Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that is firmly positioned for 1080p gaming, with the data indicating that the GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. This analysis examines the measured performance to determine the optimal settings and the role each component plays.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data for this combination shows a clear hierarchy of performance across presets, with the Low setting providing the only consistently high frame rates. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 127.9 FPS, which is the highest measured score for this system. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 91.9 FPS, while High produces 81.9 FPS. The Ultra preset, by contrast, drops to 62.1 FPS, which is a significant reduction of nearly half the frame rate compared to Low.

For players seeking the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the High preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended starting point. The 81.9 FPS average is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced FPS. However, the data shows that the Medium preset offers a substantial 10 FPS improvement over High, with 91.9 FPS. Given that the visual difference between Medium and High is often less pronounced than the performance gap, the Medium preset at 1080p provides the most efficient experience based on the measured rows.

The 2560x1440 resolution presents a different challenge. Here, the Low preset is the only viable option for high frame rates, producing 94.7 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 65.4 FPS, and High falls to 60.4 FPS. Ultra at this resolution is not recommended, as it yields only 43.4 FPS. For 1440p gaming, the Low preset is the clear choice for maintaining a high refresh rate experience. At 3840x2160, the data shows that no preset provides a playable frame rate for competitive play; even Low only manages 60.7 FPS, with High at 39.2 FPS and Ultra at 30.6 FPS. The best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium or High settings, depending on whether the user prioritizes frame rate or visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 127.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the Ultra preset at 1080p compare to the High preset at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 produces an average of 62.1 FPS. The High preset at 2560x1440 produces a slightly lower average of 60.4 FPS. The data shows that these two configurations yield nearly identical performance, despite the resolution difference.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data indicates that 4K gaming is not a viable option. At 3840x2160, the best average frame rate is 60.7 FPS on Low settings. The High preset drops to 39.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30.6 FPS, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 94.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 43.4 FPS. This represents a performance drop of more than half when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17181. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, scores 17189, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17215, a delta of -0.2%, and the Intel Core i5-1240U scores 17141, a delta of 0.2%. The scores are effectively identical.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks in the 51st percentile among all GPUs, indicating it is an average-performing card in the current benchmark database.

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. The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide a solid foundation for gaming. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14372 and a single-core score of 2029, place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates show a significant drop when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate drops from 81.9 FPS at 1080p to 60.4 FPS at 1440p and then to 39.2 FPS at 4K. This scaling suggests that the GTX 1070 is the bottleneck, as the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally with resolution. However, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, where the system achieves its highest frame rates. The data shows that the i5-11400F is a capable partner for the GTX 1070, providing enough processing power to avoid holding back the graphics card at the resolutions where this combo is most effective.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1400th out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower 15% of all possible system configurations. This low ranking is largely attributable to the GPU's age and performance tier. The GTX 1070 sits in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4200, which scores 12241 (a delta of 0.7%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER, which scores 12504 (a delta of -1.4%). These are all relatively modest performers by modern standards.

The CPU, on the other hand, is a more capable component, ranking in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. The discrepancy between the CPU's decent standing and the combo's low rank confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The data suggests that the i5-11400F has headroom to drive a more powerful graphics card, but when paired with the GTX 1070, the system's overall performance is constrained. This ranking indicates that while the combo is functional for 1080p gaming, it is not competitive with higher-end systems in the benchmark database.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates demonstrate a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 127.9 FPS at 1080p to 94.7 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 33.2 FPS. Moving to 4K, the frame rate falls further to 60.7 FPS. This represents a total drop of 67.2 FPS, or roughly 52%, from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the scaling is similar: 81.9 FPS at 1080p, 60.4 FPS at 1440p, and 39.2 FPS at 4K. This is a 42.7 FPS drop, or approximately 52%.

This consistent halving of performance from 1080p to 4K is a strong indicator that the graphics card is the primary limiting component. The GPU's workload increases with the number of pixels, and the GTX 1070, with its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, struggles to maintain high fill rates at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance, which is resolution-independent, remains constant, but the GPU's rendering time increases. The data shows that the system is most balanced at 1080p, where the CPU can keep up with the GPU. At 1440p and above, the GPU's limitations become the dominant factor, leading to the observed frame rate reductions. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of just 30.6 FPS, illustrates the extreme end of this scaling, where the GPU is overwhelmed by the pixel count.