Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a sharply GPU-limited profile in Lockdown Protocol. The recorded data shows that while the CPU is exceptionally capable, the Arc B390’s integrated-class performance caps frame rates well below what the processor could otherwise drive. Across all tested resolutions and presets, the combination produces playable frame rates (at or above 60 FPS) only at 2560x1440 on Low and 1920x1080 on Low and Medium. At 4K, no settings preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold, making the resolution effectively unplayable for this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the Arc B390 struggles to maintain fluid motion. On Low settings, the average FPS is 42, which is the highest recorded at this resolution. Medium settings drop the average to 30 FPS, with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS. High settings yield an average of 26 FPS, while Ultra falls further to 19 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial: 23 FPS, indicating that graphics load heavily impacts the integrated GPU’s throughput. None of these averages approach the 60 FPS playable threshold, and even the Low preset’s 42 FPS average represents a 30% deficit from that target.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains constrained. Low settings deliver an average of 65 FPS, the only preset at this resolution to cross the 60 FPS line. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. High settings average 40 FPS, and Ultra drops to 30 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline: 65, 46, 40, and 30 FPS respectively. The Medium preset’s maximum of 53 FPS is still below the Low preset’s average, confirming that the GPU lacks headroom for higher fidelity at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the combination performs at its best. Low settings average 88 FPS, the highest figure recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. High settings average 55 FPS, narrowly missing the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra averages 41 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 25 FPS, while the delta between Medium and High is 8 FPS. The data indicates that 1080p is the only resolution where two presets satisfy the playability criterion, and even then, the margin is thin: Medium is just 3 FPS above the threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS varies by resolution, and the verdict data confirms a clear pattern.

At 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS requirement. The best recorded average is 42 FPS on Low, but that falls 18 FPS short of the playable threshold. The database lists no playable settings and no best settings for this resolution, meaning users targeting 4K would need to accept frame rates far below smooth gameplay or reduce the resolution entirely.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Low, which produces an average of 65 FPS. This is 5 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fail the criterion, with averages of 46, 40, and 30 FPS respectively. The Low preset is the only viable option at this resolution, and its 65 FPS average provides a modest cushion above the playability floor.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Medium, averaging 63 FPS. This is 3 FPS above the threshold, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. Low also qualifies at 88 FPS, but Medium is the most demanding preset that still maintains an average at or above 60 FPS. High and Ultra fail, averaging 55 and 41 FPS respectively. The recommendation is clear: Medium at 1080p offers the highest fidelity among playable configurations, though the 53 FPS minimum suggests occasional dips below the target.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-13700K in the CPU benchmark database are tightly clustered. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46,971 versus the i7-13700K’s 46,881, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the AMD part is effectively identical in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47,022, a -0.3% delta, again nearly indistinguishable. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46,654, a 0.5% delta, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 scores 46,653, also a 0.5% delta. These four rivals bracket the i7-13700K within a range of less than 1% in either direction, so in Lockdown Protocol, any of these CPUs would behave essentially the same as the i7-13700K when paired with the Arc B390. Since the GPU is the limiting factor in this game, swapping among these processors would produce negligible FPS changes.

The Intel Arc B390’s nearest GPU rivals are far older and weaker parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 versus the Arc B390’s 1,482, a 1.3% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1,460, a 1.5% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446, a 2.5% delta, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443, a 2.7% delta. These deltas are all small in percentage terms, but the absolute scores are very low, reflecting the Arc B390’s 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs. In practical terms, a system using any of these rival GPUs would produce frame rates in Lockdown Protocol similar to the Arc B390’s, meaning the same playability limitations: no 4K playable presets, only Low at 1440p, and only Low or Medium at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS across all settings is 42 on Low. Medium averages 30 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. The database lists no playable settings for this resolution, as none reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 2560x1440?

A: Low is the only playable preset at 1440p, with an average of 65 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra average 46, 40, and 30 FPS respectively, all below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is 1920x1080 playable on Medium settings?

A: Yes. Medium at 1080p averages 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. It is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution. Low is also playable, averaging 88 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark. 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 would produce similar frame rates in Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What resolution and settings deliver the highest average FPS for this combo?

A: The highest recorded average is 88 FPS at 1920x1080 on Low settings. The next highest is 65 FPS at 2560x1440 on Low settings. At 4K, the maximum average is 42 FPS on Low.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Intel Core i7-13700K ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The frame rates closely track the GPU’s low benchmark score, and the CPU’s nearest rivals show deltas under 1%, indicating that CPU choice has minimal impact on this pairing’s performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component in Lockdown Protocol. The CPU, Intel Core i7-13700K, is a high-end desktop part with an average benchmark score of 46,881 and an 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, all within 0.5% in average score, confirm that it is not a performance outlier in either direction. The GPU, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 1,482 and a 9th percentile ranking, placing it near the bottom of the GPU performance distribution. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 and GT 625 OEM, are legacy parts from a much older era.

The scaling between resolutions and presets reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p, dropping from Low to Medium reduces the average FPS from 88 to 63, a 25 FPS loss. Dropping further to High reduces it to 55, and Ultra to 41. At 1440p, the same preset progression yields 65, 46, 40, and 30 FPS. At 4K, it yields 42, 30, 26, and 19 FPS. In every case, the GPU’s rendering load dominates the frame rate, and the CPU’s high multithreaded capabilities (3DMark max threads score of 12,412, Cinebench R23 multicore score of 30,745) are never the constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect similar FPS across different resolutions at the same preset, but instead we see consistent drops as resolution increases: for Low settings, 88 FPS at 1080p falls to 65 FPS at 1440p and 42 FPS at 4K.

At 1080p, the CPU might contribute slightly more to overall performance because the GPU has less work per frame, but even then, the Medium preset’s 63 FPS average with a 53 FPS minimum shows that the GPU cannot maintain a stable 60 FPS under load. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is unquestionably the dominant factor, with no preset at 4K exceeding 42 FPS. Users should treat this combo as GPU-bound at all settings, with the CPU providing ample headroom that goes unused.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3,302 out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations in the database, consistent with the GPU’s low benchmark standing. The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking cannot compensate for the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking, and the resulting frame rates reflect that imbalance.

For context, the combo’s rank means that 412 tested combinations perform worse, while the vast majority perform better. The measured FPS data supports this: the combo only achieves playable frame rates at 1440p Low and 1080p Low/Medium. At 4K, it fails every preset. The combination is suitable only for users who prioritize CPU-heavy workloads outside of gaming, as the i7-13700K is a strong processor, but for Lockdown Protocol specifically, the Arc B390 severely limits the experience. The rank of 3,302 out of 3,714 is a direct reflection of the GPU’s inability to drive modern FPS titles at higher settings or resolutions.