Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol places this Intel Core i5-9400 + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX combination in a peculiar position: the GPU is capable of immense throughput, but the CPU's six threads consistently hold back the frame rate, especially at lower resolutions. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at 4K, but which transitions to a CPU-bound state at 1080p, capping performance well below what the graphics card alone could deliver.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic bottleneck shift. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 162.8 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 128.7 FPS, a reduction of approximately 21%. This relatively modest drop indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is limiting the output; the GPU is not being fully utilized, so increasing resolution to 4K does not proportionally punish the frame rate.

The pattern becomes more pronounced at higher settings. Moving from 1080p Ultra (120.8 FPS) to 4K Ultra (65.3 FPS) results in a 46% decrease in performance. This steep decline is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At Ultra settings, the RX 7900 XTX is working near its limit, and the added pixel count at 4K directly translates to a massive workload increase. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 63.4 FPS, whereas at 1080p, that same gap is only 42 FPS, further proving that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The data suggests that at 1440p, the system finds a balance. The difference between 1080p High (138.4 FPS) and 1440p High (121.1 FPS) is 17.3 FPS, which is a moderate drop. However, the jump from 1440p High to 4K High (89.5 FPS) is a much larger 31.6 FPS drop, indicating that the GPU workload is scaling aggressively as resolution climbs. This combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, where the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific CPU+GPU pairing at rank 600 out of 1637 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol. This puts it in the top 37% of all tested systems, which is a respectable position given the age of the processor. The ranking is heavily influenced by the CPU, which has a percentile score of 50 versus all CPUs, meaning it sits exactly at the median.

The GPU, by contrast, is a top-tier component with an 85th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The disparity between the CPU’s median standing and the GPU’s high standing is the defining characteristic of this combo. The data indicates that while the graphics card is capable of competing with much newer systems, the processor prevents the combo from achieving a higher overall rank. The bottleneck is clear: the RX 7900 XTX is being held back by a CPU that is only average in the grand scheme of things, preventing this pairing from cracking the top 500.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the dominant force in this pairing. Its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the textures and assets in Lockdown Protocol. The GPU’s 6144 shading units and 192 ROPs are key to its high pixel throughput, and the boost clock of 2498 MHz ensures it can push frames quickly.

The GPU’s performance in this game is strong, but its potential is not fully realized. At 4K High, it achieves 89.5 FPS, and at 4K Medium it hits 101.4 FPS. These are excellent numbers for a demanding resolution. However, the 4K Ultra result of 65.3 FPS shows that even this powerful GPU is challenged by the most demanding settings. The PassMark G3D score of 31238 reinforces its high-end status, but the measured results in this specific game show that it is often waiting on the CPU to deliver draw calls. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 44019 places it just 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, confirming its position in the high-end tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high but show a clear ceiling. Low settings yield 162.8 FPS, which drops to 144.5 FPS on Medium, 138.4 FPS on High, and 120.8 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 42 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU should easily handle these settings at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains very playable. Low settings produce 144.7 FPS, Medium 132 FPS, High 121.1 FPS, and Ultra 103.6 FPS. The scaling here is more gradual, indicating that the system is becoming more balanced. The 1440p results are the most impressive for this combo, as they offer high frame rates without the CPU bottleneck being as severe as at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the GPU takes over as the main constraint. Low settings produce 128.7 FPS, but this falls to 101.4 FPS on Medium and 89.5 FPS on High. Ultra settings are the most demanding, yielding just 65.3 FPS. While this is still playable, it is a significant drop from the lower resolutions. The data shows that 4K is where the RX 7900 XTX earns its keep, but the CPU is no longer the primary bottleneck, allowing the GPU to flex its muscle.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture. With a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, it is not a slouch, but its lack of hyper-threading is a significant disadvantage in modern titles. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 demonstrates its limitations in heavily threaded workloads.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with frame data. At 1080p, the data shows the CPU is the bottleneck. The fact that the frame rate only increases from 120.8 FPS on Ultra to 162.8 FPS on Low suggests that the CPU is hitting its limit at around 160 FPS. Even at 1440p, the CPU is still a factor, as the Low setting result of 144.7 FPS is only slightly higher than the 1080p High result of 138.4 FPS.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 2305 places it just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10305 and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon E-2134, highlighting its mid-range status. In this game, the six threads are simply not enough to keep the RX 7900 XTX fully saturated at lower resolutions. The processor is the clear limiting factor, preventing the system from achieving the high refresh rates that the GPU is theoretically capable of.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the optimal choice. The data shows 121.1 FPS at this setting, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience for a fast-paced FPS. The jump to Ultra at this resolution costs 17.5 FPS, bringing the total down to 103.6 FPS, which is still respectable but offers diminishing returns for the visual upgrade.

For players with a 1080p monitor, the Medium preset at 144.5 FPS is the recommended starting point. It provides a substantial frame rate boost over High and Ultra while maintaining a good level of visual quality. The Low preset at 162.8 FPS is the only way to get close to the CPU’s limit, but the graphical sacrifice is likely too steep for most users.

At 4K, the High preset is the only sensible choice for a competitive experience, offering 89.5 FPS. The Medium preset at 101.4 FPS is also viable if you prefer smoother motion over higher fidelity. The Ultra preset at 65.3 FPS is playable but dips too close to the lower refresh rate territory to be ideal for a competitive FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX being fully utilized in this system?

A: No. The data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the Intel Core i5-9400 is the limiting factor. The frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is only 42 FPS, suggesting the CPU is capping performance before the GPU can reach its full potential.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The benchmark results show 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At this resolution, the system achieves 121.1 FPS on High settings and 103.6 FPS on Ultra, which represents the best balance between CPU and GPU load.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems in Lockdown Protocol?

A: This pairing is ranked 600 out of 1637 tested combinations, placing it in the top 37% of all systems. The ranking is dragged down by the CPU, which has a 50th percentile score, while the GPU sits in the 85th percentile.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High settings, it achieves 89.5 FPS, and at 4K Medium it hits 101.4 FPS. However, 4K Ultra drops to 65.3 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The large drop in frame rate between 1440p High (121.1 FPS) and 4K High (89.5 FPS) indicates that the RX 7900 XTX is now working at its limit, and the CPU has enough headroom to keep up.

Q: Why is the frame rate at 1080p Low not much higher than 1080p High?

A: The difference is 24.4 FPS (162.8 vs 138.4). This relatively small gap, compared to the GPU’s capability, indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor. The six-core processor cannot push frames much beyond 160 FPS, regardless of the graphical load.