Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that scales aggressively with both CPU and GPU horsepower. The Intel Core i5-14600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 17th out of 2828 tested configurations, placing it in the top 1% of all recorded setups. This pairing delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all resolutions, but the data reveals distinct bottlenecks that shift depending on where you set the resolution and quality sliders.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern: as resolution increases, average frame rates drop substantially. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 335 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 295 FPS, a 12% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 190 FPS, which is 43% lower than the 1080p Low result. This scaling behavior is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at lower quality presets, but the absolute numbers remain high enough to suggest the RTX 5090 D is doing the heavy lifting.

The more telling trend emerges when comparing settings across resolutions. At High settings, the drop from 1080p (249 FPS) to 1440p (183 FPS) is 27%, and the drop from 1440p to 4K (118 FPS) is another 36%. At Ultra settings, the pattern is similar: 1080p Ultra yields 187 FPS, 1440p Ultra drops to 137 FPS (27% lower), and 4K Ultra falls to 88 FPS (36% lower than 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across High and Ultra presets indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the limiting factor at these settings—the GPU’s rendering workload scales linearly with pixel count.

However, at Low settings, the scaling is less uniform. The jump from 1080p Low (335 FPS) to 1440p Low (295 FPS) is only 12%, but the jump from 1440p Low to 4K Low (190 FPS) is 36%. This suggests that at 1080p and 1440p Low, the CPU is starting to cap the frame rate, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs. At 4K Low, the GPU workload becomes heavy enough to reassert itself as the primary constraint. The data indicates that for this specific combination, 1440p Low is where the CPU and GPU are most balanced, with neither component fully saturating the other.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 provide a solid foundation for gaming workloads. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 32,544 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,594 in single-core, with a Passmark multithread score of 38,697 and a single-thread score of 4,273. These numbers place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49,394.

The nearest rivals in the database show how tight the competition is at this performance tier. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49,228, which is just 0.3% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G is 0.4% behind, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.8% behind. The only rival ahead is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388, which beats the i5-14600KF by 0.8%. These sub-1% deltas mean that in CPU-bound scenarios, any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol.

The CPU’s role in this game becomes evident when examining the Low settings results. At 1080p Low, the system hits 335 FPS, but this is unlikely to be a GPU limit—the RTX 5090 D is capable of far more in lighter scenes. The 12% drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, compared to the 36% drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low, suggests that the i5-14600KF’s single-thread performance is the gating factor at the lower resolutions. With a boost clock of 5.30 GHz and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,594, the CPU is fast, but Lockdown Protocol’s engine appears to have a frame rate ceiling around 300-335 FPS at these settings that the GPU cannot push past.

The 14 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient for this FPS title, which is unlikely to scale beyond a handful of threads. The high clock speeds matter more than core count here. The Passmark physics score of 2,449 and the floating-point math score of 93,048 indicate strong computational throughput, but for gaming, the single-thread score of 4,273 is the more relevant metric. The data shows that at 4K High and Ultra, the CPU has headroom to spare, but at 1080p Low, it becomes the limiting component.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four quality presets. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 50 FPS (from 335 to 285), and the jump from Medium to High costs another 36 FPS (down to 249). The jump from High to Ultra is the steepest, costing 62 FPS (down to 187). At 1440p, the pattern is similar: Low to Medium drops 86 FPS (295 to 209), Medium to High drops 26 FPS (209 to 183), and High to Ultra drops 46 FPS (183 to 137). At 4K, Low to Medium drops 55 FPS (190 to 135), Medium to High drops 17 FPS (135 to 118), and High to Ultra drops 30 FPS (118 to 88).

For competitive play, the Low preset is the clear choice. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 335 FPS, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Even at 1440p Low, 295 FPS provides a significant advantage in fast-twitch aiming. The 4K Low result of 190 FPS is still playable for competitive shooters, but the lower resolutions offer a more substantial frame rate buffer.

For single-player or visually focused sessions, Medium provides the best balance. At 1440p Medium, the system averages 209 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS. This frame time consistency is important for smooth gameplay. The 1080p Medium result of 285 FPS (minimum 243, maximum 328) is similarly stable. The High preset is a reasonable middle ground, but the data shows that the visual quality gains from High to Ultra are not worth the 30-40% frame rate penalty at any resolution.

The Ultra preset is only advisable for players who prioritize image quality above all else and have a monitor capped at 60 Hz or 120 Hz. At 4K Ultra, the system still produces 88 FPS average, which is acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but not ideal for a competitive FPS. The recommendation from the data is clear: use Low for ranked play, Medium for a mix of quality and speed, and reserve High or Ultra for screenshots or casual mode.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600KF strong enough for Lockdown Protocol?

A: Yes. The CPU scores 32,544 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,594 in single-core, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. It is within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and only 0.8% behind the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388, making it more than capable for this title.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 209 FPS, with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS. This is the most balanced preset for 1440p, offering high speed with consistent frame pacing.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D bottleneck the i5-14600KF at 1080p?

A: At Low settings, the data suggests the CPU becomes the limiting factor. The system produces 335 FPS at 1080p Low, but the drop to 295 FPS at 1440p Low is only 12%, indicating the GPU is not fully utilized at the lower resolution. The CPU’s single-thread performance caps the frame rate.

Q: How does this combination rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 17th out of 2828 configurations, putting it in the top 0.6% of all tested setups. This is an elite-tier pairing for Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 240 Hz monitor?

A: At 1080p, both Low (335 FPS) and Medium (285 FPS) exceed 240 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (295 FPS) surpasses 240 FPS; Medium drops to 209 FPS. For 4K, no preset reaches 240 FPS, with Low maxing out at 190 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5090 D compared to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712 and sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. It is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. The deltas are small, but the 5090 D’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth give it a unique profile.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for high-resolution textures in Lockdown Protocol. The GPU runs at a base clock of 2017 MHz and boosts to 2407 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 D scores 14,326 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 310,674 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 376,915 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its Passmark G3D score is 44,065, and the GPU compute score is 28,396. These results place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,712. The nearest rivals show a tight grouping: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT trails by 1.1%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT leads by 1.6%. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants are 2.1% and 2.4% ahead, respectively.

The GPU’s role in Lockdown Protocol is dominant at higher resolutions and quality settings. At 4K Ultra, the system produces 88 FPS, which is a 53% drop from 4K Low’s 190 FPS. This is a massive penalty for enabling Ultra settings, and it points directly to the GPU’s shading and rasterization workload. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is substantial, but the game’s Ultra preset appears to include effects that heavily tax the 176 ROPs and 680 TMUs.

At 1080p High, the GPU still delivers 249 FPS, but the CPU becomes the bottleneck as noted earlier. The RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any settings combination in this game—there is no indication of memory pressure in the measured rows. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures texture streaming is never an issue, even at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the GPU is the primary performance driver from 1440p High upward, and its 92nd percentile standing means it outpaces the vast majority of installed graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 335 FPS average, which is the peak measured result across all configurations. Medium settings yield 285 FPS average, with a minimum of 243 FPS and a maximum of 328 FPS. High settings drop to 249 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 187 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra is 148 FPS, representing a 44% reduction in performance when maxing out the quality presets.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down predictably. Low settings average 295 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Medium settings produce 209 FPS average, with a minimum of 178 FPS and a maximum of 241 FPS. High settings average 183 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 137 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 158 FPS, a 54% reduction. The Medium preset’s frame time range (178-241) is the widest of any setting at this resolution, indicating some scene-to-scene variability.

At 3840x2160, the system remains highly playable. Low settings average 190 FPS, Medium settings average 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS, High settings average 118 FPS, and Ultra settings average 88 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 102 FPS, a 54% reduction. The 4K Medium result is notable for its consistency: the 115 FPS minimum is only 15% below the average, suggesting the RTX 5090 D handles 4K workloads with stable frame pacing.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset offers the highest average FPS, while Ultra offers the lowest. The Medium preset consistently provides the best frame time stability, as evidenced by the available minimum and maximum values. The data shows that 4K Ultra is the only configuration that drops below 90 FPS average, while 1080p Low is the only configuration that exceeds 300 FPS average. For players targeting 144 Hz at 4K, the Low preset is required; for 60 Hz at 4K, any preset works, but Ultra provides the most visual fidelity at 88 FPS.