Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p gaming experience in Lockdown Protocol, with the data showing that 4K Ultra is the only setting that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This combination ranks in the 46th percentile of all tested combos for this game, meaning it sits slightly below the median but still provides smooth performance at most resolutions and presets. The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern: this system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p play, handles 1440p Ultra comfortably, and can even manage 4K at Medium settings without dropping below the playable threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and preset combination for this CPU and GPU in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The best combination is 1920x1080 at Ultra settings, where the system achieves an average of 93 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also remain playable with an average of 68 FPS, while 3840x2160 tops out at Medium settings with an average of 67 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. At 4K Low, the average frame rate is 95 FPS, while 4K Medium averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS. 4K High drops to 59 FPS average, and 4K Ultra falls to 44 FPS, both below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14600KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49,394, which places it 0.3% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.4% above the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G. It is 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is 0.8% ahead of it.

Q: What GPU performance level does the AMD Radeon RX 7700 offer?

A: The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15,852, which is 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and 1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 370X and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested CPU and GPU combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1,709 out of 3,714 tested combinations, placing it in the 46th percentile of all combos tested for Lockdown Protocol. This means roughly 46% of tested systems perform better, while about 54% perform worse.

Q: Is the 60 FPS threshold met at all resolutions with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium settings meet the 60 FPS threshold, with Medium being the best playable preset at 67 FPS average. At 2560x1440 and 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) meet or exceed 60 FPS average.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data for Lockdown Protocol shows a clear pattern of CPU and GPU scaling across resolutions, with the GPU becoming increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 200 FPS on Low settings, 142 FPS on Medium, 124 FPS on High, and 93 FPS on Ultra. This wide spread between presets indicates that the GPU is already a significant factor, but the high frame rates suggest the CPU is keeping pace without bottlenecking.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably: Low settings average 147 FPS, Medium averages 104 FPS, High averages 91 FPS, and Ultra averages 68 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 53 FPS, while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 25 FPS. This pattern shows that lower presets are more sensitive to resolution scaling, which is typical when the CPU handles more of the workload at lower graphical settings. The fact that 1440p Ultra still holds 68 FPS indicates the GPU has enough headroom to handle the increased pixel count without collapsing.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck. Low settings average 95 FPS, Medium averages 67 FPS, High averages 59 FPS, and Ultra falls to 44 FPS. The scaling from 1440p Low to 4K Low is a 52 FPS drop, while 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra is a 24 FPS drop. Interestingly, the absolute frame rates at 4K Low (95 FPS) are still higher than 1440p Ultra (68 FPS), which suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor even at lower resolutions with high presets. The GPU's workload increases dramatically at 4K, and the measured results show that only Medium or lower settings keep the frame rate above the playable threshold.

The data also shows that the RX 7700's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth provides enough memory bandwidth for 4K textures, as the Medium preset at 4K maintains 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS. The GPU's boost clock of 2459 MHz and 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance are sufficient to handle the game's rendering demands, but the Ultra preset at 4K pushes the GPU past its limits. For this game, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p with lower presets, where the i5-14600KF's 14 cores and 20 threads help maintain high frame rates. At 4K, the GPU's raw throughput is the deciding factor, and the data shows that the RX 7700 is a capable 4K medium-quality card for Lockdown Protocol but not a 4K ultra-quality one.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 93 FPS. This is the best possible visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold. The High preset runs at 124 FPS, Medium at 142 FPS, and Low at 200 FPS, so all presets are playable at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, with an average of 68 FPS. This provides the full visual experience while keeping the frame rate above 60 FPS. High settings run at 91 FPS, Medium at 104 FPS, and Low at 147 FPS, giving the user plenty of headroom if they prefer higher refresh rates over maximum quality.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 67 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS. While the average is above 60 FPS, the minimum dips slightly below, but the average still qualifies as playable. High settings at 4K average 59 FPS, just below the threshold, while Low averages 95 FPS and Ultra averages 44 FPS. For 4K users, Medium is the recommended setting for the best balance of visual quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination ranks 1,709 out of 3,714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 46th percentile. This means the system performs better than about 54% of all tested combinations but worse than about 46% of them. Given that the data set includes a wide range of hardware from entry-level to enthusiast-grade, this ranking suggests the combo is a mid-range performer that can handle the game well at most settings but is not among the top-tier systems.

The ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates. At 1080p Ultra, the system hits 93 FPS, which is strong but not exceptional compared to high-end GPUs that would push well past 144 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, 68 FPS is respectable but leaves no room for higher refresh rates. At 4K, the system's limits become apparent, with only Medium settings clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The 46th percentile ranking reflects this balanced but not outstanding performance profile.

When comparing to the nearest rivals, the CPU's average benchmark score of 49,394 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228, 0.3% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49,196, 0.4% slower). The GPU's average score of 15,852 is close to the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, 0.1% faster) and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679, 1.1% slower). This means the combo's performance in Lockdown Protocol is likely representative of what users would get with these near-identical alternatives, though the game-specific results can vary based on driver optimizations and other factors.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600KF, users looking for similar CPU performance could consider the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which has an average benchmark score 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G is 0.4% slower, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.8% slower. On the higher end, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is 0.8% faster. These CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU, as the differences are within a single percentage point.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7700's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X, which is 0.1% faster in average benchmark score, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, which is 1.1% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is 1% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 1.7% faster. In practical terms, swapping the RX 7700 for an RTX 3060 Ti would result in roughly 1-2 FPS difference in Lockdown Protocol at most settings, which is imperceptible in real gameplay. Similarly, the CPU alternatives would produce frame rate differences of less than 1 FPS across the board.

The practical takeaway is that this combo's performance is tightly clustered with its nearest rivals. If a builder already owns any of these alternative CPUs or GPUs, the gaming experience in Lockdown Protocol would be nearly identical. The only meaningful difference would be if someone upgraded to the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388, which is 0.8% faster than the i5-14600KF, but even that would translate to less than 1 FPS difference in most scenarios. This makes the i5-14600KF and RX 7700 a well-balanced pairing where neither component is significantly stronger or weaker than its closest alternatives.

The Verdict

Based on the verdictByResolution data, this PC can run Lockdown Protocol at all three tested resolutions, but with specific limitations. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, and Ultra settings deliver an average of 93 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes 1080p the sweet spot for this combo, offering maximum visual quality with plenty of performance headroom.

At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 68 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS threshold, so users who want to play at 1440p with maximum settings will get a smooth experience, though frame rates will occasionally dip closer to 60 FPS during intense scenes. The High preset at 91 FPS provides more headroom for those who prefer a higher frame rate buffer, but Ultra remains a viable choice.

At 3840x2160, the system can only run Low and Medium settings above 60 FPS. Medium averages 67 FPS, which is the best playable setting at 4K. The High preset at 59 FPS is technically below the threshold, and Ultra at 44 FPS is not recommended. For 4K gamers, this combo is best suited to Medium settings, which still look good and maintain a playable frame rate.

The verdict is clear: this system is a capable 1080p and 1440p machine for Lockdown Protocol, with the ability to handle 4K at reduced settings. The 46th percentile ranking among all tested combos reflects this mid-range positioning. Users who prioritize high refresh rates should stick to 1080p, where the system can push past 200 FPS on Low settings. Users who prioritize visual quality should choose 1440p Ultra for the best balance. 4K is possible but requires compromise on settings, with Medium being the recommended choice for maintaining 60 FPS. Overall, this combo meets the playable threshold for most use cases, with the only exception being 4K High and 4K Ultra.