Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is a powerful combination for Lockdown Protocol, delivering playable frame rates at 4K and exceptionally high performance at lower resolutions. Benchmark data shows this combo ranks in the top 22% of all tested configurations for this game, with the GPU being the primary performance driver across all settings. The system easily clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p and 1440p on every preset, and even at 4K, it only fails to hit that mark on the Ultra preset.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset is the best playable option at 3840x2160, delivering an average of 76.4 FPS. While the Ultra preset is not playable (59.8 FPS), the Medium preset (87.8 FPS) and Low preset (121.9 FPS) also remain above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 1440p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 89.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F scores 32,279 on average, which is virtually identical to its closest rivals. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900, and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H, while trailing the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS by 0.2%.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT sits in the 55th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 13,543 places it just ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (0.1% delta) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (0.2% delta).

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the combo delivers an average of 182.7 FPS. This is more than triple the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at any resolution?

A: Yes, but not at 4K. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 123.9 FPS, and at 2560x1440, it averages 89.4 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset falls to 59.8 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14400F and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, with the GPU taking the dominant role in determining frame rates across all resolutions. The most telling evidence comes from the scaling behavior between presets. At 1920x1080, dropping from Ultra to Low increases average FPS from 123.9 to 260.8 — a gain of 136.9 FPS. This massive swing demonstrates that rendering load, not CPU throughput, is the limiting factor. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU even at the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds. The Ultra preset produces 89.4 FPS, while Low jumps to 192.6 FPS. The delta between presets remains substantial, confirming that the GPU's shading units (4096), texture units (256), and raster operation units (128) are doing the heavy lifting. The CPU's contribution becomes more apparent when examining the drop from 1080p to 1440p. At Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 123.9 to 89.4 — a 27.8% reduction. This resolution scaling is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, where pixel throughput becomes the bottleneck.

The 4K results further reinforce this interpretation. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 59.8 FPS, while Low still manages 121.9 FPS. The fact that even the most demanding resolution maintains 60+ FPS on three of four presets suggests the CPU is never the primary constraint. If the i5-14400F were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates converge across resolutions at high presets, but instead the spread between Low and Ultra remains large (62.1 FPS at 4K). The CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,055, is more than adequate for this FPS title.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 826 out of 3,714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 22.2% of all configurations. The ranking reflects the system's ability to sustain high frame rates across all resolutions, though the GPU's modest 55th percentile ranking among all GPUs tempers the overall position. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all processors helps push the combo into the top quarter.

The benchmark data shows that the GPU's average score of 13,543 is its primary limitation. Its nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (13,536), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13,515), and NVIDIA P106-090 (13,470) — all sit within 0.5% of its performance. The CPU, by contrast, outperforms its nearest rivals in most comparisons. The i5-14400F's average score of 32,279 edges out the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32,233) and Core i9-11900 (32,226), while maintaining a marginal lead over the Core i7-12800H (32,121). This combination of a top-quartile CPU with a mid-pack GPU yields a combo ranking that is respectable but not elite.

The measured FPS data indicates that the combo's ranking is heavily influenced by resolution. At 1080p, the system delivers frame rates that would place it among higher-performing combos, with the Ultra preset hitting 123.9 FPS and Low achieving 260.8 FPS. The 4K performance, while playable at most presets, is less competitive due to the GPU's relative standing. The Ultra preset's 59.8 FPS at 4K is a notable weakness, as it falls just short of the playable threshold.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, and it does so impressively at most settings. The verdict is clear: at 1920x1080, every preset is playable, with the Ultra preset hitting 123.9 FPS and the Low preset reaching 260.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also remain above 60 FPS, with Ultra achieving 89.4 FPS. The system is fully capable of delivering a smooth experience at these resolutions on the highest settings.

The 4K situation requires more nuance. The benchmark results show that High (76.4 FPS), Medium (87.8 FPS), and Low (121.9 FPS) presets all clear the 60 FPS threshold, making the game playable at 3840x2160. However, the Ultra preset falls to 59.8 FPS, missing the playable threshold by just 0.2 FPS. For 4K gaming, the best playable preset is High, which provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The data indicates that this combo is not suited for 4K Ultra settings, but it handles everything else with ease.

The overall verdict is that this system is a strong performer for Lockdown Protocol, particularly for gamers targeting 1080p or 1440p displays. The 1440p Ultra experience at 89.4 FPS is particularly compelling, offering high visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. For 4K users, the High preset is the recommended ceiling, delivering 76.4 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 260.8 FPS, while Medium reaches 182.7 FPS. High settings produce 161.8 FPS, and Ultra maintains 123.9 FPS. All four presets offer more than double the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Low providing over four times that number.

The 2560x1440 results show a predictable decline but remain strong. Low averages 192.6 FPS, Medium hits 135.6 FPS, High delivers 119.6 FPS, and Ultra stays at 89.4 FPS. The performance gap between Medium and High is 16.0 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is 30.2 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional rendering demands take a measurable toll.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall further but remain playable on most presets. Low averages 121.9 FPS, Medium achieves 87.8 FPS, and High delivers 76.4 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 59.8 FPS, just below the playable threshold. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a 29.6 FPS reduction, while the same resolution jump at High settings results in a 43.2 FPS drop, highlighting how resolution impacts the GPU's workload.

The data shows consistent behavior across resolutions: Low is always the fastest preset, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra widens with increasing resolution — 136.9 FPS at 1080p, 103.2 FPS at 1440p, and 62.1 FPS at 4K — because the GPU becomes progressively more constrained at higher pixel counts.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 123.9 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining more than double the playable threshold. The margin is substantial, so there is no risk of dropping below 60 FPS in typical gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again delivers the best experience, averaging 89.4 FPS. This is the clear choice for 1440p, offering a 29.4 FPS buffer over the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset (119.6 FPS) and Medium preset (135.6 FPS) are also viable, but Ultra provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is High, which averages 76.4 FPS. The Ultra preset at 59.8 FPS falls short of the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided. Medium (87.8 FPS) is a viable alternative if lower visual quality is acceptable, but High offers the best combination of quality and performance. The 16.6 FPS margin over the threshold at High provides adequate headroom for demanding scenes.