Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a remarkably strong performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, with measured data showing the combination comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution and preset tested. The benchmark results indicate that this system is not merely capable of running the game, but rather that it provides substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate displays at standard resolutions and maintains smooth, playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination spans three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates that consistently place the system in high-performance territory. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo produces an average of 289.9 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 204.5 FPS on Medium, 180.4 FPS on High, and 136.4 FPS on Ultra. These figures demonstrate that at 1080p, the system is heavily limited by the game engine or CPU rather than the GPU, as the gap between Low and Ultra settings is substantial but the absolute numbers remain far beyond what most displays can even show.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS scales down predictably but remains exceptionally high. The Low preset delivers 211.1 FPS, Medium produces 153.2 FPS, High yields 131.6 FPS, and Ultra still achieves 101.9 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p shows a reduction of roughly 27% at Low settings, 25% at Medium, 27% at High, and 25% at Ultra, indicating a relatively consistent scaling pattern that suggests the GPU is beginning to take on more of the workload as resolution increases.

At 3840x2160, the system still maintains playable frame rates across all presets, though the margins tighten considerably. The Low preset produces 138.5 FPS, Medium drops to 96.7 FPS, High falls to 85.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 66.7 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with reductions of approximately 34% at Low, 37% at Medium, 35% at High, and 35% at Ultra. This consistent reduction across all presets suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the pixel throughput demands outweigh the CPU's ability to feed frames.

The data shows that the most demanding setting tested, 4K Ultra, still clears the 60 FPS playability threshold by a margin of 6.7 FPS, which is a meaningful cushion for average frame rates but leaves little room for dips in demanding scenes. Conversely, the least demanding configuration, 1080p Low, produces nearly 290 FPS on average, which is far beyond the refresh rate capabilities of most gaming monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 569th out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 15.3% of all configurations. This percentile positioning indicates that the i5-14600KF and RTX 4070 SUPER together form a high-end pairing that outperforms the vast majority of systems tested for this game, though it is not at the absolute top tier where the most extreme hardware combinations reside.

The ranking is particularly notable given the CPU's performance percentile of 90 among all tested CPUs, which places it in the top decile of processors. The GPU's percentile of 83 among all tested GPUs is slightly lower but still firmly in the upper echelon of graphics cards. The combination of a top-10% CPU with a top-17% GPU results in a composite ranking that reflects strong but not class-leading performance, suggesting that Lockdown Protocol is somewhat more sensitive to CPU performance than some other titles, which helps explain why this pairing outperforms its raw GPU percentile might otherwise suggest.

The data indicates that the combo's 569th rank out of 3714 represents a well-balanced system where neither component is severely holding back the other in this particular game. The measured frame rates at 1080p, where CPU limitations typically surface first, are exceptionally high, suggesting the i5-14600KF's 14 cores and 20 threads provide ample headroom for the game's engine. At 4K, the system's performance is more representative of the GPU's capabilities, with the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth proving adequate for the resolution's demands.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a dominant role, as evidenced by the relatively small performance gap between presets when compared to higher resolutions. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 153.5 FPS, but the Low preset's 289.9 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames far faster than the GPU can render them, even at Low settings where GPU load is minimal.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts noticeably toward the GPU. The absolute frame rates drop, but the proportional relationship between presets remains similar to 1080p, with Ultra producing 101.9 FPS compared to Low's 211.1 FPS. This pattern indicates that while the GPU is becoming more engaged, the CPU is still contributing significantly to overall performance, as the frame rates remain well above what would be expected if the GPU were the sole limiting factor.

The role reversal becomes most apparent at 3840x2160, where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a reduction from 138.5 FPS to 66.7 FPS, a 52% drop that is consistent with heavy GPU load. The fact that the 4K Low preset still achieves 138.5 FPS demonstrates that the CPU is not limiting performance at this resolution, as even the lowest GPU workload produces frame rates that are only modestly lower than the 1440p Medium result. This indicates that Lockdown Protocol's engine scales well with resolution, and the RTX 4070 SUPER's architectural capabilities are the primary determinant of performance at 4K.

The 6.7 FPS margin between the 4K Ultra average of 66.7 FPS and the 60 FPS playability threshold is a critical data point. It suggests that while the GPU handles the resolution adequately, there is limited overhead for demanding scenes or future game updates that might increase GPU load. Conversely, the CPU's role at 1080p is so substantial that the system could likely maintain high frame rates even with a less powerful GPU, making the i5-14600KF's strong single-thread performance a key asset for high-refresh-rate gaming.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 66.7 FPS, which is 6.7 FPS above the 60 FPS playability threshold. However, the margin is relatively slim, so users who experience frame dips in intense combat may prefer High settings, which average 85.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: At 2560x1440, the system produces 153.2 FPS on Medium, 131.6 FPS on High, and 101.9 FPS on Ultra, making it suitable for 144Hz displays. At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 136 FPS, with Low reaching 289.9 FPS, so 1080p is optimal for 240Hz or higher refresh rates.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 569th out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 15.3% of all configurations. The CPU ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Which component is more important for this game at 4K?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor at 3840x2160. The data shows a 52% performance drop from Low to Ultra settings at 4K, while the CPU's impact is minimized at this resolution, as even the 4K Low preset achieves 138.5 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The measured data indicates that 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for all tested settings at all resolutions, including 4K Ultra, which averages 66.7 FPS. No VRAM-related performance issues are evident in the benchmark results.

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

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 131.6 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors, with room for more demanding scenes.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600KF, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 is the closest match with an average benchmark score of 49228, representing a 0.3% delta from the Intel chip's 49394 average. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, a 0.4% difference, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, an 0.8% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is the only rival that scores higher, at 49796, which is 0.8% above the i5-14600KF. For Lockdown Protocol, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical performance, as the differences are well within normal run-to-run variance.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB is the closest rival to the RTX 4070 SUPER, with an average score of 43262 versus the 4070 SUPER's 43223, a delta of -0.1%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile scores 43268, also -0.1% relative, while the Quadro M6000 scores 43301, a -0.2% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is the strongest rival, scoring 43667, which is 1% higher than the 4070 SUPER. In practical terms, these alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, though the desktop RTX 4070 SUPER benefits from a 220 W TDP compared to mobile variants that must operate within tighter power constraints.

For users considering substitutions, pairing the i5-14600KF with any of the GPU rivals listed would yield performance within approximately 1% of the measured results, making the choice largely dependent on other factors such as platform compatibility and feature support. Similarly, swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals while keeping the RTX 4070 SUPER would result in negligible performance changes, as the 0.8% or smaller deltas are unlikely to produce measurable FPS differences in game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which produces 66.7 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the test data, and while the margin above the 60 FPS threshold is modest, it demonstrates that the system can handle maximum visual quality at 4K. Players who prioritize frame rate stability over visual fidelity may prefer High settings at 85.8 FPS, which provides a more comfortable cushion of 25.8 FPS above the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings are also the best choice, with an average of 101.9 FPS. This represents a substantial 41.9 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a safe recommendation for most users. The High preset at 131.6 FPS offers even more headroom for those with 144Hz displays, but Ultra's 101.9 FPS average is already well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver an average of 136.4 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS threshold. This combination provides the best visual quality while still offering frame rates that are sufficient for 144Hz monitors and approach the refresh rates of 240Hz displays. The data shows that even at the most demanding preset, the system has significant performance reserves at 1080p, making it an ideal resolution for competitive play where high frame rates are critical.