Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a playable experience in Lockdown Protocol across all three tested resolutions, though the margin of safety shrinks considerably at 4K. Measured data shows the combo averages 55 FPS at 4K High, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold, while dropping to Medium settings recovers a 63 FPS average. At 1440p and 1080p, the system clears the threshold with room to spare, reaching 64 FPS at 1440p Ultra and 88 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The frame-time data is sparse for most presets, but the available min/max readings indicate that the Medium preset at each resolution maintains a consistent band, with 1080p Medium ranging from 114 to 154 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this combination are recorded across three resolutions and four quality presets, with the most complete data available for Medium settings. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates step down predictably from Low to Ultra: Low averages 89 FPS, Medium averages 63 FPS with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra drops to 42 FPS. This pattern reveals that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K, as the jump from Low to High costs 34 FPS, while the further step to Ultra costs another 13 FPS. Notably, the Medium preset has the only recorded min/max values at this resolution, showing a 19 FPS spread between its lowest and highest frames.

Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings show a substantial improvement. Low averages 138 FPS, Medium averages 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 113, High averages 86 FPS, and Ultra averages 64 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 74 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the 4K gap but with higher absolute numbers across the board. The Medium preset’s 30 FPS spread is wider than at 4K, suggesting that the CPU has more headroom to push frames when the GPU is less stressed.

At 1920x1080, the system performs at its best. Low averages 189 FPS, Medium averages 134 FPS with a minimum of 114 and a maximum of 154, High averages 117 FPS, and Ultra averages 88 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 101 FPS, the largest absolute spread of any resolution. The Medium min/max values show a 40 FPS range, indicating that even at lower resolution, frame pacing varies but never threatens the 60 FPS floor. Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset at 1080p delivers an average that is more than double the 4K Ultra average, highlighting how resolution scaling affects this hardware combination.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playability threshold for this analysis is 60 FPS average, and the data shows which presets at each resolution stay above that line. At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 63 FPS. High and Ultra both fall short, averaging 55 and 42 FPS respectively, while Low averages 89 FPS but is not the optimal choice for visual quality. The Medium preset’s minimum of 54 FPS means that while the average clears the threshold, individual frames can dip below 60, so users should expect occasional stutter in demanding scenes.

For 2560x1440, the system can run Ultra settings at an average of 64 FPS, which is the best visual preset that stays playable. This is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, and the next step down, High, averages 86 FPS, offering a significant headroom increase for those who prefer smoother gameplay over maximum fidelity. The verdict data confirms that all four presets at 1440p are playable, but Ultra is the pick for maximum quality without sacrificing the baseline target.

At 1920x1080, the story is even better. Ultra settings average 88 FPS, which is 28 FPS above the threshold. This is the highest preset available, and the system handles it without breaking a sweat. The gap between Ultra at 1080p (88 FPS) and Ultra at 1440p (64 FPS) is 24 FPS, showing that the RTX 4060’s 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus start to become limiting factors as resolution increases. For users with 1080p displays, there is no reason to drop below Ultra, as the average frame rate is well within a smooth range.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component dependency as resolution changes. At 3840x2160, the GPU is almost certainly the bottleneck. The RTX 4060, which ranks in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, sees its average frame rate drop from 89 FPS at Low to 42 FPS at Ultra, a 53% reduction. This steep decline with increasing graphical load indicates that the graphics card is saturated, while the i7-14700K—which sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs—has ample headroom. The CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads, backed by a 33 MB L3 cache, are not the limiting factor when the GPU is struggling to keep up at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly. The frame rate still drops as settings increase, from 138 FPS at Low to 64 FPS at Ultra, but the relative decline is smaller than at 4K. This suggests the GPU is still the primary constraint, but the CPU’s role becomes more significant as the resolution allows for higher frame rates. The i7-14700K’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2569, helps maintain high averages at lower settings. The scaling from 4K to 1440p at the same preset shows a substantial jump: Medium goes from 63 to 98 FPS, a 56% increase, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario where reducing pixel count directly translates to more frames.

At 1920x1080, the CPU becomes a more noticeable partner. The frame rates are high enough that the GPU can often finish its work quickly, and the CPU must keep up with draw calls and game logic. The i7-14700K’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and single-core score of 2160 indicate it has the processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The fact that 1080p Ultra averages 88 FPS, while 1440p Ultra averages 64 FPS, shows a 37% drop with a 78% increase in pixel count. This non-linear scaling points to the GPU’s memory bandwidth (272.0 GB/s) and 8 GB VRAM as limiting factors at higher resolutions, rather than the CPU’s compute capability.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2009 out of 3714 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution, which is consistent with the RTX 4060 being a mid-range GPU. The CPU itself is a top-tier part, ranking in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking drags the overall combo down. The nearest rivals to the CPU in synthetic benchmarks are AMD EPYC 9115 (0.1% faster), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.2% faster), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.7% faster), and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.9% faster), all of which are within a single percentage point, confirming that the i7-14700K’s compute power is not the weak link here.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals in the database are AMD Radeon HD 7790 (0.2% slower), AMD Radeon 780M (0.3% faster), AMD Radeon Pro 560 (0.5% faster), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (0.7% faster). These are all older or integrated parts, which highlights that the RTX 4060’s average benchmark score of 17639 is not particularly high relative to the broader GPU landscape. The combo rank of 2009 out of 3714 means that 1705 other combinations perform better in this game, which is expected given the GPU’s mid-range positioning. However, the ranking does not tell the whole story, as the measured FPS data shows that this combo is perfectly capable of running Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates in most scenarios.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average frame rate is 42 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The best playable preset at 4K is Medium, which averages 63 FPS.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 64 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that clears the threshold. High averages 86 FPS and Medium averages 98 FPS, both offering more headroom.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K on the same preset?

A: For Medium settings, the average drops from 134 FPS at 1920x1080 to 98 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 63 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 53% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a larger role than at higher resolutions, as the frame rates are high enough that the GPU can complete its work quickly. The i7-14700K’s strong single-thread performance helps maintain averages above 88 FPS even at Ultra settings.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 4060 cause issues?

A: The measured data does not show explicit VRAM-related failures, but the significant frame rate drop from 1080p Ultra (88 FPS) to 4K Ultra (42 FPS) suggests that memory capacity and bandwidth are limiting factors at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested combinations?

A: This pairing ranks 2009 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. The CPU is in the 94th percentile, while the GPU is in the 61st percentile, indicating that the graphics card holds back the overall performance ranking.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates in most configurations. At 1920x1080, the verdict is clear: all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—average above 60 FPS, with Ultra achieving 88 FPS. There is no reason to compromise on quality at this resolution. At 2560x1440, the system also passes every preset, with Ultra averaging 64 FPS, so users can enjoy the highest settings without dropping below the threshold. The only caveat is at 3840x2160, where Ultra and High both fail to reach 60 FPS, averaging 42 and 55 FPS respectively. The best playable option at 4K is Medium, which averages 63 FPS, though its minimum of 54 FPS means occasional dips below the target are possible.

The data indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers smooth performance at maximum settings. For 4K users, the system requires a setting reduction to Medium, which still provides a decent experience. The RTX 4060’s mid-range positioning is the limiting factor, as the i7-14700K has ample headroom even at lower resolutions. Overall, the system meets the 60 FPS playability threshold at every resolution tested, provided the user selects appropriate settings. The i7-14700K’s launch MSRP is $409, and the RTX 4060’s is 299 USD, but performance is the key metric here. This combo is a capable 1080p and 1440p machine that can handle 4K with reduced settings.