Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a demanding FPS title, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K with the AMD Radeon RX 570 produces a combination that ranks near the bottom of the database’s tested configurations. Specifically, this setup sits at rank 3544 out of 3714 combos, placing it in the bottom 5% of all tested pairings. The benchmark data indicates that this is a severely GPU-limited configuration, where the aging Polaris-based graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions and quality settings. The CPU, by contrast, is a modern high-performance part with substantial multi-threading capability, but its potential is largely wasted in this pairing for Lockdown Protocol. The measured FPS data confirms this imbalance, showing playable results only at 1080p with Low settings, while 1440p and 4K resolutions remain largely unplayable.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combo for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The combo ranks 3544 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom percentile of all tested systems, indicating a very low performance tier for this game.

Q: What is the best average FPS achievable with this combo, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 77, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that delivers an average frame rate above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, scores 48698, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48470, which is 0.3% lower, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48995, which is 0.8% lower.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile compared to all other GPUs in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 falls in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, has an average score of 28874, which is 0.4% lower than the RX 570’s score of 28766.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 17. This is far below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a fast-paced FPS like Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset produces an average of 56 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces an average of 26 FPS. This represents a 30 FPS difference, highlighting the significant performance cost of higher graphical fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The performance ranking for this specific combination is unequivocally poor. With a rank of 3544 out of 3714 tested combos, the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 570 pairing is positioned in the 95th percentile from the bottom. This means that 95% of all other tested hardware combinations deliver better performance in Lockdown Protocol. The data suggests this pairing is not well-suited for this game, particularly for players seeking high frame rates or using high-resolution displays.

The low ranking is directly attributable to the GPU’s age and limited capabilities. While the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU’s 4 GB of VRAM and older GCN 4.0 architecture create a severe bottleneck. Benchmark results show that the GPU’s average score of 28766 places it near the AMD Radeon R9 M295X, which is 0.7% lower, and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000, which is 1.2% higher. This indicates that the RX 570’s performance is consistent with much older hardware, making it a poor match for a modern, demanding title like Lockdown Protocol. The data implies that virtually any other GPU in the database would provide a better experience, as the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the definitive performance bottleneck in this configuration. The benchmark data shows that its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, running at 1750 MHz with a 7 Gbps effective rate, is insufficient for the demands of Lockdown Protocol at higher settings. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s, while respectable for its time, is a significant constraint in this modern FPS. The GPU’s boost clock of 1244 MHz and base clock of 1168 MHz, while boosting performance, cannot overcome the fundamental limitations of the 14 nm Polaris 20 chip.

The GPU's benchmark scores further illustrate its position. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 880, which is a very low result. In comparison, its Geekbench Vulkan score of 42752 and OpenCL score of 32084 are more moderate, but these do not translate to strong gaming performance. The GPU’s 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 compute performance is also a limiting factor for the complex shaders used in Lockdown Protocol. The data indicates that the RX 570 is simply incapable of maintaining playable frame rates at resolutions above 1080p, and even at 1080p, it only achieves a 77 FPS average on the Low preset. The 4 GB VRAM is also a likely reason for the severe performance drops at higher settings, as the game likely exceeds this capacity, causing stuttering and low frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy that scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 3840x2160 (4K), the combo is completely unplayable. The average FPS ranges from 17 on Ultra to 36 on Low. The Medium preset produces an average of 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30. These numbers are all far below the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience, and even the 30 FPS minimum on Medium is not suitable for a competitive FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves but remains marginal. The Low preset delivers an average of 56 FPS, which is close to playable. The Medium preset drops to an average of 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46. High settings yield an average of 35 FPS, and Ultra drops to 26 FPS. These results show that 1440p is only viable on the Low preset, and even then, the average FPS is below 60.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo finally achieves playable performance on the Low preset, with an average of 77 FPS. The Medium preset produces an average of 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 and a maximum of 63. High settings average 47 FPS, and Ultra drops to 36 FPS. The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in quality reduces the average FPS by a significant margin. For instance, at 1080p, going from Low to Medium costs 23 FPS, and from Medium to High costs another 7 FPS. This demonstrates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom to handle higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable configuration for a consistently smooth experience is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which yields an average of 77 FPS. This is the only setting combination that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. For players willing to accept a lower frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p offers an average of 54 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but the minimum of 46 FPS could result in noticeable stutter in intense combat scenarios.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, with an average of 56 FPS. However, the frame rate is still below the 60 FPS target, and the experience will not be as smooth as at 1080p Low. The 4K resolution is not a viable option for this hardware in Lockdown Protocol, as even the Low preset only averages 36 FPS. The benchmark data strongly suggests that players should prioritize resolution and settings to achieve a stable frame rate. The best overall experience, according to the data, is 1080p Low, as it provides the highest average FPS. If a higher visual quality is desired, the 1080p Medium preset is the next best option, but players should be prepared for a less consistent frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a powerful processor that is not the limiting factor in this configuration. Its 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, provide ample computational power for Lockdown Protocol. The CPU’s benchmark scores confirm its high performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 24491, and its single-core score is 2064. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 16673, and its single-core score is 2491. These scores place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in terms of average score are the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698 (0.2% higher), and the AMD EPYC 4345P, which scores 48470 (0.3% lower). This indicates that the i5-14600K is a top-tier performer. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data. Given the RX 570’s low performance, the CPU is likely idle much of the time, waiting for the GPU to catch up. The measured FPS data supports this, as the performance scales almost entirely with GPU load (resolution and settings), not CPU load.

The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide fast access to frequently used data, which helps with game logic and physics. However, this advantage is negated by the GPU bottleneck. In this pairing, the CPU is effectively wasted, as its full potential cannot be utilized. The data shows that the performance of this combo is entirely dictated by the GPU, and the CPU’s high core count and clock speeds are irrelevant to the final frame rates. Upgrading the GPU would yield a massive improvement, while upgrading the CPU would yield no measurable benefit in this game.