Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a demanding FPS title, and the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 places this system in the 77th percentile of all 3,714 tested combos for this game. This is a high-ranking configuration, indicating that the hardware pairing is well suited to the game’s engine. The benchmark data shows that this system is not merely capable of running the game; it is positioned to deliver frame rates that far exceed the standard playable threshold of 60 FPS at every resolution and preset tested. The data clarifies that the system’s performance headroom is substantial, making it a top-tier option for high-refresh-rate displays.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 77 out of 3,714 tested combinations places it in the top 2% of all configurations evaluated for Lockdown Protocol. This percentile ranking, derived from the `comboRankInGame` performance metric, signals that the i7-14700K and RTX 4090 pairing is exceptionally well balanced for this specific workload. The CPU itself holds a 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, and the GPU holds an 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs, but their combined performance in this game is even stronger than their individual standings would suggest. This synergy is reflected in the measured frame rates, which are consistently high across all resolution and settings combinations.

The fact that the system achieves a higher combined rank than the individual component percentiles might indicate that Lockdown Protocol scales particularly well with the strengths of both the processor and the graphics card. The rank is not just about raw compute power; it is about how effectively the hardware is utilized by the game’s code. A rank of 77 out of 3,714 implies that only 76 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs deliver better average performance in this specific title, a remarkable achievement for a desktop setup. This data confirms that the configuration is not merely "good enough" but is instead a leader in its class.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal a clear shift in system bottleneck behavior depending on the chosen resolution and graphics preset. At 1920x1080, the CPU’s influence is most pronounced. The frame rate scales from 353 FPS at Low settings down to 174.6 FPS at Ultra, a delta of 178.4 FPS. This massive swing is driven by the increased graphical workload at higher presets, but even at Ultra, the frame rate is so high that the game’s logic and draw-call submission from the i7-14700K remain a limiting factor. The CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads are not necessarily saturated, but the per-frame processing time becomes a larger percentage of the total frame time at these extreme frame rates.

As the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a more dominant role. The frame rate at Low settings drops to 269.4 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 124.1 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is still significant, but the absolute performance is lower than at 1080p, indicating that the RTX 4090 is now working harder to fill the additional pixels. The trend becomes even more pronounced at 3840x2160, where the Ultra preset drops to 80.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 96.8 FPS, which is the smallest absolute difference of all resolutions. This pattern confirms that the RTX 4090 is the primary bottleneck at 4K, especially with higher graphical fidelity settings.

The data shows that no single component is always the bottleneck. At 1080p, the CPU is more influential in determining the maximum achievable frame rate, while at 4K, the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor. The i7-14700K, with its boost clock of 5.60 GHz, provides enough single-thread performance to keep up with the RTX 4090 at lower resolutions. However, the GPU’s 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth become the decisive factors when pixel count and shader complexity increase. This is a classic balance of high-end components where the CPU leads at low resolutions and the GPU takes over at high resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. The Low preset averages 353 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. The Medium preset drops to 264.7 FPS, while High remains very high at 229.1 FPS. The Ultra preset still averages 174.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. This data indicates that the system can easily drive a 240Hz or even 360Hz monitor at lower settings, and still maintains a very high refresh rate at maximum settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain extremely high. Low settings average 269.4 FPS, Medium averages 191.6 FPS, and High averages 170.1 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 124.1 FPS, which is a substantial 50.5 FPS drop from the High preset. This suggests that the Ultra preset at 1440p introduces a significant increase in GPU load, likely from more demanding shader effects and draw distances, but the RTX 4090 still handles it with ease, keeping the average well above 120 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system’s performance is still very strong, but the demands of 4K resolution begin to show. The Low preset averages 177.1 FPS, which is still a stellar result for 4K gaming. The Medium preset averages 124.2 FPS, and High averages 108.3 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 80.3 FPS. While this is the lowest average frame rate in the dataset, it is still 20.3 FPS above the playable threshold. The data shows a clear progression: each step up in resolution or preset reduces the frame rate, but the system never falls below the playable limit. The min and max FPS values are not provided in the data, so the analysis relies on the average FPS, which is consistently strong.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol. The `verdictByResolution` data confirms that every resolution and preset combination tested is playable, with average frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 174.6 FPS at Ultra settings, which is nearly three times the playable threshold. This makes the configuration ideal for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset still delivers 124.1 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience for both casual and competitive gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system remains fully playable. The Ultra preset averages 80.3 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS requirement. This means that users with 4K displays can enjoy the game at maximum graphical fidelity without needing to compromise on settings. The best settings for each resolution are all set to Ultra, with the system maintaining 80.3 FPS at 4K, 124.1 FPS at 1440p, and 174.6 FPS at 1080p. There is no scenario in the measured data where the frame rate dips below the playable threshold, making this one of the most capable configurations for this game.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-14700K are all AMD processors, according to the benchmark data. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X has an average benchmark score of 69,515, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-14700K’s score of 69,355. This means the Ryzen 9 7950X would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol. The AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.1% slower, with a score of 69,288, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.7% slower. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is the closest match in terms of performance delta, being 0.9% slower with a score of 69,996. For users looking at CPU alternatives, these four processors would all behave similarly in this game, with performance deltas of less than 1% from the i7-14700K.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 are a mix of professional and workstation cards. The Intel Arc Pro A60 has a nearly identical average score of 60,326, with a delta of 0.0% from the RTX 4090’s 60,347. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% faster, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% faster. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% slower. In terms of gaming performance for Lockdown Protocol, these GPUs would offer very similar frame rates, though their driver optimization for consumer games may vary. The data suggests that the RTX 4090 is not uniquely fast in this test; several other high-end GPUs achieve essentially the same benchmark scores.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 174.6 FPS. This is the highest preset available and provides the best visual quality while still delivering a frame rate that is nearly three times the playable threshold. For 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains the best choice, averaging 124.1 FPS. This is a significant drop from the 1080p result but still leaves ample headroom above 60 FPS, allowing for smooth gameplay with maximum visual fidelity. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is again the best option, averaging 80.3 FPS. This is the only resolution where the average frame rate at Ultra drops below 100 FPS, but it still clears the 60 FPS requirement with a comfortable margin. The data shows that users do not need to lower any settings to achieve a playable experience, as the system is powerful enough to handle the highest preset at every resolution.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution with the highest settings?

A: Yes. The system averages 80.3 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. This is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the Ultra settings are listed as the best settings for this resolution.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combination achieves?

A: The highest average frame rate in the measured data is 353 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700K compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X for this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X has an average benchmark score of 69,515, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-14700K’s score of 69,355. This indicates a negligible performance difference, and the two CPUs would behave nearly identically in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 significantly faster than its nearest rivals?

A: No. The benchmark data shows that the Intel Arc Pro A60 has a score that is 0.0% different from the RTX 4090, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is only 0.3% faster. These GPUs are essentially equivalent in raw benchmark performance.

Q: At which resolution does the CPU become less of a bottleneck?

A: The data shows that the CPU is more influential at 1920x1080, where frame rates are extremely high. At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as the frame rates are lower and the gap between Low and Ultra presets is smaller.

Q: What is the performance rank of this combination among all tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 77th out of 3,714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 2% of all configurations.