Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the Intel Core i5-11400F with the AMD Radeon RX 7700, a combination that lands in the 55th percentile of all tested system pairings for this FPS title. With a combo rank of 1275 out of 2828, this setup sits firmly in the upper-middle tier, meaning it will handle the game smoothly at most settings but will require some graphical compromises to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. The data shows a system that is well-balanced but leans slightly toward GPU-bound performance, especially as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1275 out of 2828 tested configurations places it just above the median, which is a solid position for a mid-range pairing. This suggests that the i5-11400F and RX 7700 work together without a glaring bottleneck, delivering a consistent experience that outperforms roughly 55% of all other tested combos. In practical terms, this means the system is capable of running Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates across all settings, but it is not a top-tier performer that will max out the game at 4K without compromise.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 places it in the 71st percentile of all processors, while the GPU's average score of 15852 puts it in the 58th percentile. The slight gap between these percentiles indicates that the CPU has a bit more headroom than the GPU, though the difference is not dramatic enough to create a severe imbalance. In Lockdown Protocol specifically, this translates to a system where the GPU is often the limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU can keep up with the game's demands at 1080p and 1440p.

When compared to other tested combos, this pairing performs as expected for its component tier. The nearest rival processors, such as the AMD EPYC 7H12 and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, have average scores within 0.6% of the i5-11400F, confirming that the CPU is performing right in line with its peers. Similarly, the GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 9060 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, show delta percentages between -1.7% and 1.1%, indicating that the RX 7700 is a consistent performer in its class.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units, along with 40 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, which are the clocks that directly influence frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The memory subsystem is equally important, with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This large memory pool is particularly relevant for Lockdown Protocol, as the game's high-resolution textures and detailed environments can consume significant VRAM.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks shows a passmark G3D score of 20974 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the data indicates that the RX 7700 is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers high frame rates even at Ultra settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, with average frame rates dropping below 60 FPS at High settings and falling to 44 FPS at Ultra. The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, so the performance drops at 4K are not due to memory limitations but rather the raw compute power of the GPU.

The GPU's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has an average score of 16129, which is 1.7% higher than the RX 7700's average of 15852. This indicates that the two cards are closely matched, though the RX 7700's larger memory capacity could give it an edge in memory-intensive scenarios. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 also sits close, with a score of 16014, showing that this segment of the market is highly competitive. For Lockdown Protocol, the RX 7700's performance is adequate for smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but users targeting 4K will need to adjust settings or accept lower frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features 12 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 512 KB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and uses the Intel Socket 1200 platform. The processor's single-thread performance is highlighted by its 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2024, which are crucial for games that rely on strong per-core performance.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 200 FPS, indicating that the i5-11400F is not holding back the GPU at lower resolutions. The CPU's multi-threaded performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and 3DMark max threads score of 5652, ensures that it can handle the game's background tasks and physics calculations without causing frame drops. The 12 threads are particularly useful for Lockdown Protocol, which likely utilizes multiple cores for AI and world simulation.

The i5-11400F's performance is closely matched by several rivals, including the AMD EPYC 7H12 with a 0.3% higher average score and the Intel Core i5-12450H with a 0.4% lower score. This consistency means that the CPU is not a weak link in the system. The processor's 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it is a capable gaming processor, especially when paired with a mid-range GPU like the RX 7700. For Lockdown Protocol, the CPU provides ample headroom, and the data suggests that the GPU will be the limiting factor in most scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol provides a clear picture of how this combo performs across different resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the system delivers excellent frame rates across the board. With Low settings, the average FPS is 200, which is more than enough for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings produce an average of 142 FPS with a minimum of 121 and a maximum of 163, while High settings yield 124 FPS on average. Ultra settings bring the average down to 93 FPS, which is still very smooth for most players.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain strong but show a noticeable drop. Low settings average 147 FPS, while Medium settings average 104 FPS with a minimum of 88 and a maximum of 120. High settings produce an average of 91 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 68 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RX 7700 is well-suited for 1440p gaming, with even Ultra settings remaining playable. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings, 88 FPS at 1440p and 121 FPS at 1080p, suggest that the system maintains stable frame times without significant stuttering.

At 4K, the performance takes a more significant hit. Low settings average 95 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium settings drop to 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 and a maximum of 77. High settings average 59 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, and Ultra settings fall to 44 FPS, which is not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. The data shows a clear progression: the system is excellent for 1080p, very good for 1440p, and only adequate for 4K with reduced settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck in this system. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 200 FPS at 1080p to 147 FPS at 1440p (a 26.5% decrease) and then to 95 FPS at 4K (a 52.5% decrease from 1080p). This steep drop as resolution increases is a clear indicator that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates, but the RX 7700's compute power cannot keep up with the increased pixel count at 4K.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 124 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p (a 26.6% decrease), and 59 FPS at 4K (a 52.4% decrease from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across different settings confirm that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. The data indicates that the i5-11400F is not the limiting factor in this pairing, as the frame rates scale almost entirely with the GPU's workload.

The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 104 at 1440p to 67 at 4K, a 35.6% decrease. This is a larger relative drop than the 1080p to 1440p transition, which shows a 26.8% decrease from 142 to 104 FPS. This suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources become increasingly strained as resolution increases. For users who want to play at 4K, the data suggests that Low or Medium settings are the only viable options, with Low providing a playable 95 FPS and Medium providing a marginally acceptable 67 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for Lockdown Protocol with this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p gaming, Ultra settings are recommended, as the average of 93 FPS provides a smooth experience that takes full advantage of the game's visual quality. The system has enough headroom at this resolution to handle the most demanding settings without dropping below playable frame rates.

For 1440p, High settings offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance, with an average of 91 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on most monitors while maintaining good graphical quality. Medium settings at 1440p are also a strong option, with an average of 104 FPS and a minimum of 88 FPS, which ensures consistent frame times even in intense scenes. Ultra settings at 1440p, with an average of 68 FPS, are playable but may feel less smooth during fast-paced action.

For 4K, the data clearly shows that Low settings are the only truly comfortable option, with an average of 95 FPS. Medium settings at 4K produce 67 FPS on average with a minimum of 57 FPS, which can result in occasional frame drops during heavy action. High settings at 4K, with an average of 59 FPS, are borderline, and Ultra settings at 44 FPS are not recommended for a competitive FPS. Users who prioritize frame rate at 4K should stick with Low settings, while those who prefer visual quality can try Medium but should be prepared for some variability in performance.

The overall recommendation is to use this combo primarily for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where it delivers excellent performance across all settings. At 4K, the system is capable but requires significant compromises to maintain playable frame rates. The i5-11400F provides ample CPU performance, and the RX 7700 is the component that determines the experience at higher resolutions.