Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core i9-14900K + Intel Arc B370

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a striking imbalance in Lockdown Protocol, a 2024-released FPS. The data shows a system where a top-tier 24-core processor is paired with an integrated graphics solution that ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Benchmark results indicate that this combination produces playable frame rates only at the lowest settings and resolution, with the GPU acting as the definitive bottleneck across all measured configurations. The combo ranks 2611th out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a harsh scaling curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 80 FPS, which drops to 58 FPS at 1440p and further to 38 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27.5% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 52.5% loss from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With High settings, the system delivers 49 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K — a 53% reduction from the 1080p baseline. Medium settings follow the same trajectory: 57 FPS at 1080p, 42 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce 37 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K.

The scaling pattern indicates the GPU is the limiting component. When resolution increases, the pixel workload grows quadratically, and the Arc B370's integrated nature with system-shared memory cannot keep pace. The fact that the i9-14900K has a 36 MB shared L3 cache and 32 threads becomes irrelevant at higher resolutions because the GPU cannot process the additional pixel data fast enough. The 4K Ultra result of 18 FPS is particularly telling — this is a slideshow-level frame rate that suggests the GPU is completely saturated. The 4K Medium row shows a minimum of 23 FPS and maximum of 31 FPS, which indicates frame time inconsistency even within a single run. The gap between 1080p and 4K grows as settings increase: at Low settings the difference is 42 FPS, while at Ultra settings the difference is only 19 FPS. This compressed range at higher settings suggests that both GPU compute and memory bandwidth constraints are compounding.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. Its benchmark scores are formidable: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, placing it in the 95th percentile among all CPUs. The Geekbench multi-core score of 21697 and single-core score of 2655 reinforce this processor's dominance. PassMark multi-thread results show 58674, with single-thread at 4697.

In Lockdown Protocol, an FPS title, the CPU's role is typically to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. With 24 cores, 32 threads, and a 6.0 GHz boost clock, the i9-14900K is more than capable of handling the CPU-side workload of this game. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU's power is largely wasted in this pairing. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU saturates long before the CPU can demonstrate its full potential. The nearest rivals for the i9-14900K include the Intel Core i9-14900KF with a deltaPct of -0.3%, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at -0.6%, the AMD EPYC 7413 at -1.2%, and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 at 1.7%. These tight margins in CPU benchmarks contrast sharply with the massive FPS gap this combo experiences in-game.

The L3 cache of 36 MB shared, L2 cache of 2 MB per core, and L1 cache of 80 KB per core provide ample data locality for game logic. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes. The integrated UHD Graphics 770 is present but irrelevant here since the Arc B370 is the active display adapter. The data suggests that the CPU is not the constraint in any of the 12 measured FPS rows. Even at 1080p Low with 80 FPS, the CPU is likely idling while the GPU works at full capacity.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at 1080p with Low settings, where the measured average FPS is 80. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 57 FPS, which is below 60. At 1440p Low, the average is 58 FPS, just barely missing the 60 FPS threshold. No other resolution or settings combination reaches 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best 4K performance available with this combo?

A: The highest 4K average FPS is 38, achieved with Low settings. Medium settings at 4K produce 27 FPS with a range of 23 to 31 FPS. High settings yield 23 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 18 FPS. None of these 4K results are close to smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186 with a deltaPct of -0.2%. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 at -0.5%, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 at -0.7%. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 at 1.4%.

Q: Does the i9-14900K bottleneck the Arc B370 in this game?

A: No. The data shows the opposite — the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5, while the GPU ranks in the 5th percentile. At 1080p Low, the system hits 80 FPS, but this is likely the GPU's ceiling, not the CPU's limit.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The data shows that at 4K Medium, the average FPS is 27 with a minimum of 23 and maximum of 31, a spread of 8 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 42 with a range of 35 to 48, a spread of 13 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 57 with a spread of 48 to 65 FPS, a 17 FPS range. The increasing spread at lower resolutions suggests the CPU and GPU interact more dynamically.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 2611th out of 2828 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested for Lockdown Protocol.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its best results. Low settings deliver 80 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate across all measured rows. Medium settings produce 57 FPS average, with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65 FPS. High settings yield 49 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 37 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 43 FPS drop, or 53.75% reduction in performance. This indicates that each settings tier costs roughly 10-15 FPS at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades noticeably. Low settings produce 58 FPS average, which is 22 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. Medium settings yield 42 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 48 FPS. High settings produce 36 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 27 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 31 FPS, representing a 53.4% reduction. The 1440p Medium row shows a 13 FPS spread between minimum and maximum, indicating moderate frame time variance.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings produce 38 FPS average, which is the only 4K result above 30 FPS. Medium settings yield 27 FPS average, with a minimum of 23 and maximum of 31 FPS. High settings produce 23 FPS average, and Ultra settings drop to 18 FPS average. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 20 FPS, a 52.6% reduction. The 4K Medium range of 23 to 31 FPS shows that even within a single test run, the frame rate fluctuates by 8 FPS, which would be perceptible as stuttering.

Comparing settings across resolutions, the Low preset shows the most linear scaling: 80 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K. Each resolution step costs roughly 20-27% performance. The Ultra preset shows a compressed scaling: 37 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. The percentage losses are larger in absolute terms but smaller in FPS count because the baseline is already low. The Medium preset shows the most consistent behavior across resolutions, with 57, 42, and 27 FPS respectively.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated GPU based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, with 10 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its memory configuration is entirely system-shared, meaning there is no dedicated VRAM — the GPU borrows from system memory with bandwidth that is system dependent. The pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 6.144 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 12.29 TFLOPS using a 2:1 ratio. The TDP is 25 W, and it uses no power connectors.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile among all GPUs. This is a critically low ranking. The nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at 1190, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M at 1192, and the AMD FirePro M2000 at 1168. These are all legacy discrete GPUs from over a decade ago, yet the Arc B370's performance is comparable to them. In Lockdown Protocol, this GPU produces a maximum of 80 FPS at 1080p Low, and this is likely the absolute ceiling for this hardware.

The system-shared memory architecture is a critical weakness for gaming. With no dedicated VRAM, the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth. The i9-14900K supports dual-channel DDR4/DDR5, but the GPU's bandwidth is system dependent, meaning it varies based on the installed memory configuration. The 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is theoretically sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the memory bottleneck likely prevents the GPU from reaching its compute potential. The 10 ray tracing cores are present but largely irrelevant at this performance level, as the frame rates are too low for RT effects to be usable.

The boost clock of 2400 MHz is respectable for an integrated GPU, but the 300 MHz base clock suggests significant power-saving behavior. The 25 W TDP indicates this is designed for mobile or low-power applications, not desktop gaming. The pixel rate of 48 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96 GTexel/s are modest figures that explain the steep performance drop at higher resolutions. At 4K, the GPU must fill four times as many pixels as at 1080p, and the data shows it cannot handle this workload — the maximum 4K result is 38 FPS at Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is 1080p with Low settings, yielding 80 FPS average. This is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth frame rate above 60 FPS. The 1440p Low setting produces 58 FPS, which is close to 60 but may experience occasional dips below that threshold. The 1080p Medium setting delivers 57 FPS with a range of 48 to 65 FPS, meaning the frame rate fluctuates between playable and slightly stuttery.

For players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1080p High at 49 FPS is the best compromise. This setting provides better visual fidelity while maintaining a frame rate that is above 45 FPS, which is generally considered acceptable for slower-paced FPS gameplay. The 1080p Ultra setting at 37 FPS is borderline playable but may feel sluggish in fast-paced combat scenarios. The 1440p Medium setting at 42 FPS is another option, offering a resolution bump with a moderate frame rate cost.

The data strongly suggests avoiding 4K entirely with this combo. The best 4K result is 38 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 40 FPS threshold commonly considered minimum for playable gaming. The 4K Medium setting at 27 FPS and 4K High at 23 FPS are not recommended, as they fall into the territory where motion becomes noticeably choppy. The 4K Ultra setting at 18 FPS is essentially unplayable for an FPS title.

The Medium preset deserves special attention because it is the only settings tier that provides minimum FPS data across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 48 FPS, which is still above the 30 FPS playability floor. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 35 FPS, and at 4K Medium, the minimum is 23 FPS. This data suggests that the Medium preset provides the most stable frame delivery relative to its average, making it a safer choice than Low or High presets which may have more variable frame times.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 2611th out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol, placing it in the bottom 8% of all systems tested. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's 5th percentile performance combined with a game that appears to be GPU-bound even at lower resolutions. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking is effectively neutralized by the GPU's inability to translate that processing power into frame rates.

The ranking suggests that most other tested configurations deliver better performance in this game. The i9-14900K is a top-tier processor, but the Arc B370's integrated nature means this combo cannot compete with systems using discrete GPUs, even modest ones. The nearest GPU rivals — the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000 — are all legacy parts, and their inclusion in the rival list highlights how far behind the Arc B370 is relative to modern gaming GPUs.

For context, the CPU's nearest rivals show that the i9-14900K is well-matched with other high-end processors. The 14900KF is 0.3% faster, the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus is 0.6% faster, and the EPYC 7413 is 1.2% faster. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% slower. These small deltas indicate that the CPU is not the differentiator in this combo's ranking. The data implies that swapping the GPU for any discrete alternative would dramatically improve the ranking, while swapping the CPU would have minimal impact. The rank of 2611 out of 2828 is a clear signal that this combo is positioned at the low end of gaming performance, suitable only for the most modest gaming scenarios at 1080p with reduced settings.