Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 17th out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top fraction of systems. This pairing delivers playable performance across every resolution and preset tested, with even the most demanding Ultra settings clearing the 60 FPS threshold at 4K. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, with the CPU becoming more relevant as resolution drops and frame rates climb past 300 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU benchmarks, the Intel Core i7-14700KF posts an average benchmark score of 70,163, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with an average score of 69,996, a mere 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX sits 0.4% higher at 69,875, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X trails by 0.9% with a score of 69,515. The only rival that notably outpaces it is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, which scores 70,879, putting the i7-14700KF 1% behind. These deltas are small enough that in gaming scenarios, particularly at 4K where the GPU dominates, users would be hard-pressed to distinguish between these processors.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090 D achieves an average benchmark score of 77,712, ranking in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, scores 76,904, which is 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT comes in 1.6% higher at 78,940, while the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB variants score 79,396 and 79,605 respectively, representing 2.1% and 2.4% advantages. These rival GPUs would deliver broadly similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, though the Tesla parts are datacenter-oriented and lack the gaming-focused feature set of the GeForce card.

For the combined system, the nearest alternatives would be configurations swapping the CPU for an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K or the GPU for an AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. Any of these substitutions would produce results within roughly 2% of the measured performance, making them effectively interchangeable for this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 351 FPS average. This drops to 295 FPS at 2560x1440 and 190 FPS at 3840x2160, showing a 46% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU's output, and the frame rate is primarily limited by the graphics card's rendering throughput.

At Medium settings, the pattern persists: 285 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 135 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 27%, and from 1440p to 4K is 35%. These percentages indicate that the GPU's workload increases substantially with resolution, but the CPU maintains sufficient headroom to feed the graphics card without becoming a bottleneck.

The High preset shows 249 FPS at 1080p, 183 FPS at 1440p, and 118 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is 27% lower, and from 1440p to 4K is 36% lower. With Ultra settings, the system hits 187 FPS at 1080p, 137 FPS at 1440p, and 88 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 27%, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 36%.

Across all presets, the resolution scaling is remarkably consistent, with 1440p averaging roughly 27-29% lower FPS than 1080p and 4K averaging 36-46% lower than 1440p. This consistency indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the limiting factor at every resolution. The CPU's role becomes more apparent only at 1080p Low, where 351 FPS approaches the practical limits of game engine threading, but even there, the i7-14700KF's 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample processing power. For players targeting 60 FPS, the GPU is the dominant component; for players chasing maximum frame rates at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes relevant.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 17th out of 3,714 tested system configurations in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 0.5% of all tested combos, a position that reflects both the high-end nature of both components and their effective cooperation in this title. The rank is likely driven more by the RTX 5090 D's raw rendering power than the CPU, given that the processor's 94th percentile standing is slightly lower than the GPU's 92nd percentile when compared to all parts.

The 3,714 tested combos include a wide range of hardware, from entry-level integrated graphics to extreme multi-GPU setups. Being 17th means only 16 combinations of CPU and GPU deliver higher frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. These would presumably include the very fastest consumer CPUs paired with the same or better GPUs, though the data does not specify which combos occupy the top 16 positions.

Given that the RTX 5090 D is near the top of the GPU hierarchy and the i7-14700KF is a high-end desktop processor, the 17th rank reflects the diminishing returns of pairing even faster CPUs with this GPU. At 4K Ultra, the system already achieves 88 FPS, and the gap to the top-ranked combos is likely small in absolute frame rate terms, even if the rank difference appears large.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this system can run Lockdown Protocol at or above 60 FPS at every resolution and preset combination tested. At 3840x2160, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with the best settings being Ultra at 88 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the same four presets are playable, and Ultra runs at 137 FPS average. At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 187 FPS average, and the system reaches 351 FPS at Low settings.

The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS, and the lowest measured average is 88 FPS at 4K Ultra. This means there is a 28 FPS margin above the threshold even in the most demanding configuration tested. The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings: 115 FPS at 4K, 178 FPS at 1440p, and 243 FPS at 1080p. These minimums are all well above 60 FPS, suggesting that frame pacing remains stable even during demanding scenes.

For players with high-refresh-rate 4K monitors, the system provides headroom for G-Sync or VRR operation at Ultra settings. For competitive players using 1080p or 1440p displays, the system delivers frame rates that exceed most high-refresh displays' capabilities, making the CPU and GPU combination more than sufficient for esports-level play.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 88 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by 28 FPS.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 137 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How much faster is the system at 1080p compared to 4K when using Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 285, while at 3840x2160 Medium, it is 135. This represents a 53% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded for this system?

A: Minimum FPS data is only available for Medium settings: 243 FPS at 1920x1080, 178 FPS at 2560x1440, and 115 FPS at 3840x2160.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, which is 1.1% higher than the RX 6650M XT's 76,904.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for achieving high frame rates in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at all tested resolutions and presets, as shown by the consistent 27-36% FPS drops when increasing resolution. The CPU's influence is minimal except at 1080p Low, where the system reaches 351 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Ultra, which runs at an average of 88 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best playable preset, delivering 137 FPS average. At 1920x1080, Ultra achieves 187 FPS average. In all three cases, the highest quality settings remain playable, meaning there is no need to compromise visual fidelity to hit 60 FPS.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates over visual quality, the Low preset at 1080p yields 351 FPS, while at 4K Low drops to 190 FPS. The Medium preset provides a balance, with 285 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 135 FPS at 4K. The High preset sits between Medium and Ultra, offering 249 FPS at 1080p, 183 FPS at 1440p, and 118 FPS at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces the following results: Low settings average 351 FPS, Medium averages 285 FPS with a minimum of 243 FPS and maximum of 328 FPS, High averages 249 FPS, and Ultra averages 187 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 164 FPS, indicating that the game's settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 295 FPS, Medium averages 209 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS and maximum of 241 FPS, High averages 183 FPS, and Ultra averages 137 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 158 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p due to the increased GPU load.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 190 FPS, Medium averages 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 155 FPS, High averages 118 FPS, and Ultra averages 88 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 102 FPS at this resolution, confirming that the GPU becomes the primary constraint as pixel count increases. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 115, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold, providing a comfortable margin even during the most demanding in-game moments.