Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B370 is a combination defined by stark contrast: a high-end desktop processor with 14 cores and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, matched with an integrated-class GPU that operates at a 300 MHz base and 2400 MHz boost. In Lockdown Protocol, this pairing produces playable results at lower settings, but the data clearly indicates that the graphics solution is the primary bottleneck, preventing the potent CPU from ever being fully utilized. The Core i5-14600KF, based on the Raptor Lake architecture, features 14 cores and 20 threads, a configuration that typically excels in both gaming and productivity workloads. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a single-core score of 4594, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. This processing power, however, is largely held in reserve during Lockdown Protocol, as the frame rates are consistently dictated by the GPU's capabilities rather than the CPU's compute potential. The data suggests a system where the engine is powerful, but the transmission limits the speed.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on the Raptor Lake architecture and manufactured on Intel's 10 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and can boost up to 5.30 GHz, which is a significant frequency advantage for single-threaded tasks. The processor includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core, along with an 80 KB L1 cache per core, all of which contribute to its strong synthetic benchmark performance. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and frame pacing, but the measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, the average frame rate is 80 FPS, which is not a ceiling imposed by the CPU. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14600KF scores an average benchmark of 49394, putting it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G. It also trails the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 by 0.8%, but the differences are marginal, suggesting that any of these CPUs would perform similarly in a GPU-bound scenario. The high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2445, ensures that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combination. The data shows that as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the FPS drops significantly across all settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. For instance, at High settings, the FPS falls from 49 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p and further to 23 at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the CPU has ample headroom and is waiting for the GPU to deliver frames, meaning the i5-14600KF's 5.30 GHz boost clock is effectively idle in this configuration. The processor's TDP of 125 W and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory are specifications that do not directly influence the game's performance here, but they do frame the CPU as a high-end part that is underutilized in this specific pairing.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is the decisive component in this analysis, and its specifications reveal why it struggles to keep pace with the CPU. This GPU is part of the Panther Lake architecture, specifically from the Arc Graphics-M generation, and it is built on a 3 nm process node. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operations units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU's clock speeds are set at a 300 MHz base and a 2400 MHz boost, which is relatively low for a discrete solution, and its memory configuration is "System Shared", meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a critical limitation, as the memory bandwidth is described as "System Dependent", which can cause performance to vary based on the system's RAM configuration. The GPU's compute capabilities are listed at 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16, but these figures translate to a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of just 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, and the nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186, a -0.2% difference, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190, a -0.5% difference. These rivals are decades old, which underscores the Arc B370's position as an entry-level or integrated-class part. In Lockdown Protocol, this GPU's limitations are immediately visible. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is only 37, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 18 FPS. The GPU's 25 W TDP and IGP slot width suggest it is designed for power efficiency rather than raw performance, and the data confirms that it cannot handle high resolutions or demanding presets. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is not enough to compensate for the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth, and the "System Shared" memory type means the GPU is competing with the CPU for memory access, further hampering performance. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as lowering settings from Ultra to Low at the same resolution yields substantial FPS gains, such as from 18 to 38 FPS at 4K, which is a 111% improvement, indicating that the GPU's shading and memory subsystems are the limiting factors.

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

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combination vary significantly by resolution, but the data strongly suggests that Low or Medium presets are the only viable options for a smooth experience. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 80 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset and provides a fluid experience for an FPS title. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 57 FPS, which is still playable, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, but the Low preset offers a more comfortable margin above the threshold for competitive play. The High preset at 1080p drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS, both of which are less desirable. For 1440p, the Low preset is the only setting that approaches playability, with an average of 58 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 42 FPS, which is borderline, and the High preset at 36 FPS, while the Ultra preset at 27 FPS is not recommended. At 4K, none of the presets deliver a playable frame rate, with Low averaging 38 FPS, Medium at 27 FPS, High at 23 FPS, and Ultra at 18 FPS. The data indicates that the best experience is achieved by using the Low preset at 1080p, which maximizes the frame rate and minimizes the GPU's workload. The Medium preset can be considered at 1080p if visual fidelity is a priority, but the 23 FPS difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is substantial, and the Low preset is clearly the sweet spot for this combo. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely, as it produces the lowest FPS at every resolution, and the High preset offers only marginal visual gains over Medium with a significant performance cost, such as the drop from 57 to 49 FPS at 1080p. In summary, users should prioritize the Low preset at 1080p to leverage the CPU's headroom and achieve the best possible frame rates, with Medium as a fallback for those who prefer higher visual settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2611 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's poor performance, as the CPU's high percentile rank is completely negated by the GPU's 5th percentile standing. The combo's overall rank of 2611 is a clear indication that this pairing is not suited for this game, especially when compared to other tested combos that likely feature more balanced components. The data shows that while the CPU is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, the GPU is in the 5th percentile, creating a massive imbalance that results in the low combo rank. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, are legacy parts, and the Arc B370's 3DMark score of 1184 is barely above these ancient GPUs, which explains why the combo struggles. In practical terms, this rank means that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings tested in this game deliver higher frame rates, and the i5-14600KF's processing power is wasted in this configuration. The rank also implies that the system is severely GPU-limited, as the CPU could easily support a much faster graphics card. For context, the combo's rank of 2611 out of 2828 means that there are 217 other combos that perform worse, but the fact that this powerful CPU is dragged down to such a low position highlights the Arc B370's inadequacy for modern FPS titles like Lockdown Protocol.

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

The resolution scaling data provides clear evidence that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component in this system. Across all settings, the FPS drops consistently as resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS falls from 80 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p and then to 38 at 4K, representing a 52.5% drop from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the FPS drops from 49 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p and 23 at 4K, a 53.1% decrease. This pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the GPU's workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the data shows a steep decline, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being overwhelmed. The "System Shared" memory configuration is particularly problematic at higher resolutions, as the GPU must access the system's main memory, which is slower than dedicated VRAM, and the increased data transfer requirements at 4K exacerbate this issue. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, which is in the 5th percentile, confirms that the GPU lacks the raw power to handle high pixel counts. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings shows a 27.5% FPS drop (from 80 to 58), which is steeper than the drop from 1440p to 4K (from 58 to 38, a 34.5% drop), suggesting that the GPU's capabilities degrade non-linearly as resolution increases. This behavior points to a memory bandwidth limitation, as the shared memory system cannot keep up with the data demands of higher resolutions. Therefore, the resolution scaling analysis definitively shows that the GPU is the limiting component, and any attempts to improve performance would require a more powerful graphics card.

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

The measured FPS data for Lockdown Protocol is comprehensive, covering four resolutions and four settings presets. At 3840x2160 (4K), the performance is consistently poor across all presets. The Low preset averages 38 FPS, which is the highest at this resolution, while the Medium preset averages 27 FPS with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS. The High preset averages 23 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 18 FPS, making 4K unplayable for any setting. At 2560x1440 (1440p), the Low preset averages 58 FPS, which is the only playable option, while the Medium preset averages 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48. The High preset averages 36 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 27 FPS, indicating that 1440p is only viable on Low settings. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Low preset delivers the best result with an average of 80 FPS. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65, which is still a decent experience. The High preset averages 49 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 37 FPS, showing that 1080p can handle Medium settings but struggles with High and Ultra. Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently provides the highest frame rates, and the Ultra preset provides the lowest. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 43 FPS (80 vs 37), which is a 116% performance gap, highlighting the GPU's inability to handle higher graphical fidelity. The data also shows that the Medium preset offers a middle ground, but the FPS gains from Low to Medium are significant, and users should be prepared for a noticeable drop in smoothness. The absence of min and max FPS values for most presets limits the analysis of frame pacing, but the available data for Medium presets shows some variance, such as the 48-65 FPS range at 1080p, which indicates potential stuttering. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown confirms that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming on Low or Medium settings, with 1440p possible only on Low, and 4K not recommended at all.