Lockdown Protocol

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

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The chip carries 12 MB of shared L3 cache, with 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core. Memory support is dual-channel DDR4, with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The processor uses the Intel Socket 1200 and offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

Benchmark data positions this CPU in the 73rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14,168. In multi-threaded workloads, the Cinebench R23 multicore score is 10,297, while the single-core score is 1,453. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 688 in single-thread to 4,748 in 16-thread and 4,735 at max threads. This indicates a modest scaling efficiency of roughly 6.9x from single to full multi-thread, which is typical for a 6-core/12-thread part without hyperthreading gains that exceed 1.5x per core pair.

For Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's role is primarily about maintaining frame pacing and feeding the GPU. At 1080p Low settings, the measured average FPS is 201.4. This high frame rate suggests the CPU is capable of driving the game well above typical refresh rates. However, the gap between 1080p Low (201.4 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (123.4 FPS) shows that settings changes affect the workload balance. The 4K Low result of 122.8 FPS is nearly identical to the 1080p Ultra result, hinting that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU becomes more relevant, while at higher resolutions, the GPU takes over.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-10400F sits close to the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% higher), the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.8% lower), the Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% lower), and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (1.2% lower). These deltas are small, meaning the CPU's compute capabilities are well within a tight band of contemporary and slightly older parts. For Lockdown Protocol, the data indicates that the 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4070 at most settings, though the single-thread score of 1,453 in Cinebench R23 suggests that heavily physics-driven scenes could see minor dips.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The memory clock is 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed. The GPU has 5,888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. It also includes 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. The base clock is 1920 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The FP32 performance is rated at 29.15 TFLOPS, and the texture rate is 455.4 GTexel/s.

The GPU's benchmark percentile is 81, with an average benchmark score of 37,283. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3,854. The nearest rivals show a delta of -0.6% for the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, -1.9% for the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A, and -2.2% for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. The AMD Radeon RX 5300M trails by 2.5%. These comparisons indicate the RTX 4070 sits slightly below the RX Vega 56 in average score, but the margin is negligible.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's performance is clearly resolution-bound. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 59.3, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, it rises to 74.9 FPS, and at 4K Medium, to 90.2 FPS. The 4K Low result of 122.8 FPS shows that even at the highest resolution, reducing settings can more than double the frame rate compared to Ultra. This pattern suggests the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is not the limiting factor, as the performance scaling with settings is consistent with compute-bound behavior rather than memory capacity issues. The 192-bit bus and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the data throughput required at 4K, but the rendering load at Ultra settings pushes the GPU to its limits.

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

The measured rows provide clear guidance on settings selection. At 1080p, the jump from Low (201.4 FPS) to Medium (177.1 FPS) is a 12% reduction, while High (158.4 FPS) is 11% lower than Medium, and Ultra (123.4 FPS) is 22% lower than High. The sweet spot for high-refresh 1080p monitors is High, which maintains 158.4 FPS, well above 144 Hz. Ultra still delivers 123.4 FPS, which is above 120 Hz, so it is viable for 120 Hz panels.

At 1440p, the results show a similar pattern but with lower headroom. Low (181.6 FPS) and Medium (137.7 FPS) are both playable on 144 Hz displays, but High (119.4 FPS) falls just below 120 Hz. Ultra (92.2 FPS) is suitable for 90 Hz or 100 Hz displays. For most users at 1440p, Medium offers the best balance, as it provides 137.7 FPS while retaining enough visual quality for an FPS title.

At 4K, the options narrow. Ultra (59.3 FPS) is barely above 60 FPS, which risks dips below the threshold. High (74.9 FPS) provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium (90.2 FPS) is solid for 90 Hz displays, and Low (122.8 FPS) is the only preset that supports high-refresh 4K gaming. Given that Lockdown Protocol is an FPS, the recommendation from the data is to prioritize frame rate: use High at 4K for a stable 60+ experience, Medium at 1440p for 120+ FPS, and High at 1080p for 144+ FPS. Ultra is only advisable at 1080p where the 123.4 FPS average remains competitive.

How This Combo Ranks, use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 495th out of 1,637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 30% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a higher-end GPU. The percentile ranking is notable because the CPU is from 2020, while the GPU is from 2023, yet the combo still outperforms the majority of tested systems.

The rank indicates that the i5-10400F does not significantly hold back the RTX 4070 in this title. If the CPU were a severe bottleneck, the combo would rank lower relative to other pairings with similar GPUs. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 201.4 FPS, which is close to the ceiling of what many high-end systems deliver. The rank of 495 suggests that there are 494 combos that perform better, likely featuring newer CPUs or higher-tier GPUs, but the margin is not enormous given the FPS figures.

Comparatively, the CPU's nearest rivals all have average scores within 1.2% of the i5-10400F, meaning the processor choice has a minimal impact on the overall combo ranking. The GPU's nearest rivals are similarly close, with deltas under 2.5%. This implies that the combo rank is driven more by the GPU's performance tier than by the CPU, and the RTX 4070's position in the 81st percentile of GPUs is the primary contributor to the 495th rank.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals the bottleneck structure. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 158.4 at 1080p to 119.4 at 1440p (a 24.6% reduction) and then to 74.9 at 4K (a 37.3% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at High is 52.7%. At Low settings, the drop is from 201.4 at 1080p to 181.6 at 1440p (9.8% reduction) and then to 122.8 at 4K (32.4% reduction from 1440p), a total drop of 39.0%. At Medium, the drop is from 177.1 to 137.7 (22.2%) and then to 90.2 (34.5%), totaling 49.1%. At Ultra, the drop is from 123.4 to 92.2 (25.3%) and then to 59.3 (35.7%), totaling 51.9%.

The pattern shows that the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more severe at higher settings (25.3% at Ultra) than at lower settings (9.8% at Low). This indicates that the GPU is more heavily loaded at higher settings, and the resolution increase amplifies that load. However, the scaling from 1440p to 4K is relatively consistent across settings (32-37% reduction), suggesting that at 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor regardless of preset.

The fact that Low settings at 4K (122.8 FPS) nearly match High settings at 1080p (158.4 FPS, but only 22% higher) implies that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU even at 4K Low. The limiting component at 4K Ultra is clearly the GPU, as the frame rate drops to 59.3 FPS, which is consistent with the GPU's compute limits rather than memory or CPU constraints. At 1080p Low, the 201.4 FPS result suggests the CPU is still not fully maxed out, as even the best CPUs would struggle to push an RTX 4070 much beyond 200 FPS in a modern FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F sufficient for the RTX 4070 in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 495th out of 1,637 tested combos, and the CPU's multi-thread score of 10,297 in Cinebench R23 is sufficient to drive the GPU to 201.4 FPS at 1080p Low. The CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p 120 Hz monitor?

A: Medium settings at 1440p deliver 137.7 FPS, which is above 120 Hz. High settings at 1440p drop to 119.4 FPS, which is just below 120 Hz. Medium is the recommended preset for this display type.

Q: Can the RTX 4070 handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: At High settings, the average FPS is 74.9, which is comfortably above 60 FPS. At Ultra, it drops to 59.3 FPS, which is marginal. The GPU can handle 4K, but High settings are recommended for a stable experience.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM on the RTX 4070 cause any issues in this game?

A: The data shows no VRAM-related stutters or performance anomalies. The FPS scaling from Medium to High to Ultra is consistent with compute-bound behavior, not memory capacity limits. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is adequate.

Q: How much FPS is lost going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 158.4 at 1080p to 74.9 at 4K, which is a 52.7% reduction. This is a significant drop, but the 4K result remains playable.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7552?

A: The i5-10400F scores 0.4% higher than the AMD EPYC 7552 in average benchmark score. In Lockdown Protocol, this difference is negligible, as the CPU is not the limiting factor at most settings.