Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core i7-14700KF + AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a robust Lockdown Protocol experience across all tested resolutions, with the data showing a clear progression from playable 4K Ultra to blistering 1080p Low frame rates. This combination ranks in the 76th percentile of all tested combos, placing it firmly in the upper tier while leaving headroom for higher-end configurations. The measured results reveal a system that handles the game's demands with consistency, though the GPU's synthetic benchmark percentile of 55 versus the CPU's 94 suggests an interesting balance that manifests differently depending on resolution and settings.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700KF brings substantial processing power to Lockdown Protocol, featuring 20 cores and 28 threads from its Raptor Lake architecture. With a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, this CPU is designed to handle both high-frequency single-threaded workloads and heavily parallelized tasks. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache, alongside 2 MB L2 per core and 80 KB L1 per core, provides ample on-die storage for game data, reducing latency in scenarios where the CPU must feed the GPU rapidly.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-14700KF demonstrates its strength: the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and single-core score of 6235 indicate excellent capability for both thread-heavy and latency-sensitive operations. The Geekbench multi-core score of 21462 and single-core score of 2578 reinforce this picture. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 52425 and single-thread score of 4480 show that the CPU maintains high per-core performance even when all 20 cores are active. The CPU's percentile ranking of 94 against all CPUs places it in the top tier, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (deltaPct 0.9), AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (deltaPct 0.4), and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (deltaPct 0.2), while it trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%.

For Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title that typically responds well to strong single-thread performance, the i7-14700KF's high boost clock is crucial. The data suggests that at 1080p Low, where the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, the system achieves 260 FPS average, indicating that the processor can sustain very high frame rates without bottlenecking the GPU. The 125W TDP and unlocked multiplier offer overclocking potential, though the measured results reflect stock performance. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, with ECC support available, and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 874th out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 23.5% of all configurations. This percentile position of roughly 76% means the combo outperforms the majority of tested systems while sitting below the very top tier of hardware pairings. The ranking reflects a balanced system that delivers strong frame rates across all settings, but the data shows it is not among the absolute elite for this particular game.

When interpreting this rank, consider that the CPU alone sits in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU's percentile against all GPUs is only 55. This discrepancy suggests that the combo's overall rank is constrained by the GPU's relative position, despite the CPU's high standing. In practical terms, the i7-14700KF has more headroom than the RX 9070 XT can fully utilize in most scenarios, meaning the GPU is likely the performance limiter in the majority of Lockdown Protocol's settings. The combo's rank of 874 indicates that there are 873 configurations that achieve higher average frame rates, likely featuring more powerful GPUs paired with similarly strong CPUs.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation: at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 260 FPS, which is high but not at the extreme top end where 300+ FPS configurations might reside. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 57 FPS average, a more demanding scenario where GPU capability becomes the primary constraint. The rank reflects the average experience across all resolutions and settings, balancing the strong 1080p and 1440p performance against the more modest 4K results.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 High provides an excellent balance, achieving 118 FPS average, while 1920x1080 High reaches 161 FPS. For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low delivers 260 FPS, but 1440p Medium at 135 FPS offers a strong compromise between visual quality and performance.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 57 FPS on Ultra to 123 FPS on Low. Medium settings yield 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, making it the only 4K preset with complete min/max data available.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: Benchmark data indicates the CPU ranks in the 94th percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 55th percentile. The combination's 874th rank out of 3714 combos suggests the GPU is more likely to limit performance, especially at higher resolutions like 4K where the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows significantly.

Q: What settings provide the most consistent frame pacing?

A: The Medium preset at all three resolutions includes min/max FPS data, showing narrower ranges than other settings. At 1080p Medium, the range is 157-212 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 115-156 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 74-100 FPS, indicating more predictable performance.

Q: How does the combo's rank compare to its component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 874th out of 3714 (roughly 76th percentile), while the CPU alone is in the 94th percentile and the GPU is in the 55th percentile. This suggests the overall ranking is pulled down by the GPU's relative position in the broader hardware landscape.

Q: Does the game favor single-core or multi-core CPU performance?

A: The CPU's single-core scores are strong—Cinebench R23 single-core of 6235 and Geekbench single-core of 2578—but the multi-core scores (44167 and 21462 respectively) are also high. The frame rate scaling from Low to Ultra settings indicates that the game uses multiple threads, as the CPU maintains high performance across all settings without significant drops.

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

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 260 FPS, which is the fastest result in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 185 FPS average with a minimum of 157 FPS and maximum of 212 FPS. High settings reach 161 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 121 FPS average. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a reduction of 139 FPS, representing a 53.5% decrease in average frame rate as visual fidelity increases.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the expected impact of increased pixel count. Low settings achieve 191 FPS average, a 69 FPS drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings deliver 135 FPS average with a minimum of 115 FPS and maximum of 156 FPS. High settings reach 118 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 89 FPS average. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 102 FPS, a 53.4% reduction, closely mirroring the 1080p scaling pattern.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates decrease substantially as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. Low settings still manage 123 FPS average, which is playable for competitive FPS gaming. Medium settings yield 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, providing the only complete frame time data at 4K. High settings drop to 76 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 57 FPS average. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is 66 FPS, a 53.7% reduction, consistent with the other resolutions.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: across all three resolutions, the percentage reduction from Low to Ultra remains nearly identical at approximately 53-54%. This suggests that the game's settings scaling is resolution-independent in relative terms, though the absolute frame rate impact varies. The medium settings consistently provide the most complete data with min/max values, indicating that this preset is the most stable in terms of frame pacing.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1660 MHz, with a boost clock of 2970 MHz and a game clock of 2400 MHz. Memory runs at 2518 MHz, effectively 20.1 Gbps. With 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs, the card also includes 64 ray tracing cores.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 9070 XT shows strong results in certain tests: the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7260 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 65879 are notable, while the Geekbench OpenCL score of 17428 is more moderate. The PassMark G3D score of 26795 and GPU compute score of 15864 further characterize its capabilities. However, the GPU's percentile ranking of 55 against all GPUs places it in the middle of the pack, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon HD 7770M (deltaPct 0.1), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (deltaPct 0.2), NVIDIA P106-090 (deltaPct 0.5), and AMD Radeon Pro 555 (deltaPct 1). These rivals are notably older or lower-tier cards, which is surprising given the RX 9070 XT's modern architecture and high specifications.

For Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is evident in the 4K results, where frame rates drop below 100 FPS on all settings except Low. The 16 GB VRAM is ample for the game at any resolution, and the 256-bit memory bus provides sufficient bandwidth. The boost clock of 2970 MHz is high, which helps at lower resolutions where the GPU can push more frames. The data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution, with 1080p results being roughly 2.1 times faster than 4K results at the same settings, which is consistent with the pixel count difference of approximately 4.5 times, indicating some efficiency gains at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings provide playable frame rates, but Medium offers the best combination of visual quality and performance. The 185 FPS average with a minimum of 157 FPS ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes, while the maximum of 212 FPS shows headroom. High settings at 161 FPS average are also excellent, but the jump to Ultra at 121 FPS sacrifices significant performance for marginal visual gains.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 118 FPS average represents the sweet spot for competitive play, providing high frame rates while maintaining good visual fidelity. Medium at 135 FPS is the better choice for those prioritizing smoothness, with its complete min/max data (115-156 FPS) indicating stable performance. Ultra at 89 FPS is still playable but approaches the threshold where frame pacing could become noticeable in fast-paced FPS action.

For 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. Medium at 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS is the recommended setting for a balance of quality and performance, as the min/max data suggests acceptable consistency. High at 76 FPS is viable for less competitive play, while Ultra at 57 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider minimum for smooth gameplay. Low at 123 FPS is the only 4K setting that provides high refresh rate capability, but the visual compromise is substantial.

The data suggests that Medium settings provide the most complete performance data across all resolutions, with min and max FPS values recorded. This indicates that Medium is the most stable preset in terms of frame pacing, likely due to a balance between CPU and GPU load. For the best overall experience, 1440p High or 1080p Medium offer the strongest combination of visual quality and performance, while 4K Medium is the recommended choice for those prioritizing resolution over frame rate.