Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers a playable experience in Lockdown Protocol at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring a settings reduction to Low. Benchmark data shows the combination lands at rank 2573 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum. The CPU holds a 90th percentile standing among all processors, while the GPU sits at the 70th percentile, indicating the graphics card is the primary limiter for frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-14600K’s average benchmark score of 48618 places it within a tight cluster of comparable processors. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, a mere 0.2% higher, making it effectively indistinguishable in raw compute performance. The AMD EPYC 4345P trails by 0.3% with a score of 48470, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX sits 0.7% behind at 48287. On the other side, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 leads the i5-14600K by 0.8% with a score of 48995. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in Lockdown Protocol.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT’s average score of 24442 is closely matched by several rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 scores 24277, just 0.7% lower, while the Intel Arc A350M reaches 24647, outperforming the RX 6600 XT by 0.8%. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti sits 0.8% behind at 24236, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is 1.1% behind at 24170. Given these margins, swapping the RX 6600 XT for any of these cards would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game, assuming the CPU remains constant. Notably, the RTX 2080 SUPER’s proximity suggests that even a historically higher-tier card does not meaningfully change the outcome here, as the RX 6600 XT’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth prove sufficient for the workload.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component responsibility as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064) helps push frame rates higher, with Low settings reaching 161.8 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the same Low preset drops to 120.1 FPS, a 25.8% reduction that points to the GPU beginning to take on more load. At 3840x2160, Low settings fall further to 75.7 FPS, a 37.0% drop from 1440p, confirming that the RX 6600 XT becomes the dominant factor at higher pixel counts.

Preset scaling reinforces this pattern. At 1080p, Ultra settings (76.2 FPS) are 52.9% slower than Low (161.8 FPS), showing ample headroom for the CPU to feed the GPU. At 1440p, the gap between Low (120.1 FPS) and Ultra (51.5 FPS) widens to 57.1%, and at 4K, Low (75.7 FPS) versus Ultra (34.9 FPS) represents a 53.9% difference. The consistent ~50-57% penalty from Low to Ultra across all resolutions indicates that the GPU’s shading units (2048) and texture units (128) are the constraining resource when visual complexity rises. The CPU, with 14 cores and 20 threads, never appears to bottleneck, as even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset still produces 34.9 FPS, which is above what a CPU-limited scenario would typically show.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset. Low settings deliver 161.8 FPS average, Medium drops to 112.3 FPS, High reaches 96.6 FPS, and Ultra holds at 76.2 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 49.5 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 20.4 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, Low produces 120.1 FPS, Medium 82.6 FPS, High 71.7 FPS, and Ultra 51.5 FPS. The Medium preset remains comfortably above 60 FPS, but Ultra falls short by 8.5 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset costs roughly 25-30 FPS across the board, with Ultra seeing the smallest absolute loss of 24.7 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve playability, with 75.7 FPS. Medium drops to 55.8 FPS, High to 46.1 FPS, and Ultra to 34.9 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 9.7 FPS, while High to Ultra is 11.2 FPS, indicating that each preset tier at 4K extracts a similar toll on the GPU. No min or max FPS values were recorded, so the analysis relies solely on averages, which show a linear degradation pattern as pixel count rises.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. Measured data shows 76.2 FPS average at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 2560x1440?

A: High settings deliver 71.7 FPS at 1440p, which is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. Ultra drops to 51.5 FPS and is not playable.

Q: Does 4K require lowering settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, only Low settings (75.7 FPS) clear the 60 FPS threshold. Medium (55.8 FPS), High (46.1 FPS), and Ultra (34.9 FPS) all fall below playable levels.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested hardware?

A: It ranks 2573 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the 69th percentile of all tested systems in this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for performance at 4K?

A: The GPU is the primary limiter at 4K. The RX 6600 XT’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 2048 shading units constrain frame rates, as evidenced by the steep drop from 75.7 FPS on Low to 34.9 FPS on Ultra, while the CPU’s 90th percentile standing suggests it is not the bottleneck.

Q: What FPS can be expected at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 96.6 FPS, which provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold and room for demanding scenes.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience depends heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the highest preset (Ultra) averaging 76.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, three of four presets are playable: Low (120.1 FPS), Medium (82.6 FPS), and High (71.7 FPS), while Ultra falls short at 51.5 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve playability at 75.7 FPS, with all other presets below the 60 FPS line. The verdict is straightforward: 1080p players can max out the game, 1440p players should stick to High or below, and 4K players must accept Low settings for smooth gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, with a measured average of 76.2 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for full visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, High settings provide the best balance, delivering 71.7 FPS. Medium (82.6 FPS) is also viable but sacrifices visual fidelity, while Ultra (51.5 FPS) fails the playability test.

At 3840x2160, Low settings are the only option that clears 60 FPS, averaging 75.7 FPS. Medium (55.8 FPS), High (46.1 FPS), and Ultra (34.9 FPS) all fall below the threshold, so players at this resolution must prioritize frame rate over graphical detail.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination ranks 2573 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the 69th percentile of all tested hardware configurations. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-tier status (70th percentile among all GPUs) combined with a high-end CPU (90th percentile among all CPUs). The data suggests that while the processor provides ample headroom, the graphics card limits the combo’s overall standing. In practical terms, this rank means the system outperforms roughly two-thirds of tested configurations, but it trails the top 31% of systems that likely pair stronger GPUs with similar or better CPUs. For players targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the combo performs admirably; for 4K enthusiasts, the rank accurately predicts the need for significant settings reductions.