Lockdown Protocol

This combo pairs the Intel Core i7-12700KF with the Intel Arc B370, a configuration that ranks near the bottom of the tested pool for Lockdown Protocol. With a combo rank of 2611 out of 2828 tested combinations, this system sits in the 8th percentile of all tested hardware pairings for this title. The data indicates that the Arc B370 is the primary constraint, as the CPU offers substantial headroom that the GPU cannot utilize at most settings. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, interpreting the benchmark results to explain where this combo excels, where it struggles, and what the data suggests about the underlying hardware dynamics.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking for this specific CPU-GPU pairing in Lockdown Protocol is 2611 out of 2828 tested combos. This places the configuration in the bottom 8% of all systems tested for this game, indicating that it is a low-performing combination relative to the broader test pool. The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU's capabilities, which are significantly below average when compared to other graphics cards in the database.

The Intel Arc B370's standalone benchmark percentile is 5, meaning it outperforms only 5% of all GPUs in the database. In contrast, the Intel Core i7-12700KF has a percentile of 85, outperforming 85% of all CPUs. This massive gap between the two components' relative standings explains the combo's poor rank; the system is effectively bottlenecked by the GPU in almost every scenario. The data suggests that even a significantly weaker CPU paired with this GPU would likely achieve similar frame rates, as the graphics card is the limiting factor.

When looking at the GPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score, the Arc B370 scores 1184, which is just 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168). These comparisons highlight that the Arc B370's raw compute performance is in the range of legacy integrated and entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago. This context is crucial; the benchmark results in Lockdown Protocol reflect this level of performance, making the low combo rank unsurprising.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its clock speeds are listed with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. The memory configuration is entirely "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than having dedicated VRAM. Consequently, the memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," and the bus width is also shared with the system.

The GPU features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 20 raster operation units (ROPs). It also includes 10 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is rated at 6.144 TFLOPS. These specifications place the Arc B370 at a level where it is not designed for high-end gaming, which is reflected in its measured FPS.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's limitations are evident across all measured settings. The highest average FPS recorded for this combo is 80 at 1080p Low, which is the only settings/resolution combination that approaches playable smoothness. At 4K, the GPU struggles even at Low settings, producing an average of 38 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: as the resolution increases, the GPU's shared memory bandwidth and limited shading power become increasingly insufficient, causing frame rates to drop sharply. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 for this GPU further confirms its low tier, as it falls below the scores of several legacy ATI/AMD parts that are its nearest rivals.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent and predictable impact from resolution scaling. At 1080p, the average FPS across all settings ranges from 37 (Ultra) to 80 (Low). Moving to 1440p, the average FPS drops significantly, ranging from 27 (Ultra) to 58 (Low). At 4K, the average FPS falls further, ranging from 18 (Ultra) to 38 (Low).

For the Low preset, the FPS drops from 80 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p, a reduction of 27.5%. From 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops from 58 to 38, a further reduction of 34.5%. This indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the increase in pixel count, and the scaling is not linear. The drop from 1080p to 4K for Low settings is from 80 FPS to 38 FPS, which is a 52.5% reduction in average frame rate.

The pattern is similar for the High preset, where the FPS drops from 49 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p (a 26.5% drop), and then to 23 at 4K (a 36.1% drop from 1440p). This consistent degradation across all presets confirms that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller differences between 1080p and 4K, as the resolution increase would put more strain on the GPU while the CPU workload remains relatively constant. Instead, the steep drops indicate that the Arc B370's processing capability is saturated even at 1080p, and the additional pixel load at higher resolutions directly reduces throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides exact average FPS figures for four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K). The results are as follows:

1080p:

• Low: 80 FPS average
• Medium: 57 FPS average, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS
• High: 49 FPS average
• Ultra: 37 FPS average

1440p:

• Low: 58 FPS average
• Medium: 42 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS
• High: 36 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 38 FPS average
• Medium: 27 FPS average, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS
• High: 23 FPS average
• Ultra: 18 FPS average

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, which provides a frame time variance window. At 1080p Medium, the FPS fluctuates between 48 and 65. At 1440p Medium, it fluctuates between 35 and 48. At 4K Medium, it fluctuates between 23 and 31. These ranges suggest that even at medium settings, frame pacing may be inconsistent, which could be noticeable during fast-paced gameplay.

For playability, the 1080p Low preset is the only configuration that consistently delivers an average FPS above 60, which is often considered the minimum for smooth gameplay in an FPS. The 1440p Low preset, at 58 FPS average, is borderline. All other configurations at 1440p and 4K, as well as all Medium, High, and Ultra presets at 1080p, fall below this threshold, indicating that users will need to compromise on visual quality to achieve acceptable performance.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the average FPS ranges from 18 (Ultra) to 38 (Low). The highest average FPS at 4K is 38, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. This indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo if frame rates above 38 FPS are desired.

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the only resolution where the combo achieves an average FPS of 80 on the Low preset. At 1440p, the maximum average FPS is 58 on Low. Therefore, 1080p is the recommended resolution for the best performance.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, which is 0.5% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower than the Arc B370.

Q: What is the CPU's performance standing relative to other CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has a percentile of 85, meaning it performs better than 85% of all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 35365. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700T, scores 35403, which is 0.1% higher.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests the opposite. The CPU's benchmark percentile (85) is far higher than the GPU's (5). In the measured FPS, the performance scales heavily with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU is likely not the limiting factor at any resolution tested.

Q: What is the specific average FPS at 1440p High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for the 1440p High preset is 36 FPS. This is the third-highest average FPS at that resolution, behind Low (58 FPS) and Medium (42 FPS), but ahead of Ultra (27 FPS).

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake-S architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. 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 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 25 MB L3 cache. This CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory and has a TDP of 125 W.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. It scores 28838 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4071 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 14367 multi-core and 2255 single-core. These scores place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a high-performing processor for general workloads.

However, in Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is saturated, as evidenced by the significant frame rate drops when increasing resolution. For example, the FPS at 1080p Low is 80, but at 4K Low it drops to 38. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to be similar across resolutions, since the CPU's workload (game logic, physics, etc.) does not scale with resolution. The data clearly shows a GPU-bound scenario, meaning the i7-12700KF has ample computational headroom to feed the Arc B370 in this title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of which settings presets are viable for this combo. The primary goal for an FPS game is to maintain a high and stable frame rate, ideally above 60 FPS. Based on the data, only one configuration meets this criterion: 1080p with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 80 FPS.

At 1440p, the Low preset delivers an average of 58 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target but may experience occasional dips. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 57 FPS, which is also borderline but below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets and resolutions fall below 50 FPS average, which is likely to result in a less responsive and less smooth experience in a fast-paced FPS.

For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the 1080p Low preset is the clear recommendation. If a higher resolution is desired, 1440p Low is the only viable option, though it may require accepting some frame rate instability. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it yields the lowest average FPS (37 at 1080p, 27 at 1440p, 18 at 4K). The High preset offers marginal visual improvements over Medium but comes with a significant FPS cost, making Medium a better balance if users want to move away from Low. The data suggests that for this GPU, the Low preset is the only way to approach smooth, playable performance in Lockdown Protocol.