Lockdown Protocol

Intel Core i5-13400F pairs with the Intel Arc B370 in Lockdown Protocol, a combination that lands near the bottom of the tested field. The benchmark data shows a system that is playable at lower settings but quickly becomes strained as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on where the CPU and GPU each become the limiting factor and which settings deliver the most playable experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This is a desktop part on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, and its 65 W TDP indicates a mainstream power envelope. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory via a dual-channel bus, and it offers PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates solid multi-threaded performance. It scores 22,604 points in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3,191 points in single-core, with a Geekbench multicore score of 11,068 and a single-core score of 1,996. Its Passmark multithread score is 25,032, and it ranks in the 77th percentile against all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-13400F is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (0.4% delta), while being 0.3% slower than the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D. This places it in a competitive mid-range tier for processing power.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU in most measured scenarios. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 80 FPS, which is the highest score recorded. At this resolution and setting, the workload is less demanding on the graphics processor, allowing the CPU’s strong single-thread and multi-thread scores to keep up with the frame generation. However, the data suggests that even at 1080p, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, as the frame rates decline consistently when moving to higher settings, which increases the GPU load rather than the CPU load. The CPU’s 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s logic and physics, but the consistent frame drops across resolutions point to the integrated graphics unit as the limiting factor.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, using a 3 nm process node. It has 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU clock runs from a base of 300 MHz up to a boost of 2400 MHz. Critically, its memory is marked as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s main RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a fundamental limitation for gaming performance.

The Arc B370’s synthetic benchmark score is 1,184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (0.7% faster), while the AMD FirePro M2000 is 1.4% slower. This places the Arc B370 in the company of older, low-end discrete parts, and the shared memory architecture is a clear handicap for a game like Lockdown Protocol.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s performance drops off sharply as settings increase. At 1080p, the average FPS goes from 80 on Low, to 57 on Medium, to 49 on High, and down to 37 on Ultra. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that has limited raw throughput and no dedicated memory bandwidth. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is not enough to compensate for the low shading unit count and the dependency on system memory. The GPU is clearly the dominant bottleneck in this combo, as the CPU’s performance is relatively strong, yet the frame rates remain low across all resolutions, even at 1080p Low where the CPU should be less stressed.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling in Lockdown Protocol reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at every step. Moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K produces significant frame rate penalties, which is a classic sign that the graphics processor is struggling to fill pixels. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 80 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p, a reduction of 27.5%, and then to 38 at 4K, a further drop of 34.5% from 1440p. This steep decline continues across all settings.

At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 57 at 1080p to 42 at 1440p and 27 at 4K. The High preset shows a similar trend, going from 49 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p and 23 at 4K. Even at Ultra, which is the most demanding preset, the numbers drop from 37 at 1080p to 27 at 1440p and 18 at 4K. The pattern is uniform: each step up in resolution costs roughly 20-35% of the frame rate, regardless of the quality preset.

This behavior indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component. The CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, so the consistent FPS drops must be attributed to the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth constraints. The shared memory system becomes a more severe bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the GPU needs to access more data from system RAM, which is slower than dedicated VRAM. The data shows that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming, and even then, only at lower settings, as higher resolutions push the GPU beyond its capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo’s performance in Lockdown Protocol. At 1920x1080, the system is most capable. With Low settings, the average FPS is 80, which is the only score above 60 in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield an average of 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65. High settings drop to 49 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is playable, but only at Low and Medium presets, where the frame rate stays near or above 60.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates become more constrained. Low settings produce an average of 58 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 42 FPS (with a min of 35 and max of 48). High settings average 36 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low preset remains consistently fluid, while Medium and above introduce noticeable stutter. The minimum frame rate of 35 at Medium suggests that there are moments of significant lag, which would be disruptive in an FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across the board. Low settings average 38 FPS, which is borderline playable but not ideal for a fast-paced shooter. Medium settings average 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31, indicating frequent dips into unplayable territory. High settings drop to 23 FPS, and Ultra falls to 18 FPS. At 4K, none of the presets provide a smooth experience, and the data suggests that this resolution is not viable for Lockdown Protocol with this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, this Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 pairing ranks 2,611 out of 2,828 total combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested, which is a clear indication of its performance tier. The rank reflects the overall average FPS across all resolutions and settings, and the low position is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s poor showing at higher resolutions.

The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking against all CPUs suggests that the processor is not the issue; it is a capable mid-range part. However, the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking against all GPUs drags the entire combo down. The nearest rival GPUs are all older, low-end parts from over a decade ago, which contextualizes the Arc B370’s performance level. In a game like Lockdown Protocol, which requires a certain level of graphics horsepower, this combo is at a significant disadvantage compared to the vast majority of tested systems. The rank of 2,611 out of 2,828 underscores that this setup is best suited for low-resolution, low-settings gameplay, and it will not compete with even mid-range discrete GPUs.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Lockdown Protocol is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which achieves an average of 80 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, which is essential for a smooth and responsive FPS experience. The Low preset at 1080p avoids the frame rate dips seen at higher settings, and the 80 FPS average ensures that the game remains fluid during intense action.

For players who want a bit more visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 1080p is the next viable option, with an average of 57 FPS. This is close to 60 FPS, but the minimum of 48 FPS indicates that there will be occasional stutters, which could be noticeable in a competitive shooter. At 1440p, the Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 58 FPS, but it still falls short of the 1080p Low experience. All other settings and resolutions produce averages below 50 FPS, which is too low for a game that requires quick reflexes.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it yields 37 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K, all of which are below an acceptable playability threshold. Similarly, 4K resolution is not viable for this combo, as even the Low preset only averages 38 FPS. The data clearly shows that the Intel Arc B370 is a limiting factor, and the best course of action is to stick with 1080p Low or Medium settings to maintain a playable frame rate. This configuration leverages the CPU’s strength while minimizing the GPU’s weaknesses, providing the most consistent experience in Lockdown Protocol.