Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core i5-11400F + AMD Radeon RX 9070

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a strong 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, with the measured data showing this combo ranks 1136th out of 3714 tested combinations. The 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake processor holds its own alongside a modern RDNA 4.0 GPU, producing frame rates that range from a playable 54 FPS at 4K Ultra to a very high 234 FPS at 1080p Low. This is a balanced pairing where the GPU carries most of the load at higher resolutions, while the CPU's single-thread performance keeps high-refresh 1080p gaming viable.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data points to Medium settings as the best balance between visual quality and frame rate across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium produces 174 FPS average with a minimum of 148 FPS, which keeps gameplay smooth on high-refresh monitors while still offering better visuals than Low. At 2560x1440, Medium delivers 128 FPS average with a 109 FPS minimum, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. Even at 3840x2160, Medium manages 82 FPS average with a 70 FPS minimum, making it the only 4K preset that stays above 60 FPS throughout.

High settings are the next step up if visual fidelity matters more than raw headroom. At 1080p, High drops to 152 FPS average; at 1440p it falls to 112 FPS; and at 4K it reaches 72 FPS average. These numbers are all playable, but the 4K High result sits close to the 60 FPS line, leaving little margin for heavy scenes. Ultra settings should be reserved for 1080p displays, where the 114 FPS average remains smooth, while 1440p Ultra at 84 FPS and 4K Ultra at 54 FPS are progressively more demanding.

Low settings are only recommended for competitive play at 1080p, where the 234 FPS average can fully utilize a 240Hz monitor. At 1440p Low, 180 FPS is still excellent, and at 4K Low, 116 FPS proves the GPU is not the limiting factor. For most users, Medium at 1440p offers the most balanced experience, combining a 128 FPS average with a 109 FPS minimum that avoids noticeable stutter.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Rocket Lake processor has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Its benchmark profile shows a single-thread score of 868 in 3DMark and 2024 in Cinebench R23, which indicates capable per-core performance for a game like Lockdown Protocol that depends on consistent frame pacing.

The CPU's 3DMark scores scale from 1691 with 2 threads to 5652 with max threads, showing strong scaling across its 12 threads. In Cinebench R20, the multicore score of 6022 and single-core score of 850 highlight that the processor does not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions. PassMark single-thread performance of 2981 and multithread score of 16908 confirm this is a solid mid-range part. The i5-11400F sits in the 71st percentile among all CPUs, placing it near rivals like the AMD EPYC 7H12 and Intel Core i5-12450H, with deltaPct values of 0.3% and -0.4% respectively.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes more visible at 1080p Low where the 234 FPS average demands high per-core throughput. The 4.40 GHz boost clock helps maintain frame delivery, while the 6 physical cores handle the game's background tasks without issue. At higher resolutions and settings, the GPU takes over as the primary performance driver, and the CPU's 12 threads provide enough headroom to avoid frame drops. The 65W TDP and Intel Socket 1200 compatibility make this an efficient, accessible choice for a gaming build.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip on a 4 nm process from TSMC. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, which provides ample headroom for high-resolution textures in Lockdown Protocol. The GPU's boost clock reaches 2520 MHz with a game clock of 2070 MHz, and its 3584 shading units deliver 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU's benchmark results show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6290 and a PassMark G3D score of 25381, placing it in the 69th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z and RTX 3080 Mobile, with deltaPct values of 0.6% and 1.1%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800S and RTX 2080 SUPER trail by 0.8% and 1.2%. The RX 9070's 220W TDP and suggested 550W PSU make it manageable for most systems, and its 2x 8-pin power connectors fit standard PSU layouts.

In Lockdown Protocol, the RX 9070 demonstrates its strength by maintaining high frame rates across all settings. At 4K Ultra, the 54 FPS average shows the GPU is pushed hard, but at 4K Medium it recovers to 82 FPS. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game's textures, and the 644.6 GB/s bandwidth ensures smooth streaming of geometry and effects. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility align well with modern FPS titles, and the PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides ample bandwidth for data transfer.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 achieves a rank of 1136 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 31% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the pairing: the CPU is not the fastest available, but it does not hold back the GPU at most settings. The data shows that at 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 128 FPS, which is competitive with systems using stronger CPUs but similar GPUs.

The gap between this combo and top-tier configurations likely comes from CPU-bound scenarios at low settings. At 1080p Low, the 234 FPS average is strong, but systems with higher single-thread performance would push further. The GPU's 69th percentile ranking against all GPUs is slightly lower than the combo's overall position suggests, implying that the CPU contributes positively to the final result. Conversely, the CPU's 71st percentile ranking indicates that neither component is a weak link.

Compared to rival GPU pairings, the RX 9070's nearest competitors show how this combo fares. The RX 9070 sits close to the RTX 2080 SUPER in raw GPU benchmarks, but the i5-11400F's newer architecture and higher boost clock help maintain frame rates in CPU-light scenes. The combo's rank of 1136 suggests that users with this setup can expect performance in the upper third of all tested systems, making it a solid choice for 1080p high-refresh and 1440p standard-refresh gaming.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo delivers 128 FPS average with a 109 FPS minimum, which is close to the 144Hz target. At 1920x1080 with High settings, it reaches 152 FPS average, providing more headroom for a 144Hz display.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes, at 4K Medium settings it maintains 82 FPS average with a 70 FPS minimum. At 4K High, it drops to 72 FPS average, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 54 FPS, so Medium is the recommended 4K preset.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12 and 0.6% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U. It trails the Intel Core i5-12450H by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G by 0.6%.

Q: Is the GPU's 16 GB VRAM sufficient for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The measured data shows no VRAM-related performance drops at any resolution or setting. The 16 GB GDDR6 memory with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth supports 4K Ultra textures, and the minimum FPS values remain consistent across presets.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with competitive settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 234 FPS average, which is suitable for 240Hz displays. At 1080p Medium, it drops to 174 FPS average with a 148 FPS minimum, still excellent for competitive play.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1136th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 31% of all systems tested.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS shows a clear progression across settings. Low settings produce 234 FPS average, Medium delivers 174 FPS with a minimum of 148 FPS and maximum of 200 FPS, High reaches 152 FPS, and Ultra drops to 114 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 60 FPS, while the step from Medium to High is 22 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 38 FPS. This suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for 1080p, offering nearly 75% of the Low preset's frame rate with significantly better visuals.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings produce 180 FPS average, Medium delivers 128 FPS with a 109 FPS minimum and 147 FPS maximum, High reaches 112 FPS, and Ultra drops to 84 FPS. The difference between Medium and High is only 16 FPS, making High a reasonable choice if visual quality is prioritized, while the 96 FPS gap between Low and Ultra highlights the GPU's workload at 1440p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed harder. Low settings generate 116 FPS average, Medium delivers 82 FPS with a 70 FPS minimum and 95 FPS maximum, High reaches 72 FPS, and Ultra falls to 54 FPS. The 4K Medium result is the only preset that maintains an average above 80 FPS, and the 70 FPS minimum ensures consistent gameplay. The step from Medium to High is 10 FPS, while High to Ultra is 18 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at Ultra settings for 4K.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the best balance of average FPS and minimum FPS stability. The minimum FPS values at Medium are 148 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 70 FPS at 4K, all of which remain above playable thresholds. The data shows that this combo can adapt to different display capabilities, with 1080p supporting high-refresh gaming, 1440p offering a solid mid-range experience, and 4K providing playable frame rates at Medium settings.