Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination produces a playable but heavily settings-dependent experience in Lockdown Protocol. The data shows a system where the GPU is the clear performance anchor, with resolution scaling revealing a steep performance cliff at 4K Ultra that the CPU cannot meaningfully offset. This combo ranks in the bottom 20% of tested configurations, placing it as a 1080p-oriented pairing for competitive FPS play rather than a high-fidelity, high-resolution solution.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K exposes a dramatic performance drop that is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 145.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 66.5 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 54.4% reduction in throughput. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 2060's rendering pipeline saturates as pixel count quadruples, with the CPU having ample headroom to feed frames at lower resolutions.

The gap narrows considerably at higher settings. Moving from 1080p High (87.3 FPS) to 4K High (43.3 FPS) results in a 50.4% drop, while the Ultra preset shows a similar proportional decline from 67.6 FPS to 31.1 FPS. This consistency across settings—roughly a halving of performance from 1080p to 4K—confirms that resolution, not graphical complexity, is the primary bottleneck. The 4K Ultra figure of 31.1 FPS is below playable thresholds for a fast-paced FPS, while 4K Low at 66.5 FPS becomes borderline acceptable.

Notably, the step from 1440p to 4K is steeper than from 1080p to 1440p. At High settings, 1440p delivers 68.2 FPS versus 87.3 FPS at 1080p (a 21.9% drop), but 4K drops another 36.5% to 43.3 FPS. This nonlinear scaling suggests the 6 GB VRAM buffer and 192-bit memory interface begin to struggle beyond 1440p, making 4K a poor target for this hardware unless settings are minimized.

GPU Role

The RTX 2060's specifications directly explain the measured results. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivering 336.0 GB/s bandwidth, the card has sufficient resources for 1080p and 1440p gaming but faces capacity constraints at 4K with higher presets. The boost clock of 1680 MHz and 1920 shading units provide the raw compute, yet the 48 ROPs and 120 TMUs limit pixel fill and texture throughput at high resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark standing reinforces this interpretation. Its average benchmark score of 16074 places it at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (0.5% ahead) and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (1.8% behind). These close margins indicate the RTX 2060 sits in a tightly contested mid-range tier, explaining why it delivers strong 1080p performance but falls short of 4K Ultra demands.

The measured FPS at 1440p Ultra (49.4 FPS) and 4K Ultra (31.1 FPS) suggests the GPU's 6 GB frame buffer becomes a limiting factor with maximum settings. The jump from Medium to Ultra at any resolution costs approximately 33-38% of average FPS, a penalty consistent with increased VRAM pressure and shader complexity rather than CPU involvement. The GPU's 14 Gbps effective memory speed and 10,800 million transistors on a 12 nm process represent Turing-generation hardware that is now showing its age in newer titles.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this pairing at rank 1370 out of 1637 tested combinations, positioning it in the 16.3rd percentile of all configs. This low ranking reflects the CPU's age relative to modern competitors and the GPU's mid-range positioning. The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2305 places it at the 50th percentile among CPUs, with nearest rivals like the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.2% ahead) and Intel Xeon E-2134 (0.4% ahead) showing virtually identical performance.

The combination's rank suggests that while each component individually performs near its expected tier, their pairing does not elevate either. The i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads, boostable to 4.10 GHz, are sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 2060 at 1080p, but the system still trails more modern configurations by a wide margin. The data indicates this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming where it can leverage the GPU's full potential, rather than competing for high-refresh 1440p or 4K leadership.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results. Low settings produce 145.7 FPS, which drops to 101 FPS at Medium, 87.3 FPS at High, and 67.6 FPS at Ultra. The 78.1 FPS spread between Low and Ultra demonstrates that the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to accommodate significant graphical upgrades while maintaining playable frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope compresses. Low settings yield 105.8 FPS, Medium drops to 76.9 FPS, High to 68.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 49.4 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium at this resolution costs 28.9 FPS, a larger absolute drop than the 44.7 FPS difference seen at 1080p, indicating that pixel throughput is becoming more contentious.

At 3840x2160, the results become marginal. Low settings produce 66.5 FPS, Medium drops to 50 FPS, High to 43.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 31.1 FPS. The 4K Ultra figure is the only result below 30 FPS, but the 4K High and Medium values hover near the edge of comfortable playability. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is fully playable at all settings, 1440p is playable up to High, and 4K requires Low settings for a smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides 6 cores and 6 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost up to 4.10 GHz. Its 9 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for feeding the RTX 2060, but the lack of hyperthreading limits its ability to handle background tasks or heavily threaded game logic. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 and single-core score of 1125 place it in the middle of the pack, with rivals like the Intel Core i7-8809G (0.6% higher average) showing similar single-threaded capability.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. The 1080p Low result of 145.7 FPS demonstrates that the i5-9400 can drive high frame rates when the GPU is not stressed, but the lack of a performance ceiling at higher resolutions suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor. The 4K results, which scale proportionally with GPU load, confirm that the RTX 2060 is the binding constraint across all tested configurations. The CPU's 65 W TDP and Coffee Lake architecture from 2018 are dated, but its 4.10 GHz boost clock provides sufficient peak performance for this title's single-threaded tasks.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 66.5 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 50 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 31.1 FPS, which is below ideal for competitive FPS play.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the clear sweet spot. All four settings presets deliver playable frame rates, from 145.7 FPS at Low to 67.6 FPS at Ultra, giving players full flexibility in graphical fidelity.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The frame rate drops by approximately half when moving from 1080p to 4K across all settings, indicating the RTX 2060's rendering capacity is saturated while the i5-9400 has headroom.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score of 16074 is 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600S and 1.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, showing it performs within a tight band of mid-range GPUs.

Q: Does the 6 GB VRAM limit performance?

A: The data suggests it does at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 31.1. The 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth appear insufficient for maximum settings at that resolution.

Q: What is the system's overall ranking?

A: This combo ranks 1370 out of 1637 tested configurations, placing it in the lower 20% of all pairings. It is a functional 1080p setup rather than a high-performance or high-resolution solution.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 67.6 FPS is the best choice if visual quality is paramount, as it remains above the 60 FPS threshold. Players prioritizing competitive responsiveness should select High at 87.3 FPS, which offers a substantial 19.7 FPS advantage over Ultra with minimal visual degradation. Low settings at 145.7 FPS are unnecessary at this resolution given the available headroom.

At 1440p, the High preset at 68.2 FPS provides the best balance, delivering smooth gameplay without the 18.8 FPS penalty of Ultra. The Medium preset at 76.9 FPS is a viable alternative for those wanting a safety margin above 60 FPS. Low settings at 105.8 FPS are recommended for competitive play, but the visual trade-off is noticeable.

For 4K displays, only the Low preset at 66.5 FPS is consistently playable. Medium at 50 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced sessions, but High (43.3 FPS) and Ultra (31.1 FPS) should be avoided due to sub-60 FPS averages that will hinder aim and reaction times in a fast-paced FPS. The measured data strongly suggests that 4K is not this combo's intended operating range.