Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti pairing. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system where the GPU is the primary constraint, but the CPU provides a solid foundation. The data indicates that this combination ranks in the lower percentile of tested systems, yet it still delivers playable performance at the right settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates that the GTX 1660 Ti is the limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 124.3 FPS, but this drops to 59.9 FPS at 4K Low—a reduction of roughly half. This trend intensifies at higher settings; the 1080p Ultra average of 56.2 FPS falls to 27 FPS at 4K Ultra. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is noticeable but less severe, with High settings dropping from 79.2 FPS to 53.5 FPS, a 25.7 FPS difference. Moving from 1440p to 4K at the same setting yields another significant drop, indicating that pixel throughput is the bottleneck.

The scaling pattern suggests that the i5-13400F is not holding the system back at any resolution. The CPU’s 16 threads and Raptor Lake architecture provide enough headroom, as the frame rate falls consistently with increased resolution—a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, where CPU load is highest relative to GPU, the system still posts over 124 FPS, indicating the processor can feed the graphics card adequately. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is 32.3 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is also 32.1 FPS, showing a linear scaling pattern that points to the GPU’s 192-bit memory bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth being saturated at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing holds the rank of 1452 out of 1637 total combos. This places it in the 12th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 88% of configurations deliver better performance in this title. The rank reflects the GTX 1660 Ti’s position in the GPU hierarchy; it sits at the 55th percentile against all GPUs, which is modest for a modern FPS title. The CPU, however, is much stronger, ranking at the 82nd percentile against all CPUs, so the processor is not the weak link.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 25236 places it within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D and just 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H. This indicates that the i5-13400F delivers compute performance on par with these rivals, yet the overall combo rank suffers due to the GPU. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 13925 is 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 570X and 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, showing it is a mid-range part from an older generation. In Lockdown Protocol’s specific workload, the combination of this mid-range GPU with a high-end CPU produces a system that is functional but not competitive with higher-tier builds. The data shows that users with this combo will need to rely on settings optimization to achieve smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is built on the Turing architecture using the TU116 chip, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU’s memory clock runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed. The shading units number 1536, with 96 texture mapping units and 48 render output units. The base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, delivering a pixel rate of 84.96 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 169.9 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is rated at 5.437 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 10.87 TFLOPS.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s limitations become evident when moving from Medium to High or Ultra settings. At 1440p, the average frame rate drops from 66.2 FPS on Medium to 53.5 FPS on High, a 12.7 FPS decline. The jump from High to Ultra at the same resolution results in a further drop to 39.4 FPS, a 14.1 FPS decrease. This pattern shows that the GPU’s 6 GB memory capacity and 192-bit bus are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher detail levels. The VRAM capacity of 6 GB appears to be a limiting factor at 4K, where even Low settings only achieve 59.9 FPS. The GPU’s DirectX 12 support (12_1) is adequate for the game, but the lack of dedicated ray tracing cores means any such features would need to be disabled. The 120 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate this is a power-efficient card, but efficiency does not translate to high-end performance in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the GTX 1660 Ti delivers playable results across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 124.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings reduce this to 86.4 FPS, still a comfortable margin. High settings yield 79.2 FPS, which remains playable for most users. Ultra settings drop to 56.2 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter on high-refresh-rate displays but is acceptable on standard 60 Hz monitors. The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a total drop of 68.1 FPS, indicating that each settings tier has a measurable impact on performance.

Moving to 1440p, the system begins to struggle at higher settings. Low settings produce 92 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings drop to 66.2 FPS, which is borderline for competitive play. High settings yield 53.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39.4 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is below the 40 FPS threshold, making it difficult to play effectively. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 52.6 FPS, showing that settings have a significant impact at this resolution.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Low settings produce 59.9 FPS, which is technically playable but not ideal. Medium settings drop to 40.9 FPS, which is marginal. High settings yield 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS. The 4K results show that the GTX 1660 Ti lacks the bandwidth and processing power for high-detail 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol. Even at Low settings, the frame rate is only barely above 60 FPS, and any action-heavy scenes would likely cause dips below this threshold.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo at 1080p is the High preset, which delivers 79.2 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual quality and performance, with a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS target. For users with 60 Hz monitors, High settings offer a smooth experience without the visual degradation of Low or Medium settings. The Medium preset at 86.4 FPS is also viable, but the visual improvements of High are worth the 7.2 FPS reduction.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 66.2 FPS is the highest settings tier that maintains a playable frame rate. High settings at 53.5 FPS are borderline, and Ultra at 39.4 FPS is not recommended for active gameplay. For 1440p users, Medium provides the best compromise. Users with 144 Hz monitors should consider dropping to Low settings at 1440p to achieve 92 FPS, which is closer to the refresh rate.

At 4K, the Low preset at 59.9 FPS is the only viable option. Medium at 40.9 FPS may be acceptable for slower-paced sections, but it will struggle during intense firefights. High and Ultra at 35 FPS and 27 FPS respectively are not recommended. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p possible at reduced settings. For the smoothest experience, the Low preset at 1080p at 124.3 FPS is the highest frame rate available, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it for most players.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the optimal resolution, with the High preset delivering 79.2 FPS and Low delivering 124.3 FPS. At 1440p, performance drops significantly, and at 4K, only Low settings are playable.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 13925 is 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 570X and 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680. This places it in a tight cluster of similar-performance cards.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F holding back the GTX 1660 Ti?

A: No, the CPU ranks at the 82nd percentile against all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 25236. The frame rate scaling with resolution suggests the GPU is the bottleneck, not the processor.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average at 1440p Ultra is 39.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This setting is not recommended for active play.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for 4K gaming in this title?

A: At 4K, even Low settings only achieve 59.9 FPS, and Medium drops to 40.9 FPS. The 6 GB VRAM appears insufficient for high-detail 4K, as the frame rates decline sharply with increased settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1452 out of 1637 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of systems. This is primarily due to the GPU’s mid-range performance rather than the CPU.