Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 produces a balanced yet resolution-dependent experience. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, but one that begins to buckle under the load of 4K Ultra settings. This analysis will break down the measured results, contextualize the combo's standing, and offer actionable settings recommendations based solely on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, but the pattern reveals a system that is primarily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 109 FPS at 1920x1080 to 80 FPS at 2560x1440, a decrease of 29 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 further reduces the average to 51 FPS. This represents a 53% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at High settings, clearly indicating that the Radeon RX 9060's rendering workload is the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced at the lower preset. At Low settings, the system achieves 175 FPS at 1080p, drops to 128 FPS at 1440p, and then falls to 83 FPS at 4K. The 4K result at Low settings is still higher than the 1080p result at Ultra (81 FPS), which demonstrates that while resolution scaling is steep, the GPU retains headroom when graphical effects are minimized. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Low settings (45 FPS) is larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p (47 FPS), suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are being heavily taxed at 4K.

The data indicates that the Core i5-14600KF is not the primary constraint in this title. The CPU's robust multi-core performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544, ensures that the frame rate scaling is smooth and predictable as resolution changes. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions, but the data shows continuous scaling from 1080p to 4K. The limiting component at 4K is unequivocally the GPU, as the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are likely saturated by the high-resolution textures and effects.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination is positioned at a mid-tier rank for Lockdown Protocol. The combo ranks 1647 out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the 58th percentile of all tested systems. This is a respectable position, indicating that this hardware pairing delivers a performance level that is above the median but not at the top tier.

The CPU component of this combo is a strong asset. The Core i5-14600KF holds the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, scores 49228, a negligible 0.3% difference. This places the i5-14600KF in the upper echelon of processors, suggesting that it provides ample computational power for Lockdown Protocol's game logic and physics.

The GPU, however, is the weaker link in the chain. The Radeon RX 9060 sits in the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 16129, which is 0.7% higher. This indicates that the RX 9060 is a solid mid-range card, but it does not have the raw horsepower to push the highest frame rates at demanding settings. The combination of a top-10% CPU with a mid-range GPU means the overall system rank is dragged down by the graphics card, which is the expected bottleneck in a game like Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS values, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Ultra preset yields an average of 81 FPS, which is playable for most users. However, the High preset at 109 FPS provides a more fluid experience for competitive play, and the Medium preset at 124 FPS is even better for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 175 FPS is the best choice for maximum responsiveness, though it sacrifices visual fidelity.

For 1440p, the High preset delivers an average of 80 FPS, which is very close to the 1080p Ultra result. This is the sweet spot for this resolution, offering a good balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 91 FPS is also viable, but the jump from High to Medium yields a smaller FPS gain than the drop from High to Ultra. The Ultra preset at 60 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth in fast-paced firefights.

At 4K, the results are more challenging. The High preset averages 51 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 59 FPS is the best playable option, as it maintains a frame rate above 50 FPS. The Low preset at 83 FPS is the only way to achieve a truly fluid experience at 4K, but it requires significant visual compromises. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for competitive play.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the most versatile choice across all resolutions, as it maintains a playable frame rate at 4K while offering a significant visual upgrade over Low. For users prioritizing frame rate, the High preset at 1080p or 1440p is the best balance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 175 FPS at Low, 124 FPS at Medium, 109 FPS at High, and 81 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 106 and a maximum of 143, indicating consistent frame pacing with no severe dips.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop to 128 FPS at Low, 91 FPS at Medium, 80 FPS at High, and 60 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 105, which suggests that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays within a reasonable range. The Ultra preset at exactly 60 FPS average is a clear indicator of a hard performance cap, likely due to GPU limitations.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 83 FPS at Low, 59 FPS at Medium, 51 FPS at High, and 39 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68, which is the only 4K setting that maintains a minimum above 50 FPS. The Low preset, while averaging 83 FPS, does not have a recorded minimum, but the data suggests it is the only 4K option that can drive a high-refresh-rate monitor.

The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent trade-off between visual quality and performance. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 94 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is 44 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is more sensitive to settings changes at lower resolutions, where the CPU has more headroom to feed frames.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 44 chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with 28 ray-tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. This configuration delivers a peak FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS.

The GPU is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The memory operates at 2250 MHz with an effective data rate of 18 Gbps. This memory configuration is the most likely bottleneck at 4K resolutions, where high-resolution textures and effects can exceed the 8 GB capacity. The data supports this, as the frame rate drops significantly between 1440p and 4K, even at Low settings.

The RX 9060's benchmark scores show a Passmark G3D score of 17631 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 16129 on average, which is 0.7% lower. This places the RX 9060 in a competitive position for mid-range GPUs, but its 59th percentile ranking indicates that it is not a high-end performer. The GPU's TDP is 132 W, with a suggested PSU of 300 W, making it an efficient but not power-hungry component.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The CPU has 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus.

The CPU's benchmark results are impressive. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and single-core score of 4594 place it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs. Its Geekbench multi-core score of 17085 and single-core score of 2445 further reinforce its strong performance. The Passmark multithread score of 38697 and single-thread score of 4273 indicate that the CPU excels in both heavily-threaded and lightly-threaded workloads.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics calculations, and frame scheduling. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, scores 49228, just 0.3% lower, confirming that the i5-14600KF is a top-tier gaming processor. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.30 GHz and 24 MB of L3 cache provide ample headroom for single-threaded game engine tasks.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 100+ FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 109 FPS at High settings and 124 FPS at Medium settings. At 2560x1440, the maximum average FPS is 128 at Low settings, but the High preset only reaches 80 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 59 FPS, while the High preset averages 51 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 39 FPS, which is not ideal for a fast-paced FPS.

Q: How does the Radeon RX 9060 compare to its closest rival?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, a 0.7% difference. This indicates near-parity in raw performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 90th percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 59th. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 106 at 1080p, 77 at 1440p, and 50 at 4K. This shows that the Medium preset maintains a playable frame rate even at 4K.

Q: Does the combo's overall rank reflect its CPU or GPU strength?

A: The combo ranks 1647 out of 2828, which is in the 58th percentile. This rank is pulled down by the GPU's mid-range performance, despite the CPU being a top-10% performer.