Lockdown Protocol

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i9-14900K sits in a dense performance cluster at the top of the desktop CPU hierarchy. Its average benchmark score of 79,097 places it within 2% of several near-identical processors. The closest match is the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79,371, a delta of only -0.3%. In practical terms, these two chips are interchangeable for gaming workloads. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus trails by just -0.6% with a score of 79,574, while the AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80,041, which is -1.2% relative to the i9-14900K. Interestingly, the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 sits slightly below the i9-14900K at 77,740, a +1.7% delta from the perspective of the Ryzen chip, meaning the Intel part holds a small edge here. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame pacing and physics calculations, since the game's demands are unlikely to stress the 24 cores and 32 threads that this processor brings to the table.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B390 is a dramatically different story. Its average benchmark score of 1,482 places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, meaning roughly 91% of recorded graphics cards outperform it. The nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 (1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5% slower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5% slower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443 (2.7% slower). These deltas are small, so the Arc B390 effectively trades blows with a decade-old entry-level GPU. The data implies that users considering this combo should expect GPU-bound performance to be the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol, not the CPU. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking stands in stark contrast to the GPU's 9th percentile, creating a massive imbalance in this pairing.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data reveals a clear pattern: the Intel Arc B390 is the bottleneck at every resolution and preset combination. Comparing the 1920x1080 Low preset at 88 FPS average to the 3840x2160 Low preset at 42 FPS average shows a 52.3% drop in performance when resolution quadruples the pixel count. This is a purely GPU-driven scaling curve. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the data shows steep declines. At Medium settings, the drop from 1920x1080 (63 FPS) to 3840x2160 (30 FPS) is 52.4%, nearly identical to the Low preset scaling. This consistency indicates the GPU is saturated regardless of quality level.

The CPU's role here is largely preparatory: it feeds the GPU with draw calls, physics calculations, and game logic. With a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39,399.5 and a single-core score of 2,262.5, the i9-14900K provides far more headroom than Lockdown Protocol can utilize. The game is an FPS title, and the data shows no evidence of CPU-induced frame dips, as the minimum FPS values are proportionally close to averages where recorded. For example, at 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS, a 15.2% dip. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, a 15.9% dip. These consistent variance patterns are characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, not CPU bottlenecks. The i9-14900K's PassMark multi-thread score of 58,674 further confirms that the processor is not the limiting factor in this combo.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the Arc B390 struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The High preset averages 26 FPS, which is barely above slideshow territory. Low settings improve this to 42 FPS average, but that still falls short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings yield 30 FPS average with a minimum of 25 FPS and a maximum of 34 FPS. The Ultra preset is the worst performer at 19 FPS average. None of these configurations approach the playable threshold, and the variance at Medium shows that even the best-case frame times are poor.

At 2560x1440, the picture improves somewhat. Low settings deliver 65 FPS average, which clears the 60 FPS bar with minimal headroom. High settings drop to 40 FPS average, Medium to 46 FPS average (minimum 39, maximum 53), and Ultra to 30 FPS average. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial: 19 FPS or 41.3% improvement from Medium to Low. This suggests that the game's Medium preset introduces rendering features that heavily tax the Arc B390's limited 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

At 1920x1080, the most common gaming resolution, the data shows a workable experience at lower presets. Low settings achieve 88 FPS average, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS target. Medium settings hit 63 FPS average with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. This is the only other configuration besides 1440p Low that clears 60 FPS. High settings dip to 55 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 41 FPS average. The 1080p Medium result is interesting because it shows the Arc B390 can handle moderate quality at this resolution, but the minimum FPS of 53 indicates occasional stutters when the scene complexity spikes.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: this PC cannot run Lockdown Protocol at 3840x2160 with any preset. The verdictByResolution field lists no playable settings at this resolution, and the best-case scenario (Low at 42 FPS) falls 30% short of the 60 FPS threshold. Users with a 4K display will need to lower their resolution or accept a sub-60 FPS experience.

At 2560x1440, the system is partially viable. The only playable setting is Low, which delivers 65 FPS average. This clears the 60 FPS bar by 8.3%. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold, with Medium at 46 FPS, High at 40 FPS, and Ultra at 30 FPS. The recommendation is clear: if playing at 1440p, users must select Low quality.

At 1920x1080, the verdict is more favorable. Both Low (88 FPS) and Medium (63 FPS) are playable. Medium is the best playable preset, providing a 63 FPS average. High (55 FPS) and Ultra (41 FPS) are not playable. This means that 1080p users have some quality headroom, but they cannot enable the highest presets. Overall, this combo's playable envelope is limited to 1080p Medium and below, plus 1440p Low.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K plus Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 3,302 out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 11.1% of all recorded system configurations. The percentile position is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile ranking, confirming that the Arc B390 drags the overall combo performance down despite the i9-14900K's top-tier CPU status. The data suggests that this pairing is severely mismatched for gaming purposes. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking does nothing to compensate for the GPU's limitations in this title. In practical terms, a user would see nearly identical frame rates with a much weaker CPU paired with this GPU, since the Arc B390 is the hard constraint in all measured scenarios.

The rank of 3,302 also implies that there are 412 combos that perform worse, likely featuring even older or more limited GPUs. But the i9-14900K's presence in this low ranking is notable: it shows that high-end CPU investment does not translate to playable performance when the GPU cannot keep pace. For Lockdown Protocol, the bottleneck is so severe that the CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads are effectively idle much of the time, waiting on the GPU to render frames.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no best setting because no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest option is Low at 42 FPS average, but this is not playable per the 60 FPS threshold. The data records no playable settings and no best settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is Low, which achieves 65 FPS average. This is the only playable preset at this resolution. Medium comes close but falls short at 46 FPS, and the gap between Low and Medium (19 FPS) is significant. Users should stay on Low if they want consistent frame rates at 1440p.

At 1920x1080, the best setting is Medium, delivering 63 FPS average. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. Low is also playable at 88 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still clearing the threshold. The minimum FPS of 53 at Medium is slightly below the threshold, so users sensitive to frame drops may prefer Low for a more consistent experience, but the average is solidly above 60.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 42 on Low settings, which is far below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Ultra settings drop to 19 FPS average.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1080p?

A: Medium is the best playable preset at 1920x1080, achieving 63 FPS average. High and Ultra are not playable, with averages of 55 FPS and 41 FPS respectively.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in the recorded benchmark, which is 1.3% ahead of the GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Arc B390 ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the i9-14900K ranks at the 95th percentile among all CPUs. Frame rates drop sharply as resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS is 39, with an average of 46 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. This preset is not playable since it falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested systems in Lockdown Protocol?

A: This combo ranks 3,302 out of 3,714 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11.1% of all recorded configs. The high-end CPU does not compensate for the low-end GPU performance in this game.