Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a robust performance profile in Lockdown Protocol, with the data indicating that this combination is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at mainstream resolutions. Measured FPS results show a clear hierarchy across settings, with the combo ranking in the 840th position out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it comfortably in the upper quartile of all tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces exceptional frame rates across all presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 258.6 FPS, which is the highest observed in the entire dataset. Moving up the quality ladder, Medium yields 182.4 FPS, High produces 163.3 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a very strong 121.3 FPS average. The scaling between Low and Ultra shows a performance drop of roughly 53%, but even at the most demanding settings, the frame rate remains far above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive, though the gaps between presets widen. Low settings produce an average of 194 FPS, which is only a 25% reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium hits 136.2 FPS, High reaches 120.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 90.8 FPS. The step from Medium to High costs about 11% performance, while the step from High to Ultra costs another 24%, indicating that the Ultra preset is substantially more demanding at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the resolution scaling becomes more pronounced. Low settings still deliver 120.9 FPS, which is a playable and smooth experience. Medium drops to 89.2 FPS, High falls to 75.9 FPS, and Ultra dips below the playable threshold to 55.6 FPS. The difference between 1440p and 4K at the same preset is significant: High drops from 120.1 to 75.9 FPS, a 37% reduction. This pattern suggests that 4K Ultra is the only configuration where this combo fails to maintain 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 840th out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, which places it in the top 23% of all tested systems. This ranking indicates that while the i7-14700F and RTX 3080 Ti are not the absolute top-tier combination for this game, they are clearly above the median performer and capable of handling the game at high settings with excellent frame rates.

The CPU itself sits in the 91st percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Xeon 6505P at 53701 (0.2% higher), the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 at 53469 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X at 53288 (0.6% lower), and the AMD EPYC 7313P at 53206 (0.8% lower). These deltas are minimal, suggesting that the i7-14700F is essentially performance-equivalent to those high-end server and desktop parts in general compute workloads.

The RTX 3080 Ti sits in the 83rd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41187. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 at 40870 (0.8% lower), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB at 41707 (1.2% higher), the NVIDIA Tesla M40 at 41897 (1.7% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 at 40377 (2% lower). The RTX 3080 Ti is thus slightly below the Tesla M40 cards but ahead of the Radeon Pro 5300 and the newer RTX 5070 in aggregate benchmarks.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with maximum settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the measured average FPS is 55.6, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at 4K is High, which averages 75.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable. The best settings are Ultra, which delivers an average of 90.8 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the most demanding preset that still maintains playable frame rates.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 163.3 at 1920x1080 to 75.9 at 3840x2160, a reduction of approximately 53.5%. At Low settings, the drop is from 258.6 to 120.9 FPS, about 53.3%. The scaling is nearly linear across resolutions.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the frame rates in this game?

A: The data shows that GPU load scales strongly with resolution and preset changes. The i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, placing it in the 91st CPU percentile, while the RTX 3080 Ti is in the 83rd GPU percentile. The frame rate drops of 30-50% from 1080p to 4K indicate that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: Does this combo ever drop below 60 FPS in the tested configurations?

A: Yes, in exactly one configuration: 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where the average FPS is 55.6. Every other combination of resolution and preset tested stays above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to the RTX 5070 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41187, which is 2% higher than the RTX 5070's score of 40377. This indicates the older card holds a slight edge in aggregate compute performance despite being from an earlier generation.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol effectively across most configurations. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low to Ultra exceeds 60 FPS, with Ultra still delivering 121.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the verdict is equally positive, with Ultra producing 90.8 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system can handle High settings at 75.9 FPS, but Ultra falls to 55.6 FPS, making it the only non-playable configuration in the dataset.

For users with a 4K display, the recommendation is clear: stick to High settings or lower to maintain smooth gameplay. High at 4K still provides a solid 75.9 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for most competitive FPS scenarios. The Low preset at 4K offers 120.9 FPS for those prioritizing maximum refresh rate over visual fidelity.

For 1440p and 1080p users, the system is effectively overkill for this game at any preset. Even at 1440p Ultra, the 90.8 FPS average provides a fluid experience, and 1080p Ultra at 121.3 FPS leaves ample headroom for future patches or more demanding scenarios. The single weakness is 4K Ultra, but that is a demanding configuration that requires top-tier hardware to handle.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 258.6 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's practical limit for frame generation in this game. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops performance to 194 FPS, a 25% reduction, and 4K Low further drops it to 120.9 FPS, another 37% reduction. This pattern shows that the GPU is the primary constraint as resolution increases, since the CPU workload does not change significantly with resolution.

The preset scaling at each resolution also points to GPU dominance. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces FPS from 258.6 to 121.3, a 53% drop. At 1440p, the same preset change drops from 194 to 90.8, also a 53% reduction. At 4K, the drop from Low to Ultra is from 120.9 to 55.6, a 54% reduction. The consistency of this ~53-54% drop across all resolutions indicates that the GPU is handling the increased shading and texture work uniformly, with no evidence of CPU bottlenecking at any resolution.

The i7-14700F's strong multi-core performance — evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a PassMark multithread score of 41317 — ensures that it can feed the RTX 3080 Ti adequately at all tested settings. The CPU's single-thread performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2429 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958, is also sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in this FPS title. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution, with the CPU providing consistent frame delivery across all presets.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 121.3 FPS. This is the optimal choice for visual quality without sacrificing playability, as it provides more than double the playable threshold and leaves room for high refresh rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, which averages 90.8 FPS. This preset delivers a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while offering the maximum visual fidelity available in the game's settings menu. Users with 144Hz or 165Hz displays will still see frame rates that approach refresh rate limits in less demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is High, with an average of 75.9 FPS. Ultra falls below the threshold at 55.6 FPS, so High is the recommended ceiling for 4K users. Low and Medium are also playable at 120.9 and 89.2 FPS respectively, offering alternatives for those who prefer higher frame rates over visual detail. The 4K High setting provides the best balance of image quality and performance for this resolution.