Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a combination that struggles significantly in Lockdown Protocol. The recorded data shows a system that can handle the game only at its lowest graphical preset and only at 1080p. At higher resolutions or with more demanding settings, the frame rates fall well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across all tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data shows a clear pattern: this combo cannot maintain 60 FPS at 1440p or 4K under any settings. The playable threshold is set at 60 FPS, and the only configuration that clears it is the Low preset at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 80 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only viable option. The Medium preset drops to 57 FPS average, just under the threshold, while High falls to 49 FPS and Ultra to 37 FPS. For a smooth experience, users must stick to Low at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best result is Low at 58 FPS, which is close but still below the target. Medium averages 42 FPS, High 36 FPS, and Ultra 27 FPS. None of these are recommended for a 60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, the situation is worse. Low averages 38 FPS, Medium 27 FPS, High 23 FPS, and Ultra 18 FPS. The GPU is clearly overmatched at this resolution. The verdict data confirms this, listing no playable settings for 1440p or 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor in this pairing. Its benchmark percentile ranks at 5 among all GPUs, placing it near the bottom of the database. The nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% faster), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% faster), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (0.7% faster), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1.4% slower). These are all older or lower-tier parts, confirming the B370 is a weak performer.

The CPU, by contrast, is a strong component. The Ryzen 7 7700 sits in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40081. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.1% faster), Intel Core 5 221E (0.2% faster), AMD Ryzen 9 270 (0.4% faster), and Intel Core i9-13905H (0.6% faster). The CPU is not the bottleneck here.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this. Dropping from 4K to 1440p to 1080p at the same settings produces large FPS gains. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS goes from 38 at 4K to 58 at 1440p to 80 at 1080p. At Medium, it goes from 27 to 42 to 57. This heavy resolution scaling indicates the GPU is saturated at higher pixel counts. A CPU-bound scenario would show smaller differences across resolutions.

The GPU's 25 W TDP and integrated design (IGP slot width, no power connectors) reinforce this. It is not designed for high-end gaming. The Ryzen 7 7700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, can feed frames quickly, but the Arc B370 cannot render them fast enough at demanding settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows the following averages. Low settings deliver 80 FPS. Medium delivers 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. High delivers 49 FPS. Ultra delivers 37 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 23 FPS, indicating a steep performance cost for the first step up in quality.

At 2560x1440, the averages are lower across the board. Low settings deliver 58 FPS. Medium delivers 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48. High delivers 36 FPS. Ultra delivers 27 FPS. The difference between Low at 1080p and Low at 1440p is 22 FPS, showing the resolution penalty.

At 3840x2160, the performance collapses. Low settings deliver 38 FPS. Medium delivers 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. High delivers 23 FPS. Ultra delivers 18 FPS. The gap between Low at 1440p and Low at 4K is 20 FPS.

The frame time consistency also degrades at higher resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range between min and max is 17 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 13 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 8 FPS. While the absolute numbers are lower, the relative swings become more noticeable as the average drops.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 3427 out of 3714 tested combinations in the database for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. The rank reflects the GPU's severe limitation. The Ryzen 7 7700 is a capable processor, but in this pairing it is held back by the Arc B370.

The GPU's benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is extremely low. Its nearest rivals in the GPU database are all within 1.4% of its score, and all are older parts. This is a GPU that competes with hardware from a previous era. The CPU, meanwhile, scores 40081 on average, with rivals like the Ryzen AI 9 365 and Core 5 221E essentially matching it.

The combination rank of 3427 out of 3714 means that almost every other CPU and GPU pairing tested in this game performs better. Users with this specific combo should expect bottom-tier results. The data suggests that swapping either component, particularly the GPU, would yield a substantial improvement.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The average FPS at 1080p Low is 80, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. At Medium, the average drops to 57 FPS, just below the threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo at 1440p?

A: There is no playable preset at 1440p. The best result is Low at 58 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict data lists no playable settings for 2560x1440.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in the recorded benchmark. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% faster), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% faster), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (0.7% faster), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1.4% slower). All are within 1.4% of its performance.

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

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 7700 ranks in the 87th percentile among CPUs, while the Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among GPUs. The large FPS gains when lowering resolution indicate GPU saturation.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with this combo?

A: The best result at 3840x2160 is Low settings at 38 FPS average. Medium averages 27 FPS, High 23 FPS, and Ultra 18 FPS. None are close to the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Medium at 1080p?

A: Low averages 80 FPS, while Medium averages 57 FPS. This is a 23 FPS difference, and it pushes the Medium preset below the playable threshold.

The Verdict

The verdict data is unambiguous. For 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. For 2560x1440, there are also no playable settings. The only playable configuration is 1920x1080 at Low settings, which delivers an average of 80 FPS.

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but only in a very limited way. At 1080p Low, the experience is smooth and well above the 60 FPS target. The moment users increase the preset to Medium, the frame rate drops to 57 FPS, which is borderline and may cause noticeable stutter in a fast-paced FPS. At 1440p, even Low settings fall short at 58 FPS. At 4K, the game is effectively unplayable.

The root cause is clear from the data. The Intel Arc B370 is a low-power integrated GPU with performance comparable to decade-old discrete parts. The Ryzen 7 7700 is not the issue. Users with this combo should consider it a 1080p Low-settings machine for Lockdown Protocol and nothing more. If higher resolutions or better visual quality are required, the GPU must be upgraded.