Lockdown Protocol

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 307.7 FPS, but this drops to 224.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 147 FPS at 4K. This represents a 52.3% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the graphics card becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling behavior shifts when examining higher preset levels. At Ultra settings, the frame rate moves from 142.9 FPS at 1080p to 105.1 FPS at 1440p, then settles at 70.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is 50.5%, nearly identical to the Low preset's scaling. This consistency across presets suggests that Lockdown Protocol does not exhibit unusual scaling characteristics, the workload scales predictably with pixel count.

For High settings, the progression from 193.9 FPS at 1080p to 141.4 FPS at 1440p and finally 89.9 FPS at 4K shows a 53.6% reduction across the full resolution range. Medium settings follow a similar trajectory: 222.2 FPS at 1080p, 157.8 FPS at 1440p, and 105.6 FPS at 4K, a 52.5% drop. The uniformity of these percentages, all falling between 50% and 54%, indicates that the rendering pipeline is consistently GPU-limited across all tested configurations.

The 4K results are particularly telling. At 4K Ultra, the combo delivers 70.7 FPS, which is below the 144Hz refresh rate that many competitive FPS players target. Even at 4K High, the 89.9 FPS figure remains below that threshold. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this hardware is viable for immersive play but not for high-refresh-rate competitive scenarios. At 1080p, however, even Ultra settings produce 142.9 FPS, which approaches the 144Hz mark, while Low settings reach 307.7 FPS, far exceeding any current display's refresh capabilities.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K brings 24 cores and 32 threads to the system, running at a base clock of 3.20 GHz with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. This processor sits in the 97th percentile among all CPUs according to aggregate benchmark data, with an average benchmark score of 79824. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7413 at 80041 (a 0.3% difference), the Intel Core i9-14900KF at 79245 (0.7% ahead), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF at 79240 (0.7% ahead).

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the gap between Low and Ultra presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (307.7 FPS) and Ultra (142.9 FPS) is 164.8 FPS, suggesting that the game's Ultra preset introduces substantial GPU workload that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER must process. The CPU maintains high frame rates even at Low settings, where the GPU is less burdened, 307.7 FPS at 1080p indicates the processor can feed frames faster than most displays can show them.

The single-thread performance of the i9-14900K is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7040 and Geekbench single-core score of 3064. Multi-threaded results are equally impressive: Cinebench R23 multicore reaches 49872, and Geekbench multicore hits 20370. For an FPS title like Lockdown Protocol, the combination of high single-thread performance and 32 threads means the CPU is unlikely to bottleneck the GPU in most scenarios.

The Passmark multithread score of 58674 and single-thread score of 4697 further confirm this processor's capability. Data compression and encryption scores of 792694 and 46813, respectively, indicate strong general-purpose performance. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data locality for game logic and physics calculations. The 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make this a conventional high-end desktop part.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU's role in Lockdown Protocol is secondary to the GPU, particularly at higher resolutions where the 4K-to-1080p FPS ratios remain consistent regardless of preset. The processor's 97th percentile ranking suggests it belongs to the top tier of available CPUs, and its nearest rivals show performance differences of less than 1%, meaning any of these processors would yield similar in-game results.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achieved with this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 307.7, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 150th out of 1637 tested combinations, placing it in the top 9.2% of all configurations.

Q: What FPS can be expected at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers an average FPS of 70.7, which is the lowest measured result across all configurations.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data shows GPU limitation, as the FPS varies significantly with preset changes, from 307.7 FPS at Low to 142.9 FPS at Ultra, while the CPU maintains high frame delivery throughout.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 48704, placing it in the 86th percentile. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, scores 49071 (0.7% higher), while the NVIDIA RTX A2000 scores 47915 (1.6% lower).

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 222.2 at 1080p to 105.6 at 4K, a reduction of 116.6 FPS or approximately 52.5%.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination ranks 150th out of 1637 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the configuration in the top 9.2% of all systems tested for this game. The rank reflects the balanced pairing of a top-tier CPU with a high-end GPU, though the GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all graphics cards suggests that other GPU options could push this combo higher.

The CPU's 97th percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates that the processor is not the limiting factor in this setup. The nearest CPU rivals, the AMD EPYC 7413, Intel Core i9-14900KF, Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, and Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, all fall within 0.9% of the i9-14900K's average benchmark score, meaning any of these processors would likely produce similar in-game ranks.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's average benchmark score of 48704 and 86th percentile ranking show it is a solid performer but not at the absolute top of the GPU hierarchy. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA CMP 50HX (0.7% higher), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 (1.6% lower), the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (2% lower), and the Intel Arc A550M (2.1% lower). The small deltas among these rivals mean that GPU choice within this performance band has a limited impact on the overall combo rank.

The 150th rank out of 1637 combos indicates that 1487 tested configurations perform worse in Lockdown Protocol. This places the combo well within the upper echelon of systems, suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, with playable 4K performance on lower presets. The rank also reflects the game's moderate hardware demands, it is not so demanding that even this powerful combo struggles, nor so light that the CPU's strength is wasted.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its highest frame rates across all presets. Low settings yield 307.7 FPS, Medium produces 222.2 FPS, High delivers 193.9 FPS, and Ultra reaches 142.9 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 164.8 FPS, demonstrating the significant impact of graphical preset on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease across the board. Low settings deliver 224.6 FPS, Medium yields 157.8 FPS, High produces 141.4 FPS, and Ultra reaches 105.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra narrows to 119.5 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming more stressed at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the performance drops further. Low settings produce 147 FPS, Medium yields 105.6 FPS, High delivers 89.9 FPS, and Ultra reaches 70.7 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap narrows further to 76.3 FPS, confirming that the GPU's workload scales with resolution.

The data shows consistent performance ordering across all resolutions: Low > Medium > High > Ultra. The percentage difference between Low and Ultra remains relatively stable, ranging from 50.5% at 4K to 53.6% at 1080p. This consistency suggests that each preset level adds a similar proportional GPU workload regardless of resolution.

Between 1080p and 1440p, the FPS drops range from 25.9% (High: 193.9 to 141.4) to 27.0% (Low: 307.7 to 224.6). Between 1440p and 4K, the drops range from 32.8% (Ultra: 105.1 to 70.7) to 36.4% (Medium: 157.8 to 105.6). The larger percentage drops at higher resolutions further confirm the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

Settings Recommendations

For competitive play at 1080p, the Low preset at 307.7 FPS provides the highest possible frame rate, far exceeding any display's refresh rate. However, the Medium preset at 222.2 FPS still offers substantial headroom above 144Hz displays, making it a better choice for players who want improved visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 193.9 FPS remains above 144Hz, while Ultra at 142.9 FPS just misses the 144Hz mark, making it suitable only for 120Hz displays.

At 1440p, the Low preset at 224.6 FPS is the only option that comfortably exceeds 144Hz. Medium at 157.8 FPS remains above 144Hz, while High at 141.4 FPS falls just short, and Ultra at 105.1 FPS is better suited for 100Hz displays. Players with 1440p 144Hz monitors should select Medium for the best balance of frame rate and visual quality.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 147 FPS is the only option that exceeds 144Hz, while Medium at 105.6 FPS and High at 89.9 FPS are suitable for 60-100Hz displays. Ultra at 70.7 FPS remains playable on 60Hz monitors but will not take advantage of higher refresh rates. The data suggests that 4K players should prioritize Medium or High presets for a reasonable visual experience, accepting that frame rates will be lower than at 1080p or 1440p.

The measured rows indicate that the High preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions: 193.9 FPS at 1080p, 141.4 FPS at 1440p, and 89.9 FPS at 4K. This preset provides a substantial visual upgrade over Low while maintaining frame rates that are competitive or playable at every tested resolution. For players who value visual quality over maximum frame rate, Ultra at 1080p (142.9 FPS) is the best option, as it approaches 144Hz while delivering the game's highest visual fidelity.