Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs the Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, a combination that places near the bottom of the tested hierarchy. The data shows this system ranks 3166 out of 3714 tested combos, putting it in the 15th percentile of all configurations measured for this game. This is a pairing where a high-end 20-core processor meets a GPU that launched in 2019, and the benchmark results consistently indicate the graphics card is the primary constraint on performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 123, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 120 FPS, and it represents the ceiling for this pairing.

Q: How does the i7-14700F compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-14700F scores 53620 in average benchmark score, placing it 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53288) and 0.8% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7313P (53206). It trails the Intel Xeon 6505P by 0.2% (53701) but beats the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 0.3% (53469).

Q: What is the GTX 1660 SUPER's standing among all GPUs?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER sits at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12986. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, scores 12940 (0.4% behind), while the AMD Radeon RX 580 scores 12928 (0.4% behind).

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 27 (Ultra settings) to 58 (Low settings). Only the Low preset reaches above 50 FPS, while Medium (41 FPS) and High (36 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the gap between Low and Ultra is 66 FPS. Low averages 123 FPS, while Ultra drops to 57 FPS. The Medium preset (87 FPS) and High preset (76 FPS) sit between these extremes.

Q: How much VRAM does the GTX 1660 SUPER have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), which supports the texture-heavy workloads in this FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame places this specific CPU-GPU pairing at 3166 out of 3714 tested combinations. This ranking puts the system in the bottom 15% of all configurations measured for Lockdown Protocol, which is a significant finding given the processor's strength. The i7-14700F itself ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. Yet the GTX 1660 SUPER's 53rd percentile standing among GPUs drags the overall combo down considerably.

The delta between the CPU's high percentile (91) and the GPU's middling percentile (53) tells a clear story: this is a lopsided pairing. The processor has the headroom to feed a much faster graphics card, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck in nearly every scenario. Synthetic benchmarks reinforce this imbalance. The CPU's PassMark multi-thread score of 41317 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19620 indicate substantial parallel processing capability, while the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 12699 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1278 show more modest graphics throughput.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol specifically, the rank of 3166 suggests that most other tested combos deliver higher frame rates. The nearest CPU rivals — the Intel Xeon 6505P, Xeon Phi 7290, Ryzen 9 7900X, and EPYC 7313P — all score within 1% of the i7-14700F in average benchmark score. This means the CPU is not the differentiator in this combo's low ranking. Instead, the GPU's position at the 53rd percentile, with rivals like the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile and RX 580 matching its performance, explains why this system lands where it does.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how dramatically performance scales with resolution. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 123 at 1920x1080 to 90 at 2560x1440, then to 58 at 3840x2160. This represents a 53% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The pattern is consistent across all presets, though the absolute drops vary.

At Medium settings, the averages are 87 FPS (1080p), 64 FPS (1440p), and 41 FPS (4K). The drop from 1440p to 4K is 36%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 26%. This suggests the GPU is increasingly stressed as pixel count rises. High settings show a similar trend: 76 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce 57 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K.

The scaling pattern indicates the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting component. The FPS drops are proportionally larger when moving from 1080p to 1440p than from 1440p to 4K in some cases, which is typical of a GPU running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The i7-14700F's strong single-core performance (Cinebench R20 single-core score of 2082, Geekbench single-core of 2429) means it can keep up with frame generation demands at lower resolutions. But at 4K, the GPU's 6 GB VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth become constraining factors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 123 FPS, making this the only preset to exceed 120 FPS. Medium settings average 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, providing a solid 60+ FPS experience. High settings drop to 76 FPS average, while Ultra falls to 57 FPS — just below the 60 FPS threshold many players target.

Moving to 2560x1440, all presets see significant reductions. Low settings average 90 FPS, which remains playable. Medium averages 64 FPS (min 54, max 73), putting the minimum just below 60 FPS. High drops to 56 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42 FPS. The 1440p results suggest that only Low and Medium presets offer consistently smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 58 FPS, barely above 60 FPS but still the best option at this resolution. Medium averages 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. The 4K data shows this combo is not suitable for high-fidelity gaming at this resolution, with even Low settings hovering near the 60 FPS line.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER is the clear bottleneck in this pairing. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit bus, it provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth — sufficient for 1080p gaming but increasingly inadequate as resolution climbs. The GPU's boost clock of 1785 MHz and base clock of 1530 MHz are modest by modern standards, and its 1408 shading units must render every frame.

The GPU's benchmark results place it at the 53rd percentile, with an average score of 12986. Its nearest rivals are the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, 0.4% behind) and RX 580 (12928, 0.4% behind), while the Tesla M2090 scores 13075 (0.7% ahead). This tight cluster of scores indicates the GTX 1660 SUPER is firmly in the mid-range tier, capable of 1080p gaming but not designed for high-refresh or high-resolution workloads.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p Low, the GPU can push 123 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 27 FPS. The VRAM capacity of 6 GB likely becomes a constraint at 4K, as texture data exceeds the available memory and forces swapping. The FP32 performance of 5.027 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s are adequate for the game's FPS genre but cannot overcome the resolution scaling penalties.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance. At 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS, it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining better visual quality than Low (123 FPS). High settings at 76 FPS are also viable, but the 11 FPS drop from Medium to High may not justify the visual gains. Ultra at 57 FPS dips below 60 FPS, making it less ideal for competitive play.

At 1440p, Low settings (90 FPS) are the only preset that maintains a clear 60+ FPS average. Medium (64 FPS) is borderline, with a minimum of 54 FPS that could cause noticeable stutters in intense firefights. High (56 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) fall short of smooth gameplay. The data suggests 1440p users should prioritize Low or Medium settings.

For 4K, the situation is more limited. Low settings at 58 FPS are the only option approaching playability, and even that is marginal. Medium (41 FPS), High (36 FPS), and Ultra (27 FPS) all fall below 45 FPS, making them unsuitable for a fast-paced FPS. The recommendation for 4K is to stick with Low settings or reduce resolution to 1440p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and single-core score of 4958 demonstrate strong performance across both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all processors underscores its capability.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The processor's high single-core performance (Geekbench single-core score of 2429, PassMark single-thread score of 4257) ensures it can handle the game's frame generation demands at 1080p, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The L3 cache of 33 MB (shared) helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency in gameplay scenarios.

However, the CPU's potential is largely unrealized in this pairing. The GTX 1660 SUPER's 53rd percentile standing means the CPU often sits idle waiting for the GPU to finish rendering. The nearest CPU rivals all score within 1% of the i7-14700F, so swapping the processor would not meaningfully change Lockdown Protocol performance. The data suggests the CPU contributes little to the combo's rank of 3166; instead, the GPU's limitations dictate the system's overall performance ceiling.