Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a demanding FPS title, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with the Intel Arc B370 produces a very specific performance profile. The data shows a system that can handle the game at 1080p but struggles significantly as resolution increases, clearly identifying the GPU as the primary constraint in this configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are dramatic and reveal a system that is heavily limited by its graphics processor. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 80 FPS at 1920x1080 to 58 FPS at 2560x1440, a 27.5% reduction. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 38 FPS, which is a 52.5% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is saturated by the increasing pixel count, and the CPU is not the bottleneck in these scenarios.

The pattern is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The average FPS plummets from 37 at 1080p to 27 at 1440p, and finally to a nearly unplayable 18 FPS at 4K. This represents a 51.4% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth and raw compute are exhausted well before the 4K resolution is reached. Benchmark results indicate that 1080p is the only viable resolution for this combo, and even then, only at lower presets.

When examining the difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution, the GPU's struggle becomes clearer. At 1080p, the difference between Low (80 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) is 43 FPS, showing that the GPU can still scale somewhat with settings. However, at 4K, the gap narrows to just 20 FPS (38 FPS Low vs. 18 FPS Ultra). This compression of the settings range at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU that is completely bound by its rendering limits, where reducing graphical fidelity cannot compensate for the sheer number of pixels being pushed.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive factor in this system's Lockdown Protocol performance. Its benchmark percentile is 5, placing it in the bottom 5% of all GPUs, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184. Its closest rivals in this test are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190. The performance deltas are minimal, at -0.2% and -0.5% respectively, meaning the Arc B370 is essentially on par with these older, much less capable parts.

The GPU's specifications support this conclusion. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM of its own. This forces the GPU to rely on the system's main memory for frame buffering, which is a severe handicap in a game like Lockdown Protocol. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in practice is far lower than what a dedicated graphics card would offer, contributing to the low frame rates observed at higher resolutions.

The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. These are modest figures that align with the low benchmark scores. The FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS. While the card supports modern APIs like DirectX 12 Ultimate, its raw processing power is insufficient for high-resolution gaming. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the game averages only 18 FPS, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's limited fill rate and memory bandwidth. The 25W TDP for this "IGP" class GPU further indicates its position as a low-power, entry-level solution, not a high-performance discrete part.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this CPU and GPU combo are heavily dependent on the target resolution. For a smooth experience at 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only sensible choice, providing an average of 80 FPS. This is the only configuration that consistently exceeds the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider playable. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 57 FPS, which is playable but may suffer from occasional dips, as indicated by the min FPS of 48.

At 2560x1440, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset provides an average of 58 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS, making it a poor trade-off for the visual improvement. The data suggests that 1440p should only be attempted on Low settings if the user is willing to accept an average frame rate just below 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the game is effectively unplayable at any setting. Even the Low preset only manages an average of 38 FPS, which will feel sluggish and unresponsive in a fast-paced FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 23 FPS, and Ultra is a stuttery 18 FPS. Benchmark results indicate that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combination. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p with the Low preset, as it is the only configuration that delivers a consistently high frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is a direct breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 80 avg FPS
• Medium: 57 avg FPS (min 48, max 65)
• High: 49 avg FPS
• Ultra: 37 avg FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 58 avg FPS
• Medium: 42 avg FPS (min 35, max 48)
• High: 36 avg FPS
• Ultra: 27 avg FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 38 avg FPS
• Medium: 27 avg FPS (min 23, max 31)
• High: 23 avg FPS
• Ultra: 18 avg FPS

The 1080p Medium preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance for this system, with a 57 FPS average and a minimum of 48 FPS. The 1440p Low preset is the only acceptable option at that resolution, while the 4K results are all below 40 FPS, confirming the GPU's inability to handle high pixel counts.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU and GPU combo good for Lockdown Protocol at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset. The data shows an average of 80 FPS at 1080p Low, which is the only measured configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset is also playable at 57 FPS average.

Q: Can I play Lockdown Protocol at 4K with this hardware?

A: No. The best 4K result is 38 FPS on the Low preset. All other presets at 4K fall below 30 FPS, including Ultra at 18 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable at that resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190. The performance deltas are -0.2% and -0.5% respectively, indicating they are all within 1% of each other.

Q: Why is the performance so poor at higher resolutions?

A: The GPU's memory is "System Shared," which means it uses system RAM for video memory. This creates a bandwidth bottleneck, as the memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent" and is far lower than a dedicated VRAM solution. This is compounded by the GPU's low benchmark percentile of 5.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use for this system?

A: For the best experience per the measured rows, the 1080p Low preset is recommended, as it delivers 80 FPS. If you prefer better visuals, the 1080p Medium preset is the next best option, with an average of 57 FPS and a minimum of 48 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The Intel Arc B370's benchmark scores and system-shared memory architecture are insufficient for high-resolution gaming. The CPU, while not directly compared in game, has benchmark results that place it in the 94th percentile, suggesting it is not the bottleneck.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F plays a supporting role in this configuration, and its capabilities are far from being the limiting factor in Lockdown Protocol. The CPU features 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This is a powerful processor, as indicated by its Passmark multithread score of 36470 and a single-thread score of 4691. Its average benchmark score is 69996, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

This high CPU performance is contrasted by the GPU's low score. The nearest rivals to the 9700F include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX with an average score of 69875 and a delta of 0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-14700KF with a score of 70163 and a delta of -0.2%. This shows that the 9700F is a top-tier performer, fully capable of feeding a much more powerful graphics card than the Arc B370.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's high single-thread and multithread scores ensure that it can handle the game's logic and physics calculations without breaking a sweat. The fact that FPS drops so sharply with resolution increases confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the CPU would be most stressed, the average FPS is 37, which is still a GPU-bound result. The Ryzen 7 9700F has 32 MB of shared L3 cache, which is ample for gaming workloads.

The data paints a clear picture: the Ryzen 7 9700F is a high-end desktop CPU that is being held back by a low-end integrated-grade GPU. The 65W TDP and 4nm process node make it an efficient chip, but its performance is wasted in this pairing. The system's overall rank in Lockdown Protocol is 2611 out of 2828 combos, which is in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations. This low rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's 5th percentile benchmark score, not the CPU's 94th percentile standing. Upgrading the GPU would result in a massive performance increase, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a significantly more powerful graphics card.