Lockdown Protocol

The data for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 reveals a system that is far more capable at 1080p and 1440p than at 4K. The measured frames per second (FPS) across twelve different settings and resolution combinations paint a clear picture of where this hardware excels and where its limitations emerge. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on the relationship between the CPU, GPU, and the game's demands.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data strongly suggests that the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, High delivers 137.2 FPS, which is only 28.7 FPS less than the maximum Low preset but provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium and Low. The jump from Low to High is a modest cost of 28.7 FPS at 1080p, while the jump from High to Ultra is a much steeper 17.1 FPS loss for arguably diminishing returns. This pattern holds at 2560x1440, where High achieves 121.1 FPS, a substantial 28.2 FPS advantage over Ultra and only a 28.2 FPS deficit from Low.

At 3840x2160, the choice becomes more critical. The High preset manages 78.1 FPS, which is playable, but the Ultra preset drops to a demanding 55.9 FPS. While High is the best all-around choice, users with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors might find the Medium preset at 145.1 FPS to be a sweet spot, offering a 7.9 FPS improvement over High while still maintaining quality. The Low preset, with its 165.9 FPS at 1080p, is only useful for competitive play where maximum frame rates are paramount, as the visual compromise is severe. For most users, the High preset is the recommended starting point, providing a strong balance of visual fidelity and performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, it provides a substantial 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This bandwidth is crucial for feeding the 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs at high resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz is a key factor in its ability to push high average FPS at lower resolutions, where the CPU is less of a bottleneck.

The data shows the RTX 4070's strength in raw throughput, as evidenced by its Passmark G3D score of 26927, which places it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. In Lockdown Protocol, this power translates to a significant performance headroom. At 1080p with Low settings, the GPU is clearly capable of far more than the 165.9 FPS being delivered, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor in this scenario. Conversely, at 4K with Ultra settings, the 55.9 FPS result highlights the immense pixel-pushing demand, where the GPU's capabilities are fully taxed. The GPU's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is the engine driving these results, but the frame rate data shows that its efficiency varies greatly depending on the resolution and settings load.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a classic pattern of increasing GPU load. At High settings, the system delivers 137.2 FPS at 1080p, which drops by 11.7% to 121.1 FPS at 1440p, and then falls a further 35.5% to 78.1 FPS at 4K. This steep decline at 4K indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck, as the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling under the Low preset is more linear. The system achieves 165.9 FPS at 1080p, 149.3 FPS at 1440p, and 123 FPS at 4K. The smaller performance gap between 1440p and 4K (26.3 FPS) compared to the High preset (43 FPS) suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is more of a limiting factor at 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU still has enough headroom at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with a 29.5 FPS drop from 1080p (120.1 FPS) to 1440p (90.6 FPS) and a further 34.7 FPS drop to 4K (55.9 FPS). This demonstrates that Ultra settings are extremely demanding on the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources, making 4K a challenge for this combination.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a comprehensive view of performance across all twelve configurations.

1920x1080 (Full HD):

• Low: 165.9 FPS. This is the peak performance, indicating a CPU-bound scenario.
• Medium: 145.1 FPS. A 12.5% reduction from Low, showing a shift towards GPU load.
• High: 137.2 FPS. A further 5.4% drop, maintaining a high level of fluidity.
• Ultra: 120.1 FPS. The most demanding preset, still delivering a very playable experience.

2560x1440 (Quad HD):

• Low: 149.3 FPS. Performance remains exceptionally high, showing little CPU limitation.
• Medium: 126.7 FPS. A 15.1% drop from Low, indicating a growing GPU dependency.
• High: 121.1 FPS. A solid result for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.
• Ultra: 90.6 FPS. A significant step down, but still smooth for most titles.

3840x2160 (4K UHD):

• Low: 123 FPS. Surprisingly strong, showing the GPU's raw power can handle 4K at lower fidelity.
• Medium: 90.8 FPS. A notable drop, showing the cost of increased detail at 4K.
• High: 78.1 FPS. A playable result, but the system is clearly under heavy load.
• Ultra: 55.9 FPS. The lowest result, demonstrating that 4K Ultra is a stretch for this combo.

The data shows that the RTX 4070 can handle 4K, but only when settings are lowered. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is a massive 67.1 FPS, highlighting the extreme performance cost of the Ultra preset at high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 637th out of 1637 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 39% of all configurations tested, which is a respectable position given the age of the CPU. The ranking suggests that while the GPU is a top-tier performer, the older six-core processor holds the system back from achieving a top-100 ranking.

The CPU's benchmark performance, with an average score of 2305, places it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals show a tight grouping: the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2300 (0.2% slower), the Intel Core i3-1125G4 scores 2299 (0.2% slower), and the Intel Xeon E-2134 scores 2295 (0.4% slower). The Intel Core i7-8809G scores 2319, which is only 0.6% faster. This indicates that the i5-9400 is performing exactly as expected for its class, and its 637th rank is a direct result of this mid-pack CPU performance. The GPU's high percentile (81st) is what boosts the combo to its current ranking.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-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. This 6-core/6-thread configuration is a limiting factor in modern games, as many titles are now optimized for more than six threads. The processor's 9 MB of shared L3 cache is also modest by today's standards.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 165.9 FPS, but this is likely the ceiling for this processor. The small performance difference between 1080p Low (165.9 FPS) and 1440p Low (149.3 FPS) suggests that the CPU is struggling to feed the GPU with enough frames at lower resolutions. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and single-core score of 1125 reinforce this, showing a processor that is competent but not exceptional for gaming. The CPU's performance is a bottleneck, preventing the RTX 4070 from reaching its full potential in less demanding graphical scenarios. The data suggests that a more modern CPU with higher single-thread performance and more cores would unlock significantly higher frame rates at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 4070 a good match for the i5-9400 in this game?

A: The data shows a solid pairing, but the CPU holds the GPU back at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 165.9 FPS, but the GPU is likely capable of more, as indicated by its high benchmark scores. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, showing that the pairing is more balanced at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate gaming with this combo?

A: According to the measured data, 2560x1440 with the High preset provides an excellent balance, delivering 121.1 FPS. This is a smooth experience for most high-refresh-rate monitors. For maximum frame rates, 1080p with Medium settings offers 145.1 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-9400 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-9400's average benchmark score of 2305 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i3-10305 and Intel Core i3-1125G4 are both 0.2% slower, while the Intel Core i7-8809G is 0.6% faster. This shows that the i5-9400 is a mid-pack performer, exactly in line with its 50th percentile ranking.

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

A: Yes, but with compromises. The data shows that the High preset at 4K yields 78.1 FPS, which is playable. However, the Ultra preset drops to 55.9 FPS, which may be too low for some users. The Low preset at 4K is strong at 123 FPS, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

Q: What is the performance cost of using the Ultra preset over High?

A: The cost is significant. At 1080p, the drop is 17.1 FPS (from 137.2 to 120.1). At 1440p, the drop is 30.5 FPS (from 121.1 to 90.6). At 4K, the drop is 22.2 FPS (from 78.1 to 55.9). The Ultra preset is the most demanding and shows the biggest performance penalty.

Q: Is the GPU's 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Based on the performance data, having 12 GB of GDDR6X memory appears to be more than adequate. The game runs well at 4K with High settings (78.1 FPS), which is a resolution that demands significant memory. No performance anomalies are present in the data to suggest VRAM is a limiting factor at these settings.