Lockdown Protocol

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the Intel Arc B570 lands at rank 2264 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places this pairing in the bottom 20% of all configurations tested for this game, which is a significant consideration for anyone building around these components specifically for this title. The ranking reflects the combined capability of both the CPU and GPU working together under this game's workloads, and the data indicates that while the CPU is a strong performer in general benchmarks, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher settings and resolutions.

To contextualize the CPU's potential, the Ryzen 7 9700F sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 69,996 places it in close competition with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which scores 69,875 (a 0.2% difference), and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70,163 (a -0.2% difference from the 9700F). It also edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515, 0.7% behind) and the Intel Core i7-14700K (69,355, 0.9% behind). This tells us the processor is not the bottleneck in this combo; the ranking is dragged down by the GPU's position relative to other tested graphics cards.

The Intel Arc B570, by contrast, sits in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 20,556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20,534, 0.1% behind), Intel Arc A750 (20,582, 0.1% ahead), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20,480, 0.4% behind), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20,662, 0.5% ahead). This mid-pack GPU performance, when coupled with a top-tier CPU, produces a combo that ranks poorly specifically because Lockdown Protocol appears to be more sensitive to GPU throughput than CPU compute at the tested settings. The takeaway is straightforward: this pairing is CPU-heavy and GPU-light, and in this game that imbalance shows up clearly in the overall ranking.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates tell a consistent story across all three resolutions tested. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable performance across the board, with the Low preset hitting 136 FPS average, Medium at 96 FPS, High at 84 FPS, and Ultra dropping to 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 111 FPS, indicating reasonable frame pacing even during dips. The gap between Low and Ultra is 73 FPS, which is a substantial range and suggests the GPU is being progressively more taxed as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers scale down predictably. Low settings produce 100 FPS average, Medium delivers 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 81, High comes in at 62 FPS, and Ultra drops to 46 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 54 FPS, narrower than at 1080p, which signals that the GPU is starting to hit its ceiling even at lower settings. At 1440p Low, you lose 36 FPS compared to 1080p Low, which is a 26.5% reduction in average frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the picture becomes more challenging. Low settings yield 64 FPS, Medium drops to 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 and maximum of 52, High falls to 40 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30 FPS. The drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low is 36 FPS again, showing a consistent cost per resolution step. At 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS average is below what most players would consider smooth for a competitive FPS. The Minimum FPS data at Medium settings across all resolutions — 82 at 1080p, 60 at 1440p, and 39 at 4K — shows that frame dips become more pronounced as resolution climbs, which is typical for a GPU with a 160-bit memory bus.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, specifically the Battlemage generation, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die, with 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The chip runs at a fixed 2500 MHz for both base and boost clocks, which is unusual in that there is no boost headroom beyond the base figure. Memory consists of 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is the key constraint in this game's higher-resolution performance.

The GPU's pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 throughput at 11.52 TFLOPS. The 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are modest, and the card uses a single 8-pin power connector. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8, which is worth noting because it limits bandwidth to the CPU compared to a full x16 connection, though the practical impact in games is often minimal. The memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s is the figure that correlates most directly with the observed FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K.

At 1080p, the GPU has enough bandwidth and fill rate to push well over 100 FPS on Low, but at 4K Ultra the 30 FPS average suggests the memory bus is saturated and the shading units are spending more cycles waiting on data. The 10 GB frame buffer is sufficient for this game at 4K, as the data shows playable frame rates at Low settings, but the 160-bit bus width creates a bottleneck as resolution increases. The RT cores — 18 of them — and DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) mean the card is feature-complete for modern titles, but Lockdown Protocol's performance scaling suggests it relies heavily on raw rasterization throughput rather than RT or compute features.

# FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Lockdown Protocol at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 84 FPS. That is well above the 60 FPS threshold most players target. The Low preset reaches 136 FPS, and Medium sits at 96 FPS, so there is headroom to adjust settings upward or downward based on preference.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 on Low settings provides a 100 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate available at that resolution. At 1920x1080, Low reaches 136 FPS, but if you prioritize resolution over frame rate, 1440p Low offers a balanced experience. 4K is playable only on Low (64 FPS) and Medium (46 FPS), but not on High or Ultra.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to the Intel Arc A750 in this context?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556, while the Arc A750 scores 20,582, making the A750 0.1% faster on average. In practical terms, they are nearly identical in compute capability, so performance in Lockdown Protocol should be very close between the two.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700F a bottleneck for the Arc B570 in this game?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 69,996 places it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs, and it outperforms the Ryzen 9 7940HX by 0.2% and the Ryzen 9 7950X by 0.7%. Given that the GPU sits in the 65th percentile, the data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. That is below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay, so you would need to accept some compromises at 4K.

Q: Does the combo meet the 60 FPS target at 1440p with High settings?

A: Just barely. The measured average at 2560x1440 with High settings is 62 FPS. That clears the 60 FPS bar, but with only 2 FPS of headroom, frame dips could drop below 60 in demanding scenes.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It runs on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The 65 W TDP is notably low for a desktop CPU with this core count, and the 4 nm process node from TSMC helps achieve that efficiency. The chip integrates 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die, which is a compact design that contributes to its power characteristics.

Cache hierarchy consists of 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, plus ECC support. The CPU provides PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes, which is more than enough for the Arc B570's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. The multiplier is unlocked, so overclocking is possible, though the fixed 2500 MHz boost on the GPU means the CPU would be running ahead of the GPU's capabilities in most scenarios.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The passmark scores show strong single-thread performance at 4,691, and multithread performance at 36,470. The single-thread score is particularly relevant for an FPS, where frame times often depend on the main thread's speed. The CPU's average benchmark score of 69,996 places it among the top 6% of all CPUs tested, and its nearest rivals include the Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875, 0.2% behind), Core i7-14700KF (70,163, 0.2% ahead), Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515, 0.7% behind), and Core i7-14700K (69,355, 0.9% behind). This level of compute performance ensures that the CPU is not holding back frame rates in this game.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 136 FPS, which is a CPU-friendly scenario where the GPU is not fully saturated. At 4K Ultra, the 30 FPS result is clearly GPU-bound, as the CPU has ample headroom. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth of the CPU platform is adequate for feeding the GPU's 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, and the 32 MB L3 cache helps with game data locality. For this game, the Ryzen 7 9700F delivers everything the Arc B570 needs, and then some.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear sweet spot for this combo depending on your display and frame rate preferences. If you are on a 1920x1080 display, the Medium preset at 96 FPS average provides the best balance of visual quality and speed. It offers a 12 FPS improvement over High (84 FPS) while only sacrificing some visual fidelity, and it maintains a minimum of 82 FPS, which keeps frame dips from becoming noticeable. Low at 136 FPS is optimal for competitive play where every frame counts, but Medium gives you a better visual experience without dropping below the 60 FPS threshold.

For 2560x1440 users, the Low preset at 100 FPS average is the only option that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target. Medium at 71 FPS is also viable, with a minimum of 60 FPS that just barely holds the line, but High at 62 FPS leaves almost no headroom for demanding scenes. If you have a 144 Hz or higher refresh rate monitor at 1440p, Low is the recommended choice to maximize smoothness. If you prefer visuals over raw speed, Medium offers a playable experience with better image quality.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. Low at 64 FPS is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS bar, and it does so with 4 FPS of headroom. Medium at 46 FPS average with a 39 FPS minimum is borderline playable for single-player or slower-paced sessions, but it will feel inconsistent in competitive multiplayer. High at 40 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS are not recommended for any scenario where responsiveness matters. The 30 FPS Ultra result is the kind of figure that looks fine in screenshots but feels sluggish in motion.

The overall recommendation is to run Lockdown Protocol at 1920x1080 Medium for a balanced experience, or 2560x1440 Low if you have a higher-resolution display and prioritize frame rate. The 1440p Medium setting at 71 FPS is the most visually appealing option that still maintains a playable frame rate, but it requires accepting occasional dips to 60 FPS. For 4K, the Low preset is the only sensible choice, and even then, you are near the edge of what this GPU can deliver in this game. The data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K being a stretch goal that requires significant settings compromises.