's influence on frame rate differences between presets fades.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded average frame rates are as follows: Low runs at 165.9 FPS, Medium at 145.1 FPS, High at 137.2 FPS, and Ultra at 120.1 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a wide margin, and even the most demanding setting retains more than double the minimum acceptable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low at 149.3 FPS, Medium at 126.7 FPS, High at 121.1 FPS, and Ultra at 90.6 FPS. The step from High to Ultra costs 30.5 FPS, which is the largest single-preset drop at this resolution. This suggests that Ultra introduces rendering features that disproportionately increase GPU load, but the resulting 90.6 FPS average remains comfortably playable.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low at 123 FPS, Medium at 90.8 FPS, High at 78.1 FPS, and Ultra at 55.9 FPS. The progression from Low to Medium costs 32.2 FPS, from Medium to High costs 12.7 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 22.2 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only configuration across all resolutions that fails to meet the 60 FPS threshold. The measured data does not include separate minimum or maximum frame rate values, so the analysis relies on average frame rates, which still provide a clear picture of performance across the resolution and preset matrix.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are clustered closely around the Core i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, a delta of -0.2 percent, meaning it performs essentially identically in aggregate benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a delta of 0.3 percent, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4 percent. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a delta of -0.4 percent. These four processors sit within a narrow band of 18 points, so any of them would produce virtually indistinguishable CPU-centric behavior in Lockdown Protocol. Notably, the i5-9400's 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it sits in the lower-middle range of the database's tested processors, so its performance class is modest, but the game's frame rates show it is not a hindrance in this pairing.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are similarly tight. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628, a delta of 0.1 percent against the RTX 4070's 37648 average. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, a delta of 0.4 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, a delta of -1.3 percent, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37157, a delta of 1.3 percent. These deltas are all within 1.3 percent, so any of these GPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol at the same settings and resolutions. The RTX 4070's 81st percentile ranking among all GPUs places it well above the CPU's percentile, which reinforces the interpretation that the GPU is the stronger component in this pairing.

The Verdict

This combination can run Lockdown Protocol successfully at every tested resolution, with one exception. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 120.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 90.6 FPS. At 3840x2160, the High, Medium, and Low presets are playable, with High averaging 78.1 FPS, but Ultra falls short at 55.9 FPS. The verdict data confirms this: 1080p and 1440p list all four settings as playable, while 4K lists High, Low, and Medium as playable, with High as the best setting at 78.1 FPS. For users targeting 4K, dropping from Ultra to High recovers 22.2 FPS and restores a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. For 1440p and 1080p users, there is no need to compromise on settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1294 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 65th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning it outperforms roughly two-thirds of the database's recorded hardware pairings for this game. The ranking reflects the CPU's modest 47th percentile standing and the GPU's strong 81st percentile standing; the GPU lifts the overall combo into the upper-middle range of tested systems. The rank is not exceptional, but it is solidly above average, and the measured frame rates support that position: the system handles 1080p and 1440p with ease and only stumbles at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the measured average frame rate is 120.1 FPS, well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 4K gameplay with this hardware?

A: At 3840x2160, the best setting that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 78.1 FPS. Ultra at 4K averages 55.9 FPS, which is below the threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important at 2560x1440?

A: The recorded data shows a narrowing gap between Low and Ultra presets at 1440p compared to 1080p, indicating the GPU takes on more responsibility as resolution increases. The RTX 4070's 81st percentile GPU ranking versus the i5-9400's 47th percentile CPU ranking supports this interpretation.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested hardware in the database?

A: This pairing ranks 1294 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the upper-middle portion of all tested systems.

Q: Which GPU alternatives would perform similarly?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla P4, AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, and AMD Radeon PRO W6400 all have average benchmark scores within 1.3 percent of the RTX 4070, so they would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game.

Q: Are there any settings at any resolution that fail to reach 60 FPS?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 55.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other tested resolution and preset combinations exceed 60 FPS.