Lockdown Protocol

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D sits at rank 1125 out of 3714 tested combinations in the database for Lockdown Protocol. That places this combo in the top 30% of all recorded configurations, a strong showing for a pairing that mixes an older six-core CPU with a current-generation flagship GPU. The percentile data reinforces this: the CPU lands at the 47th percentile among all processors, while the GPU sits at the 92nd percentile among all graphics cards. The gap between those two percentiles tells the story of this combo, a very fast GPU held back somewhat by a mid-pack CPU.

What is interesting is how the combo rank compares to what each component would suggest. The GPU alone is near the top of the stack, yet the overall combo rank is not near the top. This indicates that Lockdown Protocol does not scale purely with GPU power, and the i5-9400 likely caps performance in certain scenes. The recorded frame rates confirm this pattern, but the ranking shows the effect clearly: the whole is less than the sum of its parts because the CPU cannot always feed the GPU enough work.

The database shows the i5-9400 with an average benchmark score of 2254 across all tests. Its nearest rivals are separated by less than half a percent: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower). These are essentially tied scores, meaning any of these CPUs would behave almost identically in this game.

The RTX 5090 D, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 77712, with nearest rivals that include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT at 76904 (1.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78940 (1.6% higher), and two NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants at 79396 and 79605 (2.1% and 2.4% higher). Again, these are close enough that swapping between them would produce similar frame rates.

The question this ranking raises is whether the i5-9400 is the limiting factor. The measured FPS data suggests yes, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do and the CPU must keep up with more frames per second.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are marked as playable in the database, with average frame rates ranging from 88 FPS at Ultra to 127 FPS at Low.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p?

A: Ultra is the best settings preset at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 111 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a wide margin.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K with this combo?

A: At Low settings, 1920x1080 averages 163 FPS versus 127 FPS at 3840x2160, a difference of 36 FPS. At Ultra settings, 1080p averages 123 FPS versus 88 FPS at 4K, a difference of 35 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data suggests the CPU limits performance at lower resolutions. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 5090 D sits at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The combo rank of 1125 out of 3714 reflects this mismatch.

Q: What are the minimum recorded frame rates for this combo?

A: The database only records minimum FPS for Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 122 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 110 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 95 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 D scores 77712 on average. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is 1.1% lower, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.6% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB are 2.1% and 2.4% higher respectively.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D changes depending on resolution. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU becomes more dominant as resolution increases, while the CPU matters more at lower resolutions where frame rates are higher.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 123 FPS at Ultra to 163 FPS at Low. The spread between Low and Ultra is 40 FPS, and even the lowest recorded average (123 FPS) is more than double the 60 FPS playable threshold. At these frame rates, the i5-9400 with its six cores and six threads is likely the limiting factor. The CPU sits at the 47th percentile, and with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, it has to generate enough draw calls and game logic updates to keep the GPU busy. The fact that the RTX 5090 D is at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs but the combo only reaches 1125 out of 3714 suggests the CPU cannot fully utilize the GPU at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop slightly: 111 FPS at Ultra, 123 FPS at High, 129 FPS at Medium, and 147 FPS at Low. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 36 FPS. The GPU is now working harder to fill more pixels, which reduces the CPU bottleneck somewhat, but the i5-9400 is still likely the constraint in scenes with many entities or complex physics.

At 3840x2160, the GPU takes over as the dominant factor. The frame rates are 88 FPS at Ultra, 107 FPS at High, 112 FPS at Medium, and 127 FPS at Low. The spread between Low and Ultra is 39 FPS, similar to 1080p in absolute terms, but the proportion of the CPU's influence is lower because the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The RTX 5090 D with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth has plenty of headroom for 4K textures and effects.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: the CPU matters more when the GPU can produce frames faster than the CPU can issue commands. At 1080p, the i5-9400's 47th percentile standing becomes visible. At 4K, the RTX 5090 D's 92nd percentile standing shines through. The medium settings data, which includes minimum FPS values, shows this too: at 1080p the minimum is 122 FPS, at 1440p it is 110 FPS, and at 4K it is 95 FPS. The minimums fall as resolution rises, which is expected, but the fact that even the 4K minimum stays above 90 FPS indicates that neither component is severely underperforming.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, and it clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution and every settings preset recorded in the database. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: at 3840x2160, the best settings preset is Ultra with an average of 88 FPS; at 2560x1440, Ultra averages 111 FPS; and at 1920x1080, Ultra averages 123 FPS.

The lowest average frame rate in the entire dataset is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still 28 FPS above the playable threshold. The lowest minimum frame rate recorded is 95 FPS at 4K Medium, meaning even the worst-case dips stay well above 60 FPS. This is not a borderline configuration; it has substantial headroom.

The only caveat is the CPU's age. The i5-9400 was released in late 2018 and is now end-of-life, with a 47th percentile ranking. In this specific game, however, the data shows that it does not prevent playable frame rates at any setting. The RTX 5090 D is strong enough to compensate, and the game appears to be well-optimized for the CPU load it places on six-core processors.

For anyone considering this combo, the practical takeaway is that Lockdown Protocol can be maxed out at all three resolutions. The 60 FPS threshold is cleared everywhere, and the 4K Ultra average of 88 FPS leaves room for recording, streaming, or background tasks without dropping below playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded averages are: Low 163 FPS, Medium 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS, High 137 FPS, and Ultra 123 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 19 FPS, from Medium to High costs 7 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 14 FPS. The total cost of going from Low to Ultra is 40 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 147 FPS, Medium 129 FPS with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 149 FPS, High 123 FPS, and Ultra 111 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 18 FPS, from Medium to High costs 6 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 12 FPS. The total cost from Low to Ultra is 36 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 127 FPS, Medium 112 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, High 107 FPS, and Ultra 88 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 15 FPS, from Medium to High costs 5 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 19 FPS. The total cost from Low to Ultra is 39 FPS.

The medium settings are the only preset with complete min and max data. At 1080p, the range is 122 to 165 FPS, a spread of 43 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 110 to 149 FPS, a spread of 39 FPS. At 4K, the range is 95 to 129 FPS, a spread of 34 FPS. The shrinking spread at higher resolutions is another sign that the GPU bottleneck becomes more dominant as pixel count increases.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 123 FPS. Since even the lowest recorded average at this resolution (Ultra at 123 FPS) is far above the threshold, there is no reason to drop below Ultra unless aiming for extremely high refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best choice, averaging 111 FPS. The minimum recorded at Medium is 110 FPS, and the Ultra average of 111 FPS suggests the minimum at Ultra would be close to or above 100 FPS, though the database does not record it.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains the best settings preset, averaging 88 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra average dips below 100 FPS, but it is still 28 FPS above the playable threshold. For players who prefer higher frame rates over maximum visual quality, dropping to High at 107 FPS or Medium at 112 FPS would provide additional headroom, but it is not necessary for playability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400's nearest rivals are all within 0.4% of its average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower). Any of these would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU. The i3-10305 is a desktop part like the i5-9400, while the i7-1068NG7 and i7-10710U are mobile processors, and the Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is an older AMD desktop chip. Despite their different origins, their benchmark scores are effectively tied.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT at 76904 (1.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78940 (1.6% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB at 79396 and 79605 (2.1% and 2.4% higher). These deltas are small enough that a system with one of these GPUs and the same CPU would land within a few FPS of the RTX 5090 D in most scenes. The Tesla P100 cards are datacenter parts without display outputs, but their raw compute scores are close, and the RX 6850M XT is a viable mobile alternative.

What this means in practice is that the i5-9400 is the component most likely to be swapped out for a noticeable difference. The GPU's nearest rivals are too close to matter, but a CPU with a higher percentile would likely raise the combo rank in the database, especially at 1080p where the current setup's frame rates are limited by the processor. The measured data supports this: the i5-9400's 47th percentile ranking is the weakest link in an otherwise top-tier configuration, and the combo rank of 1125 out of 3714 reflects that imbalance.