Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload for PC hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600, using only the supplied benchmark data to determine playability across common resolutions and settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark data indicates that this specific CPU-GPU pairing occupies a distinct performance tier. For the Intel Core i5-14600KF, the closest comparable processors in synthetic average benchmark scores are the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.3% higher score), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% higher), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (0.8% higher). The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 trails by a negligible 0.8%. Practically, this means that in CPU-bound scenarios, systems built with any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates, with differences well within the margin of measurement error.

On the graphics side, the AMD Radeon RX 7600's average benchmark score is closely matched by a set of very different cards. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is 0.2% slower, the AMD Radeon Pro 560X is 0.6% faster, the AMD Radeon 680M integrated graphics is 0.7% slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti is 0.7% faster. This is a peculiar cluster, as it places a modern discrete GPU alongside older and integrated solutions in terms of aggregate compute scores. For Lockdown Protocol, a system with any of these alternatives would likely produce similar average frame rates, though feature support and driver optimizations may vary. The data suggests that the RX 7600's performance profile is not significantly ahead of these rivals, indicating that the GPU is a potential bottleneck for this title at higher settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured frame rates reveal a clear shift in system bottleneck depending on the resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence is at its peak. The performance uplift from Low to Ultra settings is substantial, moving from 160 FPS to 74 FPS. This steep drop of 86 FPS indicates that the rendering load increases dramatically with preset quality, and the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at 1080p when settings are raised. The Core i5-14600KF, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, provides ample headroom, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low settings where the GPU is less taxed.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more dominant. The average FPS at High settings drops from 99 at 1080p to 73 at 1440p, a 26% decrease. This scaling is expected, as the GPU must render more pixels. The CPU's workload per frame remains relatively constant, but the GPU's time to render each frame increases. At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the primary constraint. The average FPS at High settings falls to 47, and even at Low settings, the system only manages 76 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is 41 FPS (76 to 35), showing that the RX 7600's compute resources are saturated regardless of the quality preset. The CPU's performance, while strong, is not the limiting factor at this resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The provided data includes measured average frame rates for all resolution and preset combinations, with some min/max data for Medium settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 160 FPS.
• Medium: Average 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS.
• High: Average 99 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 74 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 117 FPS.
• Medium: Average 83 FPS, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 96 FPS.
• High: Average 73 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 54 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 76 FPS.
• Medium: Average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS.
• High: Average 47 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 35 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: frame rates decline proportionally with increased resolution and preset quality. The Medium preset data illustrates the variance within a session, with the 1080p run showing a 34 FPS difference between min and max, while the 1440p run shows a 25 FPS difference, and the 4K run shows a 16 FPS difference. This suggests that lower resolutions and higher frame rates are subject to more significant swings, possibly due to CPU-side frame pacing variations.

The Verdict

This PC configuration is capable of running Lockdown Protocol, but its playability is highly dependent on the target resolution and quality settings. The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS average.

At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold with every preset. The most demanding setting, Ultra, achieves an average of 74 FPS, providing a comfortable margin. High (99 FPS), Medium (113 FPS), and Low (160 FPS) are all well above the target.

At 2560x1440, the system maintains playability up to High settings, which delivers an average of 73 FPS. Medium (83 FPS) and Low (117 FPS) are also playable. The Ultra preset falls short, averaging 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, playability is restricted. Only the Low preset achieves an average above 60 FPS, with a score of 76 FPS. Medium (54 FPS), High (47 FPS), and Ultra (35 FPS) all fail to reach the playable threshold. The verdict is clear: for 4K gaming, users must sacrifice visual fidelity to maintain smooth performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset is 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the most demanding playable option at 1440p, with an average frame rate of 73 FPS. The Ultra preset drops below the threshold to 54 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7600?

A: Only with significant compromises. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (76 FPS) exceeds the 60 FPS target. Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall below it.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The data shows a substantial difference. The average frame rate at Low is 160 FPS, while at Ultra it is 74 FPS, representing a performance drop of 86 FPS or roughly 54%.

Q: Which component is the limiting factor for this game at 4K?

A: The GPU. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset yields 76 FPS, indicating the graphics card is saturated. The CPU's strong synthetic benchmarks (90th percentile) suggest it is not the primary bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What is the average frame rate variance on the Medium preset?

A: The variance depends on resolution. At 1080p, the range is 96-130 FPS. At 1440p, it is 71-96 FPS. At 4K, it is 46-62 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 2577 out of 3714 recorded systems. This places it in the lower third of all tested configurations. The rank suggests that while this system is capable of running the game at playable frame rates in many scenarios, there are numerous other hardware combinations that deliver higher overall performance. The CPU is a high-tier component (90th percentile for all CPUs), but the GPU's mid-range standing (57th percentile for all GPUs) likely pulls the combined ranking down, reinforcing the conclusion that the graphics card is the primary limiter in this system.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured data, the following settings provide the highest visual quality while maintaining an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS.

• 3840x2160: The only playable preset is Low, which produces an average of 76 FPS. No higher quality settings are viable at this resolution.
• 2560x1440: The most demanding playable preset is High, with an average of 73 FPS. This offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance.
• 1920x1080: The most demanding playable preset is Ultra, with an average of 74 FPS. This allows for the full visual experience at the most common resolution.