Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an exceptionally high-end combination for Lockdown Protocol, ranking 18th out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the top tier of all possible configurations for this FPS title. The data shows that this combo not only clears the 60 FPS playable threshold at every preset and resolution tested, but it does so with massive headroom, delivering frame rates that are two to five times higher than the minimum required for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 18 out of 3714, this Intel and NVIDIA pairing sits in the 99.5th percentile of all tested system configurations for Lockdown Protocol. This is a position reserved for the most powerful hardware available, and the benchmark results confirm that this system is not merely capable of running the game, but is designed to crush it at maximum settings. The ranking reflects the synergy between the high-end CPU and the flagship GPU, which together eliminate any potential bottleneck at the resolutions tested.

The performance level is so high that the system is not constrained by the game's demands but rather by the limits of the display and the game engine itself. At 1080p, the average frame rates approach or exceed 350 FPS on Low settings, which is far beyond what most high-refresh-rate monitors can display. Even at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset, the system averages 88 FPS, which is not just playable but comfortably smooth. The data indicates that this combo is overqualified for Lockdown Protocol, providing a future-proof platform that will handle any title at maximum settings for years to come.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with all settings maxed out?

A: Yes. The data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 88 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the verdict confirms that Ultra is the best playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 350 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average is 295 FPS, and at 3840x2160 with Low settings, it reaches 190 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 1440p, the most popular gaming resolution?

A: At 2560x1440, the system delivers extremely high frame rates across all presets. The average FPS ranges from 137 on Ultra to 183 on High, 209 on Medium, and 295 on Low. All of these are far above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is there any preset that causes the frame rate to drop below 60 FPS?

A: No. Across all three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160) and all four settings (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra), the minimum average FPS recorded is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 115 FPS at 4K Medium, indicating no drops below the playable threshold.

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

A: The Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69355, which is nearly identical to its closest rivals. It is 0.1% faster than the AMD EPYC 9115, 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, 0.7% faster than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F. These deltas are negligible, meaning all five CPUs offer essentially the same computational performance.

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

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712. It is 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, but 1.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, 2.1% slower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, and 2.4% slower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB. The differences are minor, but the RTX 5090 D is not the absolute top performer among its closest peers.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in component importance as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the system is heavily CPU-bound, as the GPU is capable of rendering frames far faster than the CPU can feed it. This is evident in the frame rate scaling: moving from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces the average FPS from 350 to 187, a 46% drop. However, even at Ultra, the system produces 187 FPS, indicating the CPU is still the primary limiter. The GPU is so powerful that at lower settings, it is essentially idle, waiting for the CPU to provide draw calls.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly toward the GPU. The frame rate drop from Low to Ultra is from 295 to 137 FPS, a 54% reduction. This larger percentage drop suggests the GPU is now contributing more to the overall performance. However, the absolute numbers remain exceptionally high, showing that the CPU can still keep up with the GPU's demands at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant component. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a drop from 190 to 88 FPS, a 54% reduction, similar to 1440p. However, the absolute frame rates are much lower, indicating that the GPU is now the primary bottleneck. The CPU's role diminishes as the resolution increases, because the GPU's rendering workload grows faster than the CPU's instruction overhead. The data suggests that at 4K, this combo is GPU-limited, whereas at 1080p, it is CPU-limited, with 1440p serving as a transition zone.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol. The verdict data confirms that at every resolution tested, all four settings presets are playable, meaning they all achieve an average frame rate above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the highest playable setting is Ultra, which delivers an average of 88 FPS. This is a demanding resolution and preset combination, and the system handles it with ease.

At 2560x1440, the highest playable setting is also Ultra, with an average of 137 FPS. This is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1920x1080, the highest playable setting is Ultra, with an average of 187 FPS. This is an exceptional result, offering a highly responsive and fluid experience that will fully utilize even the fastest gaming displays.

The system does not merely meet the playable threshold; it obliterates it. The minimum average FPS across all tests is 88, and the lowest recorded minimum FPS is 115. There is no scenario in which this combo fails to provide a playable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across all combinations of resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system performs as follows:

• Low: 350 FPS average
• Medium: 285 FPS average, with a minimum of 243 FPS and a maximum of 328 FPS
• High: 249 FPS average
• Ultra: 187 FPS average

At 2560x1440, the performance is as follows:

• Low: 295 FPS average
• Medium: 209 FPS average, with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS
• High: 183 FPS average
• Ultra: 137 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the performance is as follows:

• Low: 190 FPS average
• Medium: 135 FPS average, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS
• High: 118 FPS average
• Ultra: 88 FPS average

The data shows a consistent and predictable pattern. As resolution increases, frame rates drop, and as settings increase, frame rates drop. However, the drops are never so severe that the system falls below the playable threshold. The medium settings at each resolution include min/max data, showing consistent frame pacing without significant stutters. For example, at 1080p Medium, the minimum is 243 FPS and the maximum is 328 FPS, a narrow band that indicates stable performance. At 4K Medium, the range is 115 to 155 FPS, still a tight window for such a high resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

For players seeking the highest visual quality while maintaining at least 60 FPS, the best settings are as follows:

• 1920x1080: Ultra settings, averaging 187 FPS. This provides the maximum visual fidelity at the lowest resolution, with frame rates that are still extraordinarily high.
• 2560x1440: Ultra settings, averaging 137 FPS. This is the sweet spot for high-resolution gaming with maximum detail, offering a smooth experience on 144Hz or even 165Hz monitors.
• 3840x2160: Ultra settings, averaging 88 FPS. At 4K, the system can still run the game at the highest preset with a frame rate that is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

In all cases, the most demanding preset is also the best playable preset. The system has so much headroom that there is no need to compromise on visual quality to achieve a playable frame rate. The data indicates that players can select the Ultra preset at any resolution and enjoy a flawless experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on benchmark scores, several other CPUs and GPUs would deliver nearly identical performance in Lockdown Protocol.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700K's nearest rivals are all within a 1% performance delta. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, which is 0.2% lower. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69288, which is 0.1% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, which is 0.7% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, which is 0.9% higher. Any of these CPUs would provide essentially the same level of performance in this game, with differences too small to be perceptible in real-world frame rates.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D's nearest rivals show a wider, but still small, variance. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904, which is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940, which is 1.6% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396, which is 2.1% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605, which is 2.4% higher. While these GPUs would perform similarly, the RTX 5090 D is actually the slowest of the five in synthetic benchmarks, though the difference is minor. In Lockdown Protocol, the performance would be nearly indistinguishable, with frame rate variances of only a few percent.