Lockdown Protocol

The benchmark data for Lockdown Protocol, captured with an Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, reveals a configuration defined by an exceptional graphics card pushing against a more modest processor. The measured frame rates show a system that excels at high resolutions and high settings, yet the lower-resolution results hint at a bottleneck that is not the GPU. This analysis dissects the scaling, component roles, and optimal settings based solely on the provided figures.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking trend in the data is how average FPS changes as resolution drops. At 4K (3840x2160) with High settings, the combo produces 90.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p (2560x1440) at the same quality lifts that to 125.1 FPS, a substantial gain. Dropping further to 1080p (1920x1080) yields 137.5 FPS. This scaling pattern—a 37.6% increase from 4K to 1440p, but only a 9.9% increase from 1440p to 1080p—is the classic signature of a CPU limit. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is clearly capable of rendering far more frames than the i5-9400 can feed at lower resolutions.

When settings are lowered to Low, the same pattern intensifies. The 4K Low result of 128.3 FPS is surprisingly high, suggesting the GPU is not the primary constraint even at this demanding resolution. At 1080p Low, the system hits 160.6 FPS, which appears to be a ceiling. The difference between 1440p Low (150.2 FPS) and 1080p Low (160.6 FPS) is only 10.4 FPS, indicating that the processor is now the limiting factor. The data implies that for this game, the i5-9400's six threads are saturated well before the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's full potential is reached at 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305. This is a mid-range performer by today's standards, and the data suggests it is the limiting component in this pairing for Lockdown Protocol. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and single-core score of 1125 provide context for its capabilities, but the game's scaling indicates that these six threads are not enough to maintain the frame rates the GPU could otherwise deliver.

The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark data include the Intel Core i3-10305, which scores 2300 (a 0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i7-8809G, which scores 2319 (a -0.6% delta). The i5-9400 sits right in the middle of this pack, reinforcing its position as a competent but not exceptional processor. In Lockdown Protocol, the benchmark results imply that the CPU's architecture and thread count are the reason why 1080p performance does not scale as aggressively as the GPU would allow. The 4.10 GHz boost clock helps in lighter scenes, but the ceiling is clear.

FAQ

Q: Why does the FPS not increase as much from 1440p to 1080p as it does from 4K to 1440p?

A: The data shows a 37.6% FPS jump from 4K to 1440p at High settings, but only a 9.9% jump from 1440p to 1080p. This diminishing return indicates that the Intel Core i5-9400 is becoming the limiting factor at lower resolutions, preventing the GPU from being fully utilized.

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p with High settings offers a balanced 125.1 FPS. While 1080p Low reaches 160.6 FPS, the gain over 1440p Low (150.2 FPS) is minimal, suggesting the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-1125G4 (2299). It trails the Intel Core i7-8809G (2319) by 0.6%.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER underutilized in this game?

A: Yes, particularly at 1080p. The FPS ceiling observed in the data, where 1080p Low (160.6) is only slightly higher than 1440p Low (150.2), suggests the GPU has more headroom that the CPU cannot access.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 4K, the Low preset yields 128.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 68.3 FPS. This is a significant 60 FPS difference, showing that the GPU is heavily taxed by the Ultra settings at this resolution.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 591st out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 36% of all tested systems.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER achieves a combo rank of 591 out of 1637. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all systems tested. While the GPU itself is a top-tier performer—the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER sits at the 86th percentile of all GPUs and has a PassMark G3D score of 31811—the overall combo rank is pulled down by the CPU's more modest standing. The i5-9400 is at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 2305 is close to that of the Intel Core i3-10305. This mismatch is evident in the game's scaling behavior, where the system's rank is likely held back by the processor's inability to deliver higher frame rates at lower resolutions. The data suggests that this combo is strong for 4K and 1440p gaming, but not exceptional for high-refresh-rate 1080p play.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a powerhouse built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, with 8448 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2610 MHz and FP32 performance of 44.10 TFLOPS are reflected in its benchmark scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5569 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 223091. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a top-tier part, and the data shows it is more than capable of handling Lockdown Protocol at 4K.

The measured FPS at 4K High (90.9) and 4K Low (128.3) demonstrates the GPU's raw power. However, the GPU's role is constrained by the CPU. At 1080p, the GPU is not the limiting factor; the FPS at 1080p Ultra (123.5) is higher than 4K High (90.9), but the scaling from 1440p to 1080p is minimal. This suggests that while the GPU has the memory capacity (16 GB) and bandwidth to handle high resolutions, its full potential in this game is only realized at 4K, where the CPU has more time to prepare frames. The GPU is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, but its performance is capped by the processor in lower-resolution scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 68.3 with Ultra settings to 128.3 with Low settings, with Medium at 105.0 and High at 90.9. This shows a predictable trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the results are as follows: Low yields 150.2 FPS, Medium 129.6 FPS, High 125.1 FPS, and Ultra 103.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 20.6 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is only 4.5 FPS, suggesting that the Medium preset provides a sweet spot for performance at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the data shows the CPU bottleneck most clearly. Low settings produce 160.6 FPS, Medium 144.2 FPS, High 137.5 FPS, and Ultra 123.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 16.4 FPS, but the difference between High and Ultra is only 14.0 FPS. Notably, the jump from 1440p Low (150.2) to 1080p Low (160.6) is just 10.4 FPS, reinforcing the idea that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. For 4K gaming, the High preset at 90.9 FPS offers a good balance of quality and performance, while the Ultra preset at 68.3 FPS is still playable but puts more strain on the GPU. The Low preset at 128.3 FPS is the best choice for maximum frame rates at 4K, though it will compromise visual details.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 129.6 FPS is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as it offers a significant improvement over High (125.1) and is close to the Low preset's 150.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 103.5 FPS is acceptable but does not take full advantage of the GPU's capabilities. For 1080p, the data suggests that the CPU is the bottleneck, so the High preset at 137.5 FPS is the best choice, as the gain from lowering to Medium (144.2) or Low (160.6) is modest and may not be worth the visual downgrade. The Ultra preset at 123.5 FPS is also viable, but the performance difference between High and Ultra is minimal relative to the visual impact.