Lockdown Protocol

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p?

A: Yes, the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER delivers playable frame rates at 1920x1080 on High, Low, and Medium settings. The best playable preset at this resolution is High, which averages 76 FPS, while Low reaches 123 FPS and Medium sits at 87 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium, which averages 64 FPS. Low also remains playable at 90 FPS, but High drops to 56 FPS, below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: No, 4K is not playable. At 3840x2160, all tested presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold: Low averages 58 FPS, Medium 41 FPS, High 36 FPS, and Ultra 27 FPS. The database lists no playable settings at this resolution.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to nearby GPUs?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER sits in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, scores only 0.4% higher on average, while the AMD Radeon RX 580 is 0.4% lower and the AMD Radeon 740M is 0.9% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla M2090 is 0.7% higher.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF rank among CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest competitor, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, is only 0.2% lower in average score, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% lower and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% higher.

Q: What frame rates should I expect at Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average is 57 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 42 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 27 FPS. Ultra is not listed as a playable setting at any resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combo each have close competitors that would produce nearly identical performance in Lockdown Protocol.

For the Intel Core i7-14700KF, the database shows a tight cluster of rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F trails by just 0.2% in average benchmark score, making it effectively indistinguishable in everyday workloads. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% lower. On the other side, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K leads by 1%. Any of these CPUs would deliver the same level of headroom for this game, which is heavily limited by the GPU rather than the processor.

For the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, the nearest rivals form an even tighter band. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 0.4% higher, the AMD Radeon RX 580 is 0.4% lower, the AMD Radeon 740M is 0.9% lower, and the NVIDIA Tesla M2090 is 0.7% higher. In practical terms, swapping the GTX 1660 SUPER for any of these would change frame rates by only a few percentage points. A user moving from the RX 580 would see essentially identical performance at every resolution and preset.

Because the GPU is the performance bottleneck in this pairing, the CPU alternatives matter less. The i7-14700KF is far more powerful than needed for Lockdown Protocol, so substituting any of its near-rivals would not alter the measured FPS results. The recorded data shows that the combo relies on GPU capability to determine playability.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Lockdown Protocol reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU. The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a high-end desktop processor with 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, meanwhile, is a mid-range GPU from 2019, sitting in the 53rd percentile. This mismatch means the GPU dictates performance in this FPS title.

Evidence comes from the scaling patterns across resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are high: 123 FPS on Low, 87 FPS on Medium, 76 FPS on High, and 57 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, those numbers drop to 90, 64, 56, and 42 FPS respectively. At 4K, they fall further to 58, 41, 36, and 27 FPS. The consistent decline with increasing resolution points to GPU-bound rendering, since higher resolutions increase pixel workload without changing CPU demand.

The CPU's role is secondary but still relevant. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 123 FPS, which suggests the processor can feed frames well above the 60 FPS threshold. If the CPU were weak, the frame rate would plateau regardless of resolution. Since the numbers scale smoothly from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the i7-14700KF is not constraining performance.

Preset scaling reinforces this. At any given resolution, dropping from Ultra to Low increases FPS by more than double. At 1080p, the jump is from 57 FPS on Ultra to 123 FPS on Low, a 66 FPS gain. At 1440p, it goes from 42 to 90 FPS, and at 4K from 27 to 58 FPS. This magnitude of scaling is typical of GPU-limited scenarios, where reducing graphical quality directly reduces the pixel shading workload.

For players, this means the CPU choice is largely irrelevant for Lockdown Protocol. The i7-14700KF provides ample headroom, and even a substantially weaker processor would likely produce identical results. The GTX 1660 SUPER is the component that determines whether the game is playable, and the settings must be adjusted around its capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER places this pairing at rank 3166 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That puts it in the lower portion of the database, around the 15th percentile of all tested systems.

This low rank is driven entirely by the GPU. The i7-14700KF is a top-tier CPU, but the GTX 1660 SUPER holds the combo back. Systems with similar CPUs but stronger GPUs would rank much higher, while systems with weaker CPUs and the same GPU would rank similarly. The database shows that the combo cannot reach 60 FPS at 4K at any preset, and it only barely clears the threshold at 1440p Medium with 64 FPS.

At 1080p, the combo performs adequately. It ranks above the playability threshold, with three playable presets and a best average of 76 FPS on High. However, the rank of 3166 reflects the overall picture across all resolutions, and the 4K failure drags the score down. Most modern combos in the database handle at least one 4K preset, which this one cannot.

The positive takeaway is that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If a user upgraded the GPU to a stronger model, the CPU would not bottleneck the improvement. The i7-14700KF is capable of far higher frame rates than the GTX 1660 SUPER can deliver, so any future GPU upgrade would directly translate into better performance in Lockdown Protocol.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but only at lower resolutions and with adjusted settings. At 1920x1080, the game is playable on High, Low, and Medium presets, with High being the best playable option at 76 FPS. At 2560x1440, the playable presets are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best at 64 FPS. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings; even Low falls short at 58 FPS.

The 60 FPS threshold is the benchmark for playability in the database. At 1080p, the combo clears it comfortably on three presets. At 1440p, it just crosses the line on Medium. At 4K, it misses on every preset, with the closest being Low at 58 FPS, a 2 FPS deficit.

For a player targeting a smooth experience, 1080p is the safe choice. High settings at 76 FPS provide a good balance of visual quality and responsiveness. Dropping to Medium yields 87 FPS, which is smoother but slightly less detailed. Low runs at 123 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play but visually stripped down.

At 1440p, Medium at 64 FPS is the only preset that stays above 60 FPS while offering moderate visual quality. Low runs faster at 90 FPS but looks worse. High and Ultra are not recommended, as they fall to 56 and 42 FPS respectively.

The verdict is clear: this PC is a 1080p machine for Lockdown Protocol, with 1440p possible only on Medium or Low. 4K is not viable. Users with a 1080p monitor can play comfortably, while those with higher-resolution displays will need to accept compromises.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, averaging 76 FPS. Medium runs at 87 FPS, and Low runs at 123 FPS, but High offers the best visual quality while remaining playable. Ultra is not recommended, as it drops to 57 FPS, just below the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium, averaging 64 FPS. Low runs at 90 FPS but provides fewer visual details. High averages 56 FPS and is below the 60 FPS threshold, so it should be avoided. Ultra is not viable at 42 FPS.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. Low comes closest at 58 FPS, but it still misses the 60 FPS target by 2 FPS. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. Users with 4K displays should lower the resolution to 1440p or 1080p for acceptable performance.

The recommended configuration for this combo is 1080p High, which delivers 76 FPS with a reasonable visual balance. For players who prioritize frame rate over graphics, 1080p Low at 123 FPS offers the smoothest experience. At 1440p, Medium at 64 FPS is the only way to stay above 60 FPS without sacrificing too much visual quality.