Lockdown Protocol

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers playable performance across all settings. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which records an average of 123 FPS. This is the highest visual quality tier available in the measurements, and it still leaves substantial headroom above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same pattern holds. Ultra settings remain the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS, with an average of 111 FPS. The gap between Ultra at 1440p and Ultra at 1080p is only 12 FPS, indicating that the system has ample performance reserves at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, Ultra settings still manage to stay above 60 FPS, recording an average of 73 FPS. This is the tightest margin among all resolutions, but it remains comfortably playable. The data shows that every resolution in the measurement set can run the game at Ultra settings while maintaining an average above 60 FPS. For users who prioritize maximum frame rates over visual fidelity, Low settings at 4K reach 127 FPS, while Medium at 4K sits at 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS.

The verdict per resolution is clear: Ultra is the recommended setting at all three resolutions, with recorded averages of 123 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 73 FPS at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the RTX 4080 is not fully taxed, as evidenced by the relatively small frame rate differences between settings. Low settings produce 163 FPS, Medium produces 144 FPS, and Ultra produces 123 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 40 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1080p, but the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain high frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the same settings hierarchy shows a tighter spread. Low records 147 FPS, Medium records 129 FPS, and Ultra records 111 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 36 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p. This indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more dominant in determining overall performance, which is typical for a system pairing a mid-range six-core CPU with a high-end GPU.

At 3840x2160, the trend continues. Low settings produce 127 FPS, Medium produces 112 FPS, and Ultra produces 73 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 54 FPS, the largest of any resolution. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU's rendering load increases significantly, and the CPU's role diminishes further. The i5-9400, with its six cores and six threads, appears to be sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4080 at any of the tested resolutions, as frame rates scale predictably with GPU load.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K on Ultra settings shows a drop from 123 FPS to 73 FPS, a 40.7% reduction. On Low settings, the drop is from 163 FPS to 127 FPS, a 22.1% reduction. This larger percentage drop at Ultra settings indicates that the GPU is doing considerably more work at higher resolutions and presets, while the CPU's contribution remains relatively constant. The recorded data does not show any resolution where the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as all settings at all resolutions maintain averages well above 60 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 73 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The verdict data lists Ultra as the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 111 FPS. All four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are listed as playable at this resolution, but Ultra is the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS.

Q: How much performance headroom is there at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra settings average 123 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings reach 163 FPS, Medium reaches 144 FPS, and High reaches 137 FPS, so there is significant headroom at every preset.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. Frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, and the i5-9400's six-core configuration appears sufficient to keep the RTX 4080 fed at all tested resolutions. The CPU's benchmark percentile is 47, placing it in the middle of all CPUs, but the in-game results show no resolution where performance collapses.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates recorded?

A: Minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 122 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 110 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 95 FPS. All minimums remain well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does this system rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combination ranks 1189 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the top third of all systems measured for Lockdown Protocol.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, offer nearly identical performance. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher than the i5-9400's 2254 average. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower. All four alternatives fall within a narrow band of 0.4% of the i5-9400, meaning any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the RTX 4080.

For the GPU, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, with an average score of 54209, just 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080's 54247. This difference is negligible in practice. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, 2.6% higher, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, 2.7% higher. Systems using any of these GPUs with a comparable CPU would deliver essentially the same experience in this game, with differences well within measurement noise.

Users considering a system with the RTX 4080 SUPER instead of the RTX 4080 would see virtually identical frame rates. The same applies to swapping the i5-9400 for any of its listed rivals. The performance envelope for this combination is tightly defined, and the recorded FPS values would remain within a few frames regardless of which near-equivalent hardware is chosen.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded averages are as follows: Low settings produce 127 FPS, Medium produces 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, High produces 98 FPS, and Ultra produces 73 FPS. The only preset with complete min/max data at this resolution is Medium.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 147 FPS, Medium averages 129 FPS with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 149 FPS, High averages 123 FPS, and Ultra averages 111 FPS. Again, only Medium has recorded minimum and maximum values.

At 1920x1080, Low settings average 163 FPS, Medium averages 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, High averages 137 FPS, and Ultra averages 123 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p shows the highest maximum FPS recorded in the entire dataset at 165 FPS.

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, then Ultra. The gaps between presets widen at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 40 FPS. At 1440p, it is 36 FPS. At 4K, it is 54 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, and those values indicate smooth frame pacing, with minimums staying at least 22 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold even at 4K.

The Verdict

This system can run Lockdown Protocol at all tested resolutions with all settings above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra with an average of 123 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 111 FPS. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 73 FPS. Every resolution and every preset in the measurement set clears the 60 FPS playability threshold.

The weakest point is 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 73 FPS, but this still leaves a 13 FPS margin above the playable threshold. The strongest point is 1080p Low, which reaches 163 FPS, suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. Users targeting 60 FPS can confidently enable Ultra at any resolution. Those seeking higher frame rates can drop to Medium or Low for additional headroom.

The i5-9400, despite its mid-range standing among all CPUs (47th percentile), does not appear to limit the RTX 4080 in this game. The GPU, which ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, dominates the performance profile. The combination ranks 1189 out of 3714 tested systems, placing it in the upper third of all configurations measured for Lockdown Protocol. Overall, this is a capable setup for the game, with no resolution or preset combination falling below the 60 FPS target.