Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a demanding FPS, and this pairing of an Intel Core i5-13400F with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 shows a classic bottleneck dynamic. The benchmark data reveals that while the CPU has ample headroom, the GPU is the primary constraint, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The results are clear: this combo is playable, but users must manage expectations and settings to achieve a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a straightforward story about where the system's limits lie. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 128.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset, the average falls to 93.9 FPS, a reduction of 34.2 FPS. Jumping to 4K at Low settings further reduces the average to 61.1 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the GTX 1070 is being saturated as pixel count increases.

The trend is even more pronounced on higher presets. At High settings, the system averages 80.3 FPS at 1080p, but this number craters to 56.8 FPS at 1440p and then to 38.4 FPS at 4K. The frame rate loss from 1080p to 4K on High settings is over half the original value. This behavior confirms that the GPU’s rendering capabilities, rather than the CPU's processing power, dictate the frame rate in this title. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, users will need to rely heavily on the Low preset to stay near the 60 FPS mark, as the jump from Low to Medium at 4K costs 14 FPS, a significant hit for a 1920x1080 resolution increase.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scope of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing sits in the lower-middle tier. The data places this combo at rank 1392 out of 1637 total combinations. This percentile position suggests that while it is not among the weakest, it is outperformed by the vast majority of other system configurations in the database for this game. The ranking reflects the age and tier of the GTX 1070, which anchors the system's overall performance despite the capable processor.

This rank means that in a head-to-head comparison with other builds, this system will struggle to keep up with more modern setups. However, the rank is not a measure of "unplayability"; it is a measure of relative performance against all other tested combos. For a user with this hardware, the ranking indicates that the experience will be significantly better than the bottom 15% of systems but far from the top. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as the CPU’s benchmark scores are much more competitive within their own category.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 and a single-core score of 3004. This places the CPU in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a strong performer for gaming and productivity alike.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears to be one of providing a stable foundation without being the limiting factor. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 128.1 FPS, but at 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 93.9 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to remain relatively flat across resolutions. Since the frame rate scales down significantly with resolution, it demonstrates that the CPU is feeding the GPU faster than the GPU can render. The 20 MB of L3 cache and 16 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s engine, ensuring that the GPU is the primary constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive look at the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rates. The Low preset yields an average of 128.1 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings bring the average down to 93.9 FPS, still very smooth. High settings produce 80.3 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 60.9 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for this hardware, allowing for a good balance between visual fidelity and performance.

At 1440p, the GPU starts to show its age. The Low preset averages 93.9 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p Medium result, suggesting a similar load. Medium settings average 70.2 FPS, while High settings fall to 56.8 FPS. Ultra settings dip to 45.3 FPS, which starts to feel less fluid for a fast-paced FPS. The step from Low to Medium at this resolution costs 23.7 FPS, a significant penalty.

At 4K, the system is clearly GPU-bound. The Low preset averages 61.1 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings drop to 47.1 FPS, and High settings fall to 38.4 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 30.6 FPS, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience. The data shows that 4K gaming is only viable with the Low preset, and even then, users may experience drops in demanding scenes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1683 MHz. The GPU’s benchmark performance places it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 13498. This places it in the middle of the pack, roughly on par with a GTX 1650 SUPER, which is only 1.4% faster in average benchmark scores.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The frame rate scaling across resolutions and settings points directly to the graphics card’s limits. The 8 GB of VRAM is likely a factor at 4K with higher textures, but the core performance is the main constraint. The data shows that the GPU’s 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. The 64 ROPs and 120 TMUs also cap the pixel and texture fill rates, which directly impacts performance at 4K. The GPU's performance is the single most important factor in this combo's ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends heavily on the user's target resolution and refresh rate.

For 1080p users, the High preset at 80.3 FPS offers a great balance of visual quality and smoothness. Those with 144Hz monitors can drop to Medium for 93.9 FPS or Low for 128.1 FPS to prioritize frame rate. Ultra is viable at 60.9 FPS but does not offer a significant visual jump over High to justify the 19.4 FPS loss.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset at 70.2 FPS is the best choice for a smooth experience. High at 56.8 FPS is playable but may feel less responsive in fast-paced firefights. Low at 93.9 FPS is the best option for competitive play if visual fidelity is less important. Ultra at 45.3 FPS is not recommended.

For 4K users, the only viable option is the Low preset, which averages 61.1 FPS. This provides a playable experience, but users must accept significant visual compromises. The Medium preset at 47.1 FPS is too inconsistent for a competitive FPS. The data clearly indicates that this GPU is not suited for 4K gaming with this title at higher quality settings.

The overall recommendation is to target 1080p with High settings for the best balance, or 1440p with Medium settings if a higher resolution is preferred. The Ultra preset is largely a performance trap for this GPU, offering marginal visual gains for a substantial FPS cost.