Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a performance profile that is heavily dependent on resolution and graphics preset. In Lockdown Protocol, this combination provides a fully playable experience at 1080p across all tested settings, a strong showing at 1440p with high and medium presets, and only a limited playable option at 4K. The recorded data shows the RTX 2060 SUPER acting as the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the 20-core, 28-thread i7-14700K ensures the CPU side does not bottleneck the frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination of the i7-14700K and RTX 2060 SUPER produces excellent frame rates across the board. The lowest recorded average is 74.1 FPS at the Ultra preset, which still comfortably clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset reaches 101.6 FPS, while Medium scales to 114.1 FPS. The Low preset delivers the highest average at 159.9 FPS, indicating that the system has substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but the impact of the GPU becomes more apparent. The Ultra preset drops to 54.9 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset maintains a playable 70.1 FPS, while Medium achieves 80.8 FPS. The Low preset produces 118.6 FPS, showing that the system can handle competitive settings at 1440p with ease. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 63.7 FPS, highlighting the significant cost of the highest visual settings.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER is clearly the limiting factor. The Ultra preset yields only 33.3 FPS, which is not playable. The High preset reaches 45.8 FPS, still below the threshold. Medium improves to 54.4 FPS, but this also misses the 60 FPS target. Only the Low preset, at 76.6 FPS, provides a playable experience at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 43.3 FPS, demonstrating that 4K gaming requires significant graphical compromises with this GPU.

The data shows a consistent scaling pattern: at 1080p the system is GPU-bound at all presets but still performs well, at 1440p it offers a balanced experience with playable high and medium options, and at 4K only the lowest preset can sustain 60 FPS. Min and max FPS values were not recorded in the dataset, so the analysis relies on average frame rates, which provide a stable indicator of overall performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset?

A: Yes. The recorded average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 74.1, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the most demanding setting that stays playable at 1440p, with an average of 70.1 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 54.9 FPS, which is below the threshold.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 3840x2160?

A: No. The 4K Ultra preset records an average of 33.3 FPS, far below the 60 FPS threshold. The only playable 4K setting is Low, which averages 76.6 FPS.

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

A: At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 101.6 at 1080p to 45.8 at 4K, a difference of 55.8 FPS. At the Low preset, the drop is from 159.9 FPS to 76.6 FPS, a difference of 83.3 FPS.

Q: Which resolution offers the most balanced experience?

A: 2560x1440 offers a balanced experience, with the High preset at 70.1 FPS and Medium at 80.8 FPS. This allows for good visual quality while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance in any tested scenario?

A: The data does not indicate CPU limitation. The i7-14700K ranks in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, and the FPS scaling across resolutions follows the GPU's expected performance curve, suggesting the RTX 2060 SUPER is the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The i7-14700K's nearest rivals in the database, based on average benchmark scores, are closely matched. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69288, which is 0.1% behind the i7-14700K's average score. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, putting it 0.2% ahead. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, which is 0.7% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, which is 0.9% ahead. These deltas are minimal, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU. The choice between them would not meaningfully change the FPS results recorded for this combination.

For the GPU, the RTX 2060 SUPER's nearest rivals are also tightly clustered. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile scores 18159, which is 0.4% behind the RTX 2060 SUPER's average score of 18093. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scores 18189, 0.5% ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 460 scores 18373, which is 1.5% ahead, and the Intel Arc A770M scores 18383, 1.6% ahead. These small deltas indicate that swapping the RTX 2060 SUPER for any of these alternatives would result in nearly identical performance in Lockdown Protocol. The RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, so users should expect similar behavior from any of these nearby options.

This combination of CPU and GPU is well balanced in terms of benchmark scores. The i7-14700K is a high-end desktop processor with a 94th percentile ranking, while the RTX 2060 SUPER is a mid-range GPU at the 62nd percentile. The substantial CPU headroom means that upgrading the GPU in the future would unlock more performance without requiring a processor change.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the playable settings depend heavily on the chosen resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset, including Ultra at 74.1 FPS. This makes 1080p the most versatile resolution for this combination, allowing users to enable the highest visual settings without concern.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable at High, Medium, and Low presets. The High preset averages 70.1 FPS, providing a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset falls to 54.9 FPS, so users targeting 1440p should stick with High or lower to maintain a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, with an average of 76.6 FPS. The Medium preset at 54.4 FPS and High at 45.8 FPS both miss the 60 FPS target. 4K gaming with this GPU requires significant graphical sacrifices, and users who prioritize 4K should consider a more powerful GPU.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p Ultra is fully supported, 1440p High is the recommended ceiling, and 4K is limited to Low settings. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the playable presets, but the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the i7-14700K and RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2613 out of 3714 total combinations for Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the lower portion of the ranking, despite the strong CPU performance. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range position; the RTX 2060 SUPER's 62nd percentile among all GPUs drags the overall combination down relative to systems equipped with higher-end graphics cards.

The i7-14700K itself is a top-tier CPU, ranking in the 94th percentile, and its benchmark scores are within 1% of several AMD EPYC and Ryzen 9 processors. However, the combo rank is determined by the combined performance in Lockdown Protocol, and the recorded FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of the final ranking. Users with this CPU who upgrade the GPU would see a significant jump in the combo rank, as the CPU would not be a limiting factor.

The rank of 2613 out of 3714 means that roughly 30% of tested combinations perform worse and 70% perform better in this game. This is consistent with a system that can play the game smoothly at 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K, as higher-ranked combinations likely feature GPUs with more compute power and memory bandwidth.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, which achieves an average of 74.1 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, and it provides the highest visual quality available in the game.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are High, with an average of 70.1 FPS. This preset offers a strong visual experience while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 54.9 FPS is not recommended at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Low, which averages 76.6 FPS. This is the only preset at 4K that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Users seeking higher quality at 4K would need to accept frame rates below 60 FPS, as the Medium preset only reaches 54.4 FPS.

For each resolution, the recommended preset is the highest that maintains playability. The data indicates that Lockdown Protocol is most enjoyable at 1080p with Ultra settings, offering a 74.1 FPS average, while 1440p users should settle for High at 70.1 FPS, and 4K users must use Low at 76.6 FPS to stay above the playability threshold.