Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, shows a clear and predictable performance curve when paired with the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, yet still offers playable framerates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on resolution scaling, component roles, and practical settings.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K demonstrates a steep performance cliff, characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 76 FPS. Stepping up to 1440p at the same Low preset drops the average to 56 FPS, a reduction of 20 frames. Moving to 4K at Low further plummets to 36 FPS. This pattern indicates that as the pixel count increases, the GTX 1650's rendering workload grows exponentially, outpacing the CPU's ability to feed it frames.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings shows a drop from 54 FPS to 40 FPS, a 26% decrease. The jump from 1440p to 4K on Medium is even more severe, falling from 40 FPS to 26 FPS, a 35% reduction. This non-linear scaling suggests that at 4K, the GPU is saturated, and the frame rate is dictated almost entirely by its raw fill rate and memory bandwidth. The GTX 1650's 128.1 GB/s bandwidth and 53.28 GPixel/s pixel rate become the primary limiting factors.

At the highest quality tier, the trend continues. Ultra settings yield 35 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 26 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 17 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that 4K resolution is not viable for this combination under any settings, as even the lowest preset fails to hit 40 FPS. The 1440p resolution sits in a middle ground, offering playable framerates on Low but struggling on higher presets. The 1080p resolution remains the only target where the system can consistently deliver smooth performance across all settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the dominant performance bottleneck in this pairing. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth, is a significant limitation for a modern FPS at higher resolutions. The benchmark data shows that at 4K, even with Low settings, the average FPS is 36, indicating the GPU's memory subsystem and compute units are overwhelmed. The card's 896 shading units and 32 ROPs, running at a boost clock of 1665 MHz, are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU's performance percentile of 40 places it below the median of all tested GPUs, and its benchmark scores reflect its entry-level positioning. In PassMark G3D, it scores 7880, while its DirectX 12 test score is a lowly 35, highlighting its age and architectural limitations. The nearest rivals, such as the Intel Arc A310 with a deltaPct of -1, show that the GTX 1650 is barely competitive with modern integrated and entry-level discrete solutions.

For Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is clear: it dictates the maximum achievable frame rate at any given resolution. The 1080p Low result of 76 FPS shows that the card can handle the game's lighter loads, but the 4K Ultra result of 17 FPS demonstrates its inability to cope with high pixel counts and complex shading. The 12 nm process node and 75 W TDP also suggest that there is little headroom for overclocking, meaning users are stuck with this performance envelope.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently achieves playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS across all settings ranges from 35 (Ultra) to 76 (Low), whereas 1440p dips to 26-56 FPS and 4K falls to 17-36 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between Medium and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, moving from Medium to Ultra reduces the average FPS from 54 to 35, a 35% decrease. At 1440p, the drop is from 40 to 26 FPS, and at 4K, from 26 to 17 FPS. The relative penalty becomes more severe as resolution increases.

Q: Is 4K gaming feasible with the GTX 1650?

A: The measured results suggest it is not. At 4K, the highest average FPS achieved is 36 on Low settings, which is below the threshold for smooth, competitive play. The Ultra preset at 4K yields only 17 FPS, making it impractical.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The performance scaling strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. As resolution increases, frame rates drop significantly, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's high benchmark scores (e.g., 21645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) suggest it has ample headroom, while the GPU's low relative scores (e.g., 305 in 3DMark Steel Nomad) confirm it is the bottleneck.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for Medium settings?

A: The data provides minimum FPS only for the Medium preset. At 1080p, the minimum is 46 FPS; at 1440p, it is 34 FPS; and at 4K, it is 22 FPS. These minimums show that even on Medium, 4K can experience significant stutter.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 7472. Its nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon HD 8850M and Intel UHD Graphics 750, score 7447 and 7441, with deltaPct values of 0.3 and 0.4, respectively. The Intel Arc A310 scores 7550, a deltaPct of -1, meaning the GTX 1650 is about 1% slower than that card.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this hardware is found at 1080p with the Medium preset. This setting delivers an average of 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, providing a smooth and stable frame rate that is suitable for an FPS title. The jump to High at 1080p yields a still-playable 47 FPS, but the 7 FPS loss may not be worth the visual fidelity increase for competitive players.

For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p offers the highest average at 76 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches the 80+ FPS range, offering a significant competitive advantage in a fast-paced shooter. However, the visual downgrade is substantial, and the Medium preset provides a better balance of quality and performance.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 56 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p dips to 40 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended, as they fall to 35 and 26 FPS, respectively, making them unsuitable for a responsive FPS experience. 4K is not recommended under any settings, as even the Low preset fails to maintain 40 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution provides the most flexibility. The Low preset averages 76 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS (min 46, max 62), High averages 47 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The spread of 41 FPS between Low and Ultra shows the significant impact of graphical settings on this hardware.

At 2560x1440, performance drops across the board. Low averages 56 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS (min 34, max 46), High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 30 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal. Low averages 36 FPS, Medium averages 26 FPS (min 22, max 29), High averages 22 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is only 19 FPS, showing that even lowering settings cannot compensate for the massive pixel count.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a powerful 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. This places the CPU in the 83rd percentile against all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing part.

In this specific game, the CPU's role is to maintain a high enough frame rate ceiling to feed the GPU. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 76 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's effective limit for this title. However, the consistent drop in FPS as resolution increases strongly suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, we would see similar FPS numbers at 1080p and 4K, which is not the case.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U with a deltaPct of 0.1 and the Intel Core i9-11900 with a deltaPct of 0.2. These comparisons show that the i5-14400F is performing on par with, or slightly better than, these alternatives. The CPU's high multi-threaded performance (9090 in Cinebench R20) ensures that it can handle background tasks and game logic without introducing stutter, even when the GPU is under load.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 3580 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 5% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the performance data showing significant limitations at higher resolutions.

The low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU. While the CPU is a strong performer, the GTX 1650's age and entry-level specifications drag the overall combo down. The 4 GB VRAM and limited compute power are simply not enough for a modern FPS at resolutions above 1080p. The ranking reflects that the vast majority of other tested combinations, even those with weaker CPUs, are likely paired with more capable graphics cards.

In practical terms, this ranking means that users with this combo should expect a below-average experience compared to the broader benchmark database. The system is capable of playable frame rates at 1080p, but it cannot compete with the performance of mid-range or high-end systems. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at Medium settings, where it can deliver a reasonably smooth experience without pushing the GPU to its breaking point.