Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a high-refresh-rate experience across all tested resolutions in Lockdown Protocol, with the combination ranking in the 92.5th percentile of all tested system configurations. This pairing of a 6-core Zen 4 desktop processor and an Ada Lovelace flagship GPU produces average frame rates ranging from 73 FPS at 4K Ultra to 290 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the system is capable of driving both competitive and visually demanding playstyles depending on resolution and quality settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across different settings presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 290 FPS at 1920x1080 to 244 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 15.9%, and then further to 157 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a cumulative 45.9% drop from 1080p to 4K. This relatively modest scaling curve at Low settings suggests that the CPU is playing a significant limiting role at lower resolutions, as the RTX 4080 has ample headroom to render frames quickly when graphical load is minimal.

At Medium settings, the scaling pattern shows a similar but slightly steeper decline: 236 FPS at 1080p, 173 FPS at 1440p, and 112 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 26.7%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 35.3%. This increasingly pronounced penalty at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is beginning to take on a more substantial workload, though the CPU still appears to be constraining performance at 1080p Medium given the 236 FPS ceiling.

High settings demonstrate the most linear scaling behavior of all presets tested. The average FPS values are 206 at 1080p, 151 at 1440p, and 98 at 4K. The percentage drops are 26.7% from 1080p to 1440p and 35.1% from 1440p to 4K, nearly identical to the Medium preset's relative scaling. This consistency suggests that High settings represent a balanced workload where both CPU and GPU contributions scale proportionally with resolution.

Ultra settings produce the steepest resolution penalty. Starting at 155 FPS for 1080p, the average falls to 113 FPS at 1440p (a 27.1% drop) and then to 73 FPS at 4K (a 35.4% drop from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result of 73 FPS represents the lowest measured average in the entire dataset, confirming that at maximum quality settings, the GPU becomes the dominant limiting component. The data shows that the RTX 4080's rendering workload at 4K Ultra exceeds what the card can sustain at high frame rates, while at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 8400F's single-thread and multi-thread capabilities become the primary constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 279 out of 3,714 tested system configurations in Lockdown Protocol. This places the combo in the top 7.5% of all tested systems, indicating that it delivers performance that exceeds the vast majority of alternative pairings. The percentile position reflects both the GPU's strong raw rendering power and the CPU's ability to feed frames efficiently in this FPS title.

Within the context of the CPU's standalone benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 8400F holds a percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25,005. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F with an average score of 24,964 (a 0.2% delta), the Intel Core i7-11850H at 24,935 (0.3% delta), and the Intel Core i7-13620H at 24,911 (0.4% delta). The AMD EPYC 9474F sits slightly above with a score of 25,103, representing a -0.4% delta. These tight margins indicate that the 8400F is competitively positioned within its performance tier, though it does not significantly outpace or fall behind its immediate rivals in synthetic workloads.

For the GPU, the RTX 4080 holds a percentile rank of 86 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,247. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54,209, a 0.1% delta, meaning the two cards are virtually identical in average performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828 (-1.1% delta), while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S score 55,698 and 55,757 respectively, representing -2.6% and -2.7% deltas. The fact that the RTX 4080 trails these AMD offerings by a small margin in average benchmark score, yet the combo still ranks highly in Lockdown Protocol, suggests that this game favors NVIDIA's architecture or that the CPU pairing is well-suited to the workload.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is built on the Zen 4 architecture using the Phoenix codename, fabricated on TSMC's 4 nm process node. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The processor has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 290 FPS average, which is a demanding workload for any processor. The 8400F's boost clock of 4.70 GHz and efficient Zen 4 architecture allow it to maintain high instruction throughput, but the data suggests that this is near the practical limit for the CPU in this game. The fact that 1080p Medium reaches 236 FPS and 1080p High reaches 206 FPS indicates that the CPU can sustain high frame rates even as GPU load increases, but the scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p (290 to 155 FPS) is primarily driven by GPU rendering demands rather than CPU limitations.

Synthetic benchmarks for the 8400F show a single-thread score of 951 in 3DMark, with 2-thread and 4-thread scores of 1,874 and 3,563 respectively. The multi-thread scaling continues with 8-thread at 5,275, 16-thread at 6,091, and max-threads at 6,165. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 2,943 in single-core and 20,851 in multi-core. These results indicate solid scaling up to 6 cores, with diminishing returns beyond that point, which is consistent with a 6-core/12-thread design. For Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title that typically benefits from high clock speeds and moderate thread counts, the 8400F's 4.70 GHz boost clock and 12 threads provide adequate performance to avoid being a severe bottleneck at most settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates span from 290 FPS at Low settings to 155 FPS at Ultra settings. The Medium preset delivers 236 FPS average with a minimum of 201 FPS and a maximum of 272 FPS, while High settings produce 206 FPS average. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 135 FPS, representing a 46.6% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset. This wide range indicates that the RTX 4080 has substantial headroom at 1080p, and the CPU is likely the limiting factor at Low and Medium settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 244 FPS at Low, 173 FPS at Medium, 151 FPS at High, and 113 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS, providing a 52 FPS range that suggests some frame-time variance under load. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p ranges from 15.9% at Low settings to 27.1% at Ultra settings, with the percentage penalty increasing as graphical quality rises. At 1440p, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role, though the CPU still maintains frame rates above 100 FPS even at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates drop to 157 FPS at Low, 112 FPS at Medium, 98 FPS at High, and 73 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, indicating that even at 4K, the system can maintain playable frame rates with some variance. The 4K Ultra result of 73 FPS is the only measured average below 90 FPS in the entire dataset, confirming that this is the most demanding configuration tested. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows reductions of 35.7% at Low, 35.3% at Medium, 35.1% at High, and 35.4% at Ultra, demonstrating a remarkably consistent GPU-bound scaling pattern across all settings at this resolution transition.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this combo for high refresh rates?

A: At 1080p, the system delivers between 155 and 290 FPS depending on settings, while at 1440p the range is 113 to 244 FPS. For a 144 Hz monitor, 1440p High at 151 FPS or 1440p Medium at 173 FPS would be suitable, while 4K is only viable at 98 FPS or lower.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25,005, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24,964), 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-11850H (24,935), and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-13620H (24,911). It trails the AMD EPYC 9474F by 0.4%.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 perform better than its nearest GPU rivals in average benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 54,247 on average, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209). However, it scores lower than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, -1.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, -2.6% delta), and the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757, -2.7% delta).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 290 FPS average. Given that the GPU is highly capable, the data suggests the Ryzen 5 8400F is the primary limiter at this setting, as the frame rate is constrained by CPU throughput rather than GPU rendering capability.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 73 FPS. This is the lowest measured result in the dataset, indicating that the RTX 4080 is fully utilized at this resolution and quality level.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The combination of AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 279th out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.5% of all configurations tested for this game.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting the highest possible frame rates on a 240 Hz or higher refresh rate display, the 1080p Low preset delivers 290 FPS average, which is the maximum measured performance in this dataset. However, the 1080p Medium preset at 236 FPS average (with a minimum of 201 FPS) provides a substantially better visual experience while still maintaining frame rates well above 200 FPS, making it the recommended choice for competitive play where responsiveness is paramount.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset at 151 FPS average offers an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 173 FPS average is preferable for players who prioritize smoothness over fidelity, while the Ultra preset at 113 FPS average remains above 100 FPS and is viable for those who want maximum detail. The 1440p Medium preset shows a minimum of 147 FPS, ensuring that even the most demanding scenes stay above typical 144 Hz refresh rates.

At 4K, the High preset at 98 FPS average is the best choice for a smooth experience, while the Medium preset at 112 FPS average offers higher performance with slightly reduced visual quality. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS average is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced FPS action, as frame rates dip below the 90 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for comfortable gameplay. The Low preset at 157 FPS average is available for players who prioritize frame rate above all else at 4K, though the visual trade-offs may be significant. Overall, the data indicates that 1440p High or 4K Medium provide the best balance of performance and quality for most users.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using the AD103 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process node. It features 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, along with 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with memory running at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory operates on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and quality settings rise. The pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s provide substantial raw throughput, which is reflected in the 4K Medium result of 112 FPS average with a minimum of 95 FPS. The FP32 compute performance of 48.74 TFLOPS supports the game's rendering workloads, and the 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for the textures and assets used at Ultra settings, as evidenced by the absence of any memory-related performance degradation in the measured data.

The RTX 4080's benchmark results show a PassMark G3D score of 34,457, which ranks the GPU in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest competitor, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54,209 in average benchmark performance, a mere 0.1% delta, indicating that the two cards are functionally interchangeable in most workloads. The GPU's strong performance in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (score of 6,567) and GeekBench Vulkan (score of 263,779) corroborates its ability to handle modern game engines efficiently. The data shows that at 1080p, the RTX 4080 is underutilized, with frame rates likely constrained by the CPU, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, delivering 73 FPS average as it approaches its rendering limits.