Lockdown Protocol

# Lockdown Protocol with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + Intel Arc B370

Lockdown Protocol, a 2024 FPS title, presents a demanding workload for this particular combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370. The measured data shows a system that can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p, but struggles significantly as resolution increases. The Intel Arc B370, operating with system-shared memory and a 25 W TDP, acts as the primary performance constraint, while the 10-core, 10-thread Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides sufficient processing headroom. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the combo's overall ranking, and examines the individual roles of the GPU and CPU in shaping the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a sharp decline as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is a clear indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 80 FPS at 1080p to 58 FPS at 1440p, and further down to 38 FPS at 4K. This represents a 27.5% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 52.5% drop from 1080p to 4K. The trend is consistent across all settings presets, with the High preset falling from 49 FPS at 1080p to 36 FPS at 1440p and 23 FPS at 4K. Similarly, the Medium preset goes from 57 FPS at 1080p to 42 FPS at 1440p and 27 FPS at 4K, while Ultra drops from 37 FPS at 1080p to 27 FPS at 1440p and 18 FPS at 4K.

The consistent proportional scaling across all presets confirms that the bottleneck is tied to pixel throughput rather than CPU logic. The Intel Arc B370's pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are fixed hardware limits that directly impact how many pixels can be processed per frame. As resolution increases, the number of pixels that must be shaded and rasterized grows exponentially, and the GPU's 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs become saturated. The fact that 4K Low (38 FPS) still underperforms 1080p Ultra (37 FPS) by a negligible margin suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU is unable to keep up with the 4K pixel count, while at 1080p, even the highest settings remain GPU-bound but more manageable.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global ranking for Lockdown Protocol, this combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370 sits at position 2611 out of 2828 tested combos. This places the system in the bottom 7.7% of all configurations tested in this game, which is a direct reflection of the GPU's limited capabilities rather than the CPU. The CPU's overall average benchmark score of 36938 places it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU's average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 puts it in just the 5th percentile among all GPUs. This massive disparity in percentile rankings (85 vs. 5) underscores that the GPU is dragging down the overall gaming performance.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (avg score 1186, delta -0.2%), ATI Radeon HD 5770 (avg score 1190, delta -0.5%), AMD Radeon HD 7650M (avg score 1192, delta -0.7%), and AMD FirePro M2000 (avg score 1168, delta 1.4%). These are all legacy or low-power mobile parts, and the Intel Arc B370's 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance aligns with this tier of hardware. In the context of Lockdown Protocol, this rank means the system will struggle to maintain smooth frame rates at higher settings, and users should expect to dial down both resolution and quality to achieve playable performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, and critically, it uses System Shared memory with no dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," meaning performance is tied to the system's main memory speed and configuration. The GPU's 25 W TDP and IGP slot width confirm it is designed for low-power integrated use, not discrete gaming performance.

The GPU's 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs are relatively modest numbers, and the 10 ray tracing cores provide some hardware RT capability but at a low throughput level. The theoretical pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are the key metrics for understanding the measured FPS. At 1080p, the GPU can push 80 FPS on Low settings, which suggests it can handle 2.07 million pixels per frame at that rate (1920x1080 = 2.07 million pixels). At 4K (8.29 million pixels), the same pixel throughput would theoretically yield around 25 FPS, and the measured 38 FPS on Low indicates that other factors like memory bandwidth and shading complexity also play a role.

The shared memory architecture means that the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which is rated at 102.4 GB/s for the dual-channel DDR5 setup. This is a significant limitation, as modern games often require high memory bandwidth for texture streaming and frame buffer operations. The measured FPS data, particularly the 18 FPS at 4K Ultra, reflects these constraints. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are modern, but the raw hardware throughput is insufficient for demanding resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Lockdown Protocol?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 80, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows a clear preference for 1080p. At 1440p, the highest average FPS is 58 on Low settings, while 1080p Low reaches 80 FPS. At 1440p High, the average drops to 36 FPS, which is below the 49 FPS seen at 1080p High.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The GPU uses System Shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, meaning it relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory. This shared arrangement limits performance, especially at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth demand increases.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings yield 80 FPS average, while Ultra settings yield 37 FPS average. This represents a 53.75% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Does the CPU's benchmark performance indicate it can handle modern games?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with a score of 36945, showing competitive CPU performance. The CPU is not the limiting factor in this combination.

Q: Is 4K gaming feasible with this setup?

A: Based on measured data, 4K gaming is not practical. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 38 on Low settings, with Ultra settings dropping to 18 FPS average. These frame rates are below what is typically considered playable.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance for this combo is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings. At this configuration, the system delivers an average of 57 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 48 and 65 FPS respectively. This provides a smooth experience for most gameplay scenarios in Lockdown Protocol. The alternative of 1080p Low yields 80 FPS, which is higher but sacrifices visual fidelity. The step up to 1080p High reduces the average to 49 FPS, which is still playable but closer to the edge of smoothness.

For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low at 80 FPS is the clear choice. However, the Medium preset offers a 16.3% higher frame rate than High (57 vs. 49 FPS) while presumably providing better visuals than Low. At 1440p, the only viable option is Low settings at 58 FPS, as Medium drops to 42 FPS and High to 36 FPS. 4K gaming is not recommended, as even Low settings only manage 38 FPS, and the minimum FPS for 4K Medium is 23 FPS, indicating significant frame time variance that could cause stuttering.

The Ultra preset is consistently poor across all resolutions, with 37 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. These frame rates are below 30 FPS at 4K and below 40 FPS at 1080p, which will likely result in a suboptimal experience. The measured data strongly suggests that Medium settings at 1080p strikes the best compromise, offering a 57 FPS average with a minimum of 48 FPS that stays above the 45 FPS threshold for acceptable playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 features 10 cores and 10 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it interfaces with the system via PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes.

In terms of benchmark performance, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. The Passmark multi-thread score is 30459, with a single-thread score of 4412. The average benchmark score of 36938 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.4% delta), and Intel Core i9-12900T (37112, -0.5% delta). This indicates the CPU is well within the performance range of its peers, and its 10-core, 10-thread configuration is more than sufficient for gaming workloads.

For Lockdown Protocol specifically, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI computations. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the frame rates scale almost entirely with GPU load (resolution and settings). The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, ensures it can feed the GPU with draw calls and geometry data without introducing latency. The 20 MB L3 cache also helps reduce memory access latency, which is beneficial for gaming. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 5th percentile ranking makes it clear that any performance limitations in this combo are attributable to the Intel Arc B370.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 80 FPS (Low), 57 FPS (Medium), 49 FPS (High), and 37 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset has recorded minimum and maximum values of 48 and 65 FPS, respectively, indicating a stable frame time distribution. The Low preset shows no minimum or maximum values, suggesting a consistent average without significant variance.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop to 58 FPS (Low), 42 FPS (Medium), 36 FPS (High), and 27 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset at this resolution has a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, showing a 13 FPS spread that could be noticeable during intense gameplay. The Low preset maintains a 58 FPS average, which is the only 1440p configuration that breaks the 50 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 38 FPS (Low), 27 FPS (Medium), 23 FPS (High), and 18 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS, which represents a wide variance that would result in perceptible frame hitches. Even the Low preset at 38 FPS is below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for acceptable gameplay, and Ultra at 18 FPS is essentially unplayable.

The full data set shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the top performer at 80 FPS, followed by 1440p Low at 58 FPS, 1080p Medium at 57 FPS, and 1080p High at 49 FPS. The 4K resolutions all fall below 40 FPS, making them unsuitable for anything but the most casual viewing. The measured data also shows that the performance gap between Low and Medium settings is smaller at 1080p (80 vs. 57 FPS, a 23 FPS difference) than at 4K (38 vs. 27 FPS, an 11 FPS difference), which suggests that the GPU's limited pixel throughput becomes the dominant constraint at higher resolutions, making settings changes less impactful.