Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol is a fast-paced FPS that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the Intel Arc B370 produces a specific, measurable experience. The data shows a system that is capable of delivering playable frame rates at 1080p with adjusted settings, but it struggles significantly at higher resolutions and maximum quality presets. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to help you understand exactly what this pairing can do, where its limits are, and how to configure the game for the best experience based on the benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system consistently achieves playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 37 on Ultra to 80 on Low, whereas at 2560x1440 the best average is 58 on Low, and at 3840x2160 the best average is only 38 on Low. The data indicates that 1080p is the target resolution for this combo.

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

A: The data shows that 4K (3840x2160) performance is severely limited. At the High preset, the average FPS is 23, and at Ultra, it drops to 18. Even on Low settings, the average FPS is only 38, which falls below the common 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Benchmark results indicate 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combination.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: The Arc B370's benchmark score is 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is a 0.2% difference. The data shows the Arc B370 performs nearly identically to these older cards in this specific synthetic benchmark, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370?

A: The CPU's performance is strong relative to the GPU. The Core i3-12100F sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, with a multi-threaded score of 14015 in Passmark. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, has a nearly identical average score of 13492. The GPU, however, is in the 5th percentile. The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor in this pairing.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average FPS of 80, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 37 FPS. This represents a significant drop in performance. The Medium preset provides a middle ground at 57 FPS, and High sits at 49 FPS. The scaling is substantial, indicating the Ultra preset is very demanding for this GPU.

Q: Does the CPU have enough threads for this game?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has 4 cores and 8 threads. Its benchmark scores show strong scaling from 2 threads (1659 in 3DMark) to 4 threads (2859) and 8 threads (4026). The data shows that the CPU can handle multi-threaded workloads, but given the GPU's low performance percentile, the CPU is unlikely to be the main constraint in Lockdown Protocol.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings preset offers the best experience for this hardware. The goal is to achieve a stable and responsive frame rate, ideally near 60 FPS, without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. Looking at the 1920x1080 resolution results, the Low preset achieves an average of 80 FPS, which is excellent for a fast-paced FPS. However, the Medium preset at 57 FPS is much closer to the 60 FPS target and likely provides a significantly better visual experience than Low. The High preset drops to 49 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less smooth in intense firefights.

Based on the data, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended starting point. It offers a 57 FPS average, with a minimum FPS of 48 and a maximum of 65, indicating decent frame pacing. This is a 28.8% improvement over the High preset's 49 FPS average. While the Low preset's 80 FPS is more comfortable, the jump from Low to Medium likely brings noticeable improvements in texture quality and shadow detail that are worth the 23 FPS average cost. For players who prioritize a high and unwavering frame rate above all else, the Low preset is the safer choice. The Ultra preset at 37 FPS average is too demanding for this GPU and should be avoided for general play.

At 2560x1440, the situation is different. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 58 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 42 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a competitive shooter. Therefore, if you must play at 1440p, you should stick to the Low preset. For 4K, the data shows that no preset provides a consistently playable experience, with even the Low preset averaging only 38 FPS.

The recommendation is clear: play at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset for the best balance of visual quality and performance. If you find you need more headroom for consistent 60+ FPS, step down to the Low preset. The data supports this as the optimal configuration for this specific CPU and GPU combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the nature of the bottleneck in this system. At 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, the average FPS is 57. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average FPS falls to 42, a 26.3% decrease. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 27, a 52.6% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

The frame rate drop is not linear with the pixel count increase. The 1080p to 1440p transition represents a 78% increase in pixels but only a 26% drop in FPS. The 1080p to 4K transition represents a 300% increase in pixels and a 52.6% drop in FPS. This suggests that while the load is increasing, the GPU is struggling more with the sheer number of pixels, and other factors like memory bandwidth or fill rate come into play. The Intel Arc B370 has a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, and its memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," which means it's sharing system memory. This shared memory configuration is likely a major factor in the poor high-resolution performance.

The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU, Intel Core i3-12100F, has a Passmark single-thread score of 3444 and a multi-thread score of 14015, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. At 1080p, the CPU is likely able to feed frames to the GPU fast enough. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's workload expands significantly, and its performance collapses. This is evidenced by the fact that even at 4K with the Low preset, the average FPS is only 38. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU work is largely resolution-independent. The data shows a steep decline, confirming the GPU as the primary constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is taken directly from the measured FPS for Lockdown Protocol with the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B370.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: Average FPS is 37. This is the most demanding preset at this resolution and yields the lowest average frame rate.
• High: Average FPS is 49. This is a more moderate preset, but still shows a significant 12 FPS drop from the Medium preset.
• Medium: Average FPS is 57, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. This shows the most stable frame pacing among the playable presets.
• Low: Average FPS is 80. This is the highest average FPS recorded at any resolution and settings combination, offering the smoothest experience.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: Average FPS is 27. Performance drops to a level that is not suitable for smooth gameplay.
• High: Average FPS is 36. This is a 26.5% drop from the High preset at 1080p.
• Medium: Average FPS is 42, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48. The minimum FPS dips into the low 30s, which can cause noticeable stutter.
• Low: Average FPS is 58. This is the only preset at 1440p that achieves near-60 FPS performance.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: Average FPS is 18. This is the lowest average FPS recorded in the entire dataset, rendering the game nearly unplayable.
• High: Average FPS is 23. Performance is well below the threshold for a playable experience.
• Medium: Average FPS is 27, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. The frame rate is consistently in the 20s, which is not viable for an FPS.
• Low: Average FPS is 38. This is the best-case scenario at 4K, but it is still far below the 60 FPS target and is not recommended.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is a low-power integrated GPU with a TDP of 25 W. It is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and has a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The data shows it has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Its performance is measured by a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, and its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (scoring 1186) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (scoring 1190). The Arc B370 essentially performs on par with these much older cards.

The GPU's memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and instead uses a portion of the system's main memory. Its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent." This shared memory architecture is a critical weakness for gaming, especially at higher resolutions where large amounts of texture data need to be accessed quickly. This explains the severe performance drop when moving from 1080p to 4K. The GPU's theoretical pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are not sufficient to handle the fill rate demands of 4K resolution in a modern game like Lockdown Protocol. The data clearly shows that the GPU's performance is the main constraint in this system, and its low percentile ranking confirms that it is not designed for high-end gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674. In Passmark, it achieves a multi-thread score of 14015 and a single-thread score of 3444. These scores place the CPU in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355, has an average score of 13492, which is essentially a 0% difference in performance.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. For instance, at 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 80 FPS. If the CPU were weak, we would see this frame rate cap out at a lower value regardless of settings. However, we see the FPS drop significantly as we increase resolution and settings, which is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are adequate for feeding the GPU. The data suggests that the Core i3-12100F has enough headroom to handle the demands of the game, but it is paired with a GPU that cannot keep up. The system's rank of 2611 out of 2828 combos in this game further confirms that this pairing is not optimized for high performance, and the CPU is not the cause of the low standing.