Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents a demanding workload for this pairing of an Intel Core i5-9400 and a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, but the measured data reveals a clear path to a smooth experience. The benchmark results show that the Ultra preset is likely too heavy for consistent high-refresh-rate play at most resolutions, while the Low preset unlocks the highest frame rates, making it the best choice for competitive play. However, for a balanced experience that prioritizes visual quality without sacrificing playability, the High settings at 1080p and 1440p offer the sweet spot, delivering frame rates that are both high and stable enough for fast-paced FPS action.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured average frame rates, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend heavily on your target resolution and refresh rate. The data indicates a clear hierarchy in performance across the four presets.

At 1920x1080, the most common resolution for competitive gaming, the Ultra preset yields 86.5 FPS average. This is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset, at 108.7 FPS, provides a significant boost and is the recommended choice for a high-refresh-rate monitor, offering a much smoother experience. If you have a 144Hz or higher display, the Medium preset at 129.8 FPS or even the Low preset at 164.8 FPS will allow you to take full advantage of it, though you will sacrifice visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 59.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many consider the minimum for a fluid experience. The High preset at 82 FPS is again the best overall recommendation here, providing a solid 60+ FPS experience with good visual quality. The Medium preset at 94.5 FPS is also an excellent option if you want to push frame rates higher. The Low preset at 131.4 FPS is ideal for those seeking maximum performance and responsiveness.

At 3840x2160, the story changes significantly. The Ultra preset averages just 40.7 FPS, which is not suitable for a fast-paced shooter. The High preset at 50.8 FPS is also below the 60 FPS target. To achieve a playable frame rate at 4K, you must drop to the Medium preset at 60.8 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The Low preset at 82.6 FPS is the only way to get a comfortable margin above 60 FPS at this resolution, but it comes with a substantial visual compromise.

In summary, the data suggests prioritizing High settings for 1080p and 1440p gaming to balance visual quality and performance. For 4K, the Medium preset is the minimum viable option to stay near 60 FPS, but Low is recommended for a more comfortable frame rate.

FAQ

Q: Can this CPU and GPU combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes, but with limitations. The measured data shows that at 3840x2160, only the Low preset (82.6 FPS) and Medium preset (60.8 FPS) achieve average frame rates at or above the 60 FPS target. High and Ultra settings will result in sub-60 FPS averages (50.8 FPS and 40.7 FPS, respectively).

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1080p?

A: To fully utilize a 144Hz display at 1920x1080, the Medium preset at 129.8 FPS or the Low preset at 164.8 FPS are the most appropriate choices. The High (108.7 FPS) and Ultra (86.5 FPS) presets will not consistently reach the 144 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the GTX 1080 Ti's performance in this game compare to its closest rivals?

A: The benchmark data shows the GTX 1080 Ti's average score is 19402. Its nearest rivals show a nearly identical level of performance. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 has a 0% delta, the AMD Radeon Pro 560X is -0.1%, and the NVIDIA Tesla K40m is -0.6% slower. The NVIDIA TITAN Xp is the only one that is faster, with a 1.1% higher score.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the GTX 1080 Ti in this game?

A: The data suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, as frame rates drop significantly from 1080p to 4K. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, appears to be sufficient to keep up with the GPU, especially at 1440p and 4K where the frame rate is lower.

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

A: The difference is substantial. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 131.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 59.7 FPS. This represents a performance gap of 71.7 FPS, making the Ultra preset less than half the speed of the Low preset.

Q: What is the performance percentile of this CPU and GPU?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 is in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a stronger component relative to its peers.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is ranked 1017th out of 1637 combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this game. This ranking is a direct result of the combination's measured frame rates, which are solid for 1080p and 1440p but fall short at 4K on higher settings. The GPU is a capable performer, ranking in the 61st percentile overall, but its age and the game's demands at 4K prevent this combo from achieving a higher standing. The CPU, while not a top-tier part, is sufficient to avoid being the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling with resolution. The overall rank of 1017 suggests that while this system is perfectly capable of delivering a good experience at mainstream resolutions, many other hardware combinations will offer higher frame rates, particularly at 4K or with maximum settings enabled.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured average frame rates provide a comprehensive picture of this combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are as follows: Low settings achieve 164.8 FPS, Medium settings achieve 129.8 FPS, High settings achieve 108.7 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 86.5 FPS. This shows a clear and predictable scaling where each step down in quality yields a significant increase in performance.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops as expected. The Low preset averages 131.4 FPS, the Medium preset averages 94.5 FPS, the High preset averages 82 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 59.7 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is smaller here than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the demands on the GPU are severe. The Low preset is the only one that provides a comfortably high frame rate at 82.6 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 60.8 FPS, High falls to 50.8 FPS, and the Ultra preset can only manage 40.7 FPS. These numbers clearly show that the GTX 1080 Ti, while powerful, is not fully equipped to handle this game at 4K with high or ultra-level detail.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a significant impact on performance as resolution increases. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the High preset results in a frame rate drop from 108.7 FPS to 82 FPS. This is a reduction of roughly 25%. The scaling is even more dramatic when moving to 3840x2160, where the High preset yields only 50.8 FPS, a drop of about 38% from the 1440p figure and 53% from the 1080p figure.

This pattern of performance degradation is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. The frame rate is dropping proportionally with the number of pixels being rendered, which indicates that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor. The Intel Core i5-9400 is able to feed the GPU enough data at these resolutions, allowing the GTX 1080 Ti's performance ceiling to be the main constraint. The fact that the frame rate doesn't plateau at a certain point, but rather continues to fall with each resolution increase, confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck in this setup.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, this CPU appears to be a capable partner for the GTX 1080 Ti. Its single-core performance, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1125, is sufficient for handling game logic and physics. The processor sits in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is an average performer.

The benchmark results suggest that the i5-9400 is not the primary bottleneck in this system. The consistent and large frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 4K are characteristic of a GPU limitation. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU would be maxed out regardless of the graphics load. The fact that the frame rate scales down significantly with resolution shows that the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's demands, allowing the GTX 1080 Ti to be fully utilized. Its 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are sufficient for this workload, confirming that the GPU's performance is the determining factor in this game's overall frame rate.