Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti pairing in Lockdown Protocol presents a study in contrasting hardware generations. The CPU, a Rocket Lake-S desktop part from the Core 11th Gen series, provides a fixed foundation with 6 cores and 12 threads. Its base clock of 2.60 GHz can reach a 4.40 GHz boost, which is central to its performance in this FPS. The architecture relies on a 12 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The data indicates this CPU sits at the 75th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 17181. This places it in a competitive mid-range tier, though its nearest rivals show it is not a standout leader; the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U scores a near-identical 17189, and the Intel Core i7-1260P is just 0.2% behind at 17212.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are modest but adequate for modern gaming. In synthetic tests, it scores 5619 in 3dmark’s 16-thread test and 5652 at max threads, while its single-thread score is 868. Cinebench R23 results show 14372 multi-core and 2029 single-core points. These figures suggest that while the i5-11400F will not be the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, its 6-core/12-thread configuration can limit frame rates when the game engine demands high per-core throughput, particularly at lower resolutions. The processor’s 65W TDP and end-of-life status indicate that it is a mature, power-conscious design, but its performance ceiling is firmly established. In Lockdown Protocol, the data shows that the CPU’s role is to provide a stable baseline; it is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, but the scaling of frame rates across resolutions will reveal where its influence wanes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the dominant component in this combo, and its specifications reflect a high-end Ada Lovelace architecture design. Built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, the GPU features the AD104 chip with 35,800 million transistors. It operates with a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, which are high frequencies that drive its substantial compute capabilities. The memory subsystem is a critical asset: 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus delivers 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This VRAM capacity is generous for Lockdown Protocol, ensuring that texture-heavy scenes at high resolutions do not suffer from memory starvation. The GPU’s 7680 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs allow for a raw fill rate of 208.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance reaching 40.09 TFLOPS.

The RTX 4070 Ti’s benchmark data places it in the 85th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 44900. Its nearest rivals are close, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile 0.6% behind and the Intel Arc A730M 1.5% behind, indicating that this desktop card is firmly in the upper echelon of performance. In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s role is to provide the visual fidelity and high frame rates that the CPU cannot. The data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the combo still manages 68.4 FPS, which is playable but shows the GPU is being pushed. The high VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are directly responsible for the sustained performance at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU’s compute and memory throughput become the deciding factors.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti achieves a rank of 264 out of 1637 combos. This places it in the top 16% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result given the CPU’s mid-range positioning. The rank indicates that while the GPU is top-tier, the overall combo is held back by the processor’s lower multi-threaded performance compared to newer or higher-core-count CPUs. The data shows that the combo’s average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 144.5, which is high, but the rank suggests that many other combos with faster CPUs achieve higher frame rates in the same scenario.

The delta between the CPU and GPU performance tiers is significant. The GPU’s 85th percentile ranking versus the CPU’s 75th percentile shows an imbalance where the GPU is disproportionately more powerful. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, such as 1080p Low settings where the combo hits 235.1 FPS, the processor is likely limiting the GPU’s potential. Conversely, at 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 68.4 FPS, where the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The rank of 264 reflects this dynamic: it is a high-performance setup, but not a top-100 configuration because the CPU cannot fully saturate the RTX 4070 Ti at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the Intel Core i5-11400F?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F had a launch MSRP of $157.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17181, which is virtually identical to its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, which scores 17189. It is also 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i5-1240U and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-1260P.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s.

Q: What is the combo’s performance at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves an average frame rate of 139 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 68.4 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 144.5 FPS at 1080p Ultra, indicating the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in the database?

A: The combo ranks 264 out of 1637 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, with Low settings hitting 235.1 FPS and Ultra reaching 144.5 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to high output, but the gap between Low and Ultra (90.6 FPS difference) suggests that the GPU is still processing a significant workload. Moving to 1440p, the frames drop accordingly: High settings yield 139 FPS, and Ultra drops to 104.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings is a 28% reduction, which is a moderate penalty.

The most telling data comes at 4K. At 3840x2160, the average FPS at High settings is 91.2, and at Ultra it falls to 68.4. This represents a 52.6% drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra (144.5 to 68.4 FPS). This steep decline confirms that the RTX 4070 Ti is the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are taxed heavily by the pixel count. The CPU’s role diminishes at this resolution, as the frame rate is no longer limited by the processor’s single-thread speed but by the GPU’s rasterization and shading throughput. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it maintains over 100 FPS at Ultra settings, while 4K Ultra is playable but demands a compromise on settings to reach higher refresh rates.