Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT delivers a strong performance profile for Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-released FPS title. Based on measured data, this combination ranks 1235th out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the upper third of all systems. The CPU holds a 94th percentile ranking against all processors, while the GPU sits at the 51st percentile against all graphics cards, indicating a system where the processor provides substantial headroom. The benchmark results show this combo can handle the game at high frame rates across all tested resolutions, with specific strengths emerging at lower resolutions where the CPU's power becomes more apparent.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 235 FPS, which is the peak performance measured in this configuration. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 167 FPS, with a minimum of 142 FPS and a maximum of 192 FPS. The High preset delivers 146 FPS on average, while the Ultra preset still maintains a robust 109 FPS average. These numbers show a clear scaling pattern: from Low to Ultra, the average FPS decreases by roughly 126 FPS, but even the most demanding preset remains well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased resolution. The Low preset averages 172 FPS, a 63 FPS drop compared to 1080p Low. Medium averages 122 FPS with a minimum of 104 FPS and a maximum of 141 FPS. High averages 107 FPS, while Ultra averages 80 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 92 FPS, which is smaller than the 126 FPS gap observed at 1080p, indicating that the GPU begins to take on more responsibility for frame generation as resolution increases.

At 3840x2160, the combo still delivers playable performance across most presets. The Low preset averages 111 FPS, which is a 61 FPS reduction from the 1080p Low result. Medium averages 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS. High averages 69 FPS, and Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data shows that at 4K, the Ultra preset is the only setting where this system cannot maintain smooth gameplay, with the average dipping 8 FPS below the threshold.

The measured results reveal consistent scaling across all three resolutions. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS decreases by approximately 27-37% depending on the preset. From 1440p to 4K, the decrease is more pronounced, ranging from 35-44% across presets. The Medium preset is the only setting with complete min/max data at all resolutions, showing a minimum of 142 FPS at 1080p, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 67 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1235 out of 3714 tested combinations places this system in the 33rd percentile of all tested hardware pairings for Lockdown Protocol. This positioning indicates that while the system is far from the top of the leaderboard, it outperforms the majority of tested configurations. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking against all processors contrasts sharply with the GPU's 51st percentile ranking against all graphics cards, suggesting that the processor is the stronger component in this pairing.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 70163 places it among the top 6% of all processors tested. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, scores 69996, which is 0.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, 0.4% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, 0.9% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70879, which is 1% higher than the i7-14700KF. These small deltas indicate that the i7-14700KF sits in a tightly contested performance band where the top contenders are within a 2% range of each other.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 11627 places it near the median of all graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, scores 11680, which is 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 5500M scores 11528, 0.9% lower, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20c scores 11479, 1.3% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 11842, which is 1.8% higher. This grouping shows that the RX 7800 XT's benchmark performance is closely matched by several older or lower-tier cards, despite its modern architecture and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearestRivals data, systems built around the Intel Core i7-14700KF would perform nearly identically to those using the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, or AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. The performance deltas are minimal, with the Ryzen 7 9700F being 0.2% slower, the Ryzen 9 7940HX 0.4% slower, and the Ryzen 9 7950X 0.9% slower. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% faster, representing the closest performance upgrade within this immediate rival group.

For the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT's benchmark performance is comparable to several unexpected alternatives. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 is 0.5% faster, the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M is 0.9% slower, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20c is 1.3% slower. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT is 1.8% faster in average benchmark score, despite being a lower-tier card in the same product family. These close scores suggest that in synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7800 XT does not separate itself from these alternatives, although the measured FPS data for this specific game would likely differ due to architectural differences.

When considering a full system replacement, swapping the i7-14700KF for a Ryzen 7 9700F would yield nearly identical performance in CPU-bound scenarios. Similarly, replacing the RX 7800 XT with a GTX 1660 would produce comparable benchmark scores, though the GTX 1660 lacks the 16 GB memory capacity and modern feature set of the RX 7800 XT.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that this system can run Lockdown Protocol with playable frame rates at all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, with the Ultra preset averaging 109 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also remain playable, with Ultra averaging 80 FPS. At 3840x2160, three of the four presets are playable: High averages 69 FPS, Medium averages 79 FPS, and Low averages 111 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 52 FPS, falling 8 FPS short of the 60 FPS playability threshold.

The best settings for each resolution are as follows: at 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 109 FPS on average; at 1440p, the Ultra preset delivers 80 FPS on average; at 4K, the High preset delivers 69 FPS on average. The verdictByResolution data confirms that the system's most demanding playable setting at 4K is High, while at both 1440p and 1080p, the Ultra preset remains fully playable.

This system is therefore suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and it can handle 4K gaming at high settings. Users seeking maximum visual fidelity at 4K would need to accept the Ultra preset's sub-60 FPS average or reduce to High settings for a comfortable margin above the threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals which component dominates in Lockdown Protocol. At 1080p, the CPU's influence is most pronounced, as the frame rates are exceptionally high — 235 FPS on Low and 109 FPS on Ultra. The 126 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor even at 1080p, as the CPU's 94th percentile ranking provides ample headroom for the GPU to work.

At 1440p, the scaling pattern shifts. The difference between Low and Ultra narrows to 92 FPS, and the overall frame rates drop by roughly 30% compared to 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck, as the increased pixel count places greater demand on the Radeon RX 7800 XT's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's performance remains constant, but the GPU's workload increases substantially.

At 4K, the GPU's role becomes even more critical. The difference between Low and Ultra narrows further to 59 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The frame rates at 4K are roughly 50-55% lower than at 1080p across presets, which is consistent with the quadrupling of pixel count from 1080p to 4K. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are not the limiting factor here; the GPU's 3840 shading units and 96 ROPs are working at full capacity to render the higher resolution.

The data indicates that Lockdown Protocol is GPU-bound at all tested resolutions, but the CPU becomes less relevant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the i7-14700KF's strong single-thread performance (6235 in Cinebench R23 single-core) helps drive the extremely high frame rates. At 4K, the GPU's performance ceiling is the primary constraint, as evidenced by the Ultra preset's 52 FPS average.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 109 FPS. This provides a 49 FPS margin above the playability threshold, making it the recommended setting for users prioritizing visual quality at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains the best choice, averaging 80 FPS. This is 20 FPS above the threshold, offering a comfortable buffer for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at this resolution averages 122 FPS, which would be preferable for users seeking higher refresh rates on 144Hz or 165Hz monitors.

At 3840x2160, the High preset is the most demanding setting that maintains 60 FPS, averaging 69 FPS. This provides a 9 FPS margin, which is adequate but not generous. Users seeking more headroom at 4K could opt for the Medium preset, which averages 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, ensuring that even the worst-case frame times stay above the threshold.

For all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most complete data with min/max values, providing a clearer picture of performance consistency. At 1080p, Medium ranges from 142 to 192 FPS; at 1440p, it ranges from 104 to 141 FPS; at 4K, it ranges from 67 to 91 FPS. These ranges suggest that the Medium preset provides stable performance across all resolutions, making it a safe choice for users who prioritize consistency over maximum visual quality.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system averages 52 FPS, which is 8 FPS below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 4K averages 69 FPS, making it the most demanding playable setting at this resolution.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 80 FPS, which is 20 FPS above the playability threshold. This makes it the best choice for visual quality at 1440p, as it maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996), 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875), and 0.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515). The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% faster with a score of 70879.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system averages 146 FPS. This is 86 FPS above the playability threshold, indicating that the system has substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate displays at this resolution.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rates drop by approximately 50-55% compared to 1080p across all presets, while the CPU's performance remains constant. The Ultra preset's 52 FPS average at 4K versus 109 FPS at 1080p demonstrates that the GPU's rendering capacity limits performance at higher resolutions.

Q: How many tested combos does this system outperform for Lockdown Protocol?

A: This combo ranks 1235th out of 3714 tested combinations, meaning it outperforms 2479 other tested combos (approximately 67% of the field). This places it in the upper third of all systems tested for this game.