Lockdown Protocol

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 2512 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. That places this configuration in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, a position that reflects a severe imbalance between the two components. The CPU is a top-tier desktop processor, sitting in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The data shows a pairing where the processor's capability vastly outstrips what the graphics solution can deliver.

Looking at the raw benchmark averages, this asymmetry becomes even clearer. The CPU's average benchmark score is 54762, while the GPU's average benchmark score is a mere 1482. The nearest CPU rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF at 55093 (0.6% faster), the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K at 54053 (1.3% slower), and the Intel Core i7-14700F at 53620 (2.1% slower). These are all close competitors, indicating the 9900X3D is well within the normal range for high-end desktop processors. On the GPU side, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% faster). This places the Arc B390 in the company of entry-level, legacy, and integrated-class graphics solutions, not modern gaming GPUs.

The combination rank of 2512 reflects this bottleneck. In Lockdown Protocol, the measured frames per second are consistently low across all resolutions and settings, which aligns with a system where the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's high percentile ranking does not translate into competitive gameplay performance because the graphics pipeline cannot keep pace. Benchmark results indicate that this combo is not optimized for this game's demands; the rank suggests that the overwhelming majority of other tested configurations deliver better outcomes.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its role in this combo is defined by its memory configuration: the memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the system's main DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM, a design choice that directly impacts performance in a memory-sensitive FPS like Lockdown Protocol.

Clock speeds are modest: a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1). The GPU's power envelope is 80 W, and it uses no power connectors, consistent with its integrated nature.

The single benchmark available for this GPU is 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the data shows that this GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 41; at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 30; and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 19. These numbers indicate that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the game's demands at high visual fidelity. The shared memory architecture likely contributes to the steep performance degradation as resolution increases, since the GPU competes with the CPU for the same memory bandwidth.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trend: performance drops significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 88. Moving to 1440p Low, it drops to 65, a 26% reduction. At 4K Low, the average is 42, a 52% reduction from the 1080p Low figure. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component; a CPU-bound scenario would show much smaller FPS differences across resolutions.

The same scaling appears at Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the average is 63 FPS (with min 53, max 72). At 1440p Medium, it falls to 46 FPS (min 39, max 53), a 27% drop. At 4K Medium, the average is 30 FPS (min 25, max 34), a 52% drop from 1080p Medium. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings points to a GPU that is saturated at every resolution, with the additional pixel count at higher resolutions directly translating into lower frame rates.

High settings show a similar trajectory: 55 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p (a 27% drop), and 26 FPS at 4K (a 53% drop from 1080p). Ultra settings follow the pattern: 41 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p (a 27% drop), and 19 FPS at 4K (a 54% drop). The near-uniform percentage reductions across all settings strongly suggest that the Arc B390's rendering throughput scales linearly with pixel count, a hallmark of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal; benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is not the constraint, as its performance headroom is not being utilized at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU-GPU combination in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The combo ranks 2512 out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested for this game.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. 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.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 88, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded?

A: The lowest average FPS is 19, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How much FPS is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 30 at 4K, a 52% reduction.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU act as the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. The large FPS drops as resolution increases confirm a GPU-bound workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings deliver 88 FPS, High settings deliver 55 FPS, Medium settings deliver 63 FPS (with a minimum of 53 and maximum of 72), and Ultra settings deliver 41 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 47 FPS, with Ultra producing roughly half the frame rate of Low.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 65 FPS, High at 40 FPS, Medium at 46 FPS (min 39, max 53), and Ultra at 30 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, ranging from 24% at Low to 27% at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 42 FPS, High at 26 FPS, Medium at 30 FPS (min 25, max 34), and Ultra at 19 FPS. The 4K results show that even the lowest settings barely reach playable territory, and Ultra settings fall below 20 FPS.

The data shows a monotonic decrease in FPS as both resolution and settings increase. The Medium settings rows include min and max FPS values, which provide a range: at 1080p Medium, the range is 19 FPS (53 to 72); at 1440p Medium, the range is 14 FPS (39 to 53); at 4K Medium, the range is 9 FPS (25 to 34). This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming more consistently saturated, leaving less variance in frame times.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 128 MB of L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. It uses the AMD Socket AM5 and has a TDP of 120 W.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU's performance is strong. It scores 47737 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6739 in Cinebench R23 single core. Geekbench scores are 22884 multicore and 3041 single core. 3DMark scores include 12490 for 16 threads, 9002 for 8 threads, 4885 for 4 threads, and 1269 for single thread. PassMark scores show 56154 for multithread and 4646 for single thread. The CPU's percentile rank among all CPUs is 91, and its average benchmark score is 54762.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. Given the GPU's low performance, the CPU is never the bottleneck. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 88, which is the highest in the dataset, but even this figure is modest compared to what the CPU could support with a more capable GPU. The CPU's nearest rivals all have similar average scores (within 2.1%), indicating that this processor is not an outlier in either direction. The data suggests that swapping the Arc B390 for a higher-performing GPU would yield significant FPS gains, as the CPU has ample headroom in both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the playable settings depend on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, Low settings provide an average of 88 FPS, which is the only setting that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. Medium settings at 1080p deliver 63 FPS, which is acceptable for standard 60 Hz displays. High settings drop to 55 FPS, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. For a smooth experience at 1080p, Low or Medium are the recommended presets, with Medium offering a balance between visual quality and frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the options narrow. Low settings provide 65 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings drop to 46 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced gameplay but is borderline for a competitive FPS. High settings at 40 FPS and Ultra at 30 FPS are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The recommended preset at 1440p is Low, with Medium as a compromise if visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings achieve a consistently smooth experience. Low settings average 42 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium averages 30 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. For 4K, Low settings are the only viable option, and even then, the frame rate is below what most FPS players would consider comfortable.

Across all resolutions, the data indicates that the GPU's limitations dominate. The recommended approach for this combo is to prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. Low settings at 1080p yield the best measured performance, and Medium settings at 1080p provide a reasonable middle ground. At higher resolutions, players should expect to use Low settings and accept reduced frame rates. The measured FPS breakdown shows no scenario where Ultra settings provide a competitive advantage, as the frame rate penalty is severe at every resolution.