Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, an FPS released in 2024, shows a clear performance hierarchy for the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but becomes increasingly dependent on the processor at 1080p. The RTX 4060, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, demonstrates its capabilities and limitations across the resolution spectrum. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, the roles of the CPU and GPU, and offers practical settings advice for this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K dramatically reshapes the performance profile for this hardware combo. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 188 FPS, indicating that the CPU is a significant limiting factor at this resolution. The frame rate drops to 119.2 FPS at High settings and 86.7 FPS at Ultra, showing that even at 1080p, the GPU begins to take on more work as graphical fidelity increases. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 53.9% reduction in average FPS, a steep curve that suggests the RTX 4060 is being pushed hard by the Ultra preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become more balanced between the CPU and GPU. The Low preset yields 136.7 FPS, which is still high but shows a 27.3% drop from the 1080p Low result. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p produce 86.6 FPS and 64.4 FPS respectively, indicating that the GPU is now the primary bottleneck. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution is a 52.9% reduction, similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers confirm that the RTX 4060 is working harder.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component. The Low preset delivers 88.4 FPS, which is a solid result for 4K, but the Ultra preset falls to 40.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 53.8%, nearly identical to the other resolutions. The key insight is that the frame rate drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 53.0%, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is also 53.0%. This consistent scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4060’s performance ceiling is being reached across all settings, and the CPU is not holding it back except at the very lowest resolution and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with memory running at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, which is a modest figure for a modern GPU. In Lockdown Protocol, this bandwidth appears to be sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, as the measured FPS shows no sudden collapses, but the 4K Ultra result of 40.8 FPS suggests that the memory interface and capacity are not enough for maximum settings at that resolution.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23181. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (deltaPct -0.6) and the Intel Arc B580 (deltaPct 0.7), indicating that the RTX 4060 sits in a competitive mid-range tier. The performance in Lockdown Protocol aligns with this positioning: it is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and playable at 1440p, but 4K requires significant settings reductions. The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present for ray tracing and DLSS, but the measured data in this pack does not include those features, so the analysis is based solely on rasterized performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates, with a Low preset average of 188 FPS and a High preset average of 119.2 FPS. For a 1440p monitor, the High preset at 86.6 FPS is a strong option, while 4K is only suitable for Low settings at 88.4 FPS or Medium at 66.1 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Arc B580?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181, which is 0.7% higher than the Intel Arc B580’s score of 23021. This places them in the same performance tier, with the RTX 4060 holding a slight edge in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F a bottleneck for this game?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as the frame rate of 188 FPS is high but may not fully utilize the GPU. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops across settings.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 136.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 64.4 FPS. This is a 52.9% reduction in performance, indicating that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding on the GPU.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: The i5-10400F scores 10297 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1453 in single-core. In 3DMark, the max threads score is 4735, which is close to the 16-thread score of 4748, suggesting that the 6-core, 12-thread configuration scales well up to its full thread count.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the RTX 4060?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has a launch MSRP of 299 USD.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 188 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the entire dataset. The Medium preset delivers 134.6 FPS, High delivers 119.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 86.7 FPS. This shows a clear progression where each settings tier imposes a significant performance cost, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 101.3 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings average 136.7 FPS, Medium averages 98.4 FPS, High averages 86.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 64.4 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 72.3 FPS, which is a smaller absolute gap than at 1080p but a similar percentage reduction. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and frame rate, as the High preset still maintains a playable 86.6 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. Low settings produce 88.4 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K, but the Medium preset drops to 66.1 FPS. High settings average 56.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 40.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold desired for a smooth experience. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is 47.6 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is nearly twice as demanding as Low. The data shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires low to medium settings to maintain consistent frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores show a strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and a single-core score of 1453. In 3DMark, the max threads score of 4735 is only slightly lower than the 16-thread score of 4748, suggesting that the processor’s 12 threads are fully utilized.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 14168, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552 (deltaPct 0.4) and the Intel Core i5-8500 (deltaPct -1.1), indicating that the i5-10400F is a solid mid-range performer. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role becomes apparent at 1080p Low settings, where the 188 FPS average suggests that the GPU is not the limiting factor. The single-thread score of 1453 in Cinebench R23 and 688 in 3DMark indicates that the processor’s per-core performance is adequate for this FPS title, but it may struggle to push frame rates beyond 200 FPS in CPU-bound scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting 1920x1080, the High preset at 119.2 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 134.6 FPS offers a slight boost in frame rate with a modest visual trade-off, while the Ultra preset at 86.7 FPS is still playable but shows a significant 27.3% drop from High. The Low preset at 188 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is the priority.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 86.6 FPS is the recommended choice for most users, as it provides a smooth experience with good visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 98.4 FPS is a viable alternative for those who prefer higher frame rates, while the Ultra preset at 64.4 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced action. The Low preset at 136.7 FPS is excessive for 1440p and will make the game look noticeably worse.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 88.4 FPS is the only option that consistently exceeds 60 FPS, making it the default recommendation for 4K displays. The Medium preset at 66.1 FPS is acceptable if you can tolerate occasional dips, but the High preset at 56.2 FPS and Ultra at 40.8 FPS are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant settings compromises, and players should prioritize frame rate over graphical detail at this resolution.