Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS where frame pacing and responsiveness directly impact aiming and movement. The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces a combination that is positioned at rank 17 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top fraction of all configurations. This pairing leverages a high-core-count CPU with a flagship GPU to deliver frame rates that range from playable at maximum settings to exceptionally high at lower presets. The measured data shows a system that is rarely constrained by the processor at 1080p, with the graphics card becoming the primary driver of performance as resolution and settings increase.

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 based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. For a game like Lockdown Protocol, which is an FPS, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and the simulation of other players. The benchmark results indicate that this processor is more than capable of feeding the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates achieved even at lower resolutions where CPU overhead is typically more visible.

The processor's multi-threaded capabilities are substantial, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and a single-core score of 6235. In the context of this game, the high single-core performance is crucial for maintaining high minimum frame rates and ensuring smooth input response, while the 20 cores provide ample headroom for background tasks and any multi-threaded game subsystems. The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 94, indicating it is in the top 6% of all processors tested. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-14700KF scores 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, while trailing the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K by 1%. These small deltas suggest that at the resolutions tested, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, and the differences in CPU compute power have a minimal impact on the final FPS numbers.

The data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU load is proportionally highest, the system achieves an average of 351 FPS. This suggests the i7-14700KF's 5.60 GHz boost clock is effectively handling the game's single-threaded demands. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain low latency for frequently accessed data, which is beneficial in fast-paced FPS scenarios. While the CPU is a strong performer, the scaling of FPS across different settings and resolutions points to the GPU as the more significant variable in this specific combination.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700KF compare to its closest CPU rivals in raw compute?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875). It is 0.9% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515) but 1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (70879).

Q: What is the best performance setting at 2560x1440 for this combo?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 295 FPS, which is the highest frame rate measured. However, for a balanced experience, the High preset at 183 FPS average provides significantly better visual quality with a frame rate that still exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D bottleneck the CPU at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the opposite. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high, with the Low preset hitting 351 FPS and the Medium preset at 285 FPS. This indicates the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to its limits, and the GPU itself is the limiting factor, as the performance scales directly with the graphics settings.

Q: How much of a performance drop is seen when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 249 FPS at 1920x1080 to 183 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 118 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 53% decrease in FPS from 1080p to 4K, which is a typical scaling pattern for a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: What is the rank of this specific CPU and GPU combination in the database?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination is ranked 17th out of 3714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the top 0.5% of all configurations tested.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D have enough memory bandwidth for 4K gaming?

A: The RTX 5090 D features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The measured results at 3840x2160, which show an average of 118 FPS on High settings, confirm that the memory subsystem is not a limiting factor for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the settings presets affect performance. For the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 351 FPS, which is suitable for competitive play on high-refresh-rate monitors (240Hz+). However, this preset sacrifices visual fidelity. For a more balanced experience that maintains high frame rates while improving image quality, the Medium preset is a strong choice. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 209 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in intense firefights. The High preset at 2560x1440 offers 183 FPS, which is still excellent and likely provides a better visual experience for most players.

At 4K (3840x2160), the High preset yields 118 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play on standard displays and is suitable for 120Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 88 FPS, which, while playable, may not be ideal for fast-paced competitive FPS where higher frame rates are preferred. The data shows that the Medium preset provides the best combination of frame rate and visual quality for most users, offering 285 FPS at 1080p, 209 FPS at 1440p, and 135 FPS at 4K. This preset appears to be the sweet spot, balancing the load between the CPU and GPU to achieve high and consistent performance. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it maintains high frame rates across all resolutions, with the 4K result of 118 FPS being notably strong. The Ultra preset, while offering the best graphics, shows a significant performance cost and is best suited for players with 60Hz displays or those who prioritize image quality over frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration, the Intel Core i7-14700KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, holds a combo rank of 17 out of 3714 tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol. This ranking places the system in the top 0.46% of all tested configs, indicating that it is a top-tier performer. The high rank is a result of the synergy between a very fast CPU and a flagship GPU, ensuring that neither component is a significant bottleneck for this title. The CPU's performance percentile of 94 and the GPU's percentile of 92 further reinforce this, showing that both parts are near the top of their respective categories. The data suggests that very few combinations will outperform this setup in Lockdown Protocol, and the only meaningful upgrades would be to the highest-end consumer parts available.

The rank is particularly impressive given the GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and the NVIDIA Tesla P100, which are not direct desktop gaming competitors, highlighting the RTX 5090 D's unique position in the market. The combination's performance is not just about peak FPS but also about consistency, as seen in the minimum FPS values for the Medium settings, which remain high across all resolutions. This consistency is crucial for a competitive FPS, where frame drops can be detrimental. Overall, the data indicates that this is a top-20 configuration that will provide an exceptional experience in Lockdown Protocol.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear and expected trend of decreasing performance as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 249 at 1920x1080 to 183 at 2560x1440, and further to 118 at 3840x2160. This represents a 26.5% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 35.5% drop from 1440p to 4K. The overall decrease from 1080p to 4K is 52.6%. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. The CPU is capable of delivering the necessary frames, but the GPU's rendering workload increases significantly with the pixel count, causing the frame rate to drop proportionally.

This is further evidenced by the Low settings, where the frame rates are much higher. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 351 FPS, which drops to 295 FPS at 1440p and 190 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are smaller in this case (16% from 1080p to 1440p, and 35.6% from 1440p to 4K), but the absolute drop is still large. The fact that the FPS at 1080p Low is so high suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor; if it were, the FPS would plateau regardless of resolution. Instead, the consistent drop with resolution indicates that the RTX 5090 D's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint. This analysis confirms that the GPU is the main driver of performance scaling in this title, with the CPU providing a robust foundation that does not bottleneck the system until well beyond the tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across different resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance:

• Low: 351 FPS average
• Medium: 285 FPS average (min 243, max 328)
• High: 249 FPS average
• Ultra: 187 FPS average

At 2560x1440, performance remains very high:

• Low: 295 FPS average
• Medium: 209 FPS average (min 178, max 241)
• High: 183 FPS average
• Ultra: 137 FPS average

At 3840x2160, performance is still strong for 4K:

• Low: 190 FPS average
• Medium: 135 FPS average (min 115, max 155)
• High: 118 FPS average
• Ultra: 88 FPS average

The data shows a consistent performance hierarchy, with the Low preset always delivering the highest FPS and the Ultra preset the lowest. The Medium preset provides the only measured minimum FPS values, which are all above 115 FPS even at 4K, indicating solid frame pacing. The gap between the Low and Ultra presets is significant, with the Ultra preset at 4K (88 FPS) being the only result below 100 FPS. This breakdown gives users a clear expectation of performance for their chosen resolution and settings, confirming that the combo is capable of handling high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, as well as smooth 4K gaming on high settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship graphics card based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features the GB202 chip with 92,200 million transistors and a die size of 750 mm². The GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units. It is equipped with 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores. The card's memory subsystem is substantial, consisting of 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 104.8 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s.

In Lockdown Protocol, the RTX 5090 D's role is to render the game's graphics, and the benchmark results show it performs exceptionally well. The GPU's percentile ranking against all GPUs is 92, placing it in the top 8% of all graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 77712 is slightly higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940) by -1.6%, and it is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904). The data indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences across settings, as evidenced by the significant FPS variations between Low and Ultra presets. The 32 GB of VRAM ensures that even at 4K with Ultra settings, there is no memory capacity limitation, allowing the GPU to focus entirely on processing the game's visual effects. The high bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s supports the high pixel and texture rates, enabling the card to maintain high FPS even at demanding 4K resolutions. The GPU's strong performance, combined with the capable CPU, makes this combo a top-tier choice for this game.