Lockdown Protocol

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 13 out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the configuration in the top 0.5% of all tested hardware pairings, a position that reflects the exceptional synergy between the CPU's high core count and the GPU's massive memory bandwidth. The combo's ranking is particularly notable given that the RTX 5090 D sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, while the i7-14700K holds the 94th percentile among all CPUs.

The data suggests this pairing is near the ceiling of what is currently achievable in this title. With 2,815 combos ranked below it, the gap between this setup and the absolute top performers is narrow, likely dominated by even more exotic configurations. The ranking indicates that Lockdown Protocol responds strongly to both high-end CPU throughput and GPU compute, as the i7-14700K's 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample headroom for the game's FPS engine mechanics, while the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory ensures no texture or geometry bottlenecks at any resolution.

Benchmark enthusiasts should note that the combo's rank is a product of balanced component performance rather than one single standout metric. The CPU's average benchmark score of 69,355 places it within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, its closest rival, while the GPU's average score of 77,712 is within 1.1% of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT. This equilibrium means that neither component is dragging the other down, allowing the combo to perform consistently across all tested settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the undisputed workhorse of this pairing, and its specifications explain why Lockdown Protocol runs so fluidly. The GPU's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus delivers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for a game that appears to scale aggressively with resolution and texture quality. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with an effective 28 Gbps data rate, and the base clock of 2017 MHz boosts to 2407 MHz under load.

These clock speeds translate to tangible performance in the measured FPS data. At 4K High settings, the combo averages 118 FPS, while dropping to 4K Low yields 190 FPS — a 61% improvement that highlights how much headroom the GPU has when the visual load is reduced. The GPU's pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are directly relevant here, as Lockdown Protocol's fast-paced FPS action demands rapid texture fetches and pixel fills to maintain smooth frame pacing.

The RTX 5090 D's architecture, Blackwell 2.0 on a 5 nm TSMC process, houses 21,760 shading units and 680 tensor cores. The FP32 throughput of 104.8 TFLOPS is substantial, and the fact that FP16 runs at the same 1:1 ratio suggests the GPU is well-prepared for any compute-heavy effects the game might throw at it. The 170 ray tracing cores are present, though the measured FPS data does not isolate RT workloads, so their impact on Lockdown Protocol remains speculative.

FAQ

Q: How does the combo's rank of 13 out of 2,828 translate to real-world performance?

A: The rank places this configuration in the top 0.5% of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms 2,815 other pairings. In practical terms, this setup delivers an average FPS of 118 at 4K High, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold most players consider smooth.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM overkill for Lockdown Protocol?

A: The measured data shows no indication of VRAM limits, even at 4K Ultra where the combo still manages 88 FPS. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth and 32 GB capacity ensure that texture streaming and high-resolution assets never cause stutters, making the GPU a future-proof choice for this title.

Q: What is the difference in performance between 1080p Low and 4K Ultra?

A: The gap is substantial: 350 FPS at 1080p Low versus 88 FPS at 4K Ultra. This represents a 75% reduction in frame rate when scaling up resolution and settings, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher visual loads.

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

A: The i7-14700K scores 69,355 on average, which is 0.1% above the AMD EPYC 9115 and 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X. This near-identical performance means that in CPU-bound scenarios, the Intel chip is effectively equivalent to its closest competitors.

Q: Are the min FPS values available for all settings?

A: No, only the Medium preset at each resolution includes both min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the min is 243 FPS and max is 328 FPS; at 1440p Medium, min is 178 FPS and max is 241 FPS; at 4K Medium, min is 115 FPS and max is 155 FPS.

Q: Does the combo perform better at lower resolutions?

A: Yes, the data shows a clear inverse relationship between resolution and FPS. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 350 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 88 FPS. This pattern suggests the GPU becomes more dominant as resolution increases, while the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads handle lower resolutions with ease.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are exceptionally high: Low settings produce 350 FPS, Medium 285 FPS (with min 243 and max 328), High 249 FPS, and Ultra 187 FPS. The frame rates at this resolution suggest the game is largely CPU-bound, as the i7-14700K's 20 cores and 28 threads can push well beyond what most displays can render.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain impressive but scale down proportionally. Low settings yield 295 FPS, Medium 209 FPS (min 178, max 241), High 183 FPS, and Ultra 137 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 16-27% depending on the preset, indicating that the GPU is beginning to assert its influence on performance.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings still manage 190 FPS, but Medium drops to 135 FPS (min 115, max 155), High to 118 FPS, and Ultra to 88 FPS. The 4K results show a steeper decline from Low to Ultra compared to lower resolutions, with a 54% reduction from 190 FPS to 88 FPS. For comparison, the same Low-to-Ultra gap at 1080p is 47% (350 to 187 FPS), and at 1440p it is 54% (295 to 137 FPS).

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo reveals a classic GPU-bound curve at higher pixel counts. From 1080p Low to 4K Low, the frame rate drops from 350 to 190 FPS, a 46% reduction. The same comparison at Ultra settings shows a drop from 187 to 88 FPS, a 53% reduction. This asymmetry suggests that the Ultra preset introduces additional GPU workload that scales disproportionately with resolution.

At Medium settings, the scaling is more linear: 285 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 135 FPS at 4K. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs 27% performance, while the step from 1440p to 4K costs 35%. This pattern is consistent with the GPU's 1.79 TB/s bandwidth being taxed more heavily as the pixel count increases, particularly when the game's textures and effects require more memory bandwidth.

The limiting component shifts based on resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are likely the ceiling, as the GPU has ample headroom at 350 FPS. By 4K Ultra, the GPU's shading units and texture rate become the bottleneck, evidenced by the 88 FPS result. The i7-14700K's strong single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,160, ensures that even at 4K, the CPU is not holding back the GPU in this title.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 350 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of any mainstream monitor. However, this sacrifices visual fidelity for performance that is likely imperceptible. The Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 285 FPS and a minimum of 243 FPS, offers a better balance — the minimum FPS still exceeds 240 Hz displays, ensuring no frame drops in competitive scenarios.

At 1440p, the Medium preset provides 209 FPS average with a minimum of 178 FPS, which is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming. The High preset at 183 FPS is also viable, though the minimum FPS is not recorded for this setting, making the Medium preset's documented 178 FPS floor more reassuring. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset delivers 135 FPS average with a minimum of 115 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K with published min/max data. This makes it the safest choice for consistent 4K performance, as the 115 FPS floor is still comfortably above 60 FPS.

The Ultra preset, while visually the most demanding, drops to 88 FPS at 4K and 187 FPS at 1080p. Given the data, the Medium preset at any resolution appears to be the sweet spot, offering the best combination of high average FPS and documented minimum frame rates. The High preset at 1440p (183 FPS) is a strong alternative if visual quality is prioritized over the slightly higher Medium FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K plays a crucial supporting role in this combo, and its specifications directly influence the measured results. With 20 cores and 28 threads, the CPU provides the parallel processing power needed for Lockdown Protocol's FPS mechanics, which often involve multiple AI agents and physics interactions. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, while the 2 MB L2 cache per core ensures fast access to frequently used data.

The CPU's clock speeds are modest by modern standards — a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz — but the multi-core performance is exceptional. Cinebench R23 scores of 33,440.5 multi-core and 2,160 single-core demonstrate the chip's ability to handle both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The PassMark multithread score of 52,392 and single-thread score of 4,472 further confirm this balance.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol's measured FPS, the CPU's role becomes apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 350 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's practical limit for this title. The fact that increasing resolution to 1440p only reduces FPS by 16% at Low settings (295 FPS) suggests the CPU is still a significant contributor at this resolution. However, by 4K, the GPU's workload dominates, and the CPU's 20 cores are sufficient to keep up without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU's 125W TDP and 10 nm process node indicate efficient power delivery, though the combo's overall power draw will be substantial given the GPU's 575W TDP. The i7-14700K's integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but unused in this configuration, as the discrete RTX 5090 D handles all rendering duties. The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provides flexibility, though the measured FPS data does not specify which memory type was used in testing.