Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol: Intel Core i5-14600KF + AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT

This combination pairs a 14-core, 20-thread Intel Core i5-14600KF with a 20 GB AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, producing a system that ranks 326th out of 1,637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. The CPU’s 3.50 GHz base and 5.30 GHz boost clocks, combined with the GPU’s 2,025 MHz game clock and 800.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, deliver a dataset that reveals a balanced but GPU-leaning setup across the game’s preset ladder.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF brings 14 cores and 20 threads from the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its 24 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support provide the foundation for feeding frames in Lockdown Protocol, a game that scales with both single-thread responsiveness and multi-core throughput. The CPU’s benchmark profile shows a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 32,889 and a single-core score of 4,643, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs tested.

Against its nearest rivals, the i5-14600KF sits within a tight band. It trails the AMD EPYC 4345P by 0.5% in average benchmark score, while leading the Intel Core i5-14600K by 0.4% and the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X by 0.6%. The gap to the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H is larger at 1.4% in favor of the i5-14600KF. These margins are small enough that in Lockdown Protocol’s measured FPS, the CPU contributes consistent frame pacing rather than becoming a bottleneck, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less taxed.

The 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate headroom for sustained performance, though the data does not include overclocking results. The CPU’s passmark_single_thread score of 4,273 and passmark_multithread score of 38,697 suggest it can handle the game’s simulation and AI workloads without stalling the render pipeline. At 1080p Low, where the system produces 278.3 FPS average, the CPU’s 5.30 GHz boost clock is likely the primary enabler, allowing the GPU to run near its full potential.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 31 chip, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process with 57,700 million transistors. Its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 320-bit bus delivers 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves crucial for Lockdown Protocol’s texture-heavy scenes at high resolutions. The GPU’s 5,376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs provide the raw compute, while 84 ray accelerators handle the game’s lighting effects where enabled.

In the benchmark database, the RX 7900 XT holds an 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with a passmark_g3d score of 29,009 and a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 5,623. Its nearest rivals in average score are tightly clustered: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile matches at 0% delta, while the NVIDIA CMP 70HX is 0.3% ahead and the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 is 0.4% behind. The RTX 4080 Mobile trails by 0.6%. This clustering suggests the RX 7900 XT’s performance in Lockdown Protocol is representative of its class, with the 20 GB VRAM providing headroom that smaller-memory cards might lack at 4K Ultra.

The GPU’s 2,394 MHz boost clock and 1,387 MHz base clock, combined with a 300 W TDP, indicate it can sustain high frame rates without thermal throttling in typical desktop chassis. The 20 Gbps effective memory speed and 459.6 GPixel/s pixel rate explain why the card excels at 1440p and 4K, where memory bandwidth and fill rate become more significant factors than at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the limiting component at higher settings. From 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 278.3 to 203.4, a loss of 74.9 FPS (approximately 27%). Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings further reduces the average from 203.4 to 133.6, another 69.8 FPS drop (approximately 34%). This progressive decline indicates the GPU is increasingly bound by pixel throughput and memory bandwidth as resolution climbs.

The pattern is more pronounced at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 131.3 FPS, which falls to 98.6 FPS at 1440p Ultra (a 32.7 FPS drop, about 25%) and then to 61.8 FPS at 4K Ultra (a 36.8 FPS drop, about 37%). The steeper percentage decline from 1440p to 4K at Ultra suggests that the RX 7900 XT’s 20 GB VRAM and 800.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at the highest settings, though the card still maintains playable frame rates.

At Medium and High settings, the scaling is more linear. From 1080p to 1440p Medium, FPS drops from 199.8 to 147.0 (a 52.8 FPS loss, about 26%), and from 1440p to 4K Medium, it falls from 147.0 to 92.6 (a 54.4 FPS loss, about 37%). High settings show 173.2 FPS at 1080p, 130.2 FPS at 1440p, and 80.0 FPS at 4K, with similar percentage drops around 25% and 39% respectively.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is more involved in frame production, given the i5-14600KF’s strong single-thread performance. As resolution rises, the GPU’s workload increases disproportionately, and the RX 7900 XT becomes the decisive factor. The fact that 4K Low (133.6 FPS) nearly matches 1440p High (130.2 FPS) suggests that the GPU’s compute and memory resources are more efficiently utilized at lower settings even when pushing more pixels.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. Low settings produce an average of 278.3 FPS, while Medium yields 199.8 FPS, High delivers 173.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to 131.3 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 147.0 FPS, indicating that the preset selection has a profound impact on frame rates at this resolution. The jump from Low to Medium costs 78.5 FPS, while Medium to High costs another 26.6 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 41.9 FPS, showing that the most significant performance hit occurs when moving from Low to Medium.

At 1440p, the averages are 203.4 FPS (Low), 147.0 FPS (Medium), 130.2 FPS (High), and 98.6 FPS (Ultra). The spread between Low and Ultra is 104.8 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, which suggests the GPU is starting to become the primary constraint. The step from Low to Medium costs 56.4 FPS, Medium to High costs 16.8 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 31.6 FPS. Notably, the Medium-to-High gap is the smallest across all resolutions, implying that High settings offer a relatively efficient balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p.

At 4K, the system produces 133.6 FPS (Low), 92.6 FPS (Medium), 80.0 FPS (High), and 61.8 FPS (Ultra). The total spread is 71.8 FPS, the smallest of any resolution, confirming that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck. The Low-to-Medium drop is 41.0 FPS, Medium-to-High is 12.6 FPS, and High-to-Ultra is 18.2 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 61.8 FPS is the only sub-60 FPS result in the dataset, and it remains above the common 60 FPS threshold, though barely.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 326th out of 1,637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 20% of all systems measured. The rank reflects a pairing that is well-balanced for this game, as the CPU’s 93rd percentile standing and the GPU’s 82nd percentile standing combine to produce results that exceed what either component would achieve alone with a less capable partner.

The CPU’s nearest rivals—the i5-14600K, EPYC 4345P, Ryzen 9 5950X, and Xeon Gold 5318H—all score within 1.4% of each other in average benchmarks, meaning that swapping the i5-14600KF for any of these would likely yield minimal FPS changes in Lockdown Protocol. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rivals, including the RTX 5080 Mobile and RTX 4080 Mobile, are within 0.6% in average score, so the RX 7900 XT’s positioning is stable within its performance tier.

The combo rank of 326 suggests that many systems with higher-end GPUs (such as those with more VRAM or higher clock speeds) or top-tier CPUs (like the i9 or Ryzen 9 series) outrank it, but the i5-14600KF’s strong single-core performance and the RX 7900 XT’s ample memory bandwidth make this pairing a formidable contender. The data does not include specific rival combo names, but the percentile scores indicate the individual components perform above average.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all settings yield playable results, but Medium at 199.8 FPS offers the best balance for competitive play, providing a 26.6 FPS improvement over High while maintaining visual clarity. For players with 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitors, High at 173.2 FPS is also sufficient, and Ultra at 131.3 FPS remains above typical refresh rates.

At 1440p, Medium settings (147.0 FPS) are recommended for high-refresh displays, as they stay above 144 FPS with a modest visual trade-off from High. High settings at 130.2 FPS still exceed 120 Hz, making them viable for most gaming monitors. Ultra at 98.6 FPS is acceptable for 100 Hz panels but may feel less fluid on 144 Hz displays.

At 4K, the data suggests that Low settings (133.6 FPS) are the only preset that comfortably exceeds 120 FPS, while Medium (92.6 FPS) and High (80.0 FPS) are suitable for 60–90 Hz displays. Ultra at 61.8 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz monitors, but the 20 GB VRAM ensures no texture pop-in or memory-related stutter. For the best experience across all resolutions, Medium settings at 1440p provide the most consistent frame pacing relative to visual fidelity, while 4K users should prioritize Low or Medium to maintain high refresh rates.