Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers an average of 26 FPS on High settings, 42 FPS on Low, 30 FPS on Medium, and 19 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one at this resolution with recorded minimum and maximum values, showing a range between 25 FPS and 34 FPS. These figures place the entire 4K experience below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and even the lowest preset falls short by a significant margin.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance improves notably. The Low preset reaches an average of 65 FPS, which clears the playable threshold. High settings produce 40 FPS average, Medium drops to 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS and maximum of 53 FPS, while Ultra manages only 30 FPS. The spread between Low and High at this resolution is 25 FPS, indicating that the graphics preset has a substantial impact on frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the combination performs best overall. The Low preset averages 88 FPS, Medium averages 63 FPS with a recorded range of 53 to 72 FPS, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 41 FPS. Both Low and Medium presets exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold, while High falls just 5 FPS short. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is consistent: each resolution drop yields roughly a 35% to 40% improvement in average frame rate across comparable presets.

The data shows a clear pattern where the Intel Arc B390 becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. The gap between Low and Ultra presets widens from 47 FPS at 1080p to 52 FPS at 1440p and 23 FPS at 4K, though the 4K gap is smaller in absolute terms because even the best preset struggles.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing ranks 3302 out of 3714 total combinations. This places the system in approximately the 11th percentile of all tested configs, meaning about 89% of combinations tested achieve higher average frame rates. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities, as the Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the database.

The CPU, by contrast, performs far better relative to its peers. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D ranks in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 58,386. Its nearest rivals in the CPU database include the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M with an average score of 58,323 (0.1% slower), the Intel Core i9-14900 at 58,115 (0.5% slower), the Intel Xeon w5-2545 at 58,504 (0.2% faster), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 at 58,826 (0.7% faster). These deltas are minimal, indicating the 9850X3D sits in a tightly clustered performance band.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1,482 from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1,463 (1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1,460 (1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1,446 (2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1,443 (2.7% slower). All of these GPUs are within a 2.7% performance band, confirming that the Arc B390 operates at the very bottom of the discrete GPU spectrum, despite being an integrated graphics solution on Panther Lake.

The combination rank of 3302 out of 3714 underscores that while the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU drags the overall gaming experience down. In CPU-bound scenarios at lower resolutions, the system performs adequately, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution and settings increase.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: Yes. The recorded average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and maximum of 72 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1440p?

A: The only playable preset at 2560x1440 is Low, which achieves an average of 65 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combination?

A: No. All presets at 3840x2160 fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best result is Low settings at 42 FPS average, which is still 18 FPS short of playable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58,386. Its closest competitor, the Intel Xeon w5-2545, scores 58,504, which is 0.2% faster. The Intel Core i9-14900 is 0.5% slower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 is 0.7% faster.

Q: What GPU performance class does the Arc B390 belong to?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1,463 and the GeForce 800M at 1,460, placing it in the entry-level segment of the database.

Q: Which component limits performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The frame rate scaling across resolutions confirms this, as performance drops sharply when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K.

The Verdict

This system can run Lockdown Protocol, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 88 FPS average and Medium delivers 63 FPS average, both clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset is playable with 65 FPS average. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the playable threshold; the best result is Low at 42 FPS.

The verdict by resolution is definitive. For 1080p gaming, the system is fully capable with Medium settings, offering a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For 1440p, players must accept Low settings to stay playable, which may compromise visual quality. For 4K, the system is not viable for this title, as even the lowest settings cannot approach the playable threshold.

The data shows that this combination is best suited for 1080p play with moderate settings. Users with 1440p displays can still enjoy the game but must sacrifice visual fidelity. The 60 FPS threshold at 1080p Medium is the sweet spot, balancing frame rate and image quality.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the CPU and GPU becomes clear when examining frame rates across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is 47 FPS (88 versus 41), indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by higher settings even at this resolution. However, the CPU's high percentile ranking suggests it is not the bottleneck here.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops from 88 FPS to 65 FPS, a 26% reduction, while Ultra drops from 41 FPS to 30 FPS, a 27% reduction. This proportional scaling indicates that both components are being stressed, but the GPU's limitations become more apparent as pixel count increases. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 46 FPS, which is 17 FPS below the 1080p Medium result, showing a clear resolution penalty.

At 3840x2160, the GPU saturates completely. The Low preset falls to 42 FPS, and the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 23 FPS (from 47 FPS at 1080p). This compression of the preset range at 4K is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where even the lowest settings cannot overcome the pixel throughput limitation. The CPU's role diminishes as resolution rises, with the Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute becoming the hard ceiling.

The scaling data reveals that the CPU matters most at 1080p Low, where the 88 FPS result suggests the processor can feed the GPU adequately. As settings and resolution increase, the GPU's 80 W TDP and integrated design constrain performance. The system behaves as expected for an IGP solution paired with a high-end CPU: the CPU provides headroom, but the GPU determines the final frame rate.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS playable threshold. The database records no playable settings for this resolution, so there is no recommended preset.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Low, which delivers an average of 65 FPS. This is the only setting that clears 60 FPS, making it the mandatory choice for playable performance at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Medium, achieving an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and maximum of 72 FPS. While Low delivers a higher average of 88 FPS, Medium offers the best visual quality while still maintaining an average above the playable threshold. The minimum of 53 FPS indicates occasional dips below 60, but the average remains solid.

For users prioritizing consistent frame rates over visual fidelity, 1080p Low at 88 FPS offers the largest margin above the threshold. For balanced quality and performance, 1080p Medium at 63 FPS is the recommended configuration.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D's nearest rivals in the database are all within a 1.2% performance band. The Intel Xeon w5-2545 is 0.2% faster with an average score of 58,504. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 is 0.7% faster at 58,826. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M is 0.1% slower at 58,323, and the Intel Core i9-14900 is 0.5% slower at 58,115. Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Lockdown Protocol, meaning the choice between them would not materially affect frame rates.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts with very similar scores. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX is 1.3% slower at 1,463, the GeForce 800M is 1.5% slower at 1,460, the GeForce GT 625 OEM is 2.5% slower at 1,446, and the GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% slower at 1,443. These GPUs would all produce nearly identical results in this game, with frame rate differences of less than 3%. Users with any of these GPUs should expect similar playability characteristics: 1080p Medium playable, 1440p Low only, and 4K not playable.

The practical implication is that swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals would preserve the current performance profile, while swapping the GPU for any of its nearest rivals would also yield negligible changes. The system's overall gaming capability is defined by the GPU's entry-level positioning, regardless of the CPU's high-end standing.