Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol places a significant load on the GPU, and the Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a specific set of performance characteristics across resolutions and presets. The measured data reveals a system that is firmly entry-level for this title, with the Arc B370 acting as the primary performance limiter in most scenarios. The following analysis breaks down the measured FPS, component roles, and how this combination stacks up against other tested hardware.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B370, the benchmark data indicates that the Low preset is the only setting that consistently delivers a playable experience across all tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 80 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. While the Medium preset at 1080p yields a respectable 57 FPS average, the Low preset provides a more substantial performance buffer.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 58 FPS, which remains within acceptable bounds for a fast-paced FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution produces 42 FPS, which is noticeably lower. The High preset at 1440p falls to 36 FPS, which begins to feel sluggish. At 3840x2160, the Low preset produces 38 FPS, while Medium drops to 27 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming is not viable with this hardware.

The data strongly suggests that Low settings are the optimal choice for this combo. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p results in a 23 FPS drop (from 80 to 57), which is a significant cost for visual improvements. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable, with averages of 37 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. Given the GPU's performance ceiling, prioritizing frame rate over graphical fidelity is the only logical approach for this hardware pairing.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the dominant performance factor in this system. The GPU is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture using a 3 nm process node, featuring 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the GPU relies on system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent."

This shared memory architecture is a critical bottleneck. The GPU's performance is heavily contingent on the system's memory bandwidth, which is a major limiting factor in a graphics-intensive game like Lockdown Protocol. The GPU's compute capabilities are modest, with an FP32 throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score for this GPU is 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5%), and AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4%). These comparisons highlight that the Arc B370's absolute performance is on par with legacy hardware, which explains the low FPS figures in Lockdown Protocol.

The GPU's TDP is a mere 25 W, and it is classified as an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) on the bus interface. This indicates it is not a discrete card but an integrated solution, despite its "Arc" branding. The boost clock of 2400 MHz cannot compensate for the lack of dedicated memory bandwidth and the low pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s. The data shows that the GPU is the undeniable bottleneck, as increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K causes a dramatic collapse in frame rates across all settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Lockdown Protocol at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, where the average FPS is 80. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average drops to 58 FPS. No other resolution or settings combination achieves a 60 FPS average.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the average FPS remains above 60 on any preset (specifically Low). At 2560x1440, the best average is 58 FPS on Low, while at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only manages 38 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset ever viable?

A: No. The Ultra preset produces average frame rates of 37 FPS at 1920x1080, 27 FPS at 2560x1440, and 18 FPS at 3840x2160. These are all well below the standard for a smooth FPS experience.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2%) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5%). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

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

A: The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, while the Low preset averages 80 FPS. This represents a 23 FPS difference, or roughly 40% higher frame rate on Low settings.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter. The Intel Core i7-12700K is a high-end desktop processor with strong benchmark scores, while the Arc B370 sits in the 5th percentile of GPUs. The significant FPS drops when increasing resolution point directly to GPU saturation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are as follows:

• Low: 80 FPS average
• Medium: 57 FPS average (min 48, max 65)
• High: 49 FPS average
• Ultra: 37 FPS average

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably:

• Low: 58 FPS average
• Medium: 42 FPS average (min 35, max 48)
• High: 36 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates:

• Low: 38 FPS average
• Medium: 27 FPS average (min 23, max 31)
• High: 23 FPS average
• Ultra: 18 FPS average

The pattern is consistent: each step up in settings costs a significant number of frames. For instance, at 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces performance by 23 FPS, and moving from Medium to High reduces it by another 8 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low and High is 15 FPS, showing that the GPU is severely strained at higher resolutions. The minimum FPS data points for the Medium preset (48 at 1080p, 35 at 1440p, 23 at 4K) indicate that frame pacing can dip below the average, which may cause perceptible stutter in intense combat sequences.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2611 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places the system in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, confirming its position as a low-performance pairing for this game. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations; the CPU is far more capable, as evidenced by its own benchmark scores.

The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, which places it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, -0.1%), Intel Core i7-12700KF (35365, -0.2%), and Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, -0.3%). This shows the CPU is competitive with modern mid-range and high-end processors. However, the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile, with rivals being legacy ATI parts. The massive disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's low percentile creates a severe bottleneck, dragging the overall combo ranking down to 2611th place.

The data suggests that this combo is about as fast as a much older system with a high-end CPU and a budget GPU from over a decade ago. The Arc B370's performance, while modern in architecture, does not translate into gaming capability for this title due to its integrated nature and shared memory limitations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. This hardware provides substantial processing power for gaming.

In Lockdown Protocol, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The CPU's benchmark scores are robust: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19784 and a single-core score of 1850.5. Its Geekbench scores are 15790 multi-core and 2308 single-core. These figures indicate that the CPU can handle the game's logic and physics without becoming a bottleneck. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and max-thread score of 9979 further confirm its strong multi-threaded performance.

The data shows that the CPU is underutilized relative to the GPU. Since the GPU cannot render frames quickly enough, the CPU is left waiting for the GPU to finish its work. This is evident in the FPS scaling: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 80 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 38 FPS. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions. The CPU's high percentile ranking (84th) versus the GPU's low ranking (5th) clearly identifies the Arc B370 as the performance ceiling.

Resolution Scaling

The impact of resolution on frame rate is stark. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the Low preset reduces the average FPS from 80 to 58, a 27.5% drop. Moving from 1440p to 4K further reduces it from 58 to 38 FPS, an additional 34.5% drop. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

On the Medium preset, the progression is 57 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. This represents a 52.6% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K. The High preset follows a similar trajectory: 49 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K, a total drop of 53.1%. The Ultra preset goes from 37 FPS at 1080p to 18 FPS at 4K, a 51.4% reduction.

The fact that the FPS drops by roughly half when the pixel count quadruples (from 1080p to 4K) is a classic sign of a GPU that is starved for bandwidth and processing power. The Arc B370's shared memory system means that as the resolution increases, the demand on the system's memory bandwidth increases proportionally, but the GPU's ability to access that bandwidth is limited. This creates a scaling curve that is steep and unforgiving. The data concludes that the limiting component is unambiguously the GPU, as the CPU's performance is more than sufficient to handle the game's demands at any resolution.