Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 presents a stark contrast in capabilities: the CPU is among the strongest tested, while the GPU is a much older, mid-range part. Benchmark results for Lockdown Protocol indicate that this combination is heavily limited by the graphics card, particularly at higher resolutions. The data shows that achieving a smooth 60 FPS experience is only possible at lower resolutions and with reduced graphical settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For players targeting a consistent 60 frames per second, the settings must be adjusted according to the display resolution. The measurements recorded in the database show a clear ceiling for this hardware pairing.

At 3840x2160 (4K), no preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The most demanding preset that comes close is Low, which delivers an average of 40 FPS. Since this falls well short of 60 FPS, there is no "best" playable setting at this resolution; the system cannot maintain a fluid experience at 4K under any tested configuration.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves. The Low preset is the only setting that stays at or above the 60 FPS target, with an average of 62 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution. The Medium preset drops to 44 FPS average, and High falls to 39 FPS, making them unsuitable for a 60 FPS target.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system has more headroom. The Medium preset achieves an average of 60 FPS, making it the highest quality setting that meets the performance threshold. The Low preset is faster at 85 FPS average, but Medium offers a better balance of visual quality and performance for a 1080p display. The High preset averages 53 FPS, which is below the target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions clearly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 580 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The Intel Core i9-14900K has ample processing power, but the GPU struggles as the pixel count increases.

Comparing the average FPS across resolutions with the same settings illustrates this point. At the Low preset, the system delivers 85 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 35% drop from 1440p to 4K. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p with the Low preset, the CPU is better able to feed frames to the GPU, allowing the RX 580 to reach its maximum output. However, even with a top-tier CPU like the i9-14900K, the GPU cannot push beyond 85 FPS average at 1080p Low. This suggests that the RX 580's raw compute power is the hard limit, not the CPU's ability to process game logic or draw calls.

At higher resolutions and settings, the gap narrows further. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 19, a figure that is almost entirely dependent on the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth. The CPU's high single-core and multi-core scores do not translate into higher frame rates when the GPU is saturated with pixel work.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's overall ranking for Lockdown Protocol, this combination of Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 580 sits at rank 3384 out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, its performance is far from the top.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's age and performance class. The CPU, which ranks in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, is effectively wasted in this pairing for this particular game. The data suggests that the combo's rank is dragged down by the RX 580, which is in the 53rd percentile among all GPUs. The i9-14900K's capabilities are not fully utilized because the GPU cannot keep pace, resulting in a system that performs like a much lower-tier machine.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database provides nearest rivals for both components, indicating which other hardware would yield similar behavior. For the CPU, the Intel Core i9-14900KF has an average score that is 0.3% lower, making it a near-identical performer. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 0.6% lower, and the AMD EPYC 7413 is 1.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% higher. In practice, swapping the i9-14900K for any of these would result in virtually the same frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, as the GPU remains the limiting factor.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all within a narrow performance band. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile is 0.1% lower, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is 0.4% lower, while the AMD Radeon 740M is 0.5% higher and the AMD FirePro W5100 is 0.6% higher. This means a system with an RX 580 would perform almost identically to one with any of these alternatives. For instance, pairing the i9-14900K with a GTX 1660 SUPER instead of the RX 580 would not meaningfully change the average FPS at any resolution or preset. The performance ceiling is defined by this GPU class.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides a detailed look at average frame rates, with minimum and maximum values recorded for some Medium presets.

At 3840x2160, the results are as follows:

• Ultra: 19 FPS average.
• High: 25 FPS average.
• Medium: 29 FPS average, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS.
• Low: 40 FPS average.

At 2560x1440:

• Ultra: 29 FPS average.
• High: 39 FPS average.
• Medium: 44 FPS average, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS.
• Low: 62 FPS average.

At 1920x1080:

• Ultra: 40 FPS average.
• High: 53 FPS average.
• Medium: 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS.
• Low: 85 FPS average.

The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset at 1080p and 1440p show some frame pacing variance. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate dips to 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS average, indicating occasional stutters. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 38 FPS is significantly lower than the average of 44 FPS, suggesting more pronounced drops during intense scenes.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Lockdown Protocol has a nuanced answer. The data confirms that it can run the game, but the experience varies drastically by resolution.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is negative. None of the tested presets reach 60 FPS, with the highest average being 40 FPS on Low. This system is not suitable for 4K gaming in this title.

At 2560x1440, the system is marginally playable. The verdict is positive only for the Low preset, which averages 62 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold, but with little headroom. Any increase in graphical settings will push the frame rate below the playable mark.

At 1920x1080, the verdict is positive for two presets. The Low preset delivers 85 FPS average, and the Medium preset achieves exactly 60 FPS average. Players can choose between maximum performance or a balance of quality and smoothness. The High preset at 53 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS are not recommended for a 60 FPS target.

In summary, this combo is a 1080p gaming solution for Lockdown Protocol. It can handle the game at Medium settings with an average of 60 FPS, but players seeking higher visual fidelity or higher resolutions will need to consider a more powerful graphics card, as the i9-14900K is not the limiting factor here.