Lockdown Protocol

Lockdown Protocol, an FPS released in 2024, presents a distinctive challenge for the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B390 pairing. The benchmark data reveals a configuration where a top-tier desktop CPU is paired with an integrated graphics processor, resulting in a performance profile that is almost entirely dictated by the GPU. This analysis explores the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings, placing the combo's standing within the broader database and examining the specific roles of both the processor and the graphics solution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and dramatic impact as resolution increases, a pattern typical of a system where the graphics processor is the primary bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 88 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 65 FPS, a reduction of 23 FPS. At 4K (3840x2160), the Low preset average falls further to 42 FPS, representing a substantial 52% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline with each resolution step strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B390's rendering capabilities are being saturated, while the Core i9-14900K has ample headroom to feed it frames.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets. For instance, on the High preset, the average FPS goes from 55 at 1080p to 40 at 1440p and finally to 26 at 4K. The Ultra preset tells a similar story, with averages of 41, 30, and 19 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. The frame rate is not merely dropping; it is being halved in some cases, such as the Low preset from 1080p to 4K. This behavior is a textbook sign of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's potential is largely untapped because the integrated GPU cannot process the geometry and shading workloads fast enough to keep up with the processor's output.

The data suggests that the limiting component in this combo is unambiguously the Intel Arc B390. The CPU is a 24-core, 32-thread powerhouse with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, and its performance is not the constraining factor in this game. The consistent FPS drops across all settings as resolution climbs point directly to the GPU's fillrate and shading units being overwhelmed. The transition from 1080p to 1440p is significant, but the jump to 4K is particularly punishing, pushing the average FPS on Ultra down to 19, a level generally considered unplayable for a fast-paced FPS. The implication is that users seeking higher resolutions must make severe compromises in visual quality to maintain a playable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for Lockdown Protocol, this pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B390 currently holds a rank of 2512 out of 2828 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations, a position that underscores its performance limitations in this specific game. The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's low benchmark standing, which drags the entire system's practical gaming performance down despite the CPU's high standing.

The CPU itself is a high performer, ranking in the 95th percentile against all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 79097, placing it just 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-14900KF and 1.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395. This shows the processor is more than capable of handling the game's logic and physics. In stark contrast, the Intel Arc B390 GPU sits in the 9th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are legacy parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which it beats by just 1.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which it outperforms by 2.7%. This massive disparity in relative performance between the CPU and GPU is the defining characteristic of this combo.

The data indicates that this is a profoundly unbalanced pairing for gaming. A processor ranked in the 95th percentile is being held back by a graphics solution ranked in the 9th percentile. The combo's rank of 2512 out of 2828 is a quantitative measure of this bottleneck. It means that out of thousands of potential CPU-GPU pairings, only a small fraction perform worse in this game. This ranking is not a reflection of the CPU's abilities but evidence of the integrated GPU's performance ceiling. For a game like Lockdown Protocol, the graphics processor is the sole arbiter of the experience, and its low standing relegates the entire system to the bottom tier of the performance charts.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on a 3 nm process node. Its role in this combo is to render all visuals, and the data shows it struggles under the load of a modern FPS. The GPU has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than having its own dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," which highlights a critical potential weakness for gaming performance.

The GPU's compute specifications are modest. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. In terms of raw throughput, the card offers 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These numbers, while not trivial, are far below what is typically required for high-refresh-rate gaming at high resolutions. The reliance on shared system memory for both capacity and bandwidth is a significant disadvantage, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, and the bandwidth is not dedicated to graphics workloads.

The measured FPS data directly reflects these hardware constraints. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 88 FPS, which is playable, but the performance degrades quickly. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile, just 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M. This benchmark score is a strong predictor of its gaming performance. The data suggests that while the Arc B390 can handle the game at lower resolutions and settings, it lacks the memory bandwidth and raw compute power to maintain high frame rates at higher detail levels or resolutions. The shared memory architecture likely becomes a severe bottleneck, especially at 4K where the demand for texture data and frame buffer space increases exponentially.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a detailed look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. With Low settings, it averages 88 FPS, which is the highest average recorded in the entire dataset. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 72 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 55 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 41 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, even the most demanding preset can produce an average frame rate above 40, but the cost of moving from Low to Ultra is a 47 FPS loss.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit across the board. The Low preset averages 65 FPS, a 23 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium settings produce an average of 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53 FPS. The High preset averages 40 FPS, and Ultra settings average 30 FPS. The data shows that to maintain a smooth experience at 1440p, users would need to stick to Low settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 35 FPS, showing that the GPU's performance scales poorly with increased graphical demands.

At 3840x2160, the performance is severely constrained. The Low preset is the only setting that approaches a playable frame rate, averaging 42 FPS. The Medium preset averages 30 FPS, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 34 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 26 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at an average of 19 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo outside of the lowest quality settings. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K represents a 23 FPS drop, culminating in an average that is well below the threshold for a responsive FPS experience. The measured rows paint a clear picture of a GPU that is overmatched by the demands of higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate. For a target of 60 FPS, the only configuration that consistently achieves this is 1080p with Low settings, which averages 88 FPS. This provides the smoothest experience but at the lowest visual quality. For those who prefer higher visual quality at 1080p, the Medium preset offers a playable average of 63 FPS, though it dips to a minimum of 53 FPS, which may be noticeable in intense action sequences.

At 1440p, the data suggests that the Low preset is the most sensible choice, delivering an average of 65 FPS. This is a solid frame rate for an FPS, though it requires a significant drop in visual detail. The Medium preset at 1440p yields an average of 46 FPS, which is on the border of playability for some, but the minimum of 39 FPS could lead to stuttering in demanding scenes. Pushing to High or Ultra at 1440p results in averages of 40 and 30 FPS, respectively, which are not ideal for a competitive shooter where reaction time is critical.

For 4K resolution, the data strongly recommends against using anything above Low settings. The Low preset's average of 42 FPS is the only playable option, and even it is not ideal. The Medium preset at 4K averages 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum threshold for a playable game, but the High and Ultra presets, at 26 and 19 FPS respectively, are too slow for a smooth experience. In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is found at 1080p with Medium settings, which balances a decent frame rate with better visual quality than the Low preset. Users prioritizing frame rate above all else should select 1080p Low, while those who value visual quality and can tolerate a lower FPS should consider 1440p Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Lockdown Protocol with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, as it is the only one where the combo can achieve an average FPS above 60 on Low settings (88 FPS) and above 60 on Medium (63 FPS). Higher resolutions result in significantly lower frame rates.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Lockdown Protocol?

A: Barely. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 42 on Low settings to 19 on Ultra. Only the Low preset provides a marginally playable frame rate, while all other settings fall below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered the minimum for playability.

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

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating very low overall performance.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K the bottleneck in this setup?

A: No. The data indicates the opposite. The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. The significant FPS drops with increased resolution and settings point to the Intel Arc B390 as the primary limiting component.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the FPS ranges from a minimum of 53 to a maximum of 72, with an average of 63. At 2560x1440, the range is 39 to 53 with an average of 46. At 3840x2160, the range is 25 to 34 with an average of 30.

Q: What is the overall standing of this combo among tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 2512 out of 2828 tested combos for Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations, a direct result of the low-performing integrated GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and can boost up to 6.00 GHz. This high core count and clock speed make it a formidable processor for multi-threaded workloads, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 and its Geekbench multi-core score of 21697. Its single-thread performance is also excellent, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5. In this combo, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI, tasks it performs with significant headroom.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is strong. Its average benchmark score of 79097 is 1.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and only 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF. This places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, confirming its status as a high-end desktop processor. The CPU has a 36 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the memory bandwidth is not specified. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, the CPU's massive parallel processing capabilities are largely underutilized because the GPU cannot deliver frames fast enough to stress the processor.

The benchmark data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system. For example, in the PassMark multi-thread test, the CPU scores 58674, and in the PassMark single-thread test, it scores 4697. These scores demonstrate a processor that is more than capable of handling the demands of a modern FPS. The fact that the combo ranks so low in the game is not a reflection of CPU performance but rather a consequence of pairing this high-end processor with an integrated GPU whose performance is in the 9th percentile. The CPU is, in essence, waiting for the GPU to catch up, making this a classic case of a severe bottleneck where the processor's potential is wasted in a gaming scenario.