Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060. The measured frame rates across resolutions reveal a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher graphical presets. This analysis breaks down the performance data to understand how this combination handles the game and where its strengths and limitations lie.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable pattern: performance degrades as resolution increases, but the rate of that degradation is heavily influenced by the graphics preset. At the "Low" preset, the game scales remarkably well, moving from 147.3 FPS at 1920x1080 down to 106.7 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 67.9 FPS at 3840x2160. This indicates that at lower settings, the workload shifts enough that the RTX 2060 can still push a high number of frames even at 4K, though it's still a significant drop from 1080p to 4K.

However, the scaling becomes much more aggressive when the preset is increased. Moving from the "Low" to "High" preset at 1080p results in a frame rate of 88.6 FPS, a substantial reduction from 147.3 FPS. The gap widens further at higher resolutions; at 4K with the "High" preset, the average FPS plummets to 44.3. This suggests that the higher presets introduce a significant GPU load, particularly at 4K where the RTX 2060's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are likely saturated, causing the performance to scale poorly. The difference between 1080p "High" (88.6 FPS) and 4K "High" (44.3 FPS) represents a halving of performance, underscoring that the GPU is the limiting component in this scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Core i7-14700F and RTX 2060 is positioned at rank 1372 out of 1637 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower percentile of tested systems, indicating that while it can play the game, it's not a top-tier performer. The rank is somewhat surprising given the CPU's strength; the i7-14700F sits in the 94th percentile when compared to all CPUs, showing it's a high-end processor. The fact that the combo ranks in the lower 16th percentile (1372/1637) of all combos strongly suggests that the GPU is holding the system back. The data implies that the RTX 2060 is the primary constraint, preventing the powerful CPU from achieving higher frame rates, particularly at higher settings where the GPU is more heavily taxed.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU with 1920 shading units and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Its memory configuration is a key factor here: 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a modest amount of VRAM by modern standards, and the benchmark results suggest it's a limiting factor. At 4K resolution with the "Ultra" preset, the average FPS drops to just 30.8, which is barely playable. The jump from "High" (44.3 FPS) to "Ultra" (30.8 FPS) at 4K is a 30% performance hit, likely due to the increased texture detail and effects exceeding the available VRAM and processing power. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 14111, place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its mid-range status. The data indicates that the RTX 2060 is capable of delivering playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, especially on higher presets.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The data shows an average of 67.9 FPS at 4K with the "Low" preset, which is playable. However, at "Ultra" settings, the average FPS drops to 30.8, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high refresh rate experience?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the frame rate approaches high refresh rates. With the "Low" preset, the combo achieves 147.3 FPS. Even at "High" settings, it manages 88.6 FPS, which is suitable for a 60Hz or 75Hz monitor.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and 1.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D. It is slightly faster than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2%.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 comparable to other GPUs in its class?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074. This is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S and 1.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, but 1.7% lower than both the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon Pro 5700.

Q: What is the performance difference between the "Medium" and "High" presets at 1440p?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 for the "Medium" preset is 73.9, while the "High" preset achieves 67.6. This is a relatively small difference of 6.3 FPS, suggesting that the "High" preset offers a better visual experience for a minor performance cost.

Q: Does the system bottleneck the CPU or GPU?

A: The data strongly suggests a GPU bottleneck. The Core i7-14700F ranks in the 94th percentile of CPUs, while the combo ranks in the lower 16th percentile. This means the CPU has significant headroom, but the RTX 2060 is unable to push more frames, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved at the "High" preset for 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 resolutions. At 1080p, "High" yields 88.6 FPS, providing a smooth experience with good visual fidelity. At 1440p, the "High" preset still delivers a respectable 67.6 FPS. The "Ultra" preset, while offering the best visuals, causes a significant performance penalty: a 24% drop from "High" at 1080p (67.2 FPS vs 88.6 FPS) and a 30% drop at 1440p (47.6 FPS vs 67.6 FPS). For 4K gaming, the "Low" preset is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, as the 67.9 FPS average is far superior to the "Medium" (46.6 FPS) and "High" (44.3 FPS) settings, which are on the edge of playability. The "Ultra" preset at 4K should be avoided due to its low 30.8 FPS average.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark results are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003. This indicates a powerful processor that should not be a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. The data supports this; the CPU's percentile ranking (94th) is vastly higher than the combo's ranking (1372nd out of 1637), suggesting the processor is not the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, which is only 0.6% faster on average, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D, which is 1.1% faster. This confirms that the i7-14700F is a top-tier CPU, but its potential is untapped when paired with the RTX 2060 in this game, as the GPU is clearly the performance ceiling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ------: |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30.8 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 44.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 46.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 67.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 47.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 67.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 73.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 106.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 67.2 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 88.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 100.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 147.3 |

The data reveals a consistent hierarchy. At 1080p, the system can handle all presets, with even the "Ultra" preset achieving a playable 67.2 FPS. The 1440p results show the "Ultra" preset dipping to 47.6 FPS, which is less ideal, but the "Medium" and "High" presets remain solidly playable. At 4K, only the "Low" preset crosses the 60 FPS threshold, with all other presets falling below 50 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the RTX 2060 is best suited for 1080p and can handle 1440p with adjusted settings, but it is not a 4K-capable card for this title on higher quality settings.