Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the Intel Core i7-14700F with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, a combination that ranks 219th out of 1637 tested combos in this FPS title, placing it in the top 13.4% of all configurations measured. The data shows a system built around a 20-core, 28-thread processor and a 24 GB graphics card, delivering frame rates that range from 68 FPS at 4K Ultra to 305 FPS at 1080p Low. This analysis breaks down the measured results to clarify what each component contributes to the final experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F provides the computational backbone with 20 cores and 28 threads, operating at a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This Raptor Lake Refresh part, built on Intel's 10 nm process, shows strong synthetic performance in the data: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title that typically relies on a mix of single-thread responsiveness and multi-thread background tasks, this processor sits in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, indicating it is unlikely to be the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The benchmark results place the i7-14700F within 1.1% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 0.6% below the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X in average CPU score. It also edges out the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2% and the AMD EPYC 7313P by 1.7%. While these rivals are close in raw compute, the i7-14700F's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz likely contributes to the excellent frame pacing seen in the measured FPS data, particularly at lower resolutions where CPU overhead matters more. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast storage for game logic, and the processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the specific memory configuration was not part of the measured data.

For Lockdown Protocol, the measured results show that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the average FPS reaches 305. This suggests the CPU can feed the Radeon RX 7900 XTX effectively at high frame rates. The passmark multi-thread score of 41765 and single-thread score of 4261 reinforce that this is a balanced part, capable of handling both the game's physics and AI calculations without bottlenecking the graphics pipeline. The 65 W TDP is notable for a 20-core part, but the benchmark scores confirm it delivers performance consistent with its percentile ranking.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the primary driver of Lockdown Protocol's visual output, equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This Navi 31 chip, built on TSMC's 5 nm process, features 6144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, and 192 ROPs, with a game clock of 2365 MHz and a boost clock of 2498 MHz. The GPU achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6841 and a passmark G3D score of 31238, placing it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, trails by 2% in average score, while the AMD Radeon Pro 580 is 0.4% behind.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's 24 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's demands, even at 4K Ultra settings, where the measured average FPS drops to 68. The RDNA 3.0 architecture, with a pixel rate of 479.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 959.2 GTexel/s, handles the game's fast-paced environments well. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 1440p High, the card delivers 135.8 FPS, while at 1080p High it reaches 185.7 FPS, indicating the GPU has headroom to spare. The 960.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and asset loading do not create hitches, consistent with the lack of reported minimum FPS dips in the measured data.

The RX 7900 XTX's 61.39 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 122.8 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1) provide ample raw power for the game's shader work. Its 96 ray tracing cores are available, though the measured settings do not specify whether RT is enabled. The GPU's performance at 4K Low (141.7 FPS) versus 4K Ultra (68 FPS) shows a roughly 2.1x difference, which is consistent with a graphics-heavy workload where the GPU is the dominant factor. The 355 W TDP and dual-slot design with two 8-pin power connectors are specifications that support sustained high clocks, as reflected in the stable average FPS numbers.

FAQ

Q: How well does this CPU+GPU combo rank overall in Lockdown Protocol?

A: This combination ranks 219th out of 1637 tested combos, placing it in the top 13.4% of all configurations measured for this game.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this setup?

A: The highest measured average is 305 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. At 1440p Low, it drops to 219.7 FPS, and at 4K Low, it still maintains 141.7 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-14700F compare to its nearest CPU rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-14700F scores 54097 on average, which is 0.6% below the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (54450) and 1.1% below the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54681). It outperforms the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2%.

Q: Is the RX 7900 XTX significantly faster than the RTX 4070 Ti in benchmark scores?

A: The RX 7900 XTX has an average benchmark score of 44019, which is 2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's 44900. This indicates a modest performance edge in synthetic tests, though game-specific results may vary.

Q: What is the minimum average FPS recorded across all tested settings?

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 68 at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. All other settings and resolutions produce average frame rates above 89 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU's 24 GB VRAM provide an advantage at high resolutions?

A: The 24 GB VRAM ensures that even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS is 68, the system does not appear memory-constrained. The bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s supports smooth texture loading, as evidenced by the consistent average FPS across all settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target refresh rate and resolution. For 1920x1080, High settings deliver 185.7 FPS, which is suitable for high-refresh monitors, while Medium (213 FPS) and Low (305 FPS) offer even higher rates for competitive play. Ultra at 1080p still produces 139.3 FPS, making it viable for most displays. At 2560x1440, High settings yield 135.8 FPS, which is excellent for 144 Hz panels; Medium (157.9 FPS) and Low (219.7 FPS) provide additional headroom, while Ultra (101.7 FPS) remains playable for 100 Hz screens.

For 4K (3840x2160), the data suggests High settings (89.9 FPS) are the sweet spot for a smooth experience, as they stay above 60 FPS while maintaining visual quality. Medium (99.9 FPS) offers a slight performance boost, but Low (141.7 FPS) sacrifices too much fidelity for the gain. Ultra (68 FPS) is borderline, dipping close to 60 FPS, but it is the only preset that does not exceed 70 FPS. For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, High settings at 2560x1440 or 3840x2160 are recommended, depending on the display's native resolution. At 1920x1080, High settings are recommended as the default, with Low reserved for maximum competitive advantage.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX combination ranks 219th out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 13.4% of all configurations, a strong result given the processor's 94th percentile CPU ranking and the GPU's 85th percentile GPU ranking. The combo's rank is slightly lower than the individual percentile scores might suggest, indicating that the pairing is effective but not perfectly optimized for this specific title. The nearest CPU rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, scores 0.6% higher in synthetic tests, and the nearest GPU rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, scores 2% lower, giving this combo a balanced edge.

The data shows that this combo delivers high frame rates across all resolutions, with the 1440p High result of 135.8 FPS being particularly notable for its combination of quality and speed. The rank of 219 suggests there are 218 other combos that outperform it, likely featuring higher-end CPUs or GPUs, but among the 1637 tested, this is a top-tier configuration. The measured FPS data is consistent with a system that can handle e-sports settings at very high refresh rates and AAA-style settings at 4K with some adjustments.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the RX 7900 XTX delivers an average of 89.9 FPS on High settings, 99.9 FPS on Medium, 141.7 FPS on Low, and 68 FPS on Ultra. The delta between High and Ultra is 21.9 FPS, while the jump from Medium to Low is 41.8 FPS, showing that Low settings provide a significant boost at this resolution. At 2560x1440 (1440p), the averages are 135.8 FPS on High, 157.9 FPS on Medium, 219.7 FPS on Low, and 101.7 FPS on Ultra. The gap between High and Ultra here is 34.1 FPS, and the difference between Medium and Low is 61.8 FPS, indicating diminishing returns from Low to Medium.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the averages are 185.7 FPS on High, 213 FPS on Medium, 305 FPS on Low, and 139.3 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Ultra to Low is 165.7 FPS, the largest of any resolution, reflecting the CPU's ability to push very high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. Across all resolutions, High settings consistently offer about 30% more average FPS than Ultra, while Low settings roughly double the Ultra numbers at 1080p and 1440p. The data confirms that this combo is capable of exceeding 60 FPS at 4K on any preset, and exceeding 100 FPS at 1440p on all but Ultra, where it still manages 101.7 FPS. At 1080p, every setting including Ultra stays above 139 FPS, making this an extremely capable pairing for high-refresh gaming.