Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 is a pairing that sits comfortably in the upper-middle of the performance spectrum — the CPU lands in the 90th percentile of all tested processors, the GPU in the 82nd percentile of all tested graphics cards. Against Lockdown Protocol, a first-person shooter released in March 2024, the measured data shows this combination clearing the 60 FPS bar at every resolution and every preset, including Ultra at 4K. That result invites a closer look at where the ceiling actually is, and which component sets it.

Similar Performance Alternatives

If the goal is hardware that would behave similarly in Lockdown Protocol, the nearest-rivals data offers a precise map. On the CPU side, the Core i5-14600K's average benchmark score of 48618 is nearly indistinguishable from the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H at 48698 (a delta of -0.2 percent) and the AMD EPYC 4345P at 48470 (0.3 percent). The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX sits 0.7 percent away at 48287, while the Core Ultra 5 245 actually scores slightly higher at 48995, a -0.8 percent delta. In practical terms, any of these processors should deliver effectively identical frame delivery in a game like this — the spread between them is under one percent, which is far below the margin any player could perceive.

The GPU picture is more curious. The RTX 5070's average score of 40377 is listed alongside an odd set of neighbors: the AMD Radeon Pro 580 at 40318 (0.1 percent away), the Radeon Pro WX 7100 at 40063 (0.8 percent), the Radeon Pro 5300 at 40870 (-1.2 percent), and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile at 39568 (2 percent). These are professional-series parts, and the proximity of their aggregate scores to the RTX 5070's is worth questioning — the averaging method clearly mixes test types where workstation cards score disproportionately. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the RTX 5070's Blackwell 2.0 architecture, 12 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus with 672 GB/s of bandwidth, and 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput make it the more straightforwardly gaming-oriented option in this cluster, and the measured frame rates below reflect that.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3714 tested CPU-GPU combinations in Lockdown Protocol, this pairing ranks 727th. That places it roughly in the top fifth of all tested combos — high enough to indicate strong performance, but not in the exotic territory occupied by flagship pairings. The rank is consistent with the component percentiles: a 90th-percentile CPU and an 82nd-percentile GPU combining into a top-tier-but-not-elite result.

What does rank 727 of 3714 mean in practice? It means there are hundreds of faster combinations, but the verdict data shows that in this particular game the extra speed buys little. Every preset at every resolution is already playable. The ranking is a statement about the database's overall spread, not about whether this combo is sufficient — it emphatically is.

Measured FPS Breakdown

All figures below are measured, not estimated, and the playable threshold is 60 FPS.

1920x1080:

• Low: 278 FPS average
• Medium: 197 FPS average (168 min, 227 max)
• High: 172 FPS average
• Ultra: 129 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 204 FPS average
• Medium: 145 FPS average (123 min, 166 max)
• High: 126 FPS average
• Ultra: 95 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 132 FPS average
• Medium: 93 FPS average (79 min, 107 max)
• High: 82 FPS average
• Ultra: 61 FPS average

A few patterns stand out. First, even the worst result — 4K Ultra at 61 FPS — clears the threshold, though only barely; that single-digit margin above 60 suggests frame pacing could feel tight in demanding moments. Second, the min/max data exists only for Medium presets, which is worth noting when interpreting the averages: at 1440p Medium, the frame rate never drops below 123, while at 4K Medium it bottoms out at 79 — still comfortably playable. Third, the Low preset at 1080p reaches 278 FPS, a figure that will interest players targeting very high refresh rates in this genre.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K on Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average is 61 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, though with little headroom to spare.

Q: What is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo in the game?

A: 278 FPS average, at 1920x1080 on the Low preset — the fastest configuration measured.

Q: How does the Core i5-14600K compare to its nearest rivals?

A: Its average benchmark score of 48618 is within one percent of the Xeon Gold 5318H (48698), EPYC 4345P (48470), Core Ultra 5 245HX (48287), and Core Ultra 5 245 (48995) — effectively equivalent performance.

Q: Is the frame rate stable at Medium settings?

A: The data suggests yes. At 1080p Medium the range is 168–227 FPS, at 1440p it is 123–166, and at 4K it is 79–107. In all three cases the minimum stays above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 have enough memory for this game?

A: The card carries 12 GB of GDDR7 with 672 GB/s of bandwidth, and the measured results show playable frame rates at every resolution and preset tested, including 4K Ultra.

Q: Where does this combo rank among tested pairings?

A: Rank 727 out of 3714 combinations, placing it in roughly the top fifth of the database for this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling data tells a clear story about which component is doing the work. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra drops the average from 129 to 95 FPS — a loss of 34 frames. Moving from 1440p to 4K drops it further from 95 to 61. Frame rate falling this steeply as resolution climbs is the signature of a GPU-bound configuration: the Core i5-14600K, with 14 cores, 20 threads, and a 5.30 GHz boost clock, is not the limiter at higher resolutions.

At 1080p the picture shifts slightly. The Low preset returns 278 FPS, which is very fast but not unlimited — with a CPU of this class (90th percentile overall, 4270 on PassMark single-thread), the question is whether the processor caps how far the frame rate can climb. The preset scaling at a fixed resolution argues the GPU still dominates: at 1080p, going from Low to Ultra costs 149 frames (278 to 129), a change driven entirely by graphics load. Meanwhile the resolution scaling between presets is consistent and smooth.

The implication: for Lockdown Protocol, spending on the GPU matters far more than the CPU. The i5-14600K is more than sufficient at every tested configuration, and its single-core scores (2064 in Cinebench R23, 2491 in Geekbench) indicate it would remain sufficient even in CPU-sensitive scenarios. Any upgrade path for this system should target the graphics card first.

Best Settings per Resolution

Using the 60 FPS threshold, the most demanding preset that stays at or above the bar at each resolution:

• 1920x1080 — Ultra: 129 FPS average. The top preset clears the threshold by more than double; there is no reason to lower settings.
• 2560x1440 — Ultra: 95 FPS average. Again, the maximum preset is comfortably playable with 35 frames of headroom.
• 3840x2160 — Ultra: 61 FPS average. Technically the best playable preset, but the margin is just one frame over the threshold. Players sensitive to dips may prefer High at 82 FPS, which trades a preset level for a more comfortable cushion.

The verdict data confirms that all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at all three resolutions for this combo, making Ultra the best-settings choice across the board.

The Verdict

Yes — this PC runs Lockdown Protocol, and it does so at maximum settings everywhere. The verdict-by-resolution data lists High, Low, Medium, and Ultra as playable at 1920x1080 (best: Ultra, 129 FPS), 2560x1440 (best: Ultra, 95 FPS), and 3840x2160 (best: Ultra, 61 FPS). For a first-person shooter where frame rate consistency matters, the numbers point to 1440p Ultra at 95 FPS as the sweet spot for this hardware — high image quality with substantial headroom. 4K Ultra works, but its 61 FPS average leaves almost no margin, and 1080p Low at 278 FPS is the option for high-refresh play. Ranked 727th of 3714 tested combos, this pairing delivers top-tier results in a game that, at least for this hardware, asks very little.