Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs an Intel Core i5-11400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, a combination that places 280th out of 3,714 tested combos for this title. The data reveals a system where the GPU’s immense raw power is frequently moderated by the CPU’s older architecture, producing a distinct pattern across resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that decline varies significantly depending on the preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 234 FPS at 1920x1080 to 211 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 23 FPS, and then further down to 178 FPS at 3840x2160. This scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings represents a 23.9% drop in performance, suggesting that even at lower graphical loads, the system is still able to maintain high throughput.

Moving to High settings, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The average FPS falls from 197 at 1920x1080 to 171 at 2560x1440, and then to 111 at 3840x2160. The jump from 1440p to 4K here is substantial, with a 60 FPS loss, indicating that the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor as pixel count increases. This trend intensifies at Medium settings, where the average FPS goes from 206 at 1080p to 186 at 1440p, and finally to 127 at 4K. The 4K result is 38.3% lower than the 1080p figure, showing a growing reliance on GPU capabilities.

The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest curve, with averages of 175 FPS at 1080p, 128 FPS at 1440p, and 83 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is 92 FPS, a 52.6% reduction. This pattern implies that Lockdown Protocol’s higher presets introduce graphical effects that disproportionately tax the GPU, while the CPU’s influence wanes. The data suggests that at 1080p, particularly with lower presets, the Core i5-11400F is more likely to bottleneck the RTX 5090, as the GPU has spare capacity. At 4K, the GPU’s workload dominates, making the resolution the primary determinant of frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s position of 280th out of 3,714 tested combinations places it in the top 7.5% of all pairings for Lockdown Protocol. This is a strong showing, reflecting the RTX 5090’s capability, but the ranking also hints at the CPU’s limiting role. If the i5-11400F were fully releasing the GPU, one might expect a higher rank given the GPU’s performance percentile of 92. The CPU itself sits in the 71st percentile among all processors, which is respectable but not elite.

The gap between the CPU’s and GPU’s relative standings is informative. The RTX 5090’s average benchmark score of 79,842 is nearly 4.7 times higher than the i5-11400F’s average of 17,177. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, this disparity means the combo’s rank is likely held back by the CPU in less demanding scenarios. The data indicates that the combination is competitive, but not at the very top, which would likely require a more modern processor with higher single-thread performance to match the GPU’s output in lighter loads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 brings substantial specifications to this pairing, including 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This memory configuration is far beyond what Lockdown Protocol likely requires, suggesting that capacity and bandwidth are not constraining factors in any measured scenario. The GPU’s boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz are high for the Blackwell architecture, and its 21,760 shading units provide immense compute throughput.

Benchmark results for the GPU show a PassMark G3D score of 39,650 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,728, confirming its top-tier status. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79,842, places it near the top of the database. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which is only 0.3% lower in average score, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, which is 1.4% higher. This indicates the RTX 5090 is performing as expected for its class.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s role becomes more critical as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 83 shows the GPU being heavily utilized, while at 1080p Low, the 234 FPS average suggests the GPU is not the bottleneck. The GPU’s massive memory pool and high bandwidth ensure that even at 4K with Ultra settings, the frame rates remain playable, but the data shows that the CPU can hold it back in less demanding situations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured averages are 234 FPS on Low, 206 FPS on Medium, 197 FPS on High, and 175 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset includes a minimum FPS of 175 and a maximum of 237, showing a tight range that indicates consistent frame delivery. The spread from Low to Ultra is 59 FPS, which is significant and shows how much the preset affects performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 211 FPS on Low, 186 FPS on Medium, 171 FPS on High, and 128 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset here shows a minimum of 158 FPS and a maximum of 214 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 83 FPS, a larger gap than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming more involved. The High preset at 1440p is 26 FPS lower than at 1080p, showing a moderate penalty for the resolution increase.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 178 FPS on Low, 127 FPS on Medium, 111 FPS on High, and 83 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum is 108 FPS and maximum is 146 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 95 FPS, the largest of any resolution, confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor here. The High preset at 4K loses 86 FPS compared to 1080p High, a clear indication of the resolution’s impact.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for maximizing frame rate with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest average FPS across all settings, with a peak of 234 FPS on Low. Even at Ultra, the 1080p average of 175 FPS is higher than any 4K preset, making it the best choice for maximum frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 5090’s memory affect Lockdown Protocol performance?

A: The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory with a 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, which is far more than the game likely needs. This means memory capacity and bandwidth are not bottlenecks in any measured scenario, as the frame rates are more dependent on resolution and settings.

Q: Is the Core i5-11400F holding back the RTX 5090?

A: The evidence suggests yes, particularly at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 234 is high, but the CPU’s 71st percentile ranking and its 3DMark single-thread score of 868 indicate it may limit the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates in lighter loads.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 280th out of 3,714 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 7.5% of all systems. This is a strong result, but the ranking reflects the GPU’s power more than the CPU’s.

Q: Which preset shows the most consistent frame delivery?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 has a minimum FPS of 175 and a maximum of 237, a range of 62 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium range is 56 FPS (158 to 214), and at 4K it is 38 FPS (108 to 146). The 4K Medium shows the tightest range, indicating more consistent delivery.

Q: How does the GPU’s benchmark score compare to its rivals?

A: The RTX 5090’s average benchmark score of 79,842 is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB’s 79,605, and 1.4% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X’s 80,959. This shows it is closely matched with these high-end cards.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to Medium settings as the most balanced choice for this combo. At 1920x1080, Medium yields 206 FPS, which is 28 FPS higher than High and only 28 FPS lower than Low. The Medium preset also provides a minimum FPS of 175, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. At 2560x1440, Medium delivers 186 FPS, a solid improvement over High’s 171 FPS and close to Low’s 211 FPS, with a minimum of 158 FPS.

At 3840x2160, Medium achieves 127 FPS, which is 16 FPS higher than High’s 111 FPS and 51 FPS higher than Ultra’s 83 FPS. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 108, keeping it above the 100 FPS threshold for most displays. This makes Medium the recommended preset for 4K gaming, as it offers a significant performance boost over High and Ultra while still providing a high-quality visual experience.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rate, Low settings at 1080p provide 234 FPS, but this comes with reduced visual fidelity. For those wanting the best visual quality, Ultra at 1080p still offers 175 FPS, but the performance drop to 83 FPS at 4K Ultra is substantial. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, balancing the GPU’s capabilities with the CPU’s limitations to provide a consistently high frame rate across all resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its Rocket Lake architecture and 14 nm process node are from the 2021 era, and its 12 MB of shared L3 cache is modest by modern standards. The CPU’s benchmark scores show a single-thread performance of 868 in 3DMark and 2,024 in Cinebench R23, which are decent but not top-tier.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 234 is high, but the CPU’s 71st percentile ranking and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12450H with a 0.4% higher average score, suggest that it is not the best pairing for this GPU. The CPU’s 3DMark max-thread score of 5,652 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14,340 indicate solid multi-threaded performance, but the game’s frame rates are more likely limited by single-thread performance.

The data implies that the i5-11400F can keep up with the RTX 5090 at 4K, where the GPU is the bottleneck, but at 1080p, the CPU may prevent the system from reaching its full potential. The combination’s 280th rank out of 3,714 combos, despite the GPU’s high percentile, supports this interpretation. For players using a 1080p high-refresh monitor, a newer CPU with higher single-thread performance would likely yield better results, but for 4K gaming, this pairing is well-balanced.