Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a broad range of performance in Lockdown Protocol, scaling from a solid 4K experience to high-refresh-rate 1080p gameplay. Measured data shows the combo is capable of clearing the 60 FPS threshold at multiple settings levels, though the demands of 4K Ultra push it below playable territory. The following analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, ranking, and practical settings recommendations based strictly on the provided benchmark data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo’s performance varies significantly with quality presets. Low settings produce an average of 90 FPS, while Medium settings drop to 64 FPS average, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. High settings yield 56 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 42 FPS average. The step from Low to Medium represents a 26 FPS average loss, and the jump from Medium to High costs another 8 FPS, indicating that the RX 6700 XT’s 12 GB memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are increasingly taxed as texture and shading complexity rises.

At 2560x1440, the picture improves substantially. Low settings average 140 FPS, Medium averages 99 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS and maximum of 114 FPS, High averages 87 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 12 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 22 FPS, showing that Ultra settings impose a heavier load on the GPU’s 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs. Notably, even the Ultra preset stays above the 60 FPS playable threshold at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combo excels. Low settings hit 191 FPS average, Medium reaches 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 156 FPS, High averages 118 FPS, and Ultra averages 89 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is consistent: Ultra improves from 65 to 89 FPS, High from 87 to 118 FPS, Medium from 99 to 135 FPS, and Low from 140 to 191 FPS. This resolution allows the i9-14900K’s strong single-thread performance—evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2655—to keep the GPU fed, as frame rates approach the refresh-rate ceiling of many monitors.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1950th out of 3714 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the 52nd percentile of all tested systems. This mid-pack ranking reflects the GPU’s position as the limiting factor, as the CPU is far more capable. The RX 6700 XT holds a 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the i9-14900K sits in the 95th percentile among all CPUs. The disparity is clear: the processor is top-tier, but the graphics card, while competent, drags the overall combo down relative to systems with higher-end GPUs.

The GPU’s nearest rivals illustrate this dynamic. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27435 in average benchmark score, essentially tied with the RX 6700 XT’s 27425 (0% delta). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 27565, just 0.5% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores 27839, 1.5% higher. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 27135, 1.1% lower. These small deltas mean that swapping the RX 6700 XT for any of these alternatives would yield nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, assuming the CPU remains unchanged.

On the CPU side, the i9-14900K’s nearest rivals are tightly clustered. The Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79371, just 0.3% lower; the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574, 0.6% lower; the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, 1.2% lower; and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, 1.7% higher. Since the CPU is not the bottleneck at 4K or even 1440p in this game, these differences would have negligible impact on the measured FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low and Medium settings. Low averages 90 FPS, and Medium averages 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS. High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold at 56 and 42 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best 1440p preset for this system?

A: Ultra is the best playable preset at 2560x1440, averaging 65 FPS. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to the RTX 3090 for this game?

A: The RTX 3090 has an average benchmark score of 27565, which is 0.5% higher than the RX 6700 XT’s 27425. In practical terms, this would translate to a negligible FPS difference in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: Is the i9-14900K overkill for this GPU in this game?

A: The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 72nd percentile. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance helps push frame rates to 191 FPS on Low, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1080p Medium?

A: The minimum recorded FPS at 1920x1080 Medium is 115 FPS, with an average of 135 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of all tested systems?

A: Yes, it ranks 1950th out of 3714 combinations, placing it above the median. This is driven by the CPU’s high percentile, offset by the GPU’s more modest standing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i9-14900KF is the closest match, with an average benchmark score of 79371 versus the i9-14900K’s 79097, a delta of -0.3%. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79574 (-0.6%), the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 (-1.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740 (+1.7%). In Lockdown Protocol, any of these processors would produce essentially identical frame rates at all tested resolutions, as the game’s FPS is not CPU-bound at 4K and only mildly so at 1080p.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the nearest rival with a score of 27435 (0% delta), followed by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 at 27565 (-0.5%), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell at 27135 (+1.1%), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 at 27839 (-1.5%). Swapping the RX 6700 XT for any of these would change the average FPS by less than 2% in the measured scenarios. For example, at 1440p Ultra, the RX 6700 XT’s 65 FPS would move to roughly 65 FPS with the RTX 4070 Mobile, 65 FPS with the RTX 3090, 64 FPS with the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell, and 66 FPS with the Radeon Pro Vega 20. The practical takeaway is that these alternatives are interchangeable for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 64 FPS. Low settings also qualify at 90 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual quality while still clearing the threshold. High (56 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) are not playable at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is the best settings choice, averaging 65 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available, and the combo clears the 60 FPS threshold with a small margin. The minimum FPS at Medium is 84, but Ultra has no reported minimum, suggesting it stays above the playable threshold in the measured data.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is the best setting, averaging 89 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is the maximum quality preset. Low settings reach 191 FPS for competitive play, but Ultra is the recommended choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol with playable frame rates at all three tested resolutions, but with important caveats at 4K. At 3840x2160, the combo clears 60 FPS only on Low (90 FPS) and Medium (64 FPS); High (56 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) fall short. At 2560x1440, every preset is playable, with Ultra averaging 65 FPS. At 1920x1080, every preset is playable, with Ultra averaging 89 FPS. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 4K best settings are Medium at 64 FPS, 1440p best settings are Ultra at 65 FPS, and 1080p best settings are Ultra at 89 FPS. Users seeking 4K Ultra would need a more powerful GPU, but those targeting 1440p or 1080p can run the game at maximum quality without dropping below the 60 FPS threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear shift in bottleneck behavior across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant factor. The average FPS drops from 90 on Low to 42 on Ultra, a 53% reduction, while the CPU’s load remains relatively constant. The RX 6700 XT’s 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 384.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are the limiting resources, as evidenced by the steep decline at higher presets. The i9-14900K, with its 24 cores and 32 threads, has ample headroom that goes unused.

At 2560x1440, the GPU still leads, but the CPU begins to matter more. The Ultra preset averages 65 FPS, which is 24% higher than the 4K Ultra score of 42 FPS, indicating that pixel count is the primary variable. However, the gap between Medium (99 FPS) and High (87 FPS) at 1440p is 12 FPS, similar to the 4K Medium-to-High gap of 8 FPS, showing that preset complexity affects the GPU consistently regardless of resolution.

At 1920x1080, the CPU’s role becomes more pronounced. The Low preset hits 191 FPS, which is 36% higher than the 1440p Low score of 140 FPS. This scaling suggests that the i9-14900K’s single-thread performance, reflected in its Passmark single-thread score of 4697, is now able to push the GPU to higher frame rates. The Ultra preset at 1080p (89 FPS) is 37% higher than 1440p Ultra (65 FPS), confirming that the GPU still has headroom but the CPU is no longer a limiting factor. In short, the RX 6700 XT dictates performance at 4K and 1440p, while the i9-14900K ensures the GPU is fully utilized at 1080p, particularly on lower presets where frame rates exceed 140 FPS.