Lockdown Protocol

# CPU Role — Cores, Clocks, and How They Relate to This Game's Results

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide the headline specifications, but the more relevant story for Lockdown Protocol is how this CPU's compute capacity aligns with the measured frame rates.

The i7-14700KF places in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70,163. This positions it just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (avg score 69,996) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (avg score 69,875). The data shows a near-tie at the top of the pack, with the i7-14700KF essentially matching the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (avg score 69,515) while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1% (avg score 70,879). In practical terms, the CPU is not the limiting component in most of this game's tested configurations.

Cinebench R23 scores reinforce this: the multi-core result of 44,167 and single-core result of 6,235 represent strong throughput for a desktop chip. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache, combined with 2 MB L2 per core, provides ample data locality for the game's physics and enemy AI calculations. For a fast-paced FPS like Lockdown Protocol, the 28 threads handle background tasks, streaming, and game logic simultaneously without bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, where the average FPS reaches 214, the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant — the 5.60 GHz boost clock ensures the game's primary simulation thread keeps up with the high frame generation rate.

The CPU's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier suggest headroom for overclocking, but the measured data does not indicate any CPU-limited scenarios that would benefit from such tuning. The data compression score of 694,963 and integer math score of 183,056 in PassMark point to strong general-purpose compute, which aligns with the game's need for rapid entity updates and hit registration at high refresh rates.

# GPU Role — VRAM, Clocks, and How They Relate to This Game's Results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the more consequential component in this pairing. Built on the Ampere architecture with the GA104 chip at 8 nm, this GPU offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock of 1725 MHz, combined with 5,888 shading units, yields 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The 46 ray-tracing cores and 184 tensor cores provide feature support, though the measured FPS data suggests rasterization performance is the primary driver here.

The RTX 3070 sits in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17,208. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, scores 17,083 — a 0.7% gap in the RTX 3070's favor. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (avg score 17,037) and AMD Radeon HD 7970M (avg score 17,019) are within 1.1%, while the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17,468, a 1.5% lead over the RTX 3070. These close margins indicate the GPU is competitively positioned but not dominant for its generation.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is the defining constraint at higher resolutions. Across the resolution scaling tests, the pattern is clear: at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 47, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K High preset achieves 63 FPS, while 4K Medium reaches 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS. These numbers suggest that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are stretched at 3840x2160, particularly when texture quality and shading complexity increase. The 14 Gbps effective memory speed and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1440p and 1080p workloads, but the 8 GB frame buffer becomes a limiting factor at 4K with higher presets.

The GPU's passmark G3D score of 22,214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,162 provide synthetic context that aligns with the measured gaming results. The RTX 3070's performance is best described as a high-refresh-rate 1080p and solid 1440p card, with 4K playable only at reduced settings.

# Resolution Scaling — How FPS Drops from 1080p to 4K and What It Says About the Limiting Component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern that shifts the bottleneck between CPU and GPU depending on resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 214 FPS, which drops to 157 FPS at 1440p Low (-27%) and further to 101 FPS at 4K Low (-53% from 1080p). This progression shows the GPU becoming increasingly dominant as the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The High preset tells a similar story: 133 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p (-27%), and 63 FPS at 4K (-53% from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across Low and High presets indicate that resolution scaling is almost entirely GPU-bound — the CPU's performance headroom is sufficient to maintain these frame rates regardless of pixel count. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would plateau at higher resolutions rather than continue declining.

The Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum FPS data, provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 152 FPS with a minimum of 129 and maximum of 175. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 111 FPS (min 95, max 128). At 4K Medium, the average falls to 72 FPS (min 61, max 83). The minimum FPS values at 4K Medium (61) and 1440p Medium (95) suggest frame-time consistency is maintained even as the GPU load increases.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest drop: 99 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p (-26%), and 47 FPS at 4K (-53% from 1080p). The near-identical percentage drops across all presets — roughly 27% from 1080p to 1440p and 53% from 1080p to 4K — indicate that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven. This is the signature of a GPU-limited system, where the RTX 3070's rendering throughput scales predictably with pixel count.

For a 1080p gamer, the CPU and GPU work in balance: the i7-14700KF can feed the RTX 3070 enough frames to reach 214 FPS at Low settings. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the constraint, as evidenced by the 47 FPS Ultra result. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, where the High preset delivers 97 FPS and Medium reaches 111 FPS — both comfortably above 60 FPS with room for high-refresh-rate displays.

# Settings Recommendations — Which Preset Gives the Best Experience per the Measured Rows

The measured data supports a clear hierarchy for settings optimization, with the Medium preset offering the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS of 152 with a minimum of 129 FPS provides a smooth experience on 144Hz displays, while the maximum of 175 FPS ensures no frame rate cap is hit prematurely. The Medium preset at 1440p delivers 111 FPS average (min 95, max 128), which is ideal for 100Hz+ monitors without sacrificing visual quality.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option for maintaining a 60 FPS floor. The 4K Medium result shows an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, meaning the system stays above the 60 FPS threshold even during heavy scenes. The 4K High preset achieves 63 FPS average but lacks minimum FPS data, and the 4K Ultra result of 47 FPS falls below the playable threshold for fast-paced FPS gameplay. The 4K Low preset at 101 FPS provides headroom but sacrifices visual fidelity unnecessarily when Medium offers better quality at a still-playable 72 FPS.

For competitive play at 1080p, the Low preset's 214 FPS is the clear choice if maximizing frame rate is the priority — this exceeds 200 FPS, which is desirable for 240Hz monitors. However, the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs only 62 FPS (214 to 152), while the visual improvement from Low to Medium is typically substantial. At 1440p, the Low preset's 157 FPS is strong for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the Medium preset's 111 FPS remains above 100 FPS and is a better quality-per-frame-rate trade-off.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the 99 FPS result is only 65% of the Medium preset's 152 FPS, and the visual gains from Medium to Ultra are typically marginal compared to the 35% performance hit. At 1440p Ultra (73 FPS) and 4K Ultra (47 FPS), the preset fails to maintain the 60 FPS threshold that is essential for a responsive FPS experience. The data consistently points to Medium as the optimal preset for this CPU-GPU combination.

# FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings. The measured 4K Medium average is 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, which stays above the 60 FPS threshold. The 4K High preset averages 63 FPS, but the 4K Ultra preset drops to 47 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo?

A: The data indicates 1440p is the sweet spot. At 1440p Medium, the system achieves 111 FPS average (min 95, max 128), and at 1440p High it reaches 97 FPS. Both offer high-refresh-rate performance while maintaining visual quality, and the 4K results show diminishing returns.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17,208, which is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17,083) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037). It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c by 1.5% (17,468), though that GPU is not a gaming product.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 214 FPS, and the i7-14700KF's single-core boost clock of 5.60 GHz supports this high frame rate. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is not the limiting factor; the GPU's rendering capability is the constraint even at this low-settings configuration.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 61 FPS, which occurs at 4K Medium settings. The 1440p Medium minimum is 95 FPS, and the 1080p Medium minimum is 129 FPS. No minimum FPS data is available for the Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF rank among all CPUs?

A: The i7-14700KF is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70,163. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — Resolution by Resolution, Settings by Settings, Exact Numbers

The complete measured FPS dataset for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is presented below, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 214 FPS average — the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset, suited for maximum refresh rate competitive play.
• Medium: 152 FPS average, with a minimum of 129 FPS and maximum of 175 FPS — the most balanced 1080p preset, maintaining high frame rates with better visual quality than Low.
• High: 133 FPS average — a solid step down from Medium, offering improved fidelity at a 12.5% lower average frame rate.
• Ultra: 99 FPS average — drops below 100 FPS, representing a 35% reduction from Medium with diminishing visual returns.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 157 FPS average — still exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates, making it viable for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors.
• Medium: 111 FPS average, with a minimum of 95 FPS and maximum of 128 FPS — the recommended preset for 1440p, staying above 90 FPS at all times.
• High: 97 FPS average — slightly below the 100 FPS threshold, but still smooth for most displays.
• Ultra: 73 FPS average — falls below the 75 FPS threshold, indicating the GPU is beginning to struggle with the combination of high resolution and maximum settings.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 101 FPS average — the only 4K preset exceeding 100 FPS, but requiring minimal visual settings.
• Medium: 72 FPS average, with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS — the only 4K preset with a guaranteed 60 FPS floor, making it the sole viable option for 4K gaming.
• High: 63 FPS average — technically above 60 FPS, but with no minimum FPS data, the risk of drops below 60 FPS cannot be ruled out.
• Ultra: 47 FPS average — below the 60 FPS playable threshold, confirming the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM and compute resources are insufficient for 4K Ultra in this game.

The resolution scaling pattern is consistent across all presets: 1440p averages are roughly 73% of 1080p averages, and 4K averages are roughly 47% of 1080p averages. This linear relationship confirms the GPU-bound nature of the system at higher resolutions, with the RTX 3070's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 20.31 TFLOPS compute defining the performance ceiling.