Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a combination that lands near the bottom of the performance hierarchy for Lockdown Protocol, ranking 1515th out of 1637 tested combos. This places the duo in the 8th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while the CPU is exceptionally strong, the GPU acts as a severe bottleneck in this FPS title. The data shows a system that can handle the game’s logic with ease but is consistently held back by graphics processing, making it a pairing that prioritizes CPU-heavy workloads over raw frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1515 out of 1637 places it in the lower 10% of all tested configurations. This low standing is not due to the processor; the Intel Core i7-14700KF is a top-tier chip with a benchmark percentile of 96 versus all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 70104 puts it in a dead heat with the Intel Core i7-14700K, which scores 70074 (a 0% delta), and it actually edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70420 (a -0.4% delta). The CPU is clearly not the limiting factor here.

The bottleneck is the AMD Radeon RX 580, which holds a 53rd percentile ranking versus all GPUs. This mid-range graphics card from the Polaris generation drags the entire combo down. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, a fast-paced FPS, the system’s overall rank reflects a fundamental imbalance: a 96th-percentile CPU paired with a 53rd-percentile GPU creates a situation where frame pacing is dictated by the slower component. The result is a combo that, on paper, appears powerful but in practice delivers frame rates that are often below the threshold for competitive play, particularly at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the definitive performance ceiling for this combo. Its specifications—8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth—are adequate for 1080p gaming but fall short as resolution increases. The card’s base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1340 MHz, combined with its 2304 shading units, yield a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s. These figures translate to a raw FP32 performance of 6.175 TFLOPS, which is modest by modern standards.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU’s VRAM and clocks directly influence the measured results. At 3840x2160, the card’s 8 GB buffer is likely saturated, causing average frame rates to plummet to 27.4 FPS on High settings. The boost clock of 1340 MHz is the maximum the card can sustain, but thermal and power constraints (185 W TDP) limit sustained performance under load. The data suggests that the RX 580’s memory bandwidth is insufficient for the texture-heavy environments of this FPS at 4K, while at 1920x1080, the same 256.0 GB/s bandwidth proves more sufficient, allowing the card to stretch its legs.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF the reason this combo ranks so low?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 96th percentile of all processors with an average benchmark score of 70104, placing it statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-14700K (70074) and ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (70420). The low combo rank is attributable to the GPU.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in raw compute?

A: The RX 580’s average benchmark score of 13559 is virtually identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564, 0% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (13549, 0.1% delta). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (13416, 1.1% delta) and just behind the NVIDIA P106-090 (13716, -1.1% delta).

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates, with an average of 83 FPS on Low settings. At 2560x1440, performance drops to 62.8 FPS on Low, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 42.9 FPS on Low.

Q: Does the CPU’s high single-core performance help in this game?

A: The i7-14700KF has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6290 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2972, indicating strong per-thread performance. However, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU limits output, as even the highest CPU scores cannot overcome the RX 580’s rendering ceiling.

*Q: Is the RX 580’s 8 GB VRAM enough for Lockdown Protocol?*

A: The data indicates that 8 GB is sufficient at 1920x1080, where the card delivers 53.3 FPS on High settings. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 27.4 on High, suggesting that the VRAM capacity or bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the combo’s rank of 1515 translate to real-world competitiveness?

A: With a rank in the bottom 8% of 1637 combos, the system is not competitive for high-refresh-rate play. Even at the best-case scenario of 1080p Low (83 FPS), the system barely reaches 60+ FPS territory, and at Ultra settings (42.9 FPS), it falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern: performance scales inversely with resolution and settings, but the GPU’s limitations are most pronounced at 4K. At 3840x2160, the combo delivers an average of 27.4 FPS on High, 28.6 FPS on Medium, 42.9 FPS on Low, and 20.5 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is surprisingly small (14.3 FPS), while Ultra is nearly unplayable. This suggests that the card’s memory bandwidth is the primary constraint at this resolution, regardless of preset.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves modestly. The Low preset achieves an average of 62.8 FPS, which is the only 1440p setting that clears the 60 FPS mark. Medium delivers 45.3 FPS, High drops to 37.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30.4 FPS. The scaling here is more linear, with each step up in settings costing roughly 7-8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is still the limiting factor but has more headroom than at 4K.

At 1920x1080, the combo finally shows its potential. The Low preset hits an average of 83 FPS, Medium achieves 61.5 FPS, High delivers 53.3 FPS, and Ultra manages 42.9 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the system can leverage the CPU’s power, though even here, the RX 580’s 53rd-percentile standing prevents it from reaching the high refresh rates that the i7-14700KF could support with a stronger GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which yields an average of 83 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, essential for a fast-paced FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 21.5 FPS (from 83 to 61.5), which is a significant trade-off for marginal visual gains. For players prioritizing frame rate, Low is the clear choice.

At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (62.8 FPS) is viable for smooth gameplay. Medium (45.3 FPS) and High (37.1 FPS) are playable but will feel sluggish in competitive scenarios. At 3840x2160, all presets fail to reach 60 FPS, with the best being Low at 42.9 FPS. This resolution is not recommended for this hardware. The data indicates that the RX 580’s performance ceiling is at 1080p, and users should stay there to maximize the i7-14700KF’s contribution to frame pacing.