Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a strong showing in Lockdown Protocol, with measured frame rates that comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold across most resolution and settings combinations. At 4K, the combo manages 76 FPS on High settings, while at 1440p and 1080p it pushes well past 100 FPS even on the most demanding presets. The data indicates this is a capable pairing for the title, with the primary caveat being that Ultra settings at 4K dip below the 60 FPS line, landing at an average of 57 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates provided for all combinations and minimum/maximum figures available for the Medium preset at each resolution.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 260 FPS average
• Medium: 185 FPS average, with a minimum of 157 FPS and a maximum of 212 FPS
• High: 161 FPS average
• Ultra: 121 FPS average

At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound in the best sense—the i9-14900K’s strong single-thread performance allows the RX 9070 XT to stretch its legs. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, with the Ultra preset still delivering more than double the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset’s minimum of 157 FPS suggests excellent frame pacing, with no dips that would be perceptible on standard 144Hz displays.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 191 FPS average
• Medium: 135 FPS average, with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS
• High: 118 FPS average
• Ultra: 89 FPS average

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates scale down predictably but remain high. The Ultra preset’s 89 FPS average is particularly notable—it shows that even the most visually demanding settings at this resolution stay well clear of the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset’s minimum of 115 FPS indicates that even in heavy combat scenarios, the system holds a comfortable margin. The drop from High to Ultra is roughly 29 FPS, which suggests that the Ultra preset’s additional effects carry a meaningful cost but not a prohibitive one.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 123 FPS average
• Medium: 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS
• High: 76 FPS average
• Ultra: 57 FPS average

At 4K, the picture changes. The Low preset still delivers 123 FPS, and Medium and High both stay above 60 FPS, but Ultra falls short at 57 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 74 FPS is reassuring—it shows that even the worst-case frames in that setting remain above the playable threshold. The High preset’s 76 FPS average is the best balance for 4K, offering a 19 FPS improvement over Ultra while presumably retaining most of the visual fidelity. The Ultra preset’s 57 FPS average is the only sub-60 result in the entire dataset, making it the sole non-playable configuration in the measurements.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 4K with High settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 76 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms High is the best playable setting at 4K.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 produce an average of 89 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are listed as playable at this resolution.

Q: Does the Ultra preset at 4K meet the 60 FPS requirement?

A: No. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 averages 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the only measured configuration that fails to hit 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Medium preset’s frame consistency look at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 185, with a minimum of 157 FPS and a maximum of 212 FPS. The minimum frame rate is still far above the playable threshold, indicating smooth performance.

Q: What is the best playable settings preset at 4K according to the verdict data?

A: The verdict for 3840x2160 lists High as the best settings, with an average FPS of 76. Low and Medium are also playable, but High offers the highest quality among playable options.

Q: Is the frame rate at 1080p Low settings exceptionally high?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 260. This is the highest measured average across all resolutions and settings, reflecting the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i9-14900K in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79371 with a delta of -0.3%, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, scoring 79574 with a delta of -0.6%. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80041, a -1.2% delta, while the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77740, a +1.7% delta relative to the i9-14900K’s 79097 average. In practical terms, these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, with differences well under 2% in synthetic benchmarks. The i9-14900KF is essentially the same chip without integrated graphics, so gamers would see no measurable difference in this title.

For the GPU side, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT’s nearest rivals are surprising in their age and tier. The AMD Radeon HD 7770M scores 13536, a 0.1% delta, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 scores 13515, a 0.2% delta. The NVIDIA P106-090 scores 13470 (0.5% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 scores 13407 (1% delta). These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores across all tests, not game-specific performance. In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the RX 9070 XT’s measured FPS at 4K Ultra (57 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (89 FPS) indicate a much higher level of gaming performance than those older cards would provide, but the benchmark data suggests the GPU’s overall compute profile is closer to those legacy parts than its modern architecture might imply. For users considering alternatives, any of these GPUs would behave similarly in synthetic workloads, but the RX 9070 XT’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and RDNA 4.0 architecture give it a distinct advantage in modern game titles like Lockdown Protocol.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol at all three tested resolutions, with the single exception of the Ultra preset at 4K. The verdict data confirms that at 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best option at 76 FPS average. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, and Ultra is the best choice with an 89 FPS average. At 1920x1080, again all four presets are playable, and Ultra delivers 121 FPS average.

For users prioritizing visual quality, 1440p Ultra is the sweet spot—it provides the highest settings that still clear 60 FPS with a comfortable 29 FPS margin. At 4K, High settings are the recommended ceiling, as Ultra falls 3 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and it can handle 4K gaming with a modest reduction in settings. The 57 FPS result at 4K Ultra is the only configuration that would require a settings adjustment to hit the playable threshold.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the balance between the Intel Core i9-14900K and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT shifts across resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high—260 FPS on Low and 161 FPS on High—which indicates that the CPU’s single-thread performance (evidenced by its 2262.5 Cinebench R23 single-core score) is the primary driver. The GPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution, as the frame rates scale dramatically with settings changes, suggesting headroom in the GPU.

At 1440p, the frame rates drop by roughly 25-30% compared to 1080p across all settings, which points to the GPU becoming more influential. The Ultra preset’s 89 FPS at 1440p versus 121 FPS at 1080p represents a 32 FPS difference, while the Low preset drops from 260 to 191 FPS, a 69 FPS difference. This larger absolute drop at Low settings suggests that the GPU’s raw throughput is starting to matter more, but the CPU still has enough headroom to keep frame rates high.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The Low preset drops to 123 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 57 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra (89 to 57 FPS) is a 36% reduction, while the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant. The RX 9070 XT’s 644.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and 48.66 TFLOPS FP32 performance are being taxed heavily at this resolution, and the data shows that the CPU’s 24 cores and 32 threads are not the limiting factor—even at 4K Low, the system maintains 123 FPS, which is well above what a weaker CPU would allow.

The pattern is clear: at 1080p and 1440p, the i9-14900K’s strong single-thread performance ensures the GPU is fully utilized, while at 4K, the RX 9070 XT’s capabilities define the ceiling. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for the game’s demands at all tested settings, and the GPU’s 256-bit bus provides adequate bandwidth for 4K textures.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best settings preset is the most demanding one that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

1920x1080: Ultra settings, with an average FPS of 121. This is the highest quality preset available, and the frame rate is more than double the playable threshold. Users can expect a smooth experience with all visual features enabled.

2560x1440: Ultra settings, with an average FPS of 89. The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers the full visual experience while staying 29 FPS above the 60 FPS line. This is the best balance of image quality and performance in the dataset.

3840x2160: High settings, with an average FPS of 76. The High preset is the most demanding option that clears 60 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset’s 57 FPS average falls short, so High is the recommended ceiling. The Medium preset at 87 FPS is also viable, but High offers better visuals for a modest 11 FPS reduction.

These settings recommendations align with the verdict data, which lists High as the best playable setting at 4K and Ultra at both 1440p and 1080p. The frame rates at these settings provide a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring consistent performance even in demanding scenes.