Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-released FPS, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates CPU and GPU responsibilities. The data for the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination reveals a system that is heavily reliant on the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor demonstrates its strength in lower-resolution scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across various settings and resolutions to establish a clear profile for this specific hardware pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall benchmark standing of this CPU-GPU combination in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The combo ranks 1202nd out of 1637 tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it is functional, a significant number of other hardware pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14400F compare to its closest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The processor's average benchmark score is 32508. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, scores 32513, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is 0.2% behind, and both the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H are 0.2% ahead. These differences are negligible, indicating performance parity within this group.

Q: Based on the data, what is the best performance target for this system at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest average frame rate of 156.4 FPS with Low settings. For a more visually demanding experience, High settings still provide an average of 97.2 FPS, which suggests a smooth experience for most displays, though the Ultra preset sees a significant drop to 76.9 FPS.

Q: What are the specifications of the RTX 3060 Ti's memory subsystem?

A: The GPU is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. This configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock is listed as 1750 MHz, with an effective data rate of 14 Gbps.

Q: How much does the CPU contribute to the performance in this game?

A: The Core i5-14400F features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 21914, and its single-core score is 3093. This level of performance is sufficient to push high frame rates at 1080p, as evidenced by the 156.4 FPS Low setting result, where the CPU is less likely to be the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to its nearest competitors?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 25120 and sits in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, scores 25180, a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is 0.5% behind, while the AMD Radeon 890M is also 0.5% behind, indicating the RTX 3060 Ti is competitive with these parts.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the primary driver for frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, particularly as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, paired with a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, provides the necessary data throughput for the game's textures and assets. The GPU's core configuration includes 4864 shading units, 152 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs, which directly influence its pixel and texture processing capabilities.

The clock speeds of the RTX 3060 Ti are also a relevant factor. The base clock is 1410 MHz, with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. These clocks, combined with the memory subsystem, allow the card to deliver a peak FP32 performance of 16.20 TFLOPS. The benchmark results show that the GPU's role becomes more critical at higher settings; for instance, at 4K, the average frame rate drops from 75.8 FPS on Low to 49.4 FPS on High, a clear indication that the GPU's computational limits are being reached. In contrast, at 1080p, the difference between Low and High settings is less dramatic, suggesting the CPU has more headroom to keep up.

The GPU's standing in the 69th percentile of all GPUs and its proximity to rivals like the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, which has a delta of -0.2%, positions it as a mid-range performer. This is consistent with the measured results, where the combination achieves playable but not exceptional frame rates at the highest settings. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2626 provides a synthetic reference point that aligns with its gaming performance profile.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data from 1080p to 4K provides a clear picture of system scaling and bottleneck behavior. At the Low preset, the system scales from 156.4 FPS at 1080p to 119.8 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 75.8 FPS at 2160p. This is a relatively gentle decline, indicating that even at 4K, the CPU and GPU combination can maintain a respectable frame rate when the graphical load is light.

The scaling pattern changes significantly with higher settings. At the High preset, the frame rate drops from 97.2 FPS at 1080p to 69.3 FPS at 1440p, a 28.7% reduction, and then to 49.4 FPS at 4K, a further 28.7% reduction. This steeper decline suggests that the GPU becomes the limiting component as resolution increases, with the demands on the rendering pipeline outpacing the capabilities of the RTX 3060 Ti.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with average frame rates falling from 76.9 FPS at 1080p to 53.7 FPS at 1440p and then to 34.6 FPS at 4K. This data indicates that the 4K Ultra configuration is not a viable target for smooth gameplay, as the frame rate drops below 35 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is consistent across all settings, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute throughput are the primary constraints at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Lockdown Protocol, the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti pair ranks 1202nd out of 1637 total configurations. This ranking places it in the 73rd percentile, meaning that approximately 27% of tested combos perform worse. This is a notable position, as it indicates that while this setup is far from the top of the charts, it is not at the bottom either.

The ranking implies that there are 435 tested combinations that deliver lower average frame rates. This is likely due to older or less capable hardware. Conversely, the 1201 combinations ranked higher likely include more powerful CPUs and GPUs that can handle the game's demands more effectively. The combo's rank is a direct reflection of the measured FPS data, which shows it can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming well but struggles at 4K with higher settings.

This positioning is consistent with the individual component benchmarks. The CPU's 88th percentile ranking and the GPU's 69th percentile ranking suggest that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The overall combo ranking of 1202 is a weighted result that reflects this bottleneck, as the system's performance is capped by the graphics card's ability to render frames, especially at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F plays a supporting role in Lockdown Protocol, but it is a critical one. Its architecture, Raptor Lake-R, features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This configuration provides robust multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and its Passmark multithread score of 25783. For a game like an FPS, this helps ensure that background processes and game logic do not create stutters.

The processor's single-thread performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3723. This is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in scenarios where the CPU is the bottleneck, such as at 1080p with Low settings. In this configuration, the CPU is able to feed the GPU with enough data to achieve an average of 156.4 FPS, demonstrating that it does not hold the system back at lower resolutions.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory contribute to its overall responsiveness. Its placement in the 88th percentile of all CPUs and its close benchmark scores to rivals like the Intel Core i7-13705H, which is only 0.2% ahead, confirm that it is a capable gaming processor. The data suggests that the i5-14400F is more than sufficient for this game, and the system's limitations at higher resolutions are attributable to the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. The Low preset yields an average of 156.4 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset averages 113.2 FPS, providing a good balance. The High preset averages 97.2 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 76.9 FPS. All of these results are above 60 FPS, indicating that the system is well-suited for 1080p gaming at any setting.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable but shows the GPU's increasing load. The Low preset averages 119.8 FPS, which is still excellent. The Medium preset drops to 80.4 FPS, and the High preset averages 69.3 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 53.7 FPS, which is the first time the system dips below the 60 FPS threshold. This suggests that for a consistently smooth 1440p experience, users should consider the High preset or lower.

At 3840x2160, the system's limitations become apparent. The Low preset averages 75.8 FPS, which is playable. The Medium preset drops to 56.8 FPS, and the High preset averages 49.4 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 34.6 FPS, which is not ideal for a fast-paced FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming is only viable with the Low preset, and even then, the frame rate is lower than what would be achieved at lower resolutions. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is consistent, with an approximate 30% drop in frame rate across most settings, reinforcing the GPU-centric bottleneck at higher resolutions.