Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a demanding FPS, and this pairing of an Intel Core i5-14400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a wide spread of frame rates depending on how you configure it. The data shows a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1440p, but which also reveals the expected scaling behavior as resolution increases. The RTX 4080 is the dominant component, yet the i5-14400F proves to be a capable partner across all tested settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second drop predictably as resolution climbs, but the rate of that drop tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits an average of 291 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 244 FPS, a decrease of 47 FPS, and then 4K Low brings it down to 157 FPS, another 87 FPS reduction. This steep decline at the highest resolution indicates the GPU is being pushed to its limit, especially when the CPU has less work to do at Low settings.

However, the scaling pattern changes significantly when you look at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 155 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 113 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it bottoms out at 73 FPS. The difference between 1080p and 1440p Ultra is 42 FPS, which is a significant jump, but the gap from 1440p to 4K is only 40 FPS. This suggests that at Ultra presets, the game's visual complexity is loading the GPU heavily even at lower resolutions, making the transition to 4K less dramatic than it is on Low settings.

The 4K High setting produces 98 FPS, while 4K Medium produces 112 FPS. This 14 FPS gap shows that the GPU is still the primary limiter at this resolution, but the CPU is not idle. The most telling comparison is between 1080p Low (291 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (155 FPS). A 136 FPS difference at the same resolution points to the graphics card being the main constraint, as the CPU can feed frames at a much higher rate than the GPU can render them with heavier effects. This is a GPU-bound system in the traditional sense, but the i5-14400F's strong single-thread performance keeps it from holding the RTX 4080 back at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i5-14400F and RTX 4080 ranks 277th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 7.5% of all systems tested for this specific game. That is a strong showing, and it reflects the high performance of both components, but it is not the absolute top tier. The rank suggests that there are faster configurations out there, likely with more powerful CPUs or more specialized graphics cards.

To put this in perspective, the i5-14400F itself holds an 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database. The RTX 4080 holds an 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs. When paired together, their combined rank in this game is 277 out of 3714, which is slightly better than the 93rd percentile. This indicates that the two components work well together in Lockdown Protocol, with neither one dragging the other down significantly. The combo's rank is a testament to the balance of the pairing, as the CPU's strong multi-threaded and single-threaded scores support the GPU's high frame output.

Looking at the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 is essentially tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER, showing a deltaPct of 0.1% in average score. This means that in a broad set of benchmarks, the standard 4080 is virtually indistinguishable from its SUPER variant. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% behind, and the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% behind. For the CPU, the i5-14400F is within 0.5% of the Intel Core i7-12800H and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS, showing that it is competitive with mobile high-end chips in raw benchmark scores, even though it is a desktop part.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: The data shows that at 1440p with High settings, the combo averages 151 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor. At 1080p High, it averages 206 FPS, which is even better for 240Hz panels. At 4K High, it drops to 98 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: No. The CPU's single-core benchmark score of 3055 in Cinebench R23 and multi-core score of 21645 suggest it can keep up. The 1080p Low result of 291 FPS shows the CPU can feed frames at a very high rate, well beyond what the GPU can render at higher settings.

Q: How does this combo compare to one with an RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER's is 54209, a deltaPct of 0.1%. This means the standard 4080 is functionally identical in performance to the SUPER version, so you are not losing anything meaningful.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate I can expect with this system?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 291 at 1080p with Low settings. This is the peak performance of the combo. At more realistic settings like 1440p Medium, you can expect an average of 173 FPS.

Q: Is this a good pairing for 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with compromise. At 4K Medium, you get an average of 112 FPS, which is smooth. At 4K High, you get 98 FPS, which is still good. Only at 4K Ultra does it drop to 73 FPS, which might be too low for fast-paced competitive play.

Q: What does the combo rank of 277 out of 3714 mean?

A: It means this specific CPU and GPU combination outperforms over 90% of all other tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. It is a high-end pairing, but not the absolute best, as there are faster configurations available.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section provides the exact average frame rates measured for this combination across all tested settings and resolutions. The data is clear and allows for direct comparisons.

At 1080p, the results are as follows:

• Low: 291 FPS
• Medium: 236 FPS (min 201, max 272)
• High: 206 FPS
• Ultra: 155 FPS

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 244 FPS
• Medium: 173 FPS (min 147, max 199)
• High: 151 FPS
• Ultra: 113 FPS

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 157 FPS
• Medium: 112 FPS (min 95, max 129)
• High: 98 FPS
• Ultra: 73 FPS

The Medium settings are the only ones that include min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 201, which is very high, and the maximum is 272. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 147 and the maximum is 199. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 95 and the maximum is 129. These figures indicate that the frame times are stable, with no severe drops that would cause stuttering, even at the higher resolution.

The scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent across all resolutions. At 1080p, there is a 136 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. At 1440p, that difference is 131 FPS. At 4K, the difference is 84 FPS. This shows that as resolution increases, the impact of settings changes diminishes, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The jump from High to Ultra is particularly heavy, costing 51 FPS at 1080p, 38 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This combination of core count and clock speed provides a strong foundation for gaming. In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, which are often single-threaded or lightly threaded tasks.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 is high, indicating strong per-core performance, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in FPS games. The multi-core score of 21645 is also robust, showing that it can handle background tasks and more heavily threaded game engines without issue. The Passmark single-thread score of 3701 and the Geekbench single-core score of 2058 further confirm its single-threaded capabilities.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14400F is within 0.5% of the Intel Core i7-12800H and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS in average benchmark score. This shows that despite being a desktop chip, it is on par with high-end mobile processors. The data from Lockdown Protocol demonstrates this, as the combo's frame rates at 1080p Low (291 FPS) show that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The GPU runs out of rendering power before the CPU runs out of processing power.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache also help with game performance by keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores. While the RTX 4080 is the primary driver of frame rates, the i5-14400F ensures that it is always fed with data, preventing any CPU-induced bottlenecks that could lower the average FPS. The data indicates a balanced pairing where the CPU's performance is sufficient to unlock the full potential of the GPU in this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings to use based on your target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p 240Hz monitor, the Low preset at 291 FPS is the only way to get close to that refresh rate. However, the High preset at 206 FPS is also above 200 FPS and offers significantly better visual quality. The Medium preset at 236 FPS is a strong middle ground, offering better visuals than Low while still maintaining a very high frame rate.

For 1440p, which is likely the sweet spot for this combo, the High preset at 151 FPS is ideal for a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor. The Medium preset at 173 FPS is even better for higher refresh rate displays, and it provides a 22 FPS advantage over High. The Low preset at 244 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rate is the absolute priority. The Ultra preset at 113 FPS is playable but sacrifices 38 FPS compared to Medium, which is a significant drop for a visual upgrade that may not be noticeable in a fast-paced FPS.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 112 FPS is the best choice for a smooth experience on a 120Hz display. The High preset at 98 FPS is also viable, but the 14 FPS difference is noticeable. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS should be avoided for serious play, as it dips below the 90 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a responsive feel. The Low preset at 157 FPS is surprisingly high for 4K, but the visual quality will be poor.

The best overall experience is at 1440p with the Medium or High preset. The Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, with a minimum FPS of 147 that ensures consistent performance. The High preset is also excellent if you prefer better shadows and effects. For 4K, stick with Medium to maintain a high average FPS and avoid the risk of frame drops below 100 FPS. The data clearly shows that this combo is not meant for 4K Ultra, as the 73 FPS average is a significant compromise.