Lockdown Protocol

Can Intel Core i7-14700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 run Lockdown Protocol? The measured data says yes, and emphatically so. This pairing delivers playable frame rates at every resolution and preset combination tested, with the weakest result still landing far above the 60 FPS threshold. The RTX 5090's raw graphics power dominates the benchmark results, while the i7-14700F provides ample single-thread performance to keep up at lower resolutions. The data shows a combo that never struggles with this FPS title, regardless of how demanding the settings become.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The maximum measured average is 335.3 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is more than five times the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 81.9, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable margin. The verdict data confirms Ultra is the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F scores an average benchmark of 53620, placing it at the 91st percentile of all CPUs. It is essentially tied with the Intel Xeon 6505P (53701, -0.2%) and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53288, +0.6%).

Q: What makes the RTX 5090 stand out in the benchmark data?

A: The GPU score reaches 79842 average, sitting at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, scores 80959, meaning the RTX 5090 trails by 1.4%, while it leads the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB by 0.3%.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS?

A: No. The lowest measured average is 81.9 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra. Every other combination of resolution and settings produces higher average frame rates, with the next lowest being 109.9 FPS at 4K High.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 279.2 FPS average, while Ultra produces 130.5 FPS average. That is a performance drop of 148.7 FPS, or roughly 53%, when moving from the least to most demanding preset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a system where the GPU does the heavy lifting at higher resolutions, but the CPU becomes increasingly relevant as resolution drops. At 3840x2160, the frame rate scales almost directly with preset difficulty: Low hits 179.5 FPS, Medium drops to 129.3 FPS, High reaches 109.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 81.9 FPS. This steep decline across presets at 4K suggests the RTX 5090 is the limiting factor, as reducing graphical load directly translates to higher output. The i7-14700F has enough headroom to feed the GPU at this resolution, evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding preset stays above 80 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern shifts slightly. Low settings produce 279.2 FPS, Medium 201.9 FPS, High 171.3 FPS, and Ultra 130.5 FPS. The relative drop from Low to Ultra is smaller in percentage terms than at 4K, but the absolute numbers are much higher. This indicates the GPU still dominates, but the CPU is beginning to matter more. At 1920x1080, the story changes dramatically. Low settings reach 335.3 FPS, Medium 272.9 FPS, High 238.5 FPS, and Ultra 178.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 157.1 FPS, which is larger in absolute terms than at any other resolution, yet the percentage gap is smaller than at 4K.

The scaling between resolutions tells a clear story. At Low settings, dropping from 4K to 1440p increases frame rate by 99.7 FPS (from 179.5 to 279.2), and dropping further to 1080p adds another 56.1 FPS (to 335.3). At Ultra settings, the same resolution drops yield increases of 48.6 FPS (81.9 to 130.5) and 47.7 FPS (130.5 to 178.2) respectively. The fact that 1080p Ultra (178.2 FPS) nearly matches 4K Low (179.5 FPS) suggests the CPU becomes more of a factor at lower resolutions, where the GPU has excess capacity. The i7-14700F, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, appears sufficient to avoid bottlenecking even at 1080p Low, where the system pushes past 335 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 55th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the top 1.5% of all configurations tested, which aligns with the individual component percentiles: the CPU sits at the 91st percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The rank reflects the synergy of this pairing — neither component drags the other down, and the measured FPS data confirms consistent high performance across all test scenarios.

The rank of 55 out of 3714 is noteworthy because it shows that while this is a top-tier combo, there are still 54 configurations that perform better in this specific game. Given the RTX 5090 is one of the most powerful GPUs on the market (92nd percentile), the remaining gap is likely due to even faster CPUs or more optimized pairings. The i7-14700F's 91st percentile CPU score means it is near the top, but not the absolute best, and in a game that appears to scale well with CPU performance at lower resolutions, that small gap could account for the difference between rank 55 and higher positions.

The benchmark data itself reinforces the high rank. At 4K Ultra, the combo delivers 81.9 FPS, which is above the playable threshold but not dramatically so. At 1080p Low, it delivers 335.3 FPS, which is exceptional. The spread from 81.9 to 335.3 across the test matrix shows a system that adapts well to different demands, maintaining playability even under maximum load. The percentile data for both components confirms that users of this combo are working with top-tier hardware, and the game rank validates that the hardware translates into real-world performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i7-14700F, the nearest rivals in benchmark scores are close enough that real-world differences in Lockdown Protocol would likely be minimal. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, just 0.2% higher than the i7-14700F's 53620. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, a 0.3% deficit. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 53288, trailing by 0.6%, and the AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206, behind by 0.8%. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in this game, given the same GPU. The differences are well within measurement noise and would not produce noticeable FPS variations.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the nearest rivals are more varied. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 80959, which is 1.4% higher than the RTX 5090's 79842. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, just 0.3% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, a 0.6% deficit, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, trailing by 1.1%. These deltas are all under 1.5%, meaning any of these GPUs paired with the i7-14700F would produce similar results in Lockdown Protocol. The RTX 5090's edge over its closest rivals is small enough that other system factors, such as memory speed or driver optimization, could easily tip the balance.

When considering a swap, the data suggests that replacing the i7-14700F with the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X would cost only 0.6% in CPU benchmark score, which would translate to an imperceptible FPS change. Similarly, swapping the RTX 5090 for the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X would gain 1.4% in GPU score, potentially yielding a few extra frames at 4K Ultra, where the combo already runs at 81.9 FPS. However, all these alternatives fall within a narrow performance band, so the overall gaming experience would remain essentially unchanged.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Ultra, delivering an average of 81.9 FPS. This is the most demanding preset available, and it still clears the 60 FPS threshold by 21.9 FPS. The data shows that High (109.9 FPS), Medium (129.3 FPS), and Low (179.5 FPS) are all alternatives if higher frame rates are desired, but Ultra provides the best visual quality without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best setting, achieving 130.5 FPS average. This is more than double the playability threshold, giving substantial headroom for demanding scenes. The gap between Ultra and the next setting down, High at 171.3 FPS, is 40.8 FPS, which means users can choose between maximum visual fidelity or a significant frame rate boost.

At 1920x1080, Ultra remains the top playable setting with 178.2 FPS average. This is nearly three times the 60 FPS threshold, making the choice straightforward. The progression from Low (335.3 FPS) to Medium (272.9 FPS) to High (238.5 FPS) to Ultra (178.2 FPS) shows a consistent trade-off between visual quality and performance, but every step remains far above playable.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at every resolution and preset combination tested, with all results clearing the 60 FPS playability threshold. The verdict data confirms that Ultra settings are playable at all three resolutions: 81.9 FPS at 3840x2160, 130.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and 178.2 FPS at 1920x1080. The system delivers the best possible visual experience at every resolution without ever dipping below the playable threshold.

The margin of safety is substantial. Even the most demanding scenario, 4K Ultra, produces 81.9 FPS — 36.5% above the 60 FPS minimum. At 1440p and 1080p, the margins are even larger, with Ultra settings running at 130.5 and 178.2 FPS respectively. Users who prefer maximum frame rates can opt for Low settings, which push the system to 335.3 FPS at 1080p, but there is no scenario where this combo fails to deliver a smooth experience. The data indicates this is a definitive yes — this PC does not merely run Lockdown Protocol; it dominates it.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 335.3 FPS, Medium reaches 272.9 FPS, High hits 238.5 FPS, and Ultra settles at 178.2 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 157.1 FPS, showing a wide range of performance depending on visual preferences.

At 2560x1440, the numbers remain high but show a steeper decline with increasing preset quality. Low settings average 279.2 FPS, Medium drops to 201.9 FPS, High comes in at 171.3 FPS, and Ultra reaches 130.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 148.7 FPS, slightly less than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the impact of resolution is most apparent. Low settings yield 179.5 FPS, Medium produces 129.3 FPS, High delivers 109.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 81.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 97.6 FPS, the smallest of the three resolutions, indicating that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint at 4K. Across all resolutions, the minimum measured average is 81.9 FPS (4K Ultra) and the maximum is 335.3 FPS (1080p Low), with every other combination falling between these bounds.