Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol places the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 combination in the 2264th position out of 2828 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of the database. This pairing of a six-core Coffee Lake CPU with a Battlemage GPU produces a system that is capable of playable frame rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain fluid performance at higher resolutions. The measured data reveals a consistent pattern where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, while the aging CPU still holds its own at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a clear and predictable decline across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 136 at 1080p to 100 at 1440p and finally to 64 at 4K. This represents a 53% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count. The Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus width are sufficient for 1080p but become increasingly strained as the resolution climbs.

The scaling pattern changes character depending on the settings preset. At Ultra settings, the system delivers 63 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and only 30 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result falls below the 40 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playable first-person shooters. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions, suggesting that the GPU’s compute resources are being exhausted by the combination of high resolution and demanding visual effects.

At Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS values provide additional insight. At 1080p the system holds a minimum of 82 FPS with an average of 96, while at 1440p the minimum drops to 60 FPS against a 71 FPS average. The 4K Medium result shows a 39 FPS minimum and 46 FPS average, meaning the system can dip below 40 FPS even on the Medium preset at 4K. This data suggests that 1440p Medium is the practical ceiling for maintaining consistent frame delivery.

The scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU’s six threads are sufficient to keep the GPU fed, as evidenced by the 136 FPS Low result. By 1440p, the GPU begins to assert itself as the bottleneck, and at 4K the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The Core i5-9400’s base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz provide adequate single-thread performance for this title, but the GPU cannot sustain high frame rates when pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with High settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 84 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the system has enough headroom to handle typical in-game action without dropping below playable rates.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo if targeting 60 FPS minimum?

A: The data shows that 1440p Medium delivers a 60 FPS minimum with a 71 FPS average. At 1080p Medium, the minimum rises to 82 FPS with a 96 FPS average. For a guaranteed 60 FPS floor, 1440p Medium is the highest resolution that meets this criterion.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B570’s average benchmark score of 20556 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534 with a delta of 0.1%. It also sits just 0.1% below the Intel Arc A750’s 20582 score, placing it in the same performance tier as these competing GPUs.

Q: Is the Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the Arc B570 in this game?

A: At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is not the primary constraint. The 1080p Low result of 136 FPS shows the six-core processor can drive high frame rates. However, at 4K Ultra the 30 FPS result is GPU-limited, so the CPU becomes less relevant as resolution increases.

Q: What kind of frame rate can be expected at 4K with Low settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Low settings is 64 FPS. This is playable, though the lack of minimum FPS data means there is no guarantee of consistent frame delivery during intense scenes.

Q: How does the CPU’s synthetic benchmark performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Core i5-9400’s average benchmark score of 2254 places it within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500’s 2246 score. It trails the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 by 0.2% (2259 vs 2254) and the Intel Core i3-10305 by 0.4% (2264 vs 2254), showing it is competitive with these similarly classed processors.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 brings six physical cores and six threads to this pairing, operating at a 2.90 GHz base clock with a 4.10 GHz boost capability. This Coffee Lake Refresh processor, released in late 2018, represents a mature architecture that has aged gracefully for gaming workloads. Its 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide sufficient bandwidth for most game engines, though the 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth is modest by current standards.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the system achieves 136 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the processor can feed the GPU effectively when the rendering load is light. The six-thread configuration is adequate for this title, which does not appear to demand the higher core counts found in more modern processors. The CPU’s percentile rank of 47 against all CPUs indicates it sits near the median of tested processors, and its synthetic benchmarks confirm this positioning.

The Cinebench R23 results provide context for the CPU’s gaming performance. A multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 show modest compute capability, but Lockdown Protocol’s engine seems well-optimized for the i5-9400’s architecture. The Geekbench scores of 5141 multicore and 1389 single-core align with the expected performance of a six-core Coffee Lake part. When the GPU is not the limiting factor, the CPU can sustain frame rates well above 100 FPS, as demonstrated by the 1080p Low result.

The processor’s nearest rival comparisons show it is evenly matched with several other mid-range options. The 0.3% delta against the Intel Core i7-10710U and 0.4% against the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 indicate that in synthetic workloads, these processors are virtually interchangeable. However, in Lockdown Protocol specifically, the i5-9400’s higher boost clock compared to some rivals may provide a slight advantage in frame pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2264 out of 2828 tested combinations places this system in the 80th percentile of all tested pairings, meaning roughly 20% of tested combos perform worse. This ranking reflects the balance between an older mid-range CPU and a newer entry-level GPU. While the Arc B570 is a capable graphics card in its own right, the overall system is held back by the CPU’s age and the GPU’s positioning as a 1080p-focused product.

When compared to other combinations in the database, this pairing sits closer to the bottom quartile than the top. The 4K Ultra result of 30 FPS is particularly weak, placing this combo in territory where high-resolution gaming with maximum settings is not viable. However, the 1080p results show that the combo is well-suited for competitive play, where frame rates above 100 FPS are often preferred.

The ranking suggests that users of this combo should treat it as a 1080p gaming solution with occasional 1440p capability. The Arc B570’s 65th percentile ranking against all GPUs and the i5-9400’s 47th percentile ranking against all CPUs create a system that is balanced for lower resolutions but falls behind more modern pairings at higher settings. The measured data confirms that this is not a high-end combination, but it delivers acceptable performance for its class.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with the BMG-G21 chip, is the primary driver of visual performance in this pairing. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus provides 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU’s 2304 shading units and 144 texture mapping units deliver a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s, figures that translate to solid rasterization performance.

The GPU’s clock behavior is notable for its uniformity, with both base and boost clocks set at 2500 MHz. This fixed clock strategy simplifies power delivery and thermal management, though it means the GPU does not benefit from dynamic boosting under lighter loads. The 150 W TDP and dual-slot design are reasonable for the performance on offer, and the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides adequate bandwidth for the 10 GB frame buffer.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings increase. The transition from 1080p Low (136 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (63 FPS) shows a 54% performance drop, indicating that the GPU’s compute resources are heavily taxed by higher settings. The 4K results are more telling: even at Low settings, the GPU can only manage 64 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 30 FPS. This scaling behavior is typical of a GPU that has enough raw power for mainstream gaming but lacks the memory bandwidth and shading capacity for extreme resolutions.

The GPU’s synthetic benchmark scores place it in the same tier as the RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750. Its Passmark G3D score of 14195 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2649 confirm its positioning as an entry-level to mid-range graphics solution. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 96844 indicates strong driver optimization for modern APIs, which benefits DirectX 12 and Vulkan titles like Lockdown Protocol.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a comprehensive picture of this combo’s capabilities. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 136 FPS on Low, 96 FPS on Medium, 84 FPS on High, and 63 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset includes minimum and maximum values of 82 and 111 FPS respectively, showing that frame delivery is consistent with only minor fluctuations.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are significant but manageable. Low settings produce 100 FPS, Medium yields 71 FPS with a 60 FPS minimum and 81 FPS maximum, High delivers 62 FPS, and Ultra falls to 46 FPS. The 1440p Medium result shows the system can maintain a 60 FPS floor, which is the minimum for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limitations become apparent. Low settings average 64 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Medium settings drop to 46 FPS with a 39 FPS minimum, while High falls to 40 FPS and Ultra to 30 FPS. These results indicate that 4K gaming is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the lack of minimum FPS data means there is no guarantee against drops below 60 FPS.

The scaling between settings at each resolution follows a consistent pattern. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 73 FPS (136 to 63). At 1440p, the same transition costs 54 FPS (100 to 46). At 4K, the cost is 34 FPS (64 to 30). This diminishing impact of settings at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the relative cost of each settings tier decreases when the GPU is already saturated.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s resolution and frame rate priorities. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 84 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. Those seeking maximum frame rates for competitive play should use Low settings to achieve 136 FPS, while Ultra at 63 FPS is viable for those who prioritize image quality over frame rate.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, delivering 71 FPS average with a 60 FPS minimum. This provides smooth gameplay while maintaining reasonable visual fidelity. High settings at 62 FPS are also playable, but the lack of minimum FPS data introduces some risk of drops below 60. Ultra at 46 FPS is not recommended for a fast-paced FPS, as the lower frame rate can impair target tracking and reaction times.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that only Low settings are viable, with a 64 FPS average. Medium settings at 46 FPS may be acceptable for slower-paced games, but in Lockdown Protocol’s combat scenarios, the 39 FPS minimum could lead to noticeable stuttering. High and Ultra settings at 40 and 30 FPS respectively are not recommended, as they fall below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize 1080p High or 1440p Medium, depending on the user’s display resolution. The Arc B570’s 10 GB of VRAM is sufficient for these configurations, and the i5-9400’s six threads are adequate to maintain frame pacing. For users with 4K displays, the Low preset is the only setting that delivers a consistently playable experience, though even this may not hold 60 FPS in all scenes given the lack of minimum FPS data.