Lockdown Protocol

FAQ

Q: What is the Intel Core i5-14600K's position relative to other CPUs in the database?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score is 48,618, placing it just 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4345P, and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX.

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

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1,184, placing it at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. It is nearly identical in performance to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% behind), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% behind), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (0.7% behind). It sits 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000.

Q: What is the best playable setting for this combo at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the only preset that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold is Low, which delivers 80 FPS on average. The Medium preset falls short at 57 FPS, and High reaches only 49 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 2560x1440?

A: No. At 2560x1440, none of the tested presets reach 60 FPS. The Low preset delivers 58 FPS, which is just below the playable threshold, while Medium, High, and Ultra produce 42, 36, and 27 FPS respectively.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B370 have dedicated video memory?

A: No. The Intel Arc B370 uses system shared memory for both capacity and bus width. Its memory bandwidth is described as system dependent, and its TDP is 25 W. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors and a slot width of IGP.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 38 FPS while Ultra averages 18 FPS, a difference of 20 FPS. Medium averages 27 FPS with a range between 23 and 31 FPS, and High averages 23 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B370 combination at rank 3,427 out of 3,714 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. That places this pairing in the bottom 8% of all configurations measured, a strikingly low position given the CPU's strong individual standing.

The disconnect is clear: the processor is a top-tier part, sitting in the 90th percentile of all CPUs with an average score of 48,618. The GPU, however, drags the entire system down. The Intel Arc B370 sits at the 5th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 1,184. This is an integrated graphics solution, drawing just 25 W, and it behaves like one. The combination's rank reflects the GPU's severe limitation rather than any CPU deficiency.

The measured frame rates confirm this ranking. Across all resolutions and presets, the best result is 80 FPS at 1080p Low. Every other preset at every other resolution fails to reach 60 FPS. The data shows a system that can handle the game only at its most modest settings, and only at the lowest resolution tested.

The gap between this combo and more balanced configurations is substantial. The delta between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's low percentile is among the widest recorded in the database. This is a system where the processor has ample headroom, but the graphics solution cannot translate that into playable frame rates at higher settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a heavily GPU-bound scenario at every resolution. The Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor throughout, and the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant to the frame rates achieved.

Consider the scaling from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 80 FPS to 58 FPS, a 27.5% reduction. At Medium, it drops from 57 FPS to 42 FPS, a 26.3% reduction. At High, it drops from 49 FPS to 36 FPS, a 26.5% reduction. At Ultra, it drops from 37 FPS to 27 FPS, a 27% reduction. The consistency of these drops across all presets indicates that resolution scaling affects the GPU workload uniformly, with no evidence of CPU involvement changing the pattern.

The move from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 shows even steeper declines. At Low, the frame rate falls from 58 FPS to 38 FPS, a 34.5% drop. At Medium, it falls from 42 FPS to 27 FPS, a 35.7% drop. At High, it falls from 36 FPS to 23 FPS, a 36.1% drop. At Ultra, it falls from 27 FPS to 18 FPS, a 33.3% drop. These larger percentage drops at higher resolutions further confirm that the GPU is the sole bottleneck.

Preset scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 23 FPS (80 to 57). Moving from Medium to High costs 8 FPS (57 to 49). Moving from High to Ultra costs 12 FPS (49 to 37). The largest single drop occurs between Low and Medium, which is typical of a GPU that cannot handle increased shading and texture complexity. The CPU's 14 cores and 20 threads are never taxed in this game; the bottleneck is entirely on the graphics side.

The Intel Core i5-14600K, with its 3.50 GHz base clock and 5.30 GHz boost clock, would be more than sufficient for this title. The recorded data shows no scenario where CPU performance limits the frame rate. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU produces just 18 FPS, the CPU is idle relative to its capacity. This is a pure GPU limitation.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Lockdown Protocol? The answer depends entirely on resolution and settings. Based on the verdict by resolution, this system is only playable at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

At 1920x1080, the playable settings list contains only Low, with an average FPS of 80 at the best settings. This clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 57 FPS, which falls short of the playable mark. High averages 49 FPS, and Ultra averages 37 FPS. None of these meet the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, there are no playable settings. The Low preset averages 58 FPS, which is 2 FPS below the threshold. This is close but not sufficient. Medium averages 42 FPS, High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. The system cannot maintain 60 FPS at this resolution under any tested configuration.

At 3840x2160, the situation is worse. Low averages 38 FPS, Medium averages 27 FPS with a range from 23 to 31 FPS, High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. None of these are remotely close to playable.

The verdict is clear: this combo is a 1080p Low machine for Lockdown Protocol. It delivers a playable experience only under the most conservative settings. Anyone attempting to use higher presets or higher resolutions will encounter frame rates well below the 60 FPS threshold. The GPU is the limiting factor, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-14600K are all processors with nearly identical average scores. The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48,698, just 0.2% higher than the i5-14600K's 48,618. The AMD EPYC 4345P scores 48,470, 0.3% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX scores 48,287, 0.7% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores 48,995, 0.8% higher. Any of these CPUs would deliver essentially the same frame rates in Lockdown Protocol, since the game is so heavily GPU-bound.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B370's nearest rivals are all older or lower-end parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1,186, 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1,190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1,192, 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1,168, 1.4% lower. These deltas are all within 1.4%, meaning any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game.

For a user considering this combo, the practical takeaway is that the GPU choice dominates the outcome. Swapping the i5-14600K for any of its nearest rivals would change nothing in Lockdown Protocol. Swapping the Arc B370 for any of its nearest rivals would also change almost nothing. The performance envelope is defined entirely by the integrated GPU's limited capabilities.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution. For this combo, the results are sparse.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The best average FPS at any setting is 38 FPS at Low, which is 22 FPS below the threshold. The verdict by resolution lists no playable settings and no best settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, there is also no playable preset. The Low setting averages 58 FPS, which is 2 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. This is the closest the combo comes to playability at this resolution, but it does not clear the bar. The verdict lists no playable settings for 2560x1440.

At 1920x1080, the only playable setting is Low, with an average FPS of 80. This is the sole configuration that meets the playable threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 57 FPS, which fails to reach 60 FPS. The verdict lists Low as the best settings at this resolution, with an average FPS at best of 80.

The practical recommendation for this system is straightforward: run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This yields 80 FPS, which provides a smooth experience. Attempting Medium settings drops the frame rate to 57 FPS, which introduces stutter and reduces responsiveness. Higher resolutions are simply not viable, with the best case at 1440p being 58 FPS at Low, still below the playable threshold.

The data shows no headroom for future settings increases. This combo is pinned to its single playable configuration, and any attempt to push beyond it results in sub-60 FPS performance. For users who prioritize higher visual fidelity, this system would require a different GPU. The CPU has ample capacity, but the integrated graphics solution cannot deliver the necessary frame rates at higher presets.