Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that punishes slow reactions, and the data for the Intel Core i7-14700K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 shows a pairing that is clearly capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions, but one that begins to show its limits when you push toward 4K. The benchmark results indicate a system where the GPU is almost certainly the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures that frame rates remain high at 1080p. This combination sits at rank 2009 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which is a direct result of the GPU’s mid-range standing rather than the CPU’s high-end capabilities. The following analysis breaks down exactly how this system behaves across the tested settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling data point in this benchmark set is how average frame rates collapse as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 189 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 138 FPS, a 27% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160 Low yields 89 FPS, which is a 53% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior; the CPU is not the limiting factor here, as the workload per pixel is what drives the performance loss.

The story is similar across all settings presets. For High settings, the average FPS goes from 117 at 1080p, to 86 at 1440p, and finally to 55 at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is substantial, with the 4K result being only 47% of the 1440p performance. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4060’s 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are simply not enough to feed the pixel count at 4K efficiently, especially with higher visual fidelity. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable target for smooth competitive play with this GPU, as even the Low preset struggles to maintain a solid 90 FPS.

Conversely, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more moderate, suggesting that 1440p is the sweet spot for this hardware. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p on Medium settings is from 134 FPS to 98 FPS, a 27% reduction, which is a more manageable trade-off for the increase in visual clarity. At 1080p, the system is clearly capable of pushing well past 144 Hz on Medium and High settings, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors. The data shows that the limiting component shifts definitively to the GPU as resolution climbs; the CPU’s headroom is not exposed until you reach the lower resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. On High settings, the combo averages 86 FPS, which is playable, while on Low settings it hits 138 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can consistently exceed 144 FPS on Medium and High settings.

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

A: The data indicates that 4K is a struggle. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 89 on Low settings, which is borderline. On High and Ultra settings, the averages drop to 55 and 42 FPS respectively, which are not suitable for a fast-paced FPS. The GPU appears to be the bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 17639. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, which is a 0.2% difference. The Radeon 780M and Radeon Pro 560 are also within a 0.5% margin. This shows the RTX 4060 is positioned tightly within a specific performance tier.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K a high-performing CPU in general?

A: Yes. The CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 94, meaning it outperforms 94% of all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 69355 puts it on par with the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which scores 69515, a 0.2% difference. This is a top-tier processor.

Q: What settings are best for maximizing frame rate at 1080p?

A: For the absolute highest frame rates, Low settings at 1920x1080 yield 189 FPS. If you prefer higher visual fidelity, Medium settings still provide a very high 134 FPS, and High settings give you 117 FPS. All of these are above 100 FPS, making 1080p an excellent environment for this combo.

Q: Does the CPU’s high core count help in this game?

A: While the i7-14700K has 20 cores and 28 threads, the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K suggests the game is not heavily multi-threaded. The massive FPS drops at higher resolutions indicate the GPU is the primary limiter, while the CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its strong benchmark scores, is sufficient to keep up at lower resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In Lockdown Protocol, this CPU’s role appears to be providing a stable, high-frequency foundation that never becomes the primary constraint. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 189 FPS, which is a high enough number that the CPU is likely working near its limits, but it does not cause a frame rate collapse.

Comparing its general compute performance to rivals, the i7-14700K scores 69355 on average, which is effectively identical to the AMD EPYC 9115 (score 69288, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (score 69515, delta -0.2%). This positioning shows that the CPU is a heavy hitter in synthetic benchmarks, offering massive multi-threading capabilities that are useful for productivity but may not be fully utilized in a typical FPS title. The game’s performance scaling, where FPS drops by roughly half when going from 1080p to 4K, suggests that the workload scales with pixel count rather than core count, meaning the GPU is the bottleneck.

The 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache are substantial, likely helping to reduce memory latency for game logic and draw calls. The data indicates that this CPU is more than capable of feeding the RTX 4060 at 1080p and 1440p, as the frame rates are high and consistent. At 4K, the CPU’s headroom is irrelevant because the GPU simply cannot render frames fast enough. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking against all CPUs reinforces that it is not a weak link in this configuration, but the game’s engine appears to be more dependent on the GPU’s raw throughput.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 achieves a rank of 2009 out of 3714 combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the 54th percentile of all tested systems, meaning slightly more than half of the combinations in the database perform better in this specific game. This ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU’s mid-tier standing, as the CPU is a top-tier part that should not be the cause of a low rank.

The CPU alone has a percentile of 94, placing it in the top 6% of all processors. The GPU, however, has a percentile of 61, which is just above the median. The combo’s overall rank is heavily dragged down by the GPU’s performance ceiling. This suggests that if a user were to pair this CPU with a more powerful GPU, the rank would improve significantly, as the CPU has ample headroom. The data shows that while the combo is not a top performer, it is far from the bottom, and its position is predictable given the components involved. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the system performs admirably at 1080p and 1440p, but falls behind at 4K, which is where higher-ranked combos would likely pull ahead.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the limiting factor in this configuration for Lockdown Protocol. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, it is a card designed for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, not for high-refresh 4K. Its boost clock of 2460 MHz and 3072 shading units are sufficient for moderate resolutions, but the memory bandwidth is a clear bottleneck at higher pixel counts.

The benchmark results show that the GPU’s performance is strong at 1080p, where it delivers 189 FPS on Low settings. However, the average FPS drops dramatically as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the average is just 42 FPS, which is unplayable for a competitive shooter. The GPU’s general benchmark score of 17639 places it at the 61st percentile, and its performance is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666 (a 0.2% difference). This indicates that the RTX 4060 is not a high-end part, but rather a solid mid-range option.

The data suggests that the GPU’s VRAM capacity and bus width are the primary constraints. At 1440p High, the card averages 86 FPS, which is good, but at 4K High, it drops to 55 FPS, indicating that the card cannot sustain the fill rate required. The 5 nm process node and Ada Lovelace architecture make it efficient, but efficiency does not overcome the physical limits of the memory subsystem. For this game, the GPU determines the overall experience, and the measured FPS shows that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p to get the most out of this card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Here is the exact performance data for the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in Lockdown Protocol, broken down by resolution and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 189 FPS average
• Medium: 134 FPS average (min 114, max 154)
• High: 117 FPS average
• Ultra: 88 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 138 FPS average
• Medium: 98 FPS average (min 83, max 113)
• High: 86 FPS average
• Ultra: 64 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 89 FPS average
• Medium: 63 FPS average (min 54, max 73)
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 42 FPS average

The 1080p results show a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at Ultra settings, the average FPS of 88 is smooth for most players, and dropping to Low pushes the frame rate to 189 FPS, which is ideal for a 144Hz or 165Hz display. The 1440p results are still very usable, with Low settings providing 138 FPS and High settings providing 86 FPS, both of which are competitive. The 4K results are the weakest link, with only Low settings breaking the 60 FPS barrier. The Medium settings at 4K show a minimum FPS of 54, which indicates noticeable stuttering in demanding scenes. The data clearly shows that this combo is best used at 1080p for maximum performance or 1440p for a balance of quality and speed, while 4K should be avoided for serious play.