Lockdown Protocol

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-13400F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-13400F's average benchmark score of 25,292 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (25,284, delta 0%), the Intel Core 5 120 (25,362, delta -0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25,365, delta -0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (25,201, delta 0.4%). The data indicates these processors are effectively in the same performance tier, with the i5-13400F sitting at the 77th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: What is the RTX 3070 Ti's standing relative to comparable GPUs?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti's average benchmark score of 29,945 places it at the 75th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (29,928, delta 0.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30,095, delta -0.5%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (29,783, delta 0.5%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 (30,433, delta -1.6%). This shows the 3070 Ti sits in the upper-middle range of GPU performance.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average is 225 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is more than double the 106 FPS recorded at 4K with Low settings, demonstrating how resolution dramatically impacts frame rates for this configuration.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 Ti's 8 GB VRAM become a limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data shows a significant performance drop at 3840x2160 Ultra settings, where the average FPS falls to 49. This is the lowest score across all tested settings. While the 8 GB GDDR6X memory with 608.3 GB/s bandwidth is substantial, the 4K Ultra result suggests the GPU's memory capacity or processing power becomes strained at the highest load.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 1,324 out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the upper portion of tested systems, though not in the top tier.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 165 FPS, while Ultra drops to 77 FPS. That is a 88 FPS difference, or roughly 114% more frames at Low settings. Medium and High sit in between at 117 and 102 FPS respectively.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture using the GA104 chip, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. It packs 17,400 million transistors across a 392 mm² die. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6X memory is connected via a 256-bit bus, yielding 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU's compute resources include 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines. It also features 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores, giving it 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Pixel rate is 169.9 GPixel/s and texture rate is 339.8 GTexel/s. The card has a 290 W TDP and requires a 600 W suggested PSU.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role becomes increasingly apparent at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows that at 1920x1080, even Ultra settings achieve 105 FPS, which is well above playable thresholds. However, at 3840x2160, the GPU struggles more visibly. The jump from 1080p Ultra at 105 FPS to 4K Ultra at 49 FPS — a 56 FPS drop — illustrates how the RTX 3070 Ti's capabilities are stretched at 4K.

The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is worth examining. At 4K with Ultra settings, the game demands more memory for textures and geometry. The data cannot confirm a hard VRAM limit, but the steep decline to 49 FPS at 4K Ultra versus 66 FPS at 4K High suggests the Ultra preset imposes a substantial additional load on the GPU. The bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s is generous, but the capacity may become a constraint at the highest settings.

Interestingly, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 225 FPS, which is likely beyond what the CPU can consistently feed. This hints that the GPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions, but rather the CPU or game engine limits the frame rate. The RTX 3070 Ti's 75th percentile standing among all GPUs aligns with these results: it is a capable card that handles 1080p and 1440p with authority, but 4K pushes it to its limits.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of how Lockdown Protocol scales across resolutions. At Low settings, the progression is: 225 FPS at 1080p, 165 FPS at 1440p, and 106 FPS at 4K. This represents a 53% drop from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the numbers are 139 FPS, 102 FPS, and 66 FPS respectively — a 52% drop from 1080p to 4K. Medium settings show 160 FPS, 117 FPS, and 76 FPS, a 52.5% drop. Ultra settings show 105 FPS, 77 FPS, and 49 FPS, a 53% drop.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is striking. Whether at Low or Ultra, moving from 1080p to 4K costs roughly half the frame rate. This uniformity suggests that resolution scaling is primarily GPU-bound. The RTX 3070 Ti has to render four times as many pixels at 4K versus 1080p, and the data reflects that linear relationship.

However, the pattern changes when examining the gap between 1080p and 1440p versus 1440p and 4K. At Low settings, 1080p to 1440p drops from 225 to 165 FPS (a 26.7% reduction), while 1440p to 4K drops from 165 to 106 FPS (a 35.8% reduction). The 4K jump is more punishing, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth or compute capacity is disproportionately stressed at the highest resolution.

At 4K, the RTX 3070 Ti's 608.3 GB/s bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM may be contributing factors. The data shows 4K results of 66 FPS at High, 76 FPS at Medium, and 106 FPS at Low. Even at Low settings, the 4K frame rate (106) is lower than 1440p Ultra (77) and only slightly better than 1080p Ultra (105) — actually, 4K Low at 106 is comparable to 1080p Ultra at 105. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even Low settings cannot match the performance of higher settings at lower resolutions.

The resolution scaling data implies that for this combo, 1440p is the sweet spot where the GPU can flex its capabilities without being overwhelmed. At 1440p High, the 102 FPS average is smooth, and even 1440p Ultra at 77 FPS is playable. At 4K, the user must accept Low settings to stay above 100 FPS, or settle for Medium at 76 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo performs strongly across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 225 FPS, which is the highest recorded value for this system. Medium settings yield 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 and maximum of 184 FPS. High settings drop to 139 FPS, and Ultra settings reach 105 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 120 FPS, indicating that the game's presets have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the results show a similar pattern but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 165 FPS, while Medium delivers 117 FPS (min 99, max 135). High settings produce 102 FPS, and Ultra falls to 77 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 88 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly under heavy load. Low settings average 106 FPS, Medium delivers 76 FPS (min 64, max 87), High drops to 66 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 49 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 57 FPS.

Examining the Medium preset specifically, which is the only setting with min/max data across all resolutions: at 1080p, the range is 136-184 FPS (spread of 48 FPS); at 1440p, the range is 99-135 FPS (spread of 36 FPS); and at 4K, the range is 64-87 FPS (spread of 23 FPS). The narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that frame pacing becomes more consistent when the GPU is the bottleneck, as opposed to CPU-driven variability at lower resolutions.

The data also reveals that High settings are consistently about 10-15% slower than Medium across all resolutions. At 1080p, High is 139 vs Medium's 160 (a 13% difference); at 1440p, High is 102 vs Medium's 117 (a 13% difference); and at 4K, High is 66 vs Medium's 76 (a 13% difference). This consistency indicates that the High preset adds a predictable level of graphical load.

Ultra settings, by contrast, exact a heavier toll. At 1080p, Ultra is 105 vs High's 139 (a 24% reduction); at 1440p, Ultra is 77 vs High's 102 (a 24.5% reduction); and at 4K, Ultra is 49 vs High's 66 (a 25.8% reduction). The Ultra preset appears to introduce features that disproportionately impact the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, with even Ultra achieving 105 FPS. For a 144 Hz monitor, Medium at 160 FPS or High at 139 FPS would be ideal, as they provide a comfortable margin above the refresh rate. Low at 225 FPS is excessive for most displays and would primarily benefit competitive players seeking minimal input lag.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation becomes more nuanced. For a 144 Hz display, Low at 165 FPS is the only setting that exceeds this threshold. Medium at 117 FPS would suit a 120 Hz monitor, while High at 102 FPS works for a 100 Hz display. Ultra at 77 FPS is suitable for a 60-75 Hz monitor but would feel less smooth on higher refresh rate panels. The data suggests that 1440p Medium or High offers the best balance between visual quality and frame rate for this combo.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Low at 106 FPS is the only setting that clears 100 FPS, making it the pick for fast-paced play. Medium at 76 FPS is acceptable for a 60-75 Hz display, and High at 66 FPS is borderline. Ultra at 49 FPS is playable but not recommended for a competitive FPS, as the frame rate dips below 50 FPS.

The overall recommendation across all resolutions is to prioritize Medium or High settings. Medium provides the best frame rate headroom, while High offers improved visuals at a modest cost. Ultra should be reserved for 1080p where the GPU has sufficient headroom, or for players who prioritize image quality over frame rate. The data indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is best utilized at 1440p Medium/High, where it delivers 102-117 FPS — a range that balances responsiveness and visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 20 MB shared L3. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, with PCIe Gen 5 (16 lanes from CPU).

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU shows strong multi-threaded performance: 3DMark scores range from 1,880 (2 threads) to 7,314 (16 threads), with a max threads score of 7,307. Cinebench R23 yields 22,604 multi-core and 3,191 single-core. Geekbench reports 11,068 multi-core and 1,996 single-core. PassMark multi-thread is 25,032, with single-thread at 3,634. The CPU's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its solid mid-range positioning.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 225 FPS, which is likely approaching the CPU's frame rate ceiling. The fact that 4K Low (106 FPS) is not much lower than 1080p Ultra (105 FPS) suggests that at 1080p Ultra, the GPU is still the primary limiter, but at 1080p Low, the CPU may be holding back the GPU.

The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are relevant for this FPS game. Modern shooters often utilize multiple threads for game logic, physics, and AI. The 16 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks while gaming. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance for game engines that rely on a primary thread.

The data cannot isolate CPU vs GPU bottleneck precisely, but the pattern is informative. At 1080p Low, the 225 FPS result is 53% higher than 1080p High (139 FPS). If the CPU were the sole bottleneck, the frame rate would not increase so dramatically when lowering graphical settings. This indicates the GPU is still contributing to performance even at Low settings, though the CPU's influence becomes relatively more significant at very high frame rates.

The i5-13400F's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — all within 0.4% delta — suggest that swapping to any of these CPUs would yield negligible performance differences in Lockdown Protocol. The CPU is not the limiting factor in most tested configurations; the GPU is. However, for players targeting 200+ FPS at 1080p, the CPU's 10-core/16-thread configuration is adequate, as evidenced by the 225 FPS result at Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 1,324 out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the 64th percentile of all tested configurations (1,324/3,714 = 35.7% from the top, meaning it outperforms roughly 64% of tested combos).

This ranking is slightly below what the individual component percentiles might suggest. The CPU sits at the 77th percentile and the GPU at the 75th percentile, yet the combo ranks in the 64th percentile for this specific game. This discrepancy indicates that Lockdown Protocol may favor other hardware configurations, or that the combination of this CPU and GPU does not scale as well as their individual benchmarks would imply.

Examining the measured FPS data, the combo's 4K Ultra result of 49 FPS is notably weak, which likely drags down the overall ranking. Many competing combos may achieve higher 4K performance. The 1080p Low result of 225 FPS is strong, but this is a scenario where the CPU and GPU are not fully taxed, and many systems can achieve similar or better numbers.

The GPU's nearest rivals provide context. The RTX 5070 Mobile (delta 0.1%) and RTX 2080 Ti (delta 0.5%) would likely perform similarly in this game, while the RX 6800 (delta -0.5%) and RX 6700 (delta -1.6%) are slightly behind. The CPU's rivals, including the Ryzen 9 6900HS and Ryzen 7 6800H, are all within 0.4% in synthetic tests, so CPU choice among these options would have minimal impact on the game ranking.

The rank of 1,324 out of 3,714 means the combo is solidly mid-to-upper tier, not a top performer but far from a weak one. For a 1080p or 1440p gaming system, this ranking is respectable. The data suggests that for Lockdown Protocol specifically, this combo is better suited to 1080p and 1440p play, where it achieves consistently high frame rates, rather than 4K, where it falls to the lower end of playable performance.