Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B390 pairing in Lockdown Protocol presents a study in extreme component imbalance. The data shows a 20-core, 28-thread processor with a 5.40 GHz boost clock driving what is effectively an integrated graphics solution. This combination yields playable frame rates only at the lowest settings, while the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded headroom remains largely untapped by the game’s engine at higher presets. The benchmark results indicate a system where the graphics solution is the definitive bottleneck, capping performance far below what the processor is capable of supporting.

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

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a Raptor Lake Refresh part built on Intel's 10 nm process node. It features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration provides a massive amount of parallel processing power, reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19620. In synthetic workloads, the processor ranks in the 91st percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620.

In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU’s role is to feed the renderer with draw calls, physics calculations, and game logic. The processor’s single-threaded performance is also strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2429 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958. This ensures that the game’s main thread is not likely to be a limiting factor at any resolution tested. The data shows that even at 1080p with Low settings, where CPU load is typically highest relative to GPU load, the system achieves 88 FPS average. This suggests the CPU is handling the game’s core logic without significant strain.

However, the vast disparity between the CPU’s capabilities and the measured frame rates indicates that Lockdown Protocol is not heavily multi-threaded in a way that leverages the i7-14700F’s full potential. The processor’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support ensure data can be fed to the cores quickly, but this bandwidth advantage is wasted when the graphics pipeline stalls. The nearest rivals in CPU benchmark scores, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X with a delta of 0.6%, show that the i7-14700F is at the top tier of processing power, yet the game’s performance does not scale with this compute headroom. The bottleneck is elsewhere, and the CPU is effectively idle waiting for the GPU to complete its work. The processor’s 65 W TDP and active production status suggest a modern, efficient part, but its performance in this specific game is constrained by the graphics adapter it is paired with.

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

The Intel Arc B390 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. Critically, it has no dedicated VRAM; its memory size, type, and bus width are all designated as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s main memory for graphics data. Its memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which introduces significant variability and potential performance penalties compared to a discrete solution.

The GPU’s clock speeds are modest, with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines, as well as 12 ray tracing cores. The compute throughput is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, it scores 1482 points, placing it in the 9th percentile for all GPUs. This is a very low score, and its nearest rivals are legacy mobile parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (2.7% delta), which are not capable of modern gaming.

In Lockdown Protocol, this GPU limitation is stark. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate is 88 FPS, which is the best result in the measured data. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 63 FPS, and High settings yield 55 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average falls to 41 FPS. The trend is consistent across resolutions, showing that the Arc B390’s raw pixel throughput and shared memory bandwidth are insufficient for higher graphical fidelity. The 3DMark score of 1482, combined with the 9th percentile ranking, predicts this outcome. The GPU is simply not designed for the workload Lockdown Protocol presents at enhanced settings, and its performance characteristics dominate the system’s overall capability.

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

The measured FPS data shows a predictable degradation as resolution increases, confirming the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the system achieves 88 FPS at 1920x1080. This drops to 65 FPS at 2560x1440, a 26% reduction, and further to 42 FPS at 3840x2160, a 52% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is classic for a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels to be shaded increases geometrically with resolution.

At High settings, the frame rates are lower overall but follow a similar pattern: 55 FPS at 1080p, 40 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is a 53% reduction, nearly identical to the Low setting percentage drop. This consistency indicates that the scaling is linear with pixel count, a hallmark of a system limited by fill rate and memory bandwidth rather than by CPU logic or geometry throughput. If the CPU were a significant factor, we would expect to see a smaller percentage drop when moving from 1080p to 1440p, as the CPU load would decrease relative to the GPU load.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe results, with 41 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is a 54% drop from 1080p, again consistent with the other presets. This data strongly suggests that the Intel Core i7-14700F is not a limiting factor at any resolution. The CPU’s performance headroom is ample, as evidenced by its high benchmark percentile. Instead, the Intel Arc B390’s shared memory architecture and low compute throughput are saturated by the increasing pixel count. The system’s inability to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p on Medium or higher settings is a direct consequence of the GPU’s limitations, not the processor’s.

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

Analyzing the measured rows, the only preset that offers a consistently smooth experience is Low settings at 1920x1080, where the average frame rate is 88 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire data set that exceeds 60 FPS. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 65 FPS, which is still playable, but the 1080p Low preset provides the best combination of smoothness and resolution headroom.

For Medium settings, the experience is less ideal. At 1080p, the average is 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. This is borderline playable, but the frame time variance may be noticeable. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 46 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it drops to 30 FPS, which is not suitable for a fast-paced FPS. The High preset is only viable at 1080p, where it averages 55 FPS, but it dips into the 40s at 1440p and 26 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are not recommended for any resolution, as the highest average achieved is 41 FPS at 1080p, with 4K yielding only 19 FPS.

Given the data, the optimal experience for this combo is to run the game at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This delivers the highest average FPS and avoids the sub-60 FPS territory that plagues all other settings. If a user insists on Medium settings, 1080p is the only resolution where the average remains above 60 FPS, but the minimum FPS of 53 indicates occasional stutter. For users targeting 1440p, only Low settings are viable, as the 65 FPS average is acceptable, but any higher preset results in averages below 50 FPS. The data does not support using High or Ultra presets at any resolution for a competitive or smooth experience in Lockdown Protocol.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the overall database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this specific configuration of the Intel Core i7-14700F with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2512th out of 2828 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested. This low ranking is entirely attributable to the GPU’s performance, as the CPU is a high-end part. The combo’s rank is a direct reflection of the measured FPS data, which shows that the system is unable to deliver high frame rates at any resolution above 1080p Low.

The ranking against other combos underscores the imbalance. A system with a top-tier CPU and a 9th percentile GPU will inevitably be dragged down in the rankings by the graphics component. The data shows that this combo struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p on Medium settings, a task that most modern discrete GPUs can handle with ease. The 2512th rank indicates that the vast majority of other tested systems, even those with much weaker CPUs, outperform this configuration in Lockdown Protocol because they likely have more capable graphics solutions. The CPU’s high benchmark scores do not translate into a high game rank, confirming that the game’s performance is almost entirely GPU-bound. For the purposes of this benchmark database, this combo is a clear example of a CPU bottleneck being moot due to a significantly more severe GPU bottleneck.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with the Low preset provides the highest average frame rate at 88 FPS. This is the only configuration that achieves a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is a 1.3% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a 2.7% delta, indicating the Arc B390 is only slightly faster than these legacy parts.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F a bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs with a strong multi-core score of 35122 in Cinebench R23. The frame rates in Lockdown Protocol are consistently low across all settings, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, not the processor.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 55. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS drops to 26. This is a 53% reduction in performance, showing a strong GPU-bound scaling pattern.

*Q: Can this combo handle 1440p gaming in Lockdown Protocol?*

A: Yes, but only with the Low preset, which yields an average of 65 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p drop the average to 46 FPS, and High settings fall to 40 FPS, which are less ideal for a fast-paced FPS.

*Q: What is this combo’s rank among all tested systems in Lockdown Protocol?*

A: The combo ranks 2512th out of 2828 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11% of systems, a ranking driven almost entirely by the Intel Arc B390’s low graphics performance.