Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics for Lockdown Protocol. The CPU is a high-end, current-generation part, while the GPU is from a previous era, ending its production life. The recorded frames per second (FPS) data reveals how this combination handles the game's demands across different resolutions and quality presets, showing a clear pattern where the graphics card limits the experience at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured performance varies significantly based on resolution and the selected graphics preset. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers strong results. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 131, providing a very fluid experience. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. At High settings, the average is 81 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still maintains an average of 61 FPS, which is right at the playable threshold.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset yields an average of 96 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 68 FPS, with recorded minimum and maximum values of 58 FPS and 78 FPS, respectively. The High preset brings the average down to 59 FPS, which falls just below the 60 FPS mark. At Ultra settings, the average is 45 FPS, indicating a less smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1070 is clearly under heavy load. The Low preset is the only one that manages to stay above the playable threshold, with an average of 62 FPS. The Medium preset records an average of 44 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. High settings drop the average to 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings it down to 29 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the gap between presets narrows, and the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1080p with High settings is 81 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that keeps the average FPS at or above 60 at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset is the most demanding option that maintains a playable average. The data shows an average of 68 FPS at 1440p with Medium settings. The High preset falls short with an average of 59 FPS.

Q: Is the GTX 1070 capable of handling 4K resolution in this game?

A: It is only marginally capable at the lowest settings. At 3840x2160 with the Low preset, the average FPS is 62, just clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 4K drops to an average of 44 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF's CPU performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163. This is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which scores 69996, a difference of only 0.2%. It is also 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and 1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K.

Q: How does the GTX 1070's GPU performance compare to its closest competitors?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780. Its nearest rival, the AMD FirePro W5000, scores 9803, which is 0.2% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M scores 9832, a 0.5% difference. The NVIDIA Tesla M10 and Tesla C2070 score 9724 and 9716, respectively, placing them slightly below the GTX 1070.

Q: What is the overall ranking of this specific CPU and GPU combination for this game?

A: The database ranks this combo at 3068 out of 3714 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower portion of all tested systems.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals in the database, other hardware would produce very similar frame rates in this game. For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is the closest match, with a negligible 0.2% difference in average benchmark score. This means a system with that CPU would likely perform within a fraction of a percent in CPU-bound scenarios. Other close alternatives include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.4% difference), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.9% difference), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (1% difference). Any of these processors paired with the same GTX 1070 would yield nearly identical results.

On the GPU side, the performance landscape is also tightly clustered. The AMD FirePro W5000 is the closest rival, with a score just 0.2% lower than the GTX 1070. The NVIDIA Quadro M2000M is 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA Tesla M10 and Tesla C2070 are also within 0.6% and 0.7% of the GTX 1070's score, respectively. In practice, these graphics cards would deliver comparable FPS in Lockdown Protocol, meaning the experience at 1440p and 4K would be very similar, with the same limitations at higher presets.

The Verdict

The database's verdict is clear. This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but the experience is highly dependent on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable across all settings. The data shows that High, Low, Medium, and Ultra presets all achieve average FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the system can run the game with the Low and Medium presets, both of which stay above 60 FPS on average. However, the High and Ultra presets fall below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Only the Low preset manages to clear the 60 FPS mark, with an average of 62 FPS. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets all produce averages below 60 FPS, making them less ideal for a smooth experience. The data implies that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 1080p is the most reliable resolution, while 1440p is viable for lower settings, and 4K is only borderline playable at the absolute minimum settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The recorded data places this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 at rank 3068 out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This ranking in the lower percentiles of tested systems is primarily due to the GPU's age and performance class. The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU sits in the 47th percentile among all GPUs. This significant mismatch means the overall system performance is dragged down by the graphics card. The CPU is capable of much more, but the GTX 1070 cannot deliver the frames needed to push the combo higher in the rankings.

Best Settings per Resolution

The optimal settings for maintaining an average FPS at or above 60 are as follows. At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays playable is Ultra, which delivers an average of 61 FPS. This provides the best visual quality while still hitting the target frame rate. At 2560x1440, the best choice is Medium, which achieves an average of 68 FPS. This offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance. At 3840x2160, the only playable option is Low, which produces an average of 62 FPS. This is the maximum quality setting that can sustain a playable frame rate at 4K resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the scaling between resolutions and presets reveals the distinct roles of each component. The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is a drop from 131 FPS to 61 FPS, a change of 70 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the increased graphical load. At 1440p, the same settings drop from 96 FPS to 45 FPS, a 51 FPS difference. At 4K, the range is from 62 FPS on Low to 29 FPS on Ultra, a 33 FPS difference. The shrinking gap between presets as resolution increases shows that the GPU is becoming saturated, and the CPU's performance becomes less relevant.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1080p with Low settings, the 131 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames to the GPU at a high rate. However, the GTX 1070 cannot maintain that pace at higher graphical loads. The i7-14700KF, with its high multi-core score of 44167 in Cinebench R23, is clearly not the limiting factor in this system. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield significant FPS gains, especially at 1440p and 4K, while the current CPU would likely support a much more powerful graphics card without becoming a bottleneck.