Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and AMD Radeon RX 580 pairing occupies a specific niche in the Lockdown Protocol benchmark hierarchy. This analysis examines how the 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 processor and the aging Polaris-based graphics card interact across resolutions and settings, using only the measured data and benchmark scores provided.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 8400F brings six Zen 4 cores with 12 threads, operating at a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This is a modern desktop CPU built on TSMC's 4 nm process, with 16 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support delivering 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth. In synthetic testing, the processor achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943, placing it in the 82nd percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 25064 sits nearly perfectly between its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X scores 25057 (0% delta), while the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F scores 24993 (0.3% higher for the 8400F).

For Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS, the CPU's single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining frame pacing and handling game logic. The 3dmark single-thread score of 951 and Passmark single-thread score of 3684 suggest solid per-core capability. However, the data reveals an interesting dynamic: at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 86.7 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 42 FPS. This dramatic scaling indicates that while the CPU can feed frames at lower resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. The 8400F's multithreaded scores — 3dmark_16_threads at 6091 and Passmark multithread at 24530 — show ample headroom for background tasks and game threads.

The 65W TDP and 4 nm node mean the CPU runs efficiently, but the data suggests it is rarely the bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the 86.7 FPS result likely approaches what the RX 580 can output without heavy graphical load. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking versus all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking, hinting that the processor is overqualified relative to its graphics counterpart.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of Ryzen 5 8400F and RX 580 ranks 1533 out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the bottom 6.4% of all configurations tested, which is a striking result given the CPU's solid performance credentials. The rank reflects the entire system's measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, not just peak performance.

The ranking makes sense when examining the GPU's nearest rivals. The RX 580's average benchmark score of 13559 sits within 1.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564), the GTX 950 (13549), and the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (13416). These are all older or lower-tier graphics solutions, and the RX 580's 53rd percentile among all GPUs confirms its mid-pack status. When paired with a CPU that ranks in the 82nd percentile, the GPU drags the overall combo down substantially.

The delta between CPU and GPU percentiles — 82 versus 53 — creates an imbalance. In Lockdown Protocol, this manifests as the GPU becoming the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 1533 suggests that many other pairings with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs outperform this configuration. For a game released in 2024, the RX 580's GCN 4.0 architecture and 14 nm process clearly struggle to keep pace, despite the 8400F providing responsive frame delivery.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The 8400F's average benchmark score of 25064 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X at 25057 (0% delta). It edges out the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F by 0.3%, while the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 scores 25099, just 0.1% higher.

Q: What is the best-case FPS scenario for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 86.7 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the data that exceeds 60 FPS, suggesting that competitive play requires low graphical presets.

Q: Does the RX 580 outperform any modern GPU in the benchmark hierarchy?

A: The RX 580's average score of 13559 is essentially level with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564) and GTX 950 (13549). It does beat the AMD Radeon Pro 455 by 1.1%, but trails the NVIDIA P106-090 by 1.1%.

Q: Why does the combo rank so low despite the CPU's strong scores?

A: The RX 580's 53rd percentile ranking among GPUs, compared to the CPU's 82nd percentile, creates a bottleneck. In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU limits performance, pulling the overall combo rank down to 1533 out of 1637.

Q: How much FPS is lost when moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low?

A: The measured average FPS drops from 86.7 at 1080p Low to 42 at 4K Low, a reduction of 44.7 FPS or approximately 48%. This indicates the GPU cannot sustain performance as resolution increases.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the 1080p High result of 51.7 FPS?

A: The 1080p High result of 51.7 FPS sits between the Low (86.7) and Medium (59.3) results. Given the GPU's limited compute power — 6.175 TFLOPS FP32 — the graphics card is likely the limiting factor, as the CPU's single-thread scores suggest it could handle higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear hierarchy across presets. Low settings produce 86.7 FPS, Medium drops to 59.3 FPS, High falls to 51.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 37.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 27.4 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is only 7.6 FPS. This suggests diminishing returns in performance cost as settings move from Medium to High.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low yields 60.7 FPS, Medium produces 45.1 FPS, High manages 37.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 26.4 FPS. The 1440p Low result of 60.7 FPS is notable — it is the only sub-1080p resolution that remains playable at Low settings, though it is 26 FPS lower than the equivalent 1080p result.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes marginal. Low achieves 42 FPS, Medium falls to 28.3 FPS, High drops to 27 FPS, and Ultra reaches just 22.2 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 4.8 FPS, indicating the GPU is severely constrained. The 4K Low result of 42 FPS is less than half of the 1080p Low result, despite the same settings, showing the resolution's impact on the RX 580.

Across all resolutions, Low settings consistently deliver the highest FPS. The variance between settings is most pronounced at 1080p, where the spread from Low to Ultra is 48.8 FPS. At 4K, the spread narrows to 19.8 FPS, meaning the GPU's ceiling is so low that even reducing settings yields limited gains.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz and a boost clock of 1340 MHz, with memory running at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). Its 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.175 TFLOPS.

The RX 580's 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs reflects its position relative to modern graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 13559 is virtually identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564), with a 0% delta. In DirectX 12 benchmarking, the GPU scores 43 on Passmark's DirectX 12 test, compared to 60 on DirectX 11 and 124 on DirectX 9. This suggests the GCN 4.0 architecture handles older APIs more efficiently than modern ones, which may explain the sub-60 FPS results at 1080p Medium and above in Lockdown Protocol.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's needs at all tested resolutions, as the data shows no indication of memory-related stuttering or crashes. However, the 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and 6.175 TFLOPS compute are modest by 2024 standards. The GPU's end-of-life production status and 185W TDP, with a suggested 450W PSU, indicate it is a legacy part that struggles with contemporary FPS titles. The measured FPS data confirms this: even at 1080p Low, the combo only reaches 86.7 FPS, leaving no headroom for high refresh rate displays.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For players prioritizing smooth frame rates, 1080p Low is the only measured configuration that exceeds 85 FPS, delivering 86.7 FPS. This is the recommended preset for competitive play where responsiveness matters most. The 1440p Low result of 60.7 FPS also provides a playable experience, though it requires a resolution drop and still offers less headroom than 1080p Low.

For those seeking visual quality at 1080p, Medium at 59.3 FPS is a reasonable compromise. It maintains near-60 FPS while providing better textures and effects than Low. High at 51.7 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced play but may feel less responsive. Ultra at 37.9 FPS is best avoided in a fast FPS, as the frame rate drops below the smooth threshold.

At 1440p, only Low (60.7 FPS) is viable for responsive gameplay. Medium at 45.1 FPS and High at 37.1 FPS are playable but noticeably less fluid. Ultra at 26.4 FPS is not recommended. At 4K, none of the presets achieve playable frame rates, with Low at 42 FPS being the best option, but even this is below the 60 FPS target for smooth motion.

The data suggests that 1080p Low is the definitive choice for this combo, with 1440p Low as a fallback for users with higher-resolution monitors. The 86.7 FPS at 1080p Low provides the best balance of performance and fluidity, while the 42 FPS at 4K Low demonstrates the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 86.7 at 1080p to 60.7 at 1440p, then to 42 at 4K. This represents a 30% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 31% reduction from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the progression is 59.3, 45.1, and 28.3 FPS — reductions of 24% and 37%, respectively. High settings show 51.7, 37.1, and 27 FPS, while Ultra goes from 37.9 to 26.4 to 22.2 FPS.

The scaling pattern indicates that the RX 580 is the limiting component in this pairing. The CPU's 3dmark scores — 6091 for 16 threads and 951 for single thread — suggest it could maintain higher frame rates if the GPU were faster. The fact that 1080p Low only reaches 86.7 FPS, rather than 120 or 144 FPS, points to the GPU's compute limits. The RX 580's 6.175 TFLOPS FP32 performance is insufficient to fill more frames per second at even modest settings.

As resolution increases, the gap between settings narrows. At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 48.8 FPS. At 4K, this spread shrinks to 19.8 FPS. This compression indicates that the GPU is becoming saturated, and further reducing settings yields diminishing returns. The 4K Low result of 42 FPS versus the 1080p Low of 86.7 FPS — a 44.7 FPS drop — confirms that the GPU cannot handle the additional pixel workload.

The data also shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions. If the CPU were limiting, frame rates would remain similar across resolutions. Instead, the steady decline with resolution proves the GPU is the constraining factor. This pairing's 1533rd rank out of 1637 combos is a direct consequence of the RX 580's age, as the 8400F's 82nd percentile CPU ranking demonstrates its capability is being wasted by the graphics card's limitations.