Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B390 is a combination that delivers playable frame rates only at lower resolutions and graphical presets in Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, the system can run Medium settings with an average of 63 FPS, while at 2560x1440, Low settings are required to stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that this hardware is not capable of maintaining 60 FPS at 3840x2160 under any tested setting.

Best Settings per Resolution

For players targeting a smooth experience, the highest preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS varies significantly by resolution. The recorded data indicates a clear ceiling for this combo.

At 3840x2160, no tested preset reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest average frame rate recorded at this resolution is 42 FPS on Low settings. High settings produce an average of 26 FPS, Medium drops to 30 FPS, and Ultra falls to 19 FPS. None of these are suitable for smooth gameplay, so there is no recommended setting for 4K with this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the only playable option is Low settings, which delivers an average of 65 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold by a margin of 5 frames. Medium settings average 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. Players who want to run at this resolution must accept Low settings to stay above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the system offers more flexibility. Medium settings deliver an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS, making it the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. Low settings average 88 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combination. High settings average 55 FPS, just below the threshold, and Ultra averages 41 FPS. The recommended configuration for 1080p is Medium, as it balances visual quality with a playable average frame rate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results show that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary limiting factor in this system, as frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings. The GPU's small performance envelope, reflected in its 9th percentile ranking among all tested GPUs, means that it saturates quickly as workload increases.

The scaling from 1920x1080 Low to 3840x2160 Low illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system averages 88 FPS, but at 1440p Low, this drops to 65 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 42 FPS. This represents a reduction of 23 FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 23 FPS when moving from 1440p to 4K. The consistent drops across resolution steps indicate that the GPU is running out of pixel processing capability, not that the CPU is holding back performance.

The Intel Core i3-12100F, by contrast, ranks in the 68th percentile among all tested CPUs, suggesting it has ample headroom for this workload. Its 3DMark scores, including 4051 in the 16-thread test and 893 in the single-thread test, show a capable processor for gaming. Since the frame rates decline so sharply with resolution increases, the data points to the GPU as the constraining component.

Settings scaling further confirms this. At 1920x1080, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average frame rate from 88 FPS to 63 FPS, a 25 FPS drop. Moving from Medium to High reduces it to 55 FPS, and High to Ultra drops it to 41 FPS. This steep decline with each preset tier is characteristic of a GPU-limited system, as the Arc B390 has limited shading units, texture mapping units, and render output units to handle increasing graphical demands.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is less strained. At 1080p Low, the 88 FPS result suggests the processor can feed the GPU effectively. However, the CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient for this title, as the frame rates do not show signs of a CPU bottleneck at any tested configuration. The system behaves consistently with a GPU-bound scenario across all resolutions and presets.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 4K resolution?

A: No. The highest average frame rate recorded at 3840x2160 is 42 FPS on Low settings, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Other presets perform worse, with High at 26 FPS, Medium at 30 FPS, and Ultra at 19 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gameplay?

A: Low settings are the only playable option at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 65 FPS. Medium settings average 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, while High and Ultra average 40 FPS and 30 FPS respectively.

Q: Is Medium settings playable at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, Medium settings produce an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the GPU compare to other tested graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1.3% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which scores 1.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM and GT 710 also perform similarly, with scores 2.5% and 2.7% higher respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to other tested processors?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F ranks in the 68th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355, which has a nearly identical average score with a 0% delta. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 0.3% higher, while the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 0.7% lower and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 1.1% higher.

Q: Does the system have any playable settings at 4K?

A: No settings are playable at 3840x2160. The verdict data lists no playable settings for this resolution, meaning every preset fails to reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the nearest rivals in the database provide a frame of reference for CPU performance. The Intel Core 3 N355 has an average benchmark score of 13492, essentially identical to the i3-12100F's 13494, making it a direct performance equivalent. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, which is 0.3% lower, placing it in the same performance tier. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, coming in 0.7% higher, while the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, which is 1.1% lower. These processors would all deliver comparable CPU-bound behavior in Lockdown Protocol, meaning the frame rates would remain limited by the GPU in this configuration.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are all significantly older NVIDIA parts, reflecting the GPU's low performance tier. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% higher than the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, coming in 1.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a 2.5% difference, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, which is 2.7% higher. These GPUs would produce similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, meaning any of these alternatives would also struggle to exceed 60 FPS at higher resolutions or presets. The practical takeaway is that the Arc B390 sits at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum, and swapping it for any of these rivals would not meaningfully change the playable settings at each resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3302 out of 3714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the bottom 11% of all configurations in the database, confirming that it is a low-end pairing for this game. The ranking reflects the GPU's severe limitations, as the CPU itself is a mid-range part that would not drag down a more capable graphics card. The percentile data for the GPU, sitting at 9%, is the dominant factor in this low overall ranking.

The frame rate results align with this ranking. The system only clears the 60 FPS threshold at two configurations: 1080p Low at 88 FPS and 1080p Medium at 63 FPS, plus 1440p Low at 65 FPS. Every other tested combination falls below the playable threshold. This narrow band of playable settings is consistent with a combo ranked near the bottom of the database.

The Verdict

This PC can run Lockdown Protocol, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, the system is playable on Low and Medium settings, with Medium being the best choice at an average of 63 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low settings clear the 60 FPS threshold, delivering an average of 65 FPS. At 3840x2160, no settings are playable, and the best result is 42 FPS on Low.

The verdict data confirms this split. For 1920x1080, the playable settings include Low and Medium, with Medium identified as the best setting. For 2560x1440, Low is the only playable setting, averaging 65 FPS. For 3840x2160, the playable settings list is empty, indicating that the system fails to reach 60 FPS at any preset.

Players using this combination should target 1080p for the best experience. Medium settings at 1080p provide a comfortable average frame rate with a minimum of 53 FPS, which remains near the 60 FPS target. Dropping to Low at 1080p offers a substantial headroom boost to 88 FPS, which could help in demanding scenes. At 1440p, Low settings work but leave little margin for variance, as the average of 65 FPS sits only 5 frames above the threshold. The system is not viable for 4K gaming in this title, and users should avoid attempting it with this hardware.

The Intel Core i3-12100F does its part, ranking in the 68th percentile among CPUs, but the Intel Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU ranking caps the system's potential. The result is a configuration that is functional for 1080p gaming in Lockdown Protocol, marginal at 1440p, and unsuitable for 4K.