Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a highly variable experience in Lockdown Protocol, depending entirely on the resolution and quality preset chosen. Across the measured data, this combination ranks 1162nd out of 1637 tested CPU-GPU pairings in this game, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database. The benchmark results show a system that can deliver smooth, high-refresh-rate gameplay at 1080p, but which struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with maximum settings. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, examines the role of each component, and provides clear guidance on how to optimize the experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this system in Lockdown Protocol?*

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this resolution, even the Ultra preset achieves an average of 76.7 FPS, while the Low preset reaches 157 FPS. This provides the widest margin for smooth gameplay across all settings.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the system remains viable. The High preset delivers an average of 72.1 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 81.7 FPS. However, the Ultra preset drops to 56.9 FPS, which may be less desirable for fast-paced FPS action.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: It is possible but only with significant compromises. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 73.4 FPS, but the High preset falls to 46.8 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 37.1 FPS. For a competitive FPS, the Low preset at 4K is the only setting that provides a fluid experience.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions?

A: The data indicates a shift in bottleneck. At 1080p, the strong CPU performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279) allows the GPU to be fully utilized. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the frame rate drops dramatically (e.g., from 99.7 FPS at 1080p High to 46.8 FPS at 4K High), indicating the GPU's rendering limits are being reached.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 19774 is nearly identical to its closest competitors. It is 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla K40m. This suggests performance parity with these older high-end cards.

Q: What CPU benchmark scores are most relevant for gaming?

A: The CPU's gaming potential is highlighted by its 3DMark scores. It achieves 7314 in the 16-thread test and 960 in the single-thread test. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 and single-core score of 3004 further indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities for game logic and physics.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the decisive component in this build's performance scaling. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p textures but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU's clock speeds are base 1470 MHz and boost 1650 MHz, and it features 2176 shading units. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: the GPU's compute capability (7.181 TFLOPS FP32) is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 SUPER is capable of pushing frame rates well above 100 FPS on most presets. The jump from 1080p to 1440p results in a significant performance hit, with the High preset dropping from 99.7 FPS to 72.1 FPS, a 27.7% decrease. This is consistent with a GPU that is being pushed closer to its fillrate and memory bandwidth limits. At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, as evidenced by the Ultra preset averaging only 37.1 FPS. The GPU's percentile rank of 63 among all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range performer, and the data suggests that 4K Ultra is beyond its intended scope for this game.

The GPU's memory configuration is also a factor. While 8 GB is generally adequate for 1080p, the combination of higher resolution and higher settings at 4K can strain this capacity, potentially leading to texture streaming issues. The benchmark results do not show min FPS data, but the average FPS numbers alone suggest that the GPU's memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) is a significant constraint at 4K, where the pixel workload increases fourfold compared to 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and smooth gameplay, the data strongly supports using the High preset at 1920x1080. This setting yields an average of 99.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for a good experience and provides headroom for demanding scenes. While the Medium preset offers a slightly higher 113.6 FPS, the visual uplift from Medium to High is typically more noticeable than the 13.9 FPS difference.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It achieves an average of 81.7 FPS, which is smooth and playable. The High preset at 72.1 FPS is also acceptable, but Medium provides a more comfortable margin for maintaining a consistent frame rate during action-heavy moments. The Ultra preset at 56.9 FPS is borderline and should be avoided if competitive performance is a priority.

For 4K, the only viable option is the Low preset, which delivers an average of 73.4 FPS. While the visual quality will be reduced, this is the only setting that provides a fluid experience at this resolution. The Medium preset at 54.3 FPS and High preset at 46.8 FPS are below the ideal playable range for a fast-paced FPS. The Ultra preset at 37.1 FPS is not recommended for any scenario. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate, and for Lockdown Protocol, a higher frame rate is more beneficial.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. The Low preset achieves a peak average of 157 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset follows at 113.6 FPS, and the High preset at 99.7 FPS. The Ultra preset still manages a respectable 76.7 FPS, making 1080p the only resolution where all presets are playable.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. The Low preset drops to 120.1 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset achieves 81.7 FPS, and the High preset reaches 72.1 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 56.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average FPS reduction of roughly 27-30% across all presets, indicating a GPU-bound scenario.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The Low preset is the only one that remains fluid, with an average of 73.4 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 54.3 FPS, and the High preset to 46.8 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, averaging only 37.1 FPS. The performance gap between presets widens at 4K, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 36.3 FPS, compared to 80.3 FPS at 1080p. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU's raw compute power is the limiting factor, and reducing settings has a diminishing return.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the High preset drops from 99.7 FPS to 72.1 FPS, a 27.7% decrease. This is roughly in line with the 77.8% increase in pixel count, indicating that performance scales almost linearly with resolution. This is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, where the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU, but the GPU's rendering throughput is the limiting factor.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more dramatic. The High preset drops from 72.1 FPS to 46.8 FPS, a 35.1% decrease, while the pixel count increases by 225%. This sub-linear scaling suggests that the GPU is hitting other limits, such as memory bandwidth or fillrate, rather than just raw shader compute. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 64 ROPs are likely causing this additional overhead at 4K.

The data clearly indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. The Intel Core i5-13400F's strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279) and high boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensure it can keep up with the GPU's demands at all resolutions. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K follows the GPU's workload scaling, confirming that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the component that determines the system's performance ceiling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F provides a solid foundation for this GPU. With 10 cores and 16 threads, it offers excellent multi-threading capabilities for modern game engines that utilize multiple threads for physics, AI, and rendering tasks. The CPU's boost clock of 4.60 GHz and base clock of 2.50 GHz allow it to handle both single-threaded game logic and multi-threaded background tasks effectively. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 and a single-core score of 3004.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data. The data shows that at 1080p, where the GPU is less burdened, the CPU's performance is sufficient to allow the GPU to reach its maximum frame rates (e.g., 157 FPS on Low). The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314 and single-thread score of 960 indicate it has the processing power to handle the game's simulation and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU's nearest rivals show a tight performance cluster. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D. This indicates that the i5-13400F is well-positioned in its performance class. However, the measured FPS data shows that this CPU is more than capable of supporting the RTX 2060 SUPER, as the frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU, not the CPU. The CPU's 82nd percentile rank among all CPUs further confirms that it is a high-performing part that will not be the primary constraint in this gaming configuration.