Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol presents an interesting paradox when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370. The data shows a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics component, yet the CPU provides a stable foundation that prevents the experience from collapsing entirely. This analysis examines the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what the practical outcomes are for this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a steep and predictable drop as resolution increases, but the rate of that drop tells a story about system balance. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 80. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 58, a 27.5% reduction. Pushing further to 4K Low yields 38 FPS, which is another 34.5% reduction from the 1440p figure. This pattern indicates that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, a classic sign that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting factor.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings is even more telling. The 1080p High average is 49 FPS, which falls to 36 at 1440p and then to 23 at 4K. The 4K High result is less than half of the 1080p High result, suggesting that the GPU's compute throughput and memory bandwidth are being saturated. The data implies that the Arc B370, which operates with a system-shared memory configuration, is struggling to feed the rendering pipeline at higher resolutions.

Interestingly, the scaling between settings within a resolution is not uniform. At 1080p, the jump from Low (80 FPS) to Medium (57 FPS) is a 28.75% decrease, while the jump from Medium to High (49 FPS) is only a 14% decrease. This non-linear scaling suggests that some settings have a more pronounced impact on the GPU than others, with the Low-to-Medium transition seemingly activating features that heavily tax the limited resources of the Arc B370.

The data strongly suggests that this is not a CPU-limited scenario at any resolution. The Ryzen 5 5600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, appears capable of feeding frames faster than the GPU can render them, even at 1080p Low where the CPU would typically be under the most stress. The consistent FPS drops across all resolutions point to a pure GPU bottleneck, where the Arc B370's pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for the demands of Lockdown Protocol at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured FPS results. This GPU operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, which shows a significant dynamic range. The memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's DDR4 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This architecture is a major factor in the performance ceiling, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which is rated at 51.2 GB/s for the system.

The data shows that the Arc B370 is a low-power part, with a TDP of just 25 W. This is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with a bus interface of "IGP," which is unusual for a dedicated gaming card but explains its limited performance. The GPU's benchmark scores corroborate this: it scores 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are legacy components like the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, which puts its raw compute power into perspective.

The shading units (1280), TMUs (40), and ROPs (20) are modest numbers, and the FP32 performance is listed at 6.144 TFLOPS. These figures align with the measured FPS in Lockdown Protocol. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages just 18 FPS, which is unplayable. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average is only 37 FPS, indicating that the GPU's compute resources are overwhelmed by the highest settings. The data implies that the Arc B370's architecture, while supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate, lacks the raw fill-rate and shader power to handle Lockdown Protocol's high-fidelity modes.

The system-shared memory is particularly problematic at higher resolutions. The data shows a 4K Medium average of 27 FPS with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31, which is a narrow band indicating the GPU is consistently hitting a performance ceiling. This is likely due to memory bandwidth limits, as the shared memory configuration cannot provide the necessary throughput for high-resolution textures and geometry. The GPU's role in this combo is to be the primary limiter, and the data shows that its performance is insufficient for smooth gameplay above 1080p with medium-to-high settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 serves as a stable, capable foundation in this combo, but its role is largely to stay out of the way. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the FPS drops align with GPU-centric workloads. The Ryzen 5 5600 has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache is substantial for a mid-range part, and its Zen 3 architecture provides strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2584.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18309 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 5659. These scores place it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs, showing that it is a competent processor. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G, with performance deltas of 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. This means the Ryzen 5 5600 is essentially on par with these newer parts in synthetic benchmarks, which confirms its ability to handle modern gaming workloads.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to maintain a consistent frame delivery, which it does admirably. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the FPS reaches 80, which is a high enough number that a weaker CPU might struggle to keep up. However, the Ryzen 5 5600's 12 threads and high boost clock ensure that the GPU is always fed with data. The fact that the FPS drops to 37 at 1080p Ultra, rather than staying high, proves that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is shared with the GPU, which could theoretically cause contention. However, the data does not show any erratic frame times or unexpected dips that would indicate CPU stalls. The Ryzen 5 5600's 4,150 million transistors on a 7 nm process node provide enough compute headroom to handle the game's physics and AI (likely, based on the FPS stability), while the Arc B370 handles the rendering. The CPU's role is supportive, and it fulfills that role without becoming a liability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. The data shows that 1080p Low yields an average of 80 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches a high-refresh-rate experience. For competitive play, this is the recommended setting, as it provides the smoothest gameplay. The 1080p Medium setting averages 57 FPS, which is still playable for most users, and it offers a better visual experience with a minimum FPS of 48, indicating decent stability.

For 1440p, the data suggests that Low settings are required for a playable experience, with an average of 58 FPS. The 1440p Medium setting averages 42 FPS, which is borderline for a fast-paced FPS, as the minimum FPS drops to 35. The 1440p High setting averages 36 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K, the data shows that no setting is truly playable, with the highest average being 38 FPS at Low settings. The 4K High and Ultra settings, with averages of 23 FPS and 18 FPS respectively, are not recommended for anything other than static screenshots.

The "best experience" per the measured rows is a trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. For a 1080p monitor, Medium settings at 57 FPS offer a balanced experience, as the minimum FPS of 48 ensures that gameplay remains fluid. For a 1440p monitor, Low settings at 58 FPS are the only viable option for competitive play, while Medium at 42 FPS might be acceptable for slower-paced games. The data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 4K being an unrealistic expectation for this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 2611th position out of 2828 combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, which is a poor showing overall. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited performance, as the CPU is a solid mid-range part. The data indicates that the combo is severely hampered by the Arc B370's inability to handle the game's rendering demands.

The combo's rank is reflective of the GPU's percentile standing. The Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 5600 sits in the 74th percentile of all CPUs. This massive disparity between the two components explains why the combo ranks so low; the system is only as strong as its weakest link, and the GPU is exceptionally weak. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a more capable GPU would yield a significantly higher rank, as the CPU has the headroom to support much higher frame rates.

The measured FPS values align with the low rank, as the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The fact that the combo is in the 2611th position out of 2828 indicates that there are only 217 other tested combos that perform worse in this specific game. This is a clear signal that the Intel Arc B370 is not a gaming-oriented part, and its inclusion in a desktop combo is a significant bottleneck for titles like Lockdown Protocol.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest average FPS measured is 80, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or the Intel Arc B370 the bottleneck in this setup?

A: The data indicates the Intel Arc B370 is the bottleneck, as FPS drops consistently across all resolutions and settings, pointing to GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: No. At 4K, the highest average FPS is 38 at Low settings, which is not smooth. The 4K Medium, High, and Ultra settings yield averages of 27, 23, and 18 FPS, respectively, which are unplayable.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor with this combo?

A: Based on the data, Low settings at 1440p provide the best experience, with an average of 58 FPS. Medium settings drop to 42 FPS, which may be too low for fast-paced action.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600's multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600's average benchmark score is 20468, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V and 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370 in Lockdown Protocol is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 80 FPS. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. The High preset averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 58 FPS. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48. The High preset averages 36 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 27 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 38 FPS. The Medium preset averages 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. The High preset averages 23 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 18 FPS.

This data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the only setting that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, and performance degrades consistently with each increase in resolution and quality preset. The minimum FPS values, where provided, show that the Medium preset at all resolutions maintains a stable frame rate, while the lack of min/max data for other presets suggests the testing focused on average performance. The numbers confirm that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p requiring Low settings for a decent experience, and 4K being entirely out of reach for smooth gameplay.