Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB. Measured frame rates span from 219.9 FPS at 1080p Low to 46.4 FPS at 4K Ultra, with the combo ranking 693rd out of 1,637 tested combinations. The data reveals a system where the GPU, not the CPU, dictates performance across most settings, and where resolution scaling has a pronounced effect on playability.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS across resolutions shows a clear pattern: as pixel count rises, average frame rates fall sharply. At Low settings, the 1080p average is 219.9 FPS, dropping to 163.7 FPS at 1440p and 102.7 FPS at 4K. Medium settings follow a similar trajectory: 156 FPS at 1080p, 115.9 FPS at 1440p, and 73.4 FPS at 4K. High settings yield 136.4 FPS at 1080p, 99.9 FPS at 1440p, and 64.8 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce 104.1 FPS at 1080p, 73.9 FPS at 1440p, and 46.4 FPS at 4K.

The relative drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent across presets—each 4K value is roughly half of its 1080p counterpart. For instance, Low goes from 219.9 to 102.7, Medium from 156 to 73.4, High from 136.4 to 64.8, and Ultra from 104.1 to 46.4. This uniformity suggests that the scaling is driven by the GPU's rendering capacity rather than by CPU limitations. The RTX 4060 Ti's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, with a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, appear to be the constraining factors at higher resolutions. The CPU, with 24 cores and 32 threads boosting to 6.00 GHz, is unlikely to bottleneck at any resolution, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores—Cinebench R23 multi-core reaches 49,872 and single-core 7,040. The data implies that players seeking higher frame rates at 4K will need to lower settings, while 1080p and 1440p offer more headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combo?

A: The highest average is 219.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 46.4, which is the lowest measured value in the dataset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance?

A: The GPU's benchmark percentile is 17, while the CPU's is 97, indicating the GPU is far weaker relative to its peers. The consistent FPS drop across resolutions further points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: It ranks 693rd out of 1,637 combos, placing it in the lower half of the field.

Q: Does the CPU have a launch MSRP?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i9-14900K has a launch MSRP of $589.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. Its base clock is 2310 MHz, boosting to 2535 MHz, and it features 4,352 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The memory runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit interface, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2,913, and its percentile versus all GPUs is 17, meaning it outperforms only 17% of the database—a low standing that aligns with its mid-range positioning.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's limitations become evident at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 46.4, which is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth. Even at 4K High, the average is 64.8 FPS, barely above that mark. The 8 GB VRAM capacity may also be a factor, as the game's high-resolution textures could exceed this amount, though the data does not directly measure VRAM usage. The GPU's launch MSRP is 399 USD, and it is now end-of-life, with a successor in the GeForce 50 series. The measured results suggest that this GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers high frame rates across most presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and the RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB ranks 693rd out of 1,637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the lower half of the field, indicating that many other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher average frame rates. The CPU itself is a top-tier part—its percentile versus all CPUs is 97, and its average benchmark score is 79,824. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7413 (delta -0.3%), the Intel Core i9-14900KF (delta 0.7%), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF (delta 0.7%). The GPU, however, is far less competitive, with a percentile of 17 and an average benchmark score of 2,913. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M (delta 0%), the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB (delta 0.2%), and the GT 650M (delta 0.7%). The stark contrast between the CPU's high standing and the GPU's low standing explains why the combo ranks poorly overall—the GPU drags down the system's performance in a GPU-bound game like this FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor from the Raptor Lake refresh, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. Its benchmark results are impressive: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 49,872, single-core 7,040; Geekbench multi-core 20,370, single-core 3,064; and PassMark multi-thread 58,674. The CPU's percentile of 97 places it among the top processors, and its launch MSRP is $589.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's strength is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 219.9 FPS, a figure that likely approaches the game's engine limit or the GPU's maximum output. The CPU's high single-thread performance (7,040 in Cinebench R23) ensures that it can feed the GPU with frames even at high refresh rates. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's advantage diminishes. The data shows that at 4K, even the best CPU cannot compensate for the GPU's bandwidth and VRAM constraints. The CPU's role is therefore to enable high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it does not rescue performance at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists all measured average FPS values for this combo:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 64.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 102.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 73.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 46.4 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 99.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 163.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 115.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 73.9 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 136.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 219.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 156.0 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 104.1 |

At 1080p, all presets exceed 100 FPS, with Low reaching 219.9 and Ultra still at 104.1. At 1440p, Low and Medium stay above 100 FPS (163.7 and 115.9), while High and Ultra drop to 99.9 and 73.9. At 4K, only Low surpasses 100 FPS (102.7); Medium and High are 73.4 and 64.8, and Ultra falls to 46.4. The data shows a clear hierarchy: lower settings and lower resolutions yield higher frame rates, with the most demanding combination (4K Ultra) producing less than a quarter of the 1080p Low figure.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, any setting from Low to Ultra provides a smooth experience, with even Ultra averaging 104.1 FPS. Medium at 156 FPS offers a good balance between visual quality and performance, while High at 136.4 FPS is also excellent. For 1440p, Low (163.7 FPS) and Medium (115.9 FPS) are ideal for high-refresh monitors, while High (99.9 FPS) is still above 60 FPS. Ultra at 73.9 FPS is playable but may not satisfy competitive players. At 4K, only Low (102.7 FPS) delivers a high frame rate; Medium (73.4 FPS) and High (64.8 FPS) are acceptable for casual play, but Ultra (46.4 FPS) falls below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended. For a balanced experience across resolutions, Medium settings provide the best compromise, yielding 156 FPS at 1080p, 115.9 FPS at 1440p, and 73.4 FPS at 4K—all above 60 FPS. Players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity should consider High at 1440p (99.9 FPS) or 1080p (136.4 FPS), while those with 4K displays should stick to Low to maintain fluidity.