Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, but the data shows a clear ceiling at 4K Ultra. The combo ranks in the 784th position out of 1637 tested configurations, placing it in the upper-middle tier of the database. While the RTX 3070 provides substantial graphical horsepower, the aging six-core CPU becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions, preventing the system from fully utilizing the GPU's potential.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows 1440p High as the sweet spot, delivering 96.7 FPS. This balances visual quality with performance, as 1080p High only reaches 133.3 FPS while 4K High drops to 63.5 FPS.

Q: How much performance does the RTX 3070 lose when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 133.3 at 1080p to 63.5 at 4K, representing a 52% reduction in frame rate. This indicates the GPU is heavily stressed at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 bottlenecking the RTX 3070?

A: Yes, the data suggests this. At 1080p Low, the system only reaches 161.3 FPS, which is surprisingly close to the 1440p Low result of 147.3 FPS. This small gap indicates the CPU is limiting performance before the GPU becomes the constraining factor.

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

A: The average FPS drops from 147.3 at Low to 73.2 at Ultra, a 50% performance penalty. This shows that Ultra settings demand significantly more from the GPU.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 784th out of 1637 total combos, placing it in the 48th percentile. This is a mid-pack result, reflecting the imbalance between the older CPU and the newer GPU.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the RTX 3070?

A: The launch MSRP is 499 USD. The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is critical for Lockdown Protocol, as the game's texture streaming and particle effects demand high bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock of 1725 MHz, combined with 5888 shading units, allows it to push high frame rates even at demanding settings.

The RTX 3070's performance is well-documented in the benchmark data, with a Passmark G3D score of 22214 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 123479. Its average benchmark score of 28238 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which scores 27985 (0.9% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which scores 27956 (1% slower). The GPU's percentile ranking of 72 means it outperforms the majority of graphics cards in the database.

In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the GPU's role is most evident at 4K resolution. At 4K High, the system delivers 63.5 FPS, while at 4K Low it achieves 100.9 FPS. This 37.4 FPS difference demonstrates how the RTX 3070's raw compute power is being taxed by the game's visual effects. The GPU's 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but at 4K Ultra, the system only manages 47.4 FPS, indicating that the game's highest settings are designed for even more powerful hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At High settings, the system produces 133.3 FPS at 1080p, 96.7 FPS at 1440p, and 63.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 34% drop from 1440p to 4K. The consistent scaling indicates the RTX 3070 is the primary performance driver at these settings.

However, at Low settings, the scaling pattern changes significantly. The system achieves 161.3 FPS at 1080p, 147.3 FPS at 1440p, and 100.9 FPS at 4K. The small gap between 1080p and 1440p (only 14 FPS) suggests the CPU is becoming the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The Intel Core i5-9400's six cores and six threads, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost of 4.10 GHz, cannot feed the GPU fast enough to maintain the same scaling ratio.

This behavior is classic for a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the GPU has headroom to render more frames, but the CPU's processing capacity caps the output. The 65W TDP and 9 MB of shared L3 cache are adequate for everyday tasks, but Lockdown Protocol's physics simulations and AI logic require more threads. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 7969 shows the CPU's capabilities, but its single-core score of 1125 is modest for modern gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 161.3 FPS, Medium reaches 144.4 FPS, High achieves 133.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 103.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 58.2 FPS, showing a 36% performance reduction for maximum visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results remain playable but with reduced headroom. Low settings yield 147.3 FPS, Medium hits 112.6 FPS, High delivers 96.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 73.2 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra at this resolution costs 74.1 FPS, a 50% drop. This resolution represents the best balance for competitive play, as even Ultra settings maintain a playable frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 starts to struggle. Low settings achieve 100.9 FPS, Medium manages 71.4 FPS, High produces 63.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 47.4 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly desired for smooth gameplay. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 53.5 FPS reduction, representing a 53% performance penalty.

The data shows that the RTX 3070 performs best at 1080p and 1440p, where it can maintain high frame rates across all settings. At 4K, only Low settings provide a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 784 out of 1637 tested configurations places it in the 48th percentile of all systems. This mid-pack ranking reflects the mismatch between the CPU and GPU. The RTX 3070's individual performance is strong, ranking in the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, but the i5-9400's lower standing drags the overall combo down.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 50 against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305, places it near several close rivals. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2300 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core i3-1125G4 scores 2299 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295 (0.4% lower). The Intel Core i7-8809G scores 2319 (0.6% higher). This clustering shows the i5-9400 is performing at the expected level for its generation, but it cannot keep pace with modern CPUs in gaming scenarios.

In Lockdown Protocol, this rank means the combo will outperform roughly half of tested systems but will struggle against configurations with newer CPUs. The data indicates that users with this combo should prioritize GPU-intensive settings, as the CPU will limit performance at low settings and high frame rates.

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 is typical of older mid-range desktop processors, with a 65W TDP and support for DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The CPU's 9 MB of shared L3 cache is modest by modern standards.

The benchmark results show the CPU's capabilities: Cinebench R20 multicore score of 3346 and single-core score of 472, with R23 scores of 7969 multicore and 1125 single-core. These scores indicate a processor that handles general productivity well but is not optimized for high-refresh-rate gaming.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the FPS differences between resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system produces 161.3 FPS, but at 1440p Low, it still manages 147.3 FPS. This small 14 FPS difference suggests the CPU is reaching its processing limit. The game's online multiplayer features and physics calculations require significant CPU resources, and the i5-9400's six threads can become saturated.

The CPU's limitation is most visible in the 4K results. At 4K Low, the system achieves 100.9 FPS, which is only 46.4 FPS less than 1080p Low. This gap is smaller than expected if the GPU were the sole bottleneck, further confirming that the CPU constrains the system at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data suggests that 1440p High settings provide the best overall experience for this combo. The system achieves 96.7 FPS at this configuration, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The visual quality improvement over Low settings is substantial, and the frame rate remains high enough for responsive control.

For competitive play, 1080p Low settings deliver the highest frame rate at 161.3 FPS. This configuration maximizes responsiveness and minimizes input lag, making it ideal for fast-paced multiplayer matches. However, the visual quality is significantly reduced from High or Ultra settings.

At 4K, the data shows that only Low settings provide a comfortable experience, with 100.9 FPS. Medium settings at 4K drop to 71.4 FPS, which is still playable, but High and Ultra settings fall below the 60 FPS target. Users with 4K displays should stick to Low or Medium settings to ensure consistent performance.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combo. At 1440p, it produces 73.2 FPS, and at 1080p, it achieves 103.1 FPS, but the performance cost is significant compared to High settings. The 4K Ultra result of 47.4 FPS is below playable thresholds. The data indicates that High settings offer the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions.