Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is a high-end combination that delivers strong performance in Lockdown Protocol. Benchmark data for this FPS title shows that this combo is capable of exceeding the 60 FPS playable threshold across nearly all tested settings, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra preset failing to hit that mark. The following analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, optimal settings, and how this pairing stacks up against other tested hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo shows a clear performance hierarchy across the four tested presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 104.8 FPS, which is the highest frame rate at this resolution. Stepping up to Medium drops the average to 74.9 FPS, while High produces 64.2 FPS. The Ultra preset is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold, with an average of 51 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial — the Ultra preset runs at roughly half the frame rate of Low, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the highest graphical settings at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance headroom expands considerably. Low settings produce an average of 157.8 FPS, which is a 50.6% improvement over the same preset at 4K. Medium averages 112.4 FPS, High averages 100.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 75.7 FPS. Notably, every preset at 1440p clears the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra still having a comfortable 15.7 FPS margin above the playable line. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution shows a 52% reduction in frame rate, from 157.8 down to 75.7 FPS, which is a smaller relative drop than seen at 4K.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs at its best. Low settings deliver an average of 220.9 FPS, making the game exceptionally smooth. Medium averages 157.9 FPS, High averages 132.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 101.9 FPS. The 1080p Ultra result is particularly significant because it represents a 99.8% increase over the 4K Ultra score of 51 FPS. Even the most demanding preset at this resolution has a 41.9 FPS buffer above the 60 FPS playable threshold, meaning the combo never dips below playable performance at 1080p.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the relative performance drop from Low to Ultra is largest at 4K (from 104.8 to 51 FPS, a 51.3% reduction) and smallest at 1080p (from 220.9 to 101.9 FPS, a 53.9% reduction). This indicates that the RX 7700 XT becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, with its 12 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus struggling more at 4K Ultra.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which averages 64.2 FPS. This gives a modest 4.2 FPS margin above the playable threshold. While Low and Medium also clear 60 FPS, High is the recommended choice for 4K because it offers the best visual quality while maintaining playable performance. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as its 51 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS line.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are Ultra, which averages 75.7 FPS. This is the most demanding preset at this resolution, and it still provides a 15.7 FPS cushion above the 60 FPS threshold. Given that the GPU can handle Ultra at 1440p with room to spare, there is no reason to drop to High or lower unless the user prefers higher refresh rates over maximum visual fidelity.

For 1920x1080, the best settings are also Ultra, averaging 101.9 FPS. This is the clear winner, as it offers the highest visual quality with a frame rate that is well above the playable threshold. The 1080p Ultra result shows that this combo has significant headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors, as the 101.9 FPS average is nearly double the playable threshold. Users with 144Hz displays could potentially lock the frame rate to 100 or run with uncapped FPS for smoother motion.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global benchmark database for Lockdown Protocol, this specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 1389 out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the top 37.4% of all configurations, which is a solid mid-to-high tier position. While it does not crack the top 1000, the rank reflects a balanced pairing that handles the game well at mainstream resolutions.

The CPU itself, the Intel Core i9-14900K, has a percentile rank of 95 among all tested CPUs, meaning it outperforms 95% of processors in the database. The GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, has a percentile rank of 67 among all tested GPUs, putting it above roughly two-thirds of graphics cards. The combination of a top-tier CPU with an upper-midrange GPU explains why the combo lands in the 1389th position — the CPU is not the bottleneck, but the GPU's midrange standing keeps the overall rank from climbing higher.

The combo's rank of 1389 out of 3714 suggests that there are many configurations with faster GPUs that would outperform this pairing in Lockdown Protocol. However, the measured FPS data shows that this rank does not tell the whole story, as the combo still delivers playable frame rates at 4K High and above 100 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i9-14900KF is nearly identical in performance, with an average benchmark score of 79371 compared to the 14900K's 79097, a delta of -0.3%. This means the 14900KF is essentially the same chip without integrated graphics, and users would see virtually identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is also extremely close, scoring 79574 with a delta of -0.6%, making it a viable alternative for laptops or systems that can accommodate that mobile-class processor.

The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041 with a delta of -1.2%, which is slightly higher than the 14900K but comes from a server-grade platform that offers no gaming-specific advantages. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has a score of 77740 with a delta of 1.7%, meaning it is about 1.7% slower than the 14900K in synthetic benchmarks. For gaming, the 14900KF is the most logical alternative, as it matches the 14900K's performance at a typically lower price point.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile, which scores 22435 with a delta of 0.5% — essentially a tie with the RX 7700 XT's 22549. This indicates that a laptop with an RTX 5060 Mobile would perform almost identically in Lockdown Protocol. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile scores 22729 with a delta of -0.8%, making it about 0.8% faster than the RX 7700 XT in synthetic benchmarks. The desktop NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895 with a delta of -1.5%, meaning it is roughly 1.5% faster than the RX 7700 XT.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 scores 22170 with a delta of 1.7%, placing it about 1.7% behind the RX 7700 XT. For users looking for similar performance, the RTX 4060 Mobile or RTX 2080 would be the closest alternatives, though both are slightly faster. The RTX 5060 Mobile is the most direct match, with a delta of just 0.5%, meaning users would need to look at that mobile GPU to get within half a percent of the RX 7700 XT's performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high across all presets — even Ultra averages 101.9 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is doing the heavy lifting at this resolution, as the RX 7700 XT is not being pushed to its limits. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 119 FPS drop (from 220.9 to 101.9), which indicates that the GPU becomes more involved as settings increase, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance (2262.5 in Cinebench R23 single-core) keeps the frame rates high even at Low settings.

At 2560x1440, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced. The frame rates drop significantly compared to 1080p, with Ultra averaging 75.7 FPS versus 101.9 FPS at 1080p. This 25.7% reduction shows that the RX 7700 XT is starting to become the limiting factor, but the CPU still has enough headroom to keep the game playable at all settings. The 1440p results fall between the 1080p and 4K extremes, suggesting a balanced workload between CPU and GPU.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The Ultra preset drops to 51 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, and the scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 53.8 FPS reduction (from 104.8 to 51). This steep drop indicates that the RX 7700 XT's 12 GB VRAM and 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are insufficient for the most demanding 4K settings. The CPU, by contrast, has plenty of compute headroom — its 79,097 average benchmark score is far above what any game requires. The data shows that users who want to play at 4K Ultra would need a more powerful GPU, while those at 1080p or 1440p are well-served by this combo.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol, and it does so with significant headroom at most settings. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Ultra averaging 101.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same is true: every preset exceeds 60 FPS, with Ultra delivering 75.7 FPS. Even at 3840x2160, the High preset averages 64.2 FPS, which is above the playable line, and Low and Medium also clear it (104.8 and 74.9 FPS respectively).

The only configuration that fails to reach 60 FPS is 4K Ultra, which averages 51 FPS. For users with 4K displays who want maximum graphical fidelity, the data suggests dropping to High settings instead, which still delivers a playable 64.2 FPS. For 1440p and 1080p users, the verdict is clear: run the game at Ultra settings and enjoy frame rates well above 60 FPS, with 1080p Ultra offering a particularly smooth 101.9 FPS average. The Intel Core i9-14900K provides ample CPU performance, while the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is a capable midrange GPU that handles this title well at mainstream resolutions.