Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2512th out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the bottom 11% of systems. This is a profoundly GPU-limited configuration; the Arc B390, an integrated graphics solution with a 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, is the decisive bottleneck at every resolution and settings preset. The data shows that while the i7-13700K is a high-end desktop processor with an 89th percentile ranking, its capabilities are almost entirely negated by the graphics solution, resulting in a combo that is only suitable for low-detail, lower-resolution play.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B390 achieves a rank of 2512 out of 2828 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This position, in the 11th percentile of all tested configurations, underscores a severe performance imbalance. The processor is a top-tier part, but the integrated GPU holds the entire system back. In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-13700K posts an average score of 46881, putting it nearly at parity with its closest rivals: it is 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971) and 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022), while leading the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654) and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653) by 0.5%.

However, the GPU tells a different story. The Arc B390’s average benchmark score is a mere 1482, which places it just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460). It is 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446) and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). These rivals are all entry-level or legacy parts, confirming that the Arc B390’s performance class is at the absolute bottom of the discrete GPU hierarchy, despite being an integrated processor. The result is a combo rank that is far closer to the GPU’s low percentile than the CPU’s high one, indicating that any upgrade to the graphics subsystem would yield a dramatic improvement in this game, while further CPU investment would yield nothing.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates in Lockdown Protocol demonstrate that the "Low" settings preset provides the only playable experience, and even then, it is limited to 1080p and 1440p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 88 FPS, which is the only preset that breaks the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Moving up to 2560x1440 on Low drops the average to 65 FPS, which remains playable but shows the performance cost of higher resolutions. At 3840x2160 on Low, the average falls to 42 FPS, which is below the ideal for a fast-paced FPS.

The data indicates that "Medium" settings are not viable for a consistent experience, even at 1080p. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 63, but the measured minimum is 53 FPS, indicating noticeable dips during intense scenes. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 46 FPS with a minimum of 39, and at 4K Medium, it is 30 FPS with a minimum of 25. These figures are too low for competitive play. The "High" and "Ultra" presets are effectively unplayable at any resolution, with averages ranging from 55 FPS at 1080p High down to 19 FPS at 4K Ultra. Benchmark results indicate that the optimal configuration for this combo is the Low preset, paired with a 1920x1080 or 2560x1440 resolution, prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS scales from 88 at 1920x1080 to 65 at 2560x1440, a 26% decrease, and then to 42 at 3840x2160, a 35% drop from 1440p and a 52% drop from 1080p. This steep decline with increased pixel count is the signature of a GPU that is overwhelmed by the render workload.

This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the averages are 63 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K. At High settings, they are 55, 40, and 26 FPS respectively. The scaling is nearly linear with the pixel count increase from 1080p to 1440p (a 1.78x increase in pixels), but the drop from 1440p to 4K (a 2.25x increase) is even more severe in relative terms. The processor, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is not the bottleneck here; if it were, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions. Instead, the data shows that the i7-13700K is more than capable of feeding the integrated GPU at 1080p, but the Arc B390 simply cannot maintain its throughput as the resolution scales, confirming that the GPU's fillrate and shading capabilities are exhausted.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frames per second for the Intel Core i7-13700K + Intel Arc B390 combo in Lockdown Protocol is as follows:

1920x1080

• Low: Average 88 FPS. This is the only playable configuration, offering a smooth and responsive experience.
• Medium: Average 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 and maximum of 72. Playable, but with occasional frame dips below 60 FPS.
• High: Average 55 FPS. Borderline playable, but not consistent enough for competitive play.
• Ultra: Average 41 FPS. Not playable.

2560x1440

• Low: Average 65 FPS. The only 1440p preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS.
• Medium: Average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 and maximum of 53. Noticeable stuttering during action.
• High: Average 40 FPS. Not suitable for a fast-paced FPS.
• Ultra: Average 30 FPS. Unplayable.

3840x2160

• Low: Average 42 FPS. Too low for a smooth experience, but technically the highest average at this resolution.
• Medium: Average 30 FPS, with a minimum of 25 and maximum of 34. A slideshow in practice.
• High: Average 26 FPS. Unplayable.
• Ultra: Average 19 FPS. Unplayable.

These numbers paint a clear picture: the combo is only viable at the Low preset, with the experience degrading rapidly as settings and resolution increase. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings (53 at 1080p, 39 at 1440p, 25 at 4K) illustrates the instability of higher presets, as the GPU frequently fails to maintain its average output.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its performance in Lockdown Protocol is the primary constraint of this combo. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, but its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This shared memory architecture, with system-dependent bandwidth, is a significant factor in its low performance, as it creates a bandwidth bottleneck for texture and geometry data.

With 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines, the Arc B390 is designed for basic graphical output, not demanding 3D rendering. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but its raw compute power is limited to 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking against all GPUs is reflected in the game's frame rates. Its nearest rivals are all integrated or entry-level discrete GPUs from a much older era, like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GT 710, which underscores its position in the performance hierarchy.

In Lockdown Protocol, the GPU's role is purely the bottleneck. The i7-13700K, with its robust cache hierarchy (30 MB of shared L3 cache) and high boost clock of 5.40 GHz, is idling in comparison. The data indicates that the frame rates are entirely dictated by the Arc B390's ability to process frames, and this ability is exhausted even at 1080p Medium. The GPU's 80 W TDP and IGP form factor mean it shares power and thermal resources with the CPU, but the performance results are not a consequence of thermal throttling; they are a consequence of the sheer lack of graphical compute capacity.

FAQ

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

A: The "Low" preset is the only recommended option. It delivers an average of 88 FPS at 1920x1080 and 65 FPS at 2560x1440, which are the only averages above 60 FPS. All other presets, including Medium, fail to provide a consistently smooth experience.

Q: Can this combo run Lockdown Protocol at 4K?

A: Technically, yes, but not at a playable frame rate. At 3840x2160, the highest average is 42 FPS on Low settings, dropping to 19 FPS on Ultra. These frame rates are too low for a responsive FPS game.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-13700K compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. This is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971) and 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022). It is 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654) and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653), showing it is effectively tied with all four processors in synthetic performance.

Q: What is the role of the GPU's memory in this performance?

A: The Intel Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory with system-dependent bandwidth. This means it has no dedicated VRAM and must share the system's memory bus, which creates a severe bandwidth bottleneck that limits performance, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is decisively the limiting factor. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the i7-13700K ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The frame rates drop significantly with resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic at all tested resolutions.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the Arc B390 scores 1482. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all very low-end parts, confirming the B390's entry-level status.