Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Lockdown Protocol, with the data showing that this combination clears the 60 FPS threshold at every tested resolution and preset except for 4K Ultra. The measured frame rates indicate a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the 20-core, 28-thread CPU provides ample headroom to avoid bottlenecks at lower settings where frame rates exceed 200 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 113.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

*Q: Can this PC handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?*

A: Yes, but not at the highest preset. At 3840x2160, the High settings produce an average of 72.3 FPS, while Ultra drops to 56.6 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996) and 1.0% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (70879).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The Radeon RX 9070 sits in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that it outperforms a majority of tested cards while remaining below the top tier.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p that maintains at least 60 FPS?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 yield an average of 82.5 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays above the 60 FPS threshold at that resolution.

Q: Is the 4K Low preset playable?

A: Yes, the 3840x2160 Low preset produces an average of 116 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor between the Core i7-14700KF and the Radeon RX 9070. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high, ranging from 247.6 FPS at Low to 113.9 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 133.7 FPS, showing that the GPU is increasingly stressed as visual fidelity rises, but the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor. The 14700KF's 20 cores and 28 threads, combined with its 5.60 GHz boost clock, provide enough processing power to feed the GPU at these elevated rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates compress: Low produces 180 FPS, while Ultra drops to 82.5 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 97.5 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, which suggests that the GPU is beginning to become the primary constraint. At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. The Low preset still delivers 116 FPS, but Ultra falls to 56.6 FPS, failing the 60 FPS threshold. The range from Low to Ultra at 4K is 59.4 FPS, indicating that the GPU's rendering load is the dominant factor at this resolution.

The data shows that the GPU's role intensifies with resolution. At 4K, the RX 9070's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are exercised heavily, as evidenced by the 72.3 FPS at High versus 116 FPS at Low. The CPU's influence is most pronounced at 1080p Low, where 247.6 FPS is achieved; this number is likely constrained by the GPU's rasterization limits rather than the CPU, given the 14700KF's strong single-thread performance of 6235 in Cinebench R23. In contrast, at 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, as the CPU's performance headroom cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to maintain 60 FPS under maximum load.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Core i7-14700KF, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% slower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.9% slower). These CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol at all tested resolutions, as the 14700KF's performance delta is within 1% of each. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1.0% faster, which would translate to a negligible FPS improvement in GPU-bound scenarios at 1440p and 4K, but could marginally affect 1080p Low where the CPU has more influence.

For the GPU, the Radeon RX 9070's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (0.6% slower), the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (0.8% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (1.1% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (1.2% faster). These GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, with the RTX 2080 SUPER being slightly faster on paper. However, the RX 9070's 16 GB VRAM and RDNA 4.0 architecture may offer advantages in specific scenes, even if the average scores are close. In practice, any of these substitutes would maintain playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra preset would remain borderline, as the RX 9070's 56.6 FPS at that setting is already below the threshold.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC is capable of running Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates across most configurations. The verdict by resolution shows that at 3840x2160, the playable settings are High (72.3 FPS), Low (116 FPS), and Medium (85.4 FPS), with Ultra falling to 56.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra achieving 82.5 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset is playable, with Ultra posting 113.9 FPS and Low reaching 247.6 FPS.

The best settings at each resolution, defined as the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, are High at 4K (72.3 FPS), Ultra at 1440p (82.5 FPS), and Ultra at 1080p (113.9 FPS). The system is therefore fully capable of delivering a smooth experience at 1440p and 1080p with maximum settings, while 4K users will need to compromise by selecting High or Medium rather than Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates are as follows: High produces 72.3 FPS, Low produces 116 FPS, Medium produces 85.4 FPS, and Ultra produces 56.6 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium (85.4 FPS) and High (72.3 FPS), a reduction of 13.1 FPS. The step from High to Ultra is smaller, at 15.7 FPS, but it is the step that pushes the frame rate below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are: High at 111.7 FPS, Low at 180 FPS, Medium at 128 FPS, and Ultra at 82.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 52 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 16.3 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 29.2 FPS, which is the largest decrease at this resolution, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant additional load on the GPU.

At 1920x1080, the results are: High at 152.1 FPS, Low at 247.6 FPS, Medium at 172.3 FPS, and Ultra at 113.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 75.3 FPS, while Medium to High is a 20.2 FPS drop. The step from High to Ultra is 38.2 FPS, which is the most substantial reduction at this resolution. All 1080p presets deliver frame rates that are more than double the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution the most comfortable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i7-14700KF and Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 1085th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the top 29.2% of all configurations benchmarked for this game, which is a solid position given the demanding nature of the title. The rank reflects the GPU's 69th percentile performance overall, combined with the CPU's 94th percentile ranking, suggesting that the system is well-balanced but not at the extreme high end.

The ranking implies that a significant number of tested combos deliver higher frame rates, particularly those featuring stronger GPUs. However, the data shows that this combo still achieves playable frame rates at all resolutions except 4K Ultra, which means the rank is more indicative of competitive positioning than a lack of capability. The 1085th rank out of 3714 is respectable, especially considering that the RX 9070 is not a flagship GPU, and the system delivers 113.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is more than sufficient for competitive play.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best settings that maintain at least 60 FPS are High, which yields an average of 72.3 FPS. While Medium produces 85.4 FPS and Low produces 116 FPS, High is the most demanding preset that stays above the playable threshold, offering the best visual quality without sacrificing performance.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra, with an average of 82.5 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by 22.5 FPS. Users can run the game at maximum visual fidelity at 1440p without any concerns about frame rate drops.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are also Ultra, achieving 113.9 FPS. This is nearly double the playable threshold, and it ensures that even the most demanding scenes will remain fluid. For users with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, this setup provides enough headroom to keep frame rates consistently above the display's refresh rate, although the Low preset at 247.6 FPS would be the choice for maximum competitive responsiveness.