Lockdown Protocol

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-9400 sits in a tightly packed performance cluster. Its average benchmark score of 2254 places it within a fraction of a percent of several other processors. The nearest rival is the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2264, a difference of just 0.4 percent in favor of that chip. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, essentially identical at 0.2 percent ahead. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 comes in at 2246, which is 0.4 percent behind the i5-9400. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, also 0.3 percent behind. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver near-identical frame pacing and CPU-bound behavior in Lockdown Protocol. The i5-9400 itself lands at the 47th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning it outranks a slight majority of tested processors but is not a top-tier part.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 posts an average benchmark score of 40377, putting it at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all professional or mobile workstation parts, which is an unusual grouping. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 40318, just 0.1 percent behind. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, 0.8 percent behind. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, which is 1.2 percent ahead. The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568, 2 percent behind. These deltas are small enough that a user moving between any of these GPUs would see broadly similar raw compute performance in synthetic workloads. However, the RTX 5070 is a current-generation desktop part with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, while the rivals are older professional cards, so driver optimization and feature support in a specific game like Lockdown Protocol may differ. The database records the RTX 5070 as a 12 GB GDDR7 part with a 192-bit bus and 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, figures that do not apply to the older rivals.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded frame rates for this combination show a system that is largely GPU-limited at higher resolutions and increasingly CPU-relevant at lower resolutions. At 4K (3840x2160), the spread between Low and Ultra is substantial: Low averages 127 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, High 82 FPS, and Ultra 61 FPS. That is a 66 FPS gap between the lowest and highest presets, a clear sign that rendering load is the dominant constraint at this resolution. The GPU is doing the heavy lifting, and the i5-9400 is not the bottleneck.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the same pattern holds but with narrower gaps. Low averages 147 FPS, Medium 129 FPS, High 123 FPS, and Ultra 95 FPS. The difference from Low to Ultra is 52 FPS. The RTX 5070 still has headroom, but the CPU begins to matter more as the framerate climbs toward the 147 FPS mark at Low settings. At 1080p (1920x1080), the Low preset reaches 163 FPS, while Medium hits 144 FPS, High 137 FPS, and Ultra 123 FPS. The gap from Low to Ultra narrows to 40 FPS. The fact that 1080p Low only reaches 163 FPS, rather than going much higher, suggests the i5-9400 is starting to cap the frame rate. The CPU has 6 cores and 6 threads, a Coffee Lake design with a 2.90 GHz base clock and 4.10 GHz boost, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 6629. That is a modest result by modern standards, and it aligns with the observed ceiling.

The role split is therefore clear: at 4K, the GPU dictates performance, and even the Ultra preset clears 60 FPS. At 1440p and 1080p, the GPU still leads, but the CPU becomes a more meaningful factor at Low presets where the GPU has spare capacity. The Medium preset at each resolution provides a useful middle reference: 93 FPS at 4K, 129 FPS at 1440p, and 144 FPS at 1080p. These numbers indicate that the system scales predictably with resolution, losing roughly 30 to 40 percent of frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings. The i5-9400 never fully stalls the RTX 5070 in this game, but it does prevent the GPU from reaching its full potential at 1080p Low.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on Ultra settings at 4K?

A: Yes. The recorded average at 3840x2160 Ultra is 61 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold exactly.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p for this combination?

A: Ultra is the best settings choice at 2560x1440, with an average of 95 FPS. Low, Medium, and High also all clear 60 FPS, but Ultra delivers the highest visual quality while staying well above the threshold.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, where Low and Ultra differ by 66 FPS. At 1080p Low, the frame rate caps at 163 FPS, indicating the Intel Core i5-9400 begins to constrain the RTX 5070 at lower resolutions and lighter settings.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-9400 scores 2254 on average, which is 0.2 percent behind the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, 0.3 percent behind the Intel Core i7-10710U, 0.4 percent behind the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and 0.4 percent behind the Intel Core i3-10305. All four rivals are effectively within noise of each other.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 is 0.1 percent behind, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 is 0.8 percent behind, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is 1.2 percent ahead, and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile is 2 percent behind.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p High settings?

A: The recorded average is 137 FPS at 1920x1080 High. Medium averages 144 FPS, Low averages 163 FPS, and Ultra averages 123 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol comfortably at every resolution and preset tested. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: at 3840x2160, the playable settings include Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, with Ultra averaging 61 FPS. That is right at the 60 FPS threshold, so users who want a safety margin might prefer High at 82 FPS, but Ultra is technically playable. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, and Ultra averages 95 FPS, a healthy margin above the threshold. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, and Ultra averages 123 FPS. The system never dips below the 60 FPS playable threshold in any recorded configuration. The only measured minimum frame time data points come from Medium presets: 79 FPS minimum at 4K, 110 FPS at 1440p, and 122 FPS at 1080p, all of which remain above 60 FPS.

The weak link in the pairing is the CPU. The i5-9400 is an end-of-life desktop part with a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are within 0.4 percent of its average score, and none of them are high-end parts. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and Geekbench single-core score of 1389 reflect a processor that is several generations old. In Lockdown Protocol, this shows up as a frame rate ceiling at 1080p Low: 163 FPS, rather than the much higher numbers a newer CPU might enable with the RTX 5070. Still, for the purposes of running this game, the CPU is sufficient. The RTX 5070, at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, is the dominant component, and it carries the system to playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra. Users targeting 60 FPS will find this combo more than adequate. Users targeting 144 Hz or higher at 1080p will hit the CPU limit around 163 FPS, which is still a strong result.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 1285 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the upper third of all combinations in the database. The rank reflects the fact that the GPU is very strong, while the CPU is only middling. A system with a better processor would rank higher, and a system with a weaker GPU would rank lower, but this pairing lands in a solidly above-average position. Among the 3714 combos, 1285 is a respectable placement, roughly in the 65th percentile of all tested configurations. The RTX 5070 does most of the work: its 82nd percentile GPU ranking pulls the combo upward, while the CPU's 47th percentile ranking holds it back from the top tier. The result is a balanced system that outperforms the majority of tested hardware in this specific game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 61 FPS. This is the maximum visual quality option and it just barely clears the threshold. Users who prefer extra headroom can drop to High, which averages 82 FPS, but the data supports Ultra as playable.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, with an average of 95 FPS. This gives a comfortable 35 FPS margin over the playable threshold, making Ultra the clear choice at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 123 FPS. This doubles the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare. The recorded Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, so even frame-time dips stay far above the playable line.

In summary, every resolution supports Ultra settings at or above 60 FPS. The weakest point is 4K Ultra at 61 FPS, which is playable but leaves no margin for demanding scenes. The strongest point is 1080p Ultra at 123 FPS, which offers a high-refresh experience. The data indicates that this combo is best used at 1440p Ultra, where the 95 FPS average balances visual quality and performance without pushing the CPU or GPU to their limits.