Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER occupies the 1470th position out of 1637 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This places the combo in the lower percentile of the database, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with significant compromises at higher settings. The ranking underscores a system that is fundamentally capable of delivering playable frame rates, but only if the user is willing to adjust graphical expectations, particularly at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1470 out of 1637 puts it in the bottom tenth of all tested configurations. This is a decisive indicator that the pairing is not optimized for the demands of Lockdown Protocol, a title that appears to favor more modern hardware. The data suggests that this system is positioned for entry-level 1080p gameplay rather than high-refresh-rate or high-fidelity experiences. Benchmark results show that the GPU, while competent for its generation, is the primary bottleneck when pushing for higher frame rates or resolutions.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 2305 places it near the middle of the pack, with a percentile of 50 against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-10305 (score 2300, deltaPct 0.2) and the Intel Core i7-8809G (score 2319, deltaPct -0.6), show that the i5-9400 is essentially performance-neutral at the processing level, trading blows with other mid-range chips. However, the GPU's average score of 14286 and its 55th percentile against all GPUs do not translate into a high ranking in this specific game, implying that Lockdown Protocol's engine is sensitive to the GTX 1660 SUPER's architectural limits. The overall combo rank is a stark reminder that raw component scores do not always predict in-game performance, as the synergy between the parts and the game's specific requirements play a decisive role.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides six cores and six threads, operating at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This configuration, based on the Coffee Lake architecture, offers a solid foundation for gaming, but its six threads without hyper-threading can be a limiting factor in modern titles that increasingly utilize more complex multi-threaded workloads. The processor's shared 9 MB of L3 cache is a notable asset for game data, but the dual-channel DDR4 memory support with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s is standard for its time.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU in most scenarios, but it becomes more critical at lower resolutions and settings where the frame rate demand is higher. The benchmark results for the CPU, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969, indicate a capable mid-range processor. However, the data does not suggest that the CPU is the primary hindrance in this combo. Instead, the analysis points to the GPU as the main constraint. The CPU maintains a steady performance baseline, allowing the GTX 1660 SUPER to operate up to its potential, which is relatively modest in this game. The processor's performance is sufficient to avoid being a major source of frame drops, but it does not provide enough headroom to compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher graphical presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 121.1 FPS, which is the highest score recorded. This is the only configuration that yields a frame rate above 120 FPS, making it the optimal choice for smooth, high-refresh-rate gameplay.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. With Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 25.2, which is not playable. Even at High settings, the average is only 35.5 FPS. For a more playable experience at 4K, users would need to select Low settings, which yields an average of 59.8 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its direct competitors?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 14286 is slightly lower than its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT, which scores 14389 (deltaPct -0.7). It performs nearly identically to the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, which scores 14315 (deltaPct -0.2), indicating that the GTX 1660 SUPER is positioned at the entry-to-mid level of discrete GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in this game?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The processor's percentile of 50 against all CPUs and its similar average score to the Intel Core i3-10305 and i5-1125G4 suggest it provides adequate processing power. The significant frame rate drops when moving from Low to Ultra settings are more indicative of GPU limitation than CPU constraint.

Q: What is the expected performance jump from 1080p to 1440p?

A: Dropping from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings results in a substantial decrease in average FPS from 78 to 59.1. This 18.9 FPS drop (a 24% reduction) shows that the GPU is heavily taxed by the increase in pixel count, reinforcing that the GTX 1660 SUPER is best suited for 1080p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across a range of settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo performs best, with Low settings achieving an average of 121.1 FPS. Medium settings drop the average to 84.8 FPS, while High settings yield 78 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, brings the average down to 54.7 FPS, which is still playable but shows a significant performance cost.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease across the board. Low settings still provide a respectable 87.9 FPS, but Medium drops to 64.3 FPS and High to 59.1 FPS. Ultra settings at this resolution fall to an average of 39.8 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a fast-paced FPS. At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. Low settings are the only feasible option, yielding an average of 59.8 FPS. Medium settings drop to 43.3 FPS, High to 35.5 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 25.2 FPS, making it unplayable for competitive play.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the GTX 1660 SUPER is a 1080p-oriented card. It can handle 1440p with reduced settings, but 4K is only viable on the lowest preset. The scaling from High to Ultra settings at any resolution incurs a heavy penalty, with the largest absolute drop observed at 1080p, where the average FPS falls from 78 to 54.7. This suggests that the Ultra preset includes effects that are particularly taxing on the GPU's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and its 1408 shading units.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals the GPU as the limiting component. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 78 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59.1 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 35.5 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 55% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The trend is consistent across all settings, indicating that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are insufficient to handle the increased pixel load efficiently.

The data suggests that the system is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its six cores and 4.10 GHz boost clock, does not show signs of being the primary constraint, as the frame rate scaling is directly proportional to the resolution increase, a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. For instance, at Low settings, the frame rate drops from 121.1 FPS at 1080p to 87.9 FPS at 1440p and then to 59.8 FPS at 4K. This linear degradation is typical of a graphics card reaching its fill-rate and memory bandwidth limits.

The GTX 1660 SUPER's 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are simply not sufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in a modern FPS. The 6 GB framebuffer also becomes a constraint at higher resolutions and settings, as the game's textures and effects require more memory. Consequently, the optimal experience for this combo is strictly at 1080p, where the GPU can maintain playable frame rates even at High settings. Users seeking higher resolutions would be better served by a more powerful GPU, as the i5-9400 appears to have enough headroom to support a faster graphics card.