Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks in the 2070th position out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This rank reflects a pairing where the CPU's age is a tangible constraint, yet the GPU's modern architecture ensures that the combo remains competitive at mainstream resolutions. The data indicates that this is not a top-tier setup for esports-level frame rates, but it is far from obsolete, delivering playable performance across most settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2070 out of 3714 places it in the 44th percentile of all tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol. This is a modest standing, suggesting that while the system is capable, it is outperformed by a majority of the other pairings in the database. The ranking is a direct result of the CPU's performance ceiling, as the Core i5-9400 holds a 47th percentile ranking against all CPUs in our benchmark suite. When paired with a GPU that sits in the 61st percentile, the overall system is bottlenecked by the processor in CPU-intensive scenarios, which is a common trait for a six-core, six-thread part from the Coffee Lake era.

Benchmark results indicate that the Core i5-9400's average benchmark score is 2254, placing it within a tight competitive cluster. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246, 0.4% delta), show that the CPU is essentially performance-neutral with its immediate peers. This means that the rank of this combo is not dragged down by an unusually weak CPU sample, but rather by the absolute performance level of the processor itself. The GPU, conversely, has an average benchmark score of 17639, which is closely matched by the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta), indicating that the graphics card is performing as expected for its class.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides six physical cores and six threads, operating at a base clock of 2.90 GHz with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This configuration, based on the Coffee Lake architecture and built on a 14 nm process, offers a solid foundation for gaming but lacks the multi-threading capabilities found in more modern or higher-tier processors. The CPU's L3 cache is 9 MB shared, and memory support is limited to dual-channel DDR4 with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which can be a limiting factor in data-heavy scenes. In Lockdown Protocol, this CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic; however, its six-thread limit means that background tasks or heavily threaded game engines could cause frame pacing issues.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this assessment. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6629 multi-core and 935 single-core, while in Geekbench it achieves 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These figures are modest and explain why, at lower resolutions where the GPU can render frames quickly, the CPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The 47th percentile ranking against all CPUs indicates that the i5-9400 is a mid-pack performer, and its nearest rivals, like the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248, 0.3% delta) and the Intel Core i3-10305 (2264, -0.4% delta), show that it is neither a standout nor a laggard among its contemporaries. For this game, the CPU's six cores are sufficient for achieving playable frame rates, but they will prevent the system from reaching the highest possible FPS numbers seen with more powerful processors.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. Its Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, includes 3072 shading units, 24 RT cores, and 96 tensor cores, with a boost clock of 2460 MHz. This hardware configuration delivers a solid foundation for modern gaming, and its FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS provides ample compute power. The GPU's 61st percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639, confirms that it is a solid mid-range performer. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 4060 is responsible for the majority of the visual heavy lifting, and the data shows that it can handle the game's demands at up to 4K resolution, albeit with some compromises.

The GPU's memory subsystem, while not class-leading, is adequate for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but the 8 GB capacity may become a limitation at 4K Ultra settings. The card's boost clock of 2460 MHz and its pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s allow it to push high frame rates, but the CPU bottleneck is evident in the measured results. The RTX 4060's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% delta), show that it is performing at the expected level, but it is not a high-end part. The GPU's 12-pin power connector and 115 W TDP indicate that it is an efficient card, but its performance is ultimately capped by the processor's ability to feed it data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a clear pattern of CPU limitation at lower resolutions and GPU strain at higher ones. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 163 FPS on Low settings, which is a strong result, but this drops to 117 FPS on High and 88 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p shows an average of 134 FPS, with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 154 FPS, demonstrating a playable experience with some variance. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the CPU is holding the GPU back, as the jump from Low to Ultra only reduces the frame rate by 75 FPS, which is less than what a more powerful CPU might allow.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become more balanced. The Low preset yields an average of 138 FPS, while High drops to 86 FPS and Ultra to 64 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows an average of 98 FPS, with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for this combo, as the GPU is more fully utilized, and the frame rates remain respectably high. At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. The Low preset averages 89 FPS, which is playable, but High drops to 55 FPS and Ultra to just 42 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows an average of 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS, indicating that this setting is the highest playable option at this resolution. The data shows that users should avoid Ultra settings at 4K and instead target Medium for a playable experience.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo suitable for 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows that 4K gaming is possible but limited. The average FPS at 4K Low is 89, at Medium is 63, at High is 55, and at Ultra is 42. For a playable experience, Medium at 4K is the highest viable option.

Q: How does the CPU performance compare to its immediate rivals?

A: The Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, which is a -0.2% delta. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a 0.4% delta, showing the CPU is performance-neutral with these parts.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high frame rates?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo reaches an average of 163 FPS on Low settings. At 2560x1440, the average on Low is 138 FPS. For high refresh rate monitors, 1080p is the best choice.

Q: How much of a frame rate drop occurs when going from Low to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 138 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 64 FPS. This represents a drop of 74 FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as the average FPS at Ultra is 42. At 1920x1080, the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck, as the frame rates are high but not as high as a more capable CPU would allow.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for the Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 114 at 1920x1080, 83 at 2560x1440, and 54 at 3840x2160. These figures indicate stable performance without severe drops.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear path for optimal settings. For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 117 FPS average is an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, while the Ultra preset at 88 FPS is still playable but offers diminishing returns. For 1440p, the High preset at 86 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides a smooth experience without sacrificing too much detail; the Ultra preset at 64 FPS is acceptable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced action. At 4K, the Medium preset at 63 FPS is the highest playable setting, as High at 55 FPS and Ultra at 42 FPS will likely result in a suboptimal experience.

Given the CPU bottleneck, users should prioritize the GPU's workload. The data indicates that the gap between Low and Medium is smaller than the gap between High and Ultra at all resolutions. For example, at 1440p, Low is 138 FPS and Medium is 98 FPS, a 40 FPS difference, while High is 86 FPS and Ultra is 64 FPS, a 22 FPS difference. This suggests that the Medium preset is a sweet spot for this combo, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low with a manageable performance hit. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K, as the 42 FPS average is below the threshold for a comfortable gaming experience. In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is achieved by selecting the High preset at 1080p or 1440p, and the Medium preset at 4K.