Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the Intel Core i5-14400F with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, a combination that lands at a mid-pack ranking of 2099 out of 3714 tested combos in this FPS title. The data reveals a system where the aging Pascal GPU frequently dictates performance ceilings, particularly at higher resolutions, while the modern Raptor Lake CPU provides ample headroom to keep frame pacing stable.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance this combo can achieve in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 180 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the most demanding preset, Ultra at 3840x2160, the average drops to 40 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1080 Ti compare to its nearest rival in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 15548. Its closest competitor, the AMD Radeon R9 M380, scores 15521, which puts the GTX 1080 Ti just 0.2% ahead. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 trails by 1.7% with a score of 15290.

Q: Is the Core i5-14400F a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: Yes. The CPU sits in the 83rd percentile when compared to all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. This places it slightly ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900, which scores 32226 and is only 0.2% behind.

Q: Does the game favor higher core counts or single-thread speed for this CPU?

A: The data shows strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645. For single-thread performance, the same test yields a score of 3055, indicating a solid balance that supports modern game engines.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 132 FPS on Low settings to 61 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a significant 71 FPS penalty for maxing out graphical fidelity.

Q: Where does this specific CPU+GPU pairing rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 2099 out of 3714 total combinations tested in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the middle of the pack, suggesting it is a capable but not top-tier configuration for this specific title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the primary driver of frame rate variance in Lockdown Protocol. Built on the 16 nm Pascal architecture with the GP102 chip, this card features 3584 shading units and 88 ROPs. Its memory subsystem is substantial, with 11 GB of GDDR5X on a 352-bit bus delivering a bandwidth of 484.4 GB/s, which is crucial for feeding the high-resolution textures this game demands.

Clock speeds are modest by modern standards, with a base clock of 1481 MHz and a boost clock of 1582 MHz. The memory operates at 1376 MHz, translating to 11 Gbps effective. These figures explain the GPU's performance profile: it offers solid raw throughput but lacks the advanced features and higher clock efficiency of newer architectures. The FP32 performance is rated at 11.34 TFLOPS, which is the theoretical ceiling for compute work.

The GPU's percentile rank versus all GPUs is 58, placing it in the upper half of the database. Its average benchmark score of 15548 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, which scores 15679 and is just 0.8% faster. This close grouping indicates the GTX 1080 Ti operates in a performance tier where small architectural advantages make minimal difference.

In Lockdown Protocol specifically, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as settings increase. The transition from Low to Ultra at any resolution shows a steep performance cliff, indicating that the card's compute and memory throughput are the limiting factors when shader complexity and texture quality rise. The 11 GB frame buffer is sufficient for this game's needs, as the data does not show any resolution where VRAM capacity becomes a bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern across resolutions, revealing where the bottleneck shifts. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 180 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops this to 132 FPS, a 26.7% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 85 FPS, representing a 35.6% drop from the 1440p figure.

The scaling pattern changes with higher settings. At High settings, the 1080p result is 111 FPS. This drops to 82 FPS at 1440p (a 26.1% decrease) and then to 53 FPS at 4K (a 35.4% decrease from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests the game is well-optimized for resolution scaling, with the GPU load increasing predictably as pixel count rises.

The most telling data point is the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 84 FPS. This falls to 61 FPS at 1440p and then to 40 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is only 47.6% of the 1080p Ultra performance, indicating that the GTX 1080 Ti is heavily taxed by the combination of maximum pixel count and maximum graphical features.

The frame time data available for Medium settings reinforces this trend. At 1080p Medium, the average is 128 FPS with a minimum of 108 and a maximum of 147. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 94 FPS with a range of 80 to 108. At 4K Medium, the average is 60 FPS with a range of 51 to 69. The narrowing of the minimum FPS relative to the average at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is approaching its saturation point, where individual frame render times become more variable.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and GTX 1080 Ti combination holds a rank of 2099 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This position places it in the 56.5th percentile of all pairings, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of all tested systems. This is a respectable result for a pairing that combines a 2024 CPU with a 2017 GPU.

The ranking reflects the GPU's age more than the CPU's capability. The GTX 1080 Ti's benchmark scores place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, which is a similar position to the combo's overall rank. This correlation suggests that the GPU is the primary determinant of the combo's standing in this game, as the CPU's 83rd percentile ranking would otherwise pull the system higher.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals provides context for what this combo could achieve with a different GPU. The Core i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32279 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, which scores 32233 and is just 0.1% slower. This means the CPU is not leaving significant performance on the table in this pairing. The bottleneck is almost entirely on the GPU side.

The combination's mid-pack rank is consistent with its measured FPS results. Achieving 60 FPS at 4K Medium and 84 FPS at 1080p Ultra demonstrates a system that can handle the game at console-equivalent performance levels, but it does not deliver the high-refresh-rate experiences that top-tier combos would provide at 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides the computational foundation for this combo. This 10-core, 16-thread processor is based on the Raptor Lake architecture and manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP that keeps thermal demands modest.

The cache hierarchy is substantial for gaming workloads. Each core has 80 KB of L1 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache, while the shared L3 cache totals 20 MB. This large pool of fast memory helps maintain high instruction throughput in game logic and physics calculations. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering flexibility in system builds.

Benchmark results show a strong all-around performer. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 indicates robust multi-threading, while the single-core score of 3055 demonstrates competitive per-thread performance. The Geekbench scores follow the same pattern, with 11268 multi-core and 2058 single-core. The PassMark multithread score of 25470 and single-thread score of 3701 confirm this balance.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to maintain frame pacing and handle game simulation. With the GPU being the limiting factor in most scenarios, the i5-14400F has enough headroom to prevent CPU-bound stutters. The data supports this interpretation: the consistent frame times at Medium settings across all resolutions suggest the CPU is not introducing irregular pauses, even when the GPU is under heavy load at 4K Ultra.

The CPU's launch MSRP is $196, and it sits in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, has an average score of 32233, which is just 0.1% lower. This indicates that the i5-14400F is performing at the expected level for its class and is not being held back by any thermal or power limitations in this test configuration.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combo covers four settings presets across three resolutions, providing a comprehensive view of performance scaling.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings yield an average of 180 FPS, Medium produces 128 FPS with a minimum of 108 and maximum of 147, High delivers 111 FPS, and Ultra drops to 84 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 96 FPS, indicating that graphical settings have a massive impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across the board. Low settings achieve 132 FPS, Medium produces 94 FPS with a range of 80 to 108, High delivers 82 FPS, and Ultra falls to 61 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 71 FPS, showing that resolution scaling compresses the settings-based performance difference.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens further. Low settings manage 85 FPS, Medium produces 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69, High delivers 53 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is now just 45 FPS, as the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at 4K regardless of quality settings.

The Medium settings data provides the only complete min/max frame time information. Across all three resolutions, the minimum FPS stays above 50, which is a playable threshold for an FPS title. The 1080p Medium result of 128 FPS average with a 108 FPS minimum indicates smooth performance, while the 4K Medium result of 60 FPS average with a 51 FPS minimum shows that the system remains stable even when pushed to its limits.

These numbers paint a clear picture: this combo is best suited for 1080p high-refresh-rate gaming or 1440p at medium settings. The 4K results are playable but require dropping to Medium settings to maintain a 60 FPS average, and Ultra at 4K is best avoided if frame rate consistency is a priority.