Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 570 combination, with measured performance indicating that the system is primarily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions. The data shows a clear and steep decline in average frame rates as resolution increases, a pattern consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, particularly given the RX 570's 4 GB memory capacity. At 1080p, the combo delivers playable results, but the transition to higher resolutions exposes the hardware's limitations, making it essential to understand the scaling behavior and settings impact for an optimal experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced sensitivity to resolution, a hallmark of a system where the GPU is the limiting component. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 results in a significant drop in average frame rates across all settings presets. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 47 to 35, a reduction of approximately 25.5%. This trend continues and worsens at 3840x2160, where the High preset average dips to 22 FPS, a further 37% decrease from the 1440p figure. The pattern is consistent across Low and Medium presets, with the 4K resolution yielding averages of 36 and 26 FPS, respectively, compared to 56 and 40 FPS at 1440p.

This scaling behavior strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 570's rendering capabilities, rather than the CPU, are the primary bottleneck. The Core i5-9400, with its six cores and six threads, appears to have sufficient headroom at these resolutions, as the frame rate drops are disproportionately large relative to the increase in pixel count. The most telling evidence is the performance at 4K Ultra, which plummets to an average of 17 FPS. This is barely above a slideshow and suggests the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity. The data implies that for a smooth experience, users must significantly lower resolution or settings, as the hardware simply does not have the throughput to maintain high frame rates at 4K, even on the Low preset, which only manages 36 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combination is found at the 1920x1080 resolution with the High preset, which yields an average of 47 FPS. This provides a playable experience for a fast-paced FPS title, though it is not perfectly smooth. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a 54 FPS average, which is a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target, but the High preset's visual improvements may be worth the 7 FPS cost for some users. The Low preset at 1080p achieves a 77 FPS average, which is the only setting that consistently provides a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the best choice for competitive play where frame rate is paramount.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. The High preset's 35 FPS average is below the threshold for a fluid experience, and the Medium preset's 40 FPS is only marginally better. The Low preset at 1440p, with a 56 FPS average, is the only viable option for a reasonably smooth experience, but it requires a significant reduction in visual fidelity. The 4K resolution is not recommended for this hardware, as even the Low preset's 36 FPS average is too low for a comfortable gaming experience, and the Ultra preset's 17 FPS average is unplayable. The data suggests that users with this combo should prioritize 1080p gaming, with settings adjusted based on their preference for visual quality or maximum frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this hardware?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the most practical resolution, as it is the only one where the High preset achieves a playable 47 FPS average. Higher resolutions result in significant frame rate drops, with 2560x1440 High averaging 35 FPS and 3840x2160 High averaging only 22 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data indicates that Ultra settings are not viable for a smooth experience. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 36 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 26 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to an unplayable 17 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 570 the main bottleneck for this game?

A: Yes, the benchmark results point to the GPU as the limiting factor. The steep frame rate decline with increasing resolution, from 77 FPS at 1080p Low to 36 FPS at 4K Low, is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-9400, does not show similar evidence of being the primary constraint.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset at 1080p averages 77 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 36 FPS. This represents a performance reduction of over half when moving from the lowest to the highest settings, highlighting the significant load that Ultra settings place on the GPU.

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

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 40. The minimum FPS recorded is 34, and the maximum is 46, indicating some variability, but the average is below what is generally considered smooth for an FPS game.

Q: Is the 4 GB VRAM of the RX 570 a limiting factor at 4K?

A: While the data does not directly measure VRAM usage, the extremely low average frame rates at 3840x2160, such as 22 FPS on High and 36 FPS on Low, suggest the GPU is struggling with the overall workload. The combination of the RX 570's performance class and its 4 GB memory capacity makes 4K resolution impractical for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a detailed view of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 77 FPS, the highest recorded for this combo. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 63 FPS. The High preset averages 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 36 FPS. This resolution offers the full range of playable options, from the very smooth Low preset to the more demanding High and Ultra presets.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 56 FPS, which is still respectable, but the Medium preset averages 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46 FPS. The High preset averages 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 26 FPS. The data shows that 1440p requires a compromise, as only the Low preset approaches a consistently smooth frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the hardware is clearly overmatched. The Low preset averages 36 FPS, the Medium preset averages 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30 FPS. The High preset averages 22 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 17 FPS. None of these results are suitable for a playable experience in a fast-paced FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a consistent decline, ending with the lowest average frame rate recorded in the entire dataset.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the central component in this system's performance profile for Lockdown Protocol. Its specifications, including a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, along with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, provide a total memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GPU's compute capabilities are defined by its 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, which together deliver a peak FP32 performance of 5.095 TFLOPS. The data suggests that this level of performance is the primary determinant of frame rates, especially at higher resolutions.

The GPU's 4 GB memory capacity is a likely point of concern at 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 resolutions. The substantial frame rate drops at these resolutions, even on the Low preset, could be attributed to the memory being insufficient to hold all the necessary assets, forcing the system to rely on slower memory transfers. The RX 570's overall benchmark standing, with an average benchmark score of 28766 and a percentile ranking of 74, places it in a mid-range tier that is not intended for high-resolution gaming. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 470 with a score of 28996, show that the 570 is closely matched with other cards in its class, reinforcing the conclusion that its performance is the constraining factor in this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides the processing foundation for this system, but the benchmark data indicates that it is not the primary bottleneck in Lockdown Protocol. With 6 cores and 6 threads, a base clock of 2.90 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, the CPU offers adequate single-threaded and multi-threaded performance for most gaming workloads. Its computed average benchmark score is 2254, with a percentile ranking of 47, placing it in the mid-range of all CPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with a score of 2259 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 with a score of 2246, indicate that the i5-9400 is competitive with other processors in its class.

The CPU's performance in synthetic tests, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, suggests it has the capability to feed a modern GPU at lower resolutions. The fact that frame rates drop so dramatically with resolution increases, while the CPU's load would remain relatively constant, points to the GPU as the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation in frame rates across different resolutions. The data shows the opposite, confirming that the i5-9400 is not the primary constraint in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks very low for Lockdown Protocol, with a combo rank of 3544 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places the system in the bottom 5% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is among the weaker setups for this specific game. The low rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU alone would likely rank higher if paired with a more capable graphics card.

The ranking reflects the overall performance data, which shows that the system is only capable of providing a smooth experience at 1080p with lower settings. The 77 FPS average at 1080p Low is the only result that approaches the 60 FPS target, while all other settings and resolutions fall short. This performance profile puts the combo in a position where it is only suitable for 1080p gaming with reduced graphical fidelity. The data suggests that users with this hardware will need to make significant compromises to achieve playable frame rates, and the system is not recommended for higher-resolution displays.