Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a robust 1080p and 1440p experience in Lockdown Protocol, with the data showing that 4K Ultra is the only setting that fails to clear the 60 FPS threshold. This combination ranks in the 70th percentile for CPU performance and the 69th percentile for GPU performance, indicating a balanced pairing that scales predictably across resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for Lockdown Protocol reveals a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo produces exceptional frame rates that leave substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset delivers an average of 243.8 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure in the entire dataset. Moving up the quality ladder, Medium yields 174.7 FPS, High drops to 150.5 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a very strong 113.7 FPS average. Even at the most demanding 1080p setting, the frame rate is nearly double the 60 FPS playability threshold, suggesting that this resolution is far from a bottleneck for the hardware.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains highly playable across all presets, though the scaling shows a predictable cost for additional pixels. Low settings produce 181.6 FPS, which is a 25.5% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 127.6 FPS, High reaches 109.9 FPS, and Ultra settles at 85.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 96.4 FPS, which is a larger absolute spread than at 1080p, where the difference between Low and Ultra is 130.1 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases, but the overall experience remains smooth even at the highest quality tier.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes notably. The Ultra preset drops to 51.4 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold and represents the only unplayable configuration in the dataset. High settings recover to 73.5 FPS, Medium improves to 82.3 FPS, and Low jumps to 118.5 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 67.1 FPS, which is proportionally larger than at lower resolutions, reinforcing the notion that the RX 9070's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are being stretched at 4K Ultra. The lack of recorded min and max FPS values in the data means the analysis relies solely on averages, but the consistency across settings suggests stable performance rather than erratic spikes.

FAQ

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

A: No, the data shows the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 51.4 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. High settings at 4K achieve 73.5 FPS, so you would need to drop one quality tier for a playable experience.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains over 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 85.2 FPS, which clears the threshold with a comfortable margin. All four presets at this resolution exceed 60 FPS, with Low hitting 181.6 FPS and Medium at 127.6 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 1080p?

A: The jump from Ultra at 113.7 FPS to Low at 243.8 FPS represents a 130.1 FPS improvement, more than doubling the frame rate. This suggests the game is highly sensitive to quality settings at this resolution.

Q: Is the RX 9070 or the i5-14600KF more responsible for the 4K performance drop?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K. The RX 9070 ranks in the 69th percentile among all GPUs, while the i5-14600KF sits in the 90th percentile. The sharp decline from 118.5 FPS at 4K Low to 51.4 FPS at 4K Ultra points to GPU-bound rendering, not CPU limitations.

Q: Does this combo rank highly among tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1121 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in roughly the 70th percentile of all tested systems. This is a solid mid-to-high ranking, though not top-tier.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 109.9 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves room for minor frame dips without becoming noticeable.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 113.7 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the playability threshold, making Ultra the clear choice for 1080p gaming with this hardware. The gap to the next tier down, High at 150.5 FPS, is 36.8 FPS, but Ultra's average still comfortably exceeds 100 FPS, so there is little reason to compromise visual quality at this resolution.

For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains the best option, averaging 85.2 FPS. This is 25.2 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a buffer that should absorb most in-game action without dropping below playable levels. Medium at 127.6 FPS and High at 109.9 FPS are available if you prefer higher refresh rates, but Ultra's margin of safety makes it the recommended default.

At 3840x2160, the highest playable preset is High, which averages 73.5 FPS. Ultra falls to 51.4 FPS and is therefore not viable for maintaining 60 FPS. Medium at 82.3 FPS and Low at 118.5 FPS offer alternatives if you want more performance headroom, but High provides the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness at this resolution. The 22.1 FPS difference between High and the threshold is sufficient for most scenarios, though demanding scenes could push it closer to the limit.

The Verdict

The benchmark results confirm that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol across the vast majority of tested configurations. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra clears the 60 FPS requirement, with Ultra averaging 113.7 FPS. This makes 1080p the most forgiving resolution for this combo, offering playable performance even at maximum quality settings.

At 2560x1440, the system also passes all presets, with Ultra at 85.2 FPS being the most demanding playable option. The margin above the threshold is 25.2 FPS, which is respectable and indicates that the RX 9070 has enough headroom for consistent 1440p gaming. The data shows no configuration at this resolution falls below 60 FPS, so users can freely select any preset based on their preference for visual quality versus frame rate.

The 3840x2160 results are more nuanced. The Ultra preset's 51.4 FPS average is the only failing configuration in the entire dataset, falling 8.6 FPS short of the threshold. High settings at 73.5 FPS restore playability with a 13.5 FPS margin, which is acceptable but not generous. Medium at 82.3 FPS and Low at 118.5 FPS provide progressively safer options. Overall, this system is a strong 1080p and 1440p performer, with 4K gaming limited to High settings or below.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the i5-14600KF and the RX 9070 shifts noticeably across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU's strength becomes apparent: the i5-14600KF ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, and its 14 cores and 20 threads provide ample processing power. The 243.8 FPS result at Low settings suggests the CPU can feed the GPU at very high frame rates, and the drop to 113.7 FPS at Ultra indicates the GPU is beginning to take on more load as pixel shading demands increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's role expands. The RX 9070's 3584 shading units and 56 ray tracing cores are pushed harder by the additional pixels. The scaling from 1080p Low to 1440p Low shows a 25.5% reduction in frame rate, which is consistent with GPU-bound rendering. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking means it is unlikely to bottleneck at this resolution, even at the Ultra preset's 85.2 FPS average.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the dominant factor. The RX 9070's 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs becomes the limiting constraint, as evidenced by the steep performance drop at 4K Ultra. The i5-14600KF's high single-thread score of 4594 in Cinebench R23 suggests it has spare capacity, but the GPU's 16 GB memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at the highest quality tier. The data shows that lowering settings from Ultra to High at 4K yields a 22.1 FPS improvement, while the same change at 1080p only gains 36.8 FPS, indicating the GPU's scaling efficiency diminishes as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 1121 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in approximately the 70th percentile of all systems tested. This is a respectable showing that reflects the balanced nature of the pairing. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 0.3% higher on average, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, which scores 0.8% higher, indicating the i5-14600KF sits in a tightly contested performance tier where small margins separate competitors.

On the GPU side, the RX 9070's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z at 0.6% higher average score, the AMD Radeon RX 6800S at 0.8% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile at 1.1% higher. These narrow deltas suggest the GPU is well-positioned among similarly performing products, though it does not lead its class. The combo's overall rank in the 70th percentile for this game means the majority of tested systems outperform it, but the measured FPS data shows that this ranking does not translate to poor playability at common resolutions. The system clears 60 FPS at every tested setting except 4K Ultra, so the rank is more indicative of raw performance potential than real-world usability for this specific title.