Lockdown Protocol

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Lockdown Protocol with the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Arc B370 shows a clear performance curve that degrades sharply as resolution and settings increase. At 3840x2160, the combination struggles across every preset. The High preset produces an average of 23 FPS, while Medium averages 27 FPS with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS. Dropping to Low raises the average to 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 18 FPS. None of these figures approach the 60 FPS playability threshold, and even the best 4K result, Low at 38 FPS, remains far below the target.

Moving to 2560x1440 improves matters but does not deliver a playable experience at any setting. The High preset averages 36 FPS, while Medium reaches 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. Low is the strongest 1440p result at 58 FPS, which is just 2 FPS shy of the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra drops to 27 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 31 FPS, indicating that the graphics preset has a substantial impact on the frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the combination finally crosses the playability line, but only on the Low preset. Low averages 80 FPS, which is the highest recorded average in the entire dataset. Medium averages 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, placing it just below the 60 FPS threshold on average. High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 43 FPS, demonstrating that this GPU is highly sensitive to settings changes at the lowest resolution tested.

The minimum and maximum FPS data is only present for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 3840x2160 Medium, the frame time variance is 8 FPS (23 to 31). At 2560x1440 Medium, the variance is 13 FPS (35 to 48). At 1920x1080 Medium, the variance is 17 FPS (48 to 65). This suggests that lower resolutions allow for wider frame rate swings, which is consistent with the GPU being the limiting factor at higher resolutions and the CPU becoming more relevant as resolution drops.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the dominant constraint in this pairing for Lockdown Protocol. The GPU sits at the 5th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000, all of which score within 1.4% of the Arc B370. This places the GPU in a performance class that is far below what modern FPS titles typically require for high-refresh gaming.

The CPU, by contrast, is a high-end part. The Ryzen 9 5950X sits at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 51947. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, AMD EPYC 8124P, Intel Core i9-13900F, and Intel Core i7-14700, all within 0.7% of its average score. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 26017 in multi-core and 1614 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 15233 multi-core and 2083 single-core. These numbers show that the processor is not the bottleneck in most scenarios.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this analysis. From 1920x1080 Low at 80 FPS to 2560x1440 Low at 58 FPS, the frame rate drops by 22 FPS, a 27.5% reduction. From 2560x1440 Low to 3840x2160 Low at 38 FPS, the drop is another 20 FPS, a 34.5% reduction. This pattern of significant frame rate loss with each resolution increase is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the processor would max out before the GPU becomes saturated.

The same pattern appears across all presets. At High settings, the averages are 49 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. At Ultra, they are 37 FPS, 27 FPS, and 18 FPS respectively. The consistent decline with resolution indicates that the GPU is the primary performance limiter. The CPU's role becomes more relevant at 1080p Low, where the GPU has less work to do per frame, but even there the 80 FPS average does not suggest CPU saturation, as the Ryzen 9 5950X is capable of much higher frame rates in less GPU-limited scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only on the Low preset. The 1920x1080 Low setting averages 80 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 57 FPS, which is below the threshold on average, though the maximum recorded FPS of 65 indicates it occasionally crosses 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best 4K setting for this combination?

A: There is no playable 4K setting. The highest 4K average is 38 FPS on Low, and the best 4K result is 38 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 18 FPS, High averages 23 FPS, and Medium averages 27 FPS. All fall well below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest competitors?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, which is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192), and 1.4% higher than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168). All five GPUs are within a 2.1% performance band.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. At 2560x1440, the frame rates range from 27 FPS at Ultra to 58 FPS at Low. The CPU, which sits at the 91st percentile among all CPUs, is not being stressed by these frame rates. The resolution-based scaling in the data indicates GPU-bound performance.

Q: What frame rate variance does the Medium preset show at each resolution?

A: At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 23 FPS and the maximum is 31 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 35 FPS and the maximum is 48 FPS. At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 48 FPS and the maximum is 65 FPS. The variance widens as resolution decreases.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 3427 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations.

The Verdict

The recorded data is unambiguous: this PC can run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080, but only on the Low preset. The verdict data confirms that the only playable settings across all tested resolutions are at 1080p with Low, which averages 80 FPS. This is the sole configuration that clears the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, there are no playable settings. The closest result is Low at 58 FPS, which misses the threshold by 2 FPS. Medium at 1440p averages 42 FPS, High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse: Low averages 38 FPS, Medium averages 27 FPS, High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. No 4K preset comes close to 60 FPS.

For users who accept 1080p as their target resolution, the Low preset is the only viable option. The 80 FPS average provides enough headroom above the 60 FPS threshold for minor frame rate dips, though the lack of minimum FPS data for the Low preset means the worst-case frame time is not recorded. The Medium preset at 1080p is borderline, with an average of 57 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, but its minimum of 48 FPS means sustained drops below 60 FPS are likely.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest CPU rivals to the Ryzen 9 5950X, based on average benchmark scores, are the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX, AMD EPYC 8124P, Intel Core i9-13900F, and Intel Core i7-14700. The Core Ultra 5 235HX scores 52073, which is 0.2% lower than the Ryzen 9 5950X's 51947. The EPYC 8124P scores 52121, 0.3% lower. The Core i9-13900F scores 51730, 0.4% higher. The Core i7-14700 scores 52301, 0.7% lower. In a gaming context, any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol when paired with the same GPU, since the GPU is the bottleneck.

The GPU rivals are substantially weaker in absolute terms. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168. All of these are within 1.4% of the Arc B370's 1184 score. In practical terms, swapping the Arc B370 for any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, meaning users would still be limited to 1080p Low for playable performance.

The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU creates an unusual pairing. Users who have a Ryzen 9 5950X and are considering the Arc B370 should understand that the GPU will define the gaming experience. The CPU's substantial headroom, demonstrated by its 91st percentile ranking, will not compensate for the GPU's 5th percentile ranking in GPU-bound scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 3427 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the pairing in the bottom 7.7% of all configurations in the database. The ranking reflects the GPU's severe performance limitation, as the CPU is one of the strongest parts in the database.

The rank is consistent with the measured FPS data. A combo that can only achieve playable frame rates at 1080p Low, with an 80 FPS average, and cannot reach 60 FPS at any 1440p or 4K setting, will naturally sit near the bottom of a ranking that includes many more balanced configurations. The 5th percentile GPU ranking is the primary driver of this low overall position.

It is notably the combo rank does not reflect the CPU's capability. The Ryzen 9 5950X's 91st percentile CPU ranking and its benchmark scores, including a 26017 Cinebench R23 multi-core score and a 15233 Geekbench multi-core score, indicate that the processor is far more capable than the GPU. In a different pairing with a stronger GPU, the CPU would likely deliver much higher frame rates in this game. As configured, the GPU caps the system's performance.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no preset that reaches 60 FPS. The highest average is 38 FPS on Low, and the verdict data lists no playable settings for 4K. Users targeting 4K would need to accept frame rates below 40 FPS even on the lowest settings.

At 2560x1440, there is also no playable preset. The Low setting averages 58 FPS, which is 2 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict data confirms no playable settings at this resolution. Users at 1440p would need to either lower their resolution or accept sub-60 FPS performance.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 80 FPS. This is the best settings configuration for this resolution, as it is the only one that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 57 FPS, which is close but does not meet the threshold on average. The data supports 1080p Low as the recommended configuration for this system.