Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers overwhelming performance in Lockdown Protocol, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every preset across all three tested resolutions. The data shows a system that is not merely playable but excessively fast, with average frame rates ranging from a low of 80 FPS at 4K Ultra to a high of 352.8 FPS at 1080p Low. This combination ranks in the 80th percentile of all tested combos, placing it in the top tier of systems for this title while leaving substantial headroom for future demands or higher refresh rate displays.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: Yes. The measured data confirms playability at all four settings presets at 3840x2160, with average FPS of 80 on Ultra, 106.1 on High, 124.8 on Medium, and 173.9 on Low. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and every preset exceeds it.

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

A: The Ultra preset delivers an average of 126.7 FPS at 2560x1440, which is the most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS. Lower presets produce even higher frame rates, with Low averaging 268.3 FPS.

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

A: The Core i7-14700KF holds a 94th percentile rank among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 70163 is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 352.8 FPS, while Ultra averages 171 FPS. This represents a 181.8 FPS difference, or roughly a 106% increase in performance when dropping from Ultra to Low.

Q: Is the GPU considered high-performing relative to other graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4090 sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 60347. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, scores 60326, showing a negligible 0% delta, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, which is 2.5% higher.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes, with an average of exactly 80 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold by 20 FPS. The minimum frame rates were not recorded, but the average is sufficiently high to indicate consistent playability.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings, with the CPU providing ample headroom. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is substantial: 352.8 FPS versus 171 FPS, a 181.8 FPS gap. This large spread indicates that the RTX 4090 is the limiting factor even at lower resolutions, as the Core i7-14700KF has enough processing power to feed the GPU effectively. The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and a Passmark multithread score of 52425, suggests it is not a bottleneck in this title.

Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the frame rates drop by roughly 25-30% across all presets. At Ultra, the average falls from 171 FPS to 126.7 FPS, while at Low it drops from 352.8 FPS to 268.3 FPS. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-limited scenario where resolution increases pixel count and rendering load. The CPU's role becomes less critical as resolution rises, but the i7-14700KF's single-thread performance — a Geekbench single-core score of 2578 and Passmark single-thread score of 4480 — ensures that even at 1080p with high frame rates, the processor does not introduce a ceiling.

At 4K, the GPU's dominance is even more pronounced. The Ultra preset averages just 80 FPS, while Low reaches 173.9 FPS. The gap between Medium (124.8 FPS) and High (106.1 FPS) at 4K is 18.7 FPS, showing that each step in graphical fidelity has a meaningful impact on the RTX 4090's output. The 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth provide ample resources for high-resolution textures, but the raw compute limits are evident. The data indicates that for Lockdown Protocol, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at all resolutions, with the CPU contributing sufficient throughput to avoid limiting frame rates even in the most demanding 1080p scenarios.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Core i7-14700KF's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks offer nearly identical processing capabilities, with deltas of less than 1% in most cases. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, just 0.2% lower, making it a direct equivalent for gaming workloads. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and Ryzen 9 7950X follow closely at 69875 and 69515, respectively, representing 0.4% and 0.9% differences. These CPUs would produce virtually indistinguishable frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, as the game's performance is GPU-bound. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, with a score of 70879, is 1% higher, which is within the margin of measurement error for real-world gaming.

For the GPU, the RTX 4090's nearest rivals present a more complex picture due to the nature of the Passmark G3D benchmark. The Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60326, a 0% delta, suggesting comparable raw graphics performance in synthetic tests. However, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, which is 2.5% higher, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, which is 2.9% lower. These deltas are small, but the RTX 4090's architectural advantages — 16384 shading units, 128 RT cores, and 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 — may translate to different real-world behavior in specific titles. In Lockdown Protocol, the measured FPS indicates that any of these GPUs would likely maintain playable frame rates, though the RTX 4090's higher memory bandwidth and larger frame buffer could provide an edge at 4K Ultra where the 80 FPS average leaves little margin.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3714 tested combinations in the database, this pairing of the Core i7-14700KF and RTX 4090 ranks 80th, placing it in the 97.8th percentile of all systems evaluated for Lockdown Protocol. This ranking reflects the combined strength of a top-tier CPU and the flagship GPU from the GeForce 40-series. The rank is driven primarily by the GPU's ability to sustain high frame rates across all resolutions, as the CPU's 94th percentile standing among all processors ensures it never bottlenecks the graphics card. The 80th rank out of 3714 combos means that fewer than 3% of tested systems outperform this configuration, and those that do likely feature even more exotic hardware or overclocked variants. For a mainstream high-end desktop setup, this represents near-optimal performance for the game.

The ranking also highlights the diminishing returns of hardware investment. While the combo sits in the top 80, the gap between this configuration and the very best systems is likely small in practical terms, given that the RTX 4090 is already end-of-life with a successor announced. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (80) and 1440p Ultra (126.7) are well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, suggesting that even a lower-ranked combo with a slightly weaker GPU would still deliver a smooth experience. The rank reflects the balance between the two components rather than an indication of any single part's dominance.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at every resolution and settings preset tested, with no configuration falling below the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the system achieves 80 FPS on Ultra, 106.1 FPS on High, 124.8 FPS on Medium, and 173.9 FPS on Low. The 2560x1440 resolution yields even higher performance, with Ultra averaging 126.7 FPS and Low reaching 268.3 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast, with Ultra at 171 FPS, High at 232.1 FPS, Medium at 265.5 FPS, and Low at 352.8 FPS. The verdict by resolution confirms that all three resolutions support the Ultra preset at or above 60 FPS, making this a definitive yes for playability. The lowest recorded average is 80 FPS, which occurs at the most demanding 4K Ultra setting, leaving a 20 FPS buffer above the playable threshold. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the 1080p and 1440p results provide ample headroom for 144Hz or even 240Hz displays at lower presets.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher is Ultra, which averages exactly 80 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 4K, as it provides the best visual quality while still clearing the threshold by 20 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best choice, averaging 126.7 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold and suitable for high refresh rate gaming. At 1920x1080, Ultra delivers an average of 171 FPS, making it the optimal preset for competitive play where frame rates above 144 FPS are desirable. In all cases, the system has enough performance to run the highest quality settings without compromise, and the data suggests that users need not sacrifice visual fidelity for frame rate at any resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Ultra runs at 80 FPS, High at 106.1 FPS, Medium at 124.8 FPS, and Low at 173.9 FPS. The differences between presets are consistent, with High being 26.1 FPS faster than Ultra, Medium being 18.7 FPS faster than High, and Low being 49.1 FPS faster than Medium. This pattern indicates that the graphical settings have a compounding effect on GPU load, with each step down in quality providing a meaningful boost in frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 126.7 FPS for Ultra, 166.7 FPS for High, 193.6 FPS for Medium, and 268.3 FPS for Low. The gap between Ultra and High is 40 FPS, which is larger than the 26.1 FPS difference at 4K, suggesting that the GPU has more headroom at this resolution. Medium to Low shows a 74.7 FPS increase, indicating that low settings significantly reduce the rendering workload.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 171 FPS for Ultra, 232.1 FPS for High, 265.5 FPS for Medium, and 352.8 FPS for Low. The spread from Ultra to Low is 181.8 FPS, demonstrating that at 1080p the system is capable of extremely high frame rates when settings are lowered. The jump from High to Medium is 33.4 FPS, while Medium to Low is 87.3 FPS, showing that the Low preset has the most substantial impact on performance. Minimum and maximum frame rates were not recorded, so the analysis relies solely on average values, which are consistently well above the 60 FPS threshold across all configurations.