Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2611th out of 2828 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. This is a severely constrained configuration for a fast-paced FPS, with the data indicating that the graphics solution is the primary bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings. The combination's ranking reflects a system that struggles to deliver competitive frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions and quality presets, where the Arc B370's limited performance becomes the dominant factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2611 out of 2828 tested combinations in Lockdown Protocol places it in the 92nd percentile from the bottom, meaning only 217 tested systems performed worse. This is a poor result for a competitive FPS, where frame rate consistency is critical. The data shows that even at the lowest tested settings and resolution, the system only achieves 80 FPS on average, which is barely acceptable for a genre that typically benefits from higher refresh rates.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance profile. The Intel Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark charts are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (deltaPct -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (deltaPct -0.5%), and AMD Radeon HD 7650M (deltaPct -0.7%), all of which are older or lower-tier parts. This places the B370 firmly in entry-level territory, and the Lockdown Protocol results reflect this positioning.

In contrast, the CPU is a much stronger component. The Intel Core i5-12400 ranks in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 (deltaPct -0.1%), Intel Core i7-1355U (deltaPct -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (deltaPct -0.7%), all of which are within 1% of the i5-12400's score. This indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration; the substantial gap between the CPU's mid-range standing and the GPU's bottom-tier position creates a massive imbalance that dictates overall system performance.

FAQ

Q: Is this combination playable for Lockdown Protocol at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 80 FPS, which is playable. However, the Medium preset drops to 57 FPS, High to 49 FPS, and Ultra to 37 FPS. The data suggests that only the Low preset at 1080p provides a comfortable frame rate for competitive play.

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system breaks the 60 FPS threshold, and only at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the maximum average FPS is 58 (Low), while at 3840x2160, the maximum average FPS is 38 (Low). The data indicates that 1080p is the only viable resolution for reasonable performance.

Q: How does the GPU's VRAM allocation affect performance?

A: The Intel Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's main RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means performance can vary based on the system's memory configuration. This shared memory architecture likely contributes to the GPU's low performance percentile and the frame rate drops at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU's contribution to the gaming performance here?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as 15989 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2257 in single-core, are respectable. The data shows the CPU is not the primary bottleneck; the GPU's low performance (5th percentile) versus the CPU's 72nd percentile ranking confirms this imbalance.

Q: Why does the FPS drop so significantly between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 80 at Low to 37 at Ultra, a reduction of 53.75%. This steep drop is consistent with a GPU that is severely underpowered for the game's higher graphical demands. The Arc B370's 1280 shading units and 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance are simply insufficient to handle the increased load of Ultra presets.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive factor in this combo's Lockdown Protocol performance. Its specifications reveal a part designed for basic tasks rather than gaming: 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz. The GPU's FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, and it has 10 ray tracing cores. However, the most critical detail is the memory configuration: "System Shared" size, type, and bus width, with "System Dependent" bandwidth. This means the GPU has no dedicated VRAM and must contend with the system's main memory for data access, which is a significant performance handicap in a memory-intensive FPS title.

The GPU's low standing is confirmed by its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of just 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This low score is mirrored in the measured FPS data: at 3840x2160 Ultra, the system manages only 18 FPS on average, while at 1920x1080 Ultra, it reaches 37 FPS. The GPU's lack of dedicated memory and low compute throughput makes it the clear limiting component in this configuration. The data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 1080p Low (80 FPS), and any increase in resolution or graphical fidelity results in a disproportionate performance penalty.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: performance degrades sharply as settings increase. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 80 at Low to 37 at Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p yields an average of 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS. The High preset at 1080p drops to 49 FPS on average. These numbers indicate that the system is only comfortably playable at Low settings in 1080p, where it maintains a 80 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops further. The Low preset averages 58 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution to exceed 50 FPS. Medium averages 42 FPS (min 35, max 48), High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 27 FPS. The data shows that 1440p is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the average FPS is below the 60 FPS target that many FPS players prefer.

The 3840x2160 results are the most challenging. The Low preset averages 38 FPS, Medium averages 27 FPS (min 23, max 31), High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. None of these averages reach 40 FPS, making 4K effectively unplayable for this game. The minimum FPS of 23 at 4K Medium indicates significant frame time spikes that would disrupt gameplay. The data clearly shows that this combo is not designed for high-resolution gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a severe performance cliff. For the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 80 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p (a 27.5% reduction), and then to 38 at 4K (a 52.5% reduction from 1080p). This is a steeper drop than expected for a GPU-bound scenario, indicating that the memory bandwidth constraint of "System Shared" memory becomes more acute as pixel count increases.

For the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 57 at 1080p to 42 at 1440p (a 26.3% reduction), and then to 27 at 4K (a 52.6% reduction from 1080p). The High preset follows a similar pattern: 49 FPS at 1080p, 36 at 1440p (a 26.5% reduction), and 23 at 4K (a 53.1% reduction from 1080p). The Ultra preset drops from 37 FPS at 1080p to 27 at 1440p (a 27.0% reduction), and then to 18 at 4K (a 51.4% reduction from 1080p).

These consistent percentage drops across all presets show that the system is primarily limited by the GPU's fill rate and memory throughput, not by the CPU. The i5-12400's strong single-thread performance (2257 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is not the bottleneck here. The data suggests that the Arc B370's reliance on system memory creates a bandwidth wall that is hit progressively harder as resolution increases, making the scaling behavior predictable but unfavorable for higher-resolution displays.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only settings that provide a consistently playable experience are the 1080p Low preset, which averages 80 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that exceeds 60 FPS on average, making it the recommended choice for any semblance of competitive frame rates. The 1080p Medium preset, at 57 FPS, is borderline, but the minimum FPS of 48 suggests that frame drops may be noticeable during intense scenes.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the 1080p High preset at 49 FPS is the highest quality setting that maintains an average above 45 FPS. However, the data indicates that the Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended, as the maximum average FPS achieved is 37 at 1080p, which is too low for a fast-paced FPS. At 1440p, the Low preset at 58 FPS is the only viable option, but it still falls short of the 60 FPS target. The 4K resolution is not recommended at any setting, as the highest average FPS is 38 at Low, which is below playable thresholds for this genre.

The data strongly suggests that users should prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity with this combo. The Arc B370's performance ceiling is too low to support higher presets without significant FPS losses, and the CPU's capability is wasted in this configuration. The optimal experience, per the measured rows, is 1080p Low, with 1080p Medium as a secondary option if the user can tolerate occasional frame drops.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a capable mid-range processor that is severely underutilized in this combination. It features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The CPU's cache configuration includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Its benchmark scores are solid: 15989 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2257 in Cinebench R23 single-core, along with 8564 in Geekbench multicore and 1848 in single-core.

The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683, places it in the upper-mid range of processors. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, is within 0.1% of its score, indicating that the i5-12400 is well-positioned for general computing tasks. However, in Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's performance headroom is not the limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached long before the CPU's capabilities are strained.

The data indicates that the i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient for this game. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 80 FPS, which is likely limited by the GPU's pixel throughput rather than the CPU's ability to feed it. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (2257 in Cinebench R23) ensures that game logic and physics are handled efficiently, but the Arc B370's 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance cannot leverage this CPU power into higher frame rates. This is a textbook case of a CPU-GPU imbalance, where the processor's potential is wasted due to the graphics card's limitations. The user would see significant performance gains from a more powerful GPU, but the current data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration.