Lockdown Protocol

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B390 pairing in Lockdown Protocol represents a significant bottleneck scenario where the graphics processor severely limits the experience. This combination delivers playable frame rates only at lower resolutions and settings, with the GPU's performance ceiling being the primary constraint. The data shows a system that is fundamentally mismatched for high-fidelity gaming, though it can handle the game at acceptable levels when expectations are adjusted appropriately.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM4 platform. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features a three-tier cache hierarchy: 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 16 MB L3 cache. This configuration is typical of a capable mid-range desktop processor from the 5000 series.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is largely secondary to the GPU. The benchmark results show that even at the lowest tested settings (1080p Low), the system achieves an average of 88 FPS, which suggests the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at that level. However, the Arc B390's performance ceiling appears to be reached well before the Ryzen 5 5500's processing capabilities are exhausted. This is evident when examining the CPU's synthetic benchmark scores: the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16,429 and single-core score of 2,319 indicate strong computational performance that would not typically bottleneck a game at these frame rates.

The Ryzen 5 5500's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (0.1% slower), Intel Core i5-12500 (0.4% slower), and Intel Core i5-11600KF (0.7% faster). These close margins indicate that the CPU is well within the expected performance envelope for its class. The percentileVsAllCpus of 73 puts it ahead of most desktop processors, confirming that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The data strongly suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p Ultra, the system drops to 41 FPS, which is a 53% reduction from the Low preset at the same resolution. This substantial drop with increasing graphical demands points directly at the graphics card's inability to handle higher settings, rather than any CPU constraint. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 19,330 and single-thread score of 3,058 reinforce that it has ample capacity for gaming workloads.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this combination. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 88 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all tested configurations. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 63 FPS average (with a range of 53–72 FPS), while High drops to 55 FPS and Ultra falls to 41 FPS.

For the best balance of visual quality and smooth gameplay, the Medium preset at 1080p appears to be the sweet spot. The 63 FPS average is above the standard 60 FPS target, and the frame time consistency (53–72 FPS range) suggests stable performance. While Low at 88 FPS provides more headroom for competitive play, the visual fidelity loss may be significant. The Medium preset offers a 28% performance improvement over High while maintaining a more polished visual presentation than Low.

At 1440p, the story changes. The Low preset delivers 65 FPS average, which is still playable, but Medium drops to 46 FPS (39–53 FPS range), and High falls to 40 FPS. Ultra at this resolution is a borderline experience at 30 FPS average. For 1440p users, the Low preset is the only option that maintains consistently smooth gameplay. The 4K resolution is largely impractical for this pairing, with even the Low preset only achieving 42 FPS average.

The data indicates that the performance scaling from Low to Medium to High is not linear. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 25 FPS (28% reduction), while moving from Medium to High costs only 8 FPS (13% reduction). This suggests that the Medium preset provides the most efficient use of the GPU's limited resources, offering a meaningful visual upgrade over Low without the disproportionate performance hit seen at higher settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 46 at 1440p to 30 at 4K. This represents a 27% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 52% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Such pronounced scaling with resolution is the classic signature of a GPU-limited scenario.

At the Low preset, the scaling pattern is similar but with slightly different magnitudes: 88 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 42 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 26% and 52% respectively. The consistency of these percentages across different settings further confirms that the GPU's fill rate and pixel processing capabilities are the limiting factors.

The High preset shows even more dramatic scaling: 55 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 35%, which is steeper than the Low preset's drop. This suggests that at higher settings, the GPU becomes even more saturated, and the additional pixel count at 4K has a disproportionately large impact.

The fact that the CPU can maintain high frame rates at 1080p Low (88 FPS) but the system cannot sustain even 30 FPS at 4K Ultra (19 FPS) indicates that the Ryzen 5 5500 is far from being the limiting component. A CPU bottleneck would typically show less resolution sensitivity, with frame rates remaining relatively stable across resolutions. The data shows the opposite, confirming the GPU's dominance as the performance constraint.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2,512 out of 2,828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations, highlighting that this pairing is among the weaker options for this game. The rank of 2,512 versus 2,828 total combos means that roughly 89% of tested systems outperform this configuration.

This low ranking is primarily attributable to the Intel Arc B390's performance characteristics. The GPU's benchmark results show a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482, which places it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% faster). These are all very low-end graphics solutions, confirming that the Arc B390 is positioned at the entry-level tier of GPU performance.

The CPU's ranking is significantly better. The Ryzen 5 5500 sits at the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,593. This places it in a much more favorable position relative to its peers. The disparity between the CPU's respectable percentile and the GPU's low percentile explains why the combo ranks so poorly overall — the GPU drags down the entire system's gaming performance.

The data indicates that this combo would be better suited for CPU-intensive workloads rather than gaming. The Ryzen 5 5500's strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multicore of 16,429) is wasted in a gaming scenario where the GPU cannot keep up. For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the rank of 2,512 suggests that users would need to significantly lower settings and resolution to achieve acceptable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this setup?

A: The measured data shows that 1080p with Low settings provides the highest average FPS at 88. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1080p Medium at 63 FPS average is the recommended configuration, as it maintains smooth gameplay while offering better visuals than Low.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K?

A: Technically yes, but the experience is poor. At 4K, the best result is 42 FPS average on Low settings, dropping to 19 FPS on Ultra. Even the Medium preset at 4K only achieves 30 FPS average with a minimum of 25 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS smoothness threshold.

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

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390 ranks at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 ranks at the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. The resolution scaling pattern further confirms this, as frame rates drop dramatically with increasing resolution while the CPU has ample headroom.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 19,593. It is 0.1% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19,617 score), 0.4% slower than the Intel Core i5-12500 (19,668), and 0.7% slower than the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19,723). It is 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i7-10700F (19,499).

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 65 FPS average, which is playable. The Medium preset drops to 46 FPS (39–53 FPS range), High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. For consistent smoothness at 1440p, the Low preset is the only reliable option.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482, ranking at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. It is 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, and 2.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM. It is 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 88 FPS average
• Medium: 63 FPS average (minimum 53 FPS, maximum 72 FPS)
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 41 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 65 FPS average
• Medium: 46 FPS average (minimum 39 FPS, maximum 53 FPS)
• High: 40 FPS average
• Ultra: 30 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 42 FPS average
• Medium: 30 FPS average (minimum 25 FPS, maximum 34 FPS)
• High: 26 FPS average
• Ultra: 19 FPS average

The performance deltas between settings are consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 47 FPS (88 to 41), representing a 53% performance loss. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 35 FPS (65 to 30), a 54% loss. At 4K, the gap is 23 FPS (42 to 19), also a 55% loss. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions indicates that the GPU's architectural limitations scale uniformly with both resolution and settings.

The Medium preset is the only setting that includes minimum and maximum FPS data across all resolutions. At 1080p, the frame time range is 53–72 FPS, at 1440p it is 39–53 FPS, and at 4K it is 25–34 FPS. The consistency of the frame time spread suggests that the GPU maintains predictable performance without severe stuttering, even at lower frame rates.

For users seeking the highest possible frame rates, the 1080p Low preset at 88 FPS is the only configuration that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. All other settings and resolutions fall below the 75 FPS mark, with most configurations failing to reach 60 FPS. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at Medium settings or lower, with any higher resolution requiring significant compromises in visual quality.