Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a compelling mid-range combination for Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS. The measured data shows this system is highly capable, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and presets. At 1080p, this combo delivers smooth gameplay even at the highest settings, while 1440p offers a strong balance of visual fidelity and frame rate. The system only begins to struggle at 4K Ultra, where the demands of the resolution prove too much for the Arc B580. Overall, the benchmark results indicate a versatile setup that can handle the game well for the vast majority of players, with specific settings recommendations detailed below.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows that at 2560x1440, the combo achieves an average of 71.4 FPS on High settings, 81.8 FPS on Medium, and 109.3 FPS on Low. It only falls below the 60 FPS threshold at the Ultra preset, where it averages 52 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1080p gaming experience?

A: The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 72.6 FPS, making it the best visual option that still clears the playable threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14600KF compare to its closest rivals in raw processing power?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score is 49394, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, scores 49228, making the Intel part only 0.3% faster. It is similarly matched with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% faster) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (0.8% faster).

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 a significant upgrade over older graphics cards?

A: The data indicates it is a substantial step up. The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. For context, it is 0.6% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and 1% faster than the NVIDIA P106-100. It also edges out the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP by 0.2%.

Q: At which resolution does the graphics card become the primary bottleneck?

A: The shift is clear at 4K. While the frame rate drops from 109.3 FPS at 1440p Low to 70 FPS at 2160p Low, the more telling factor is the loss of higher presets. At 4K, only the Low preset remains playable, indicating the GPU is saturated and cannot handle the pixel count of High or Ultra settings at that resolution.

Q: What is the most demanding setting at which this system can maintain 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The High preset is the most demanding playable option at 2560x1440. It delivers an average of 71.4 FPS. Stepping up to Ultra drops performance to 52 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14600KF and the Intel Arc B580 is evident in the frame time data across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the performance delta between settings presets is significant, which is typical for a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions. The jump from Low to Ultra only reduces the average frame rate from 150.7 FPS to 72.6 FPS, showing that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain high frame rates. However, the scaling from Medium to Ultra is not linear, suggesting the GPU is already starting to factor into performance at this resolution, especially with the more demanding visual effects.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more prominent. The frame rate at Low settings drops to 109.3 FPS, a 41.4 FPS decrease from the 1080p Low result. This is a clear indicator that the Arc B580 is now the limiting factor, as the increased pixel count demands more from the graphics processor. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to a 57.3 FPS difference, but the absolute numbers are lower across the board. At this resolution, the CPU still provides enough headroom, but the GPU is working much harder to fill the additional pixels.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unambiguously the bottleneck. The performance ceiling collapses, with even the Low preset only managing an average of 70 FPS. The High preset falls to 43.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to a mere 32.3 FPS. This represents a dramatic reduction in performance compared to 1440p, where the same presets yielded 71.4 FPS and 52 FPS respectively. The data shows that while the i5-14600KF has ample processing power, the Arc B580’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings. The system is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor for 4K gaming.

Best Settings per Resolution

For players targeting a smooth 60 FPS experience, the optimal settings vary by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system has enough performance headroom to run the game at its highest visual quality. The Ultra preset is the most demanding option that still stays above the threshold, delivering an average of 72.6 FPS. This provides the best visual experience without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the graphical load increases, and the High preset is the best choice for a 60 FPS experience. It achieves an average of 71.4 FPS, offering a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance. While the Medium preset is also playable at 81.8 FPS, High provides better image quality for a modest performance cost.

The 4K resolution is where the system’s limits are tested. At 3840x2160, the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold is Low, which produces an average of 70 FPS. While playable, this requires significant visual compromises. The Medium and High presets fall short at 48.5 FPS and 43.6 FPS respectively, making them unsuitable for a consistent 60 FPS experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B580 ranks at 2847 out of 3714 total combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the ranking, which is an important context for its performance. While the system delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, the overall ranking suggests that many other combinations are capable of higher performance, particularly at higher resolutions or with more demanding settings.

This ranking is a composite measure, and the performance data shows a clear reason for the position. The Arc B580, while competent, is a mid-range GPU. Its 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 213.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are respectable, but they place it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The i5-14600KF, on the other hand, is a high-end CPU, sitting in the 90th percentile. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-tier GPU creates a bottleneck where the system’s overall ranking is dragged down by the graphics card’s limitations, especially at 4K. The rank indicates that the system is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but is not competitive with higher-end GPU pairings for 4K Ultra settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data for both components, several alternative hardware combinations would yield similar performance in Lockdown Protocol.

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 is the closest match, with an average benchmark score of 49228, a mere 0.3% lower than the i5-14600KF. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196) and Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48995) also fall within a 1% performance delta. A system using any of these CPUs with the Arc B580 would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game, as the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at most settings.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is the most significant comparable, with an average score of 22895, which is 0.6% slower than the Arc B580. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23061) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23172) are also very close in average score, with deltas of -0.2% and -0.7% respectively. This means that swapping the Arc B580 for any of these cards would result in very similar performance, with the RTX 3080 being slightly faster and the RX 580 2048SP being slightly slower. Notably, the RTX 3080’s score suggests it would not offer a significant upgrade over the Arc B580 in this specific workload, despite being a different class of card in other games.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience is heavily dependent on the target resolution and settings. The system unequivocally clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at 1920x1080 across all tested presets, from Low at 150.7 FPS to Ultra at 72.6 FPS. This makes it an excellent choice for 1080p gaming with maximum visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the system remains highly capable. The High preset is the recommended sweet spot, delivering an average of 71.4 FPS. While Ultra settings are not playable at this resolution (52 FPS), the High preset provides a great balance of visual fidelity and smooth performance.

The system is technically playable at 3840x2160, but with significant compromises. Only the Low preset (70 FPS) meets the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fail to hit this target, with frame rates ranging from 48.5 FPS down to 32.3 FPS. Therefore, the verdict is that this is a strong 1080p and 1440p machine for Lockdown Protocol, but not recommended for 4K gaming unless the player is willing to use the lowest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average frame rates for the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B580 combination in Lockdown Protocol.

3840x2160

• Ultra: 32.3 FPS
• High: 43.6 FPS
• Medium: 48.5 FPS
• Low: 70 FPS

2560x1440

• Ultra: 52 FPS
• High: 71.4 FPS
• Medium: 81.8 FPS
• Low: 109.3 FPS

1920x1080

• Ultra: 72.6 FPS
• High: 94.6 FPS
• Medium: 107.8 FPS
• Low: 150.7 FPS

These figures illustrate a clear performance hierarchy. The system scales effectively with resolution, but the frame rate cost of moving from 1440p to 4K is substantial. The data also shows that the difference between Low and Ultra settings is most pronounced at 1080p, where the CPU can maintain high frame rates, and least pronounced at 4K, where the GPU is fully saturated.