Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol pairs a 20-core Intel Core i7-14700K with a 6 GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, and the benchmark data shows a combination that leans heavily on CPU muscle while the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The i7-14700K is a top-tier desktop processor, sitting in the 96th percentile against all CPUs, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz and 28 threads. The RTX 2060, meanwhile, is an end-of-life Turing card that lands in the 58th percentile against all GPUs, with a boost clock of 1680 MHz and a 192-bit memory bus. The measured FPS across three resolutions and four settings presets tells a clear story: this is a 1080p and 1440p machine, with 4K being a stretch.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the strongest choice. At Low settings, the combo averages 146.5 FPS, and even at Ultra, it holds 68.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 105.5 FPS on Low and 47.5 FPS on Ultra, so 1080p is clearly the sweet spot for high refresh rates.

Q: Is the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM a problem for this game?

A: The fact pack does not list VRAM usage, but the shift in performance between settings suggests a GPU bottleneck. At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls from 66.8 on Low to 34.6 on Ultra, a drop of nearly half, which indicates the GPU is struggling with the higher load. The card has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is modest for 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 70074. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, scores 70104, a 0% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420, putting it 0.5% ahead of the i7-14700K, while the AMD EPYC 9115 trails by 0.3%. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 is 1.4% behind.

Q: What settings preset delivers the best balance of quality and performance?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 104.8 FPS, which is playable and visually better than Low. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 77.8 FPS, which is still smooth. High settings at 4K are not viable, as the average drops to 44.3 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Technically yes, but not well. The best 4K result is 66.8 FPS on Low settings, but that drops to 49.1 FPS on Medium and 34.6 FPS on Ultra. For a competitive FPS, these numbers are below the ideal threshold for smooth play, so 4K is only playable on Low.

Q: How does this combo rank overall among tested systems?

A: This specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 1349th out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places it in the lower half of the database, which aligns with the GPU being a mid-range part from a previous generation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, which is critical for a fast-paced FPS like Lockdown Protocol where frame pacing and responsiveness matter. The CPU’s large L3 cache of 33 MB (shared) and 2 MB L2 per core help reduce latency, which is beneficial for game logic and physics calculations. Its launch MSRP is $409, and it sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end part that will not bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios.

The benchmark results show strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 6287 in single-core and 44534 in multi-core. In Geekbench, it scores 2932 single-core and 18896 multi-core. This raw compute power means that in Lockdown Protocol, the CPU is likely capable of feeding the RTX 2060 with enough data at 1080p, where the GPU is the limiting factor. The processor's 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a flexible choice, though the data does not specify which memory type was used in testing. The 28 threads are overkill for most games, but they ensure that background tasks and streaming do not interfere with frame times. The nearest rival, the i7-14700KF, scores nearly identically (70104 vs 70074), confirming that the integrated UHD Graphics 770 is the only real difference between the two.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU with 1920 shading units, 30 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores. It has a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The card is end-of-life, but its benchmark scores show it is still relevant for 1080p gaming. In Passmark, it scores 14111 in G3D and 5488 in GPU compute, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, scores 15996, which is 0.5% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 both score 16351, about 1.7% higher.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s role becomes evident when looking at the resolution scaling. At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 delivers playable frame rates across all presets, from 146.5 FPS on Low to 68.2 FPS on Ultra. However, at 3840x2160, the card struggles, with the Ultra preset averaging only 34.6 FPS. This indicates that the 6 GB VRAM and the 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K textures and effects. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which means it is compatible with modern APIs, but the raw compute power (6.451 TFLOPS FP32) is limited. The 160 W TDP and single 8-pin power connector make it a straightforward install, but the data shows it is best paired with a 450 W PSU as suggested.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the i7-14700K and RTX 2060 ranks 1349th out of 1637 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 20% of the database, which is a direct reflection of the GPU’s age and performance tier. The CPU is a top-5% part, but the GPU is only in the top 58%, creating a significant imbalance. The data shows that this combo is not competitive at higher resolutions, but it is more than capable at 1080p. For context, the CPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all within 1.4% of it, meaning the processor is not the weak link. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, are also close in score, but none of these are modern gaming cards.

The ranking suggests that if you are using this combo, you are likely playing at 1080p or 1440p with adjusted settings. The measured FPS confirms this: at 2560x1440, the average is 105.5 FPS on Low and 77.8 FPS on Medium, which are playable numbers. The rank is a relative measure, and the fact that it is in the lower half of all combos means there are many faster systems, but that does not make this pairing unusable. It simply means that for Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor, and you should prioritize GPU upgrades before CPU upgrades.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, which averages 104.8 FPS. This is a significant jump from High (88 FPS) and provides smoother gameplay than Ultra (68.2 FPS). If you have a 144 Hz monitor, Medium is the setting to use. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 77.8 FPS, which is still playable, but if you want a higher frame rate, dropping to Low gives you 105.5 FPS. For 4K, the data shows that only Low settings are viable, with an average of 66.8 FPS, but the visual compromise is severe. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as the 34.6 FPS average is below the threshold for a smooth experience in a competitive FPS.

The data does not include minimum FPS values, so it is not possible to assess frame time consistency, but the averages provide a clear guide. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, 1080p Medium is the sweet spot. If you prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low at 146.5 FPS is the best option. At 1440p, stick to Low or Medium, and avoid High and Ultra unless you are willing to accept frame rates in the 50-70 range.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo averages 66.8 FPS on Low, 49.1 FPS on Medium, 44.3 FPS on High, and 34.6 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 32.2 FPS, showing a steep performance drop as settings increase. At 2560x1440, the averages are 105.5 FPS on Low, 77.8 FPS on Medium, 67.5 FPS on High, and 47.5 FPS on Ultra. The step from Medium to High is 10.3 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra is 20 FPS, indicating that Ultra is particularly demanding. At 1920x1080, the averages are 146.5 FPS on Low, 104.8 FPS on Medium, 88 FPS on High, and 68.2 FPS on Ultra. The delta between Low and Medium is 41.7 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop in the entire dataset.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the RTX 2060 handles Low and Medium settings well, but High and Ultra cause significant frame rate reductions. At 1080p, the CPU’s strength is evident, as the combo maintains over 68 FPS even at Ultra. At 1440p, the GPU starts to feel the strain, and at 4K, only Low settings are acceptable. The data suggests that the 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are the primary bottlenecks at higher resolutions, as the compute power of the GPU is not sufficient to maintain high frame rates with more demanding settings. For players with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this combo offers a playable experience, but for 4K, it is not a viable option.