Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT pairing in Lockdown Protocol represents a classic high-CPU, mid-range-GPU configuration. The processor, a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake Refresh part with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, provides substantial headroom for game logic, physics, and background tasks. The GPU, built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, is the more likely bottleneck in this FPS title. The data indicates that the CPU’s percentile ranking against all CPUs is 94, while the GPU’s is significantly lower at 59, suggesting that the graphics card is the limiting factor in most scenarios. This analysis will break down how these components interact across resolutions and settings, using the measured FPS data to show where the combo excels and where it falls short.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a formidable processing unit, and its specifications suggest it is far from being the weak link in this combo. With 20 cores and 28 threads, it offers the kind of parallel throughput that modern FPS titles can leverage for AI, hit detection, and streaming game state. The base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz are aggressive figures, ensuring that even single-threaded operations — often critical for frame pacing — are handled with speed. The processor’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per core L2 cache provide a large data reservoir for the game’s frequently accessed instructions.

Benchmark results for the CPU reinforce its strength. In Cinebench R23, it scores 44,167 points in multi-core and 6,235 in single-core. The Geekbench multi-core score of 21,462 and single-core score of 2,578 confirm its balanced performance profile. Its average benchmark score of 70,163 places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors on the market. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is effectively at parity: it is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, and 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming terms, meaning the i7-14700KF is not the source of any performance deficit in Lockdown Protocol.

For this specific game, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data quickly enough to avoid stalling. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 156 FPS on average, a figure that indicates the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to high frame rates when the graphical load is light. The fact that it can maintain such high throughput in a fast-paced FPS suggests that the processor’s high clock speeds are effective at reducing latency between frames. There is no data to suggest that the CPU is throttling performance at any resolution; instead, the bottleneck moves to the GPU as resolution and settings increase, which is exactly what the FPS data will show in the following sections.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is a veteran graphics card from 2019, and its specifications show its age relative to the modern CPU it is paired with. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, a 256-bit bus, and a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The base clock is 1605 MHz, with a boost clock of 1905 MHz and a game clock of 1755 MHz. In terms of raw compute, it offers 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These figures put the card in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, a stark contrast to the CPU’s 94th percentile ranking.

The GPU’s memory capacity and bandwidth are the primary concerns for Lockdown Protocol at higher settings. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo only averages 34 FPS, which is likely due to the 8 GB VRAM being saturated by high-resolution textures and the GPU’s compute units being overwhelmed by the workload. The card’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (0.1% slower), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (0.3% faster), and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (0.3% faster), which underscores that the RX 5700 XT is a mid-tier card in the current landscape.

The GPU’s performance is directly correlated with the settings and resolution. At 1080p Low, it delivers 156 FPS, which shows that the card can still push high frame rates when the graphical load is minimal. However, as settings increase to Medium, the average FPS drops to 111, and at Ultra, it falls to 72. This pattern suggests that the GPU is the sole determinant of performance at 1080p, as the CPU has enough headroom to keep up. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p, but at 1440p and 4K, the card’s limitations become apparent, with the 4K High setting yielding only 46 FPS and 4K Medium yielding 52 FPS. The GPU is the bottleneck, and there is no evidence in the data that the CPU is holding it back.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling of FPS across resolutions provides a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops consistently, which is expected as the GPU is asked to render more pixels. For instance, at High settings, the combo achieves 97 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 46 FPS at 4K. This represents a 26.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 35.2% drop from 1440p to 4K. Similarly, at Low settings, the FPS goes from 156 at 1080p to 114 at 1440p to 74 at 4K.

The pattern of the FPS drops is telling. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 42 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 40 FPS. This relatively linear decline suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution — it is still preparing the same number of frames. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain flat or even increase at higher resolutions, as the GPU would have more time to render each frame. That is not the case here. The data shows a consistent decline, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

At Medium settings, the measured data includes minimum and maximum FPS figures, which offer additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 111 FPS, with a min of 94 and a max of 127. At 1440p Medium, the average is 81 FPS, with a min of 69 and a max of 93. At 4K Medium, the average is 52 FPS, with a min of 44 and a max of 60. The spread between min and max FPS is relatively narrow, indicating stable performance without major stutters, but the overall trend is downward. The fact that the min FPS at 4K Medium (44) is below the average FPS at 4K High (46) suggests that the GPU is struggling to maintain consistent frame times at higher resolutions. This is a classic sign of the GPU being the primary bottleneck, as the CPU is capable of delivering frames faster than the GPU can process them.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s capabilities. At 1080p, the performance is solid for competitive play. At Low settings, the average FPS is 156, which is excellent for a fast-paced FPS. At Medium settings, it drops to 111, with a min of 94 and max of 127. At High settings, the average is 97 FPS. At Ultra settings, it falls to 72 FPS. These numbers show that the RX 5700 XT can handle 1080p gaming comfortably, even at High settings, which is likely the sweet spot for a 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitor.

Moving to 1440p, the performance becomes more demanding. At Low settings, the average FPS is 114, which is still playable. At Medium settings, the average is 81 FPS, with a min of 69 and max of 93. At High settings, it drops to 71 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average is 53 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings (97 to 71) is a 26.8% reduction, which is significant but expected for a mid-range GPU. For gamers with a 1440p monitor, Medium settings would be the recommended starting point to maintain a frame rate above 60 FPS.

At 4K, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. At Low settings, the average FPS is 74, which is barely acceptable for a single-player experience but not ideal for a competitive FPS. At Medium settings, it drops to 52 FPS, with a min of 44 and max of 60. At High settings, it falls to 46 FPS. At Ultra settings, it averages only 34 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo, even at Low settings, where the frame rate hovers around 74 FPS but can dip into the high 40s during intense scenes. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor here, as 4K textures can easily exceed that capacity, causing the GPU to stutter or drop frames.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of tested hardware configurations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks at position 2,759 out of 3,714 total combos. This places it in the lower 26th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that roughly 74% of the other combinations tested in this game outperform it. This ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU’s limitations, as the CPU is in the top 6% of all processors, but the GPU sits in the 59th percentile. The combo is held back by the graphics card, which is the bottleneck in almost every scenario.

The ranking of 2,759 out of 3,714 is not a verdict on the CPU’s performance; rather, it is a measure of the entire system’s capability in this specific title. Systems with similar CPUs but stronger GPUs would rank significantly higher, as the data suggests the CPU is not the constraint. Conversely, systems with weaker CPUs but similar GPUs would likely rank lower, as the CPU would then become the limiting factor. This ranking should be interpreted as a warning to potential buyers: the i7-14700KF has the headroom to support a much faster GPU, and pairing it with an RX 5700 XT leaves performance on the table. Upgrading the GPU would yield a substantial improvement in the combo’s rank, while upgrading the CPU would yield almost no benefit in this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The combo achieves an average of 97 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with High settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this combo at 4K?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is only 34, which is a significant drop from the 1080p Ultra average of 72 FPS, and the CPU’s high benchmark scores suggest it is not the limiting factor.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol?

A: It ranks at position 2,759 out of 3,714 total combos, placing it in the lower percentile of tested systems.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming to stay above 60 FPS?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset yields an average of 81 FPS, while the High preset yields 71 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, so Medium or High is recommended for a 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT compare to its nearest performance rival in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M is 0.1% slower, and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 is 0.3% faster than the RX 5700 XT in average benchmark scores.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance percentile suggest it is holding back the GPU?

A: No. The Intel Core i7-14700KF is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, which is far higher than the GPU’s 59th percentile, indicating the CPU has ample headroom and is not the performance limiter.