The Medium

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this combination sit at very different performance tiers, and the recorded data makes that split clear. For the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, the database places it at the 85th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36945. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36938, which is effectively identical at a 0% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018 (0.2% ahead), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093 (0.4% ahead), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112 (0.5% ahead). In practical terms, any of these four processors would deliver nearly the same CPU-bound behavior in The Medium, with differences well within run-to-run variance. The Ryzen 5 5600F's multithread score of 19236 and single-thread score of 2872 reinforce this: it is a solid mid-generation desktop part, but not a standout at either extreme.

The Intel Arc B390 tells a very different story. Its average benchmark score is 1482, placing it at the 9th percentile among all tested GPUs. The nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% behind), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% behind), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% behind), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% behind). This means the Arc B390 is not competing with modern gaming graphics hardware; its performance class aligns with decade-old entry-level mobile and OEM GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is the only GPU benchmark recorded, and it confirms that this integrated part, built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs, is nowhere near the level required for demanding horror titles.

For a user seeking similar overall behavior, the closest CPU alternatives are the four listed above, all within 0.5% of the Ryzen 5 5600F's average score. For the GPU side, the GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710 would all produce comparable frame rates, meaning a system built around any of those pairings would land in the same performance envelope. However, the CPU is not the limiting factor here; the GPU is so far below the playability threshold that CPU choice makes little difference to the final experience.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database's measured frame rates for this combination show no resolution where the system reaches the 60 FPS playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS does not exist. The closest result is Low settings, which averages 51 FPS, still 9 FPS short of the target. Medium drops to 32 FPS, High to 23 FPS, and Ultra to 18 FPS. None of these presets clear 60 FPS, so the best settings per resolution are effectively "none playable" at all three resolutions.

At 2560x1440, the situation is worse. Low averages 43 FPS, Medium 27 FPS, High 19 FPS, and Ultra 15 FPS. The gap between Low at 1440p and Low at 1080p is 8 FPS, showing that resolution scaling costs performance even at the lowest quality preset. At 3840x2160, Low averages 34 FPS, Medium 21 FPS, High 15 FPS, and Ultra 12 FPS. The 4K Low result is 17 FPS below the 1080p Low result, a massive drop that reflects the Arc B390's limited fillrate and memory bandwidth (the memory is system shared, with bandwidth listed as system dependent).

The verdict data in the database confirms this: for every resolution, the list of playable settings is empty, and the best settings field is null. There is no preset, at any resolution, where this combination reaches 60 FPS. The highest recorded average across all tests is 51 FPS at 1080p Low, and even that falls short. Users would need to accept sub-60 frame rates at the lowest settings, or reduce the render resolution below 1080p, which was not tested in this dataset.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited in The Medium. Consider the scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low: the average drops from 51 FPS to 34 FPS, a 33% reduction. Meanwhile, the CPU workload in The Medium is relatively modest, and the Ryzen 5 5600F's 85th percentile standing among all CPUs means it has ample headroom for this title's fixed-camera horror design. The bottleneck is clearly the Intel Arc B390, whose 9th percentile GPU ranking and 1482 average benchmark score place it far below any modern gaming GPU.

The preset scaling further isolates the GPU as the limiting factor. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 19 FPS (51 to 32), from Medium to High costs 9 FPS (32 to 23), and from High to Ultra costs 5 FPS (23 to 18). This pattern, where higher presets produce diminishing absolute FPS losses, is typical of a GPU that is already saturated at Low settings. The CPU is not the constraint; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat across presets until the GPU became the bottleneck. Here, every preset step reduces FPS noticeably, which points to the graphics pipeline being the limiting resource.

The same pattern holds at 1440p and 4K. At 1440p, Low to Medium drops from 43 to 27 FPS (16 FPS loss), Medium to High from 27 to 19 (8 FPS loss), and High to Ultra from 19 to 15 (4 FPS loss). At 4K, Low to Medium drops from 34 to 21 (13 FPS loss), Medium to High from 21 to 15 (6 FPS loss), and High to Ultra from 15 to 12 (3 FPS loss). The consistent pattern across all three resolutions, where each preset tier costs less absolute FPS than the previous one, is characteristic of a GPU that is nearing its ceiling even at Low settings.

Resolution scaling reinforces this conclusion. At Low settings, 1080p to 1440p costs 8 FPS (51 to 43), and 1440p to 4K costs 9 FPS (43 to 34). At Medium settings, 1080p to 1440p costs 5 FPS (32 to 27), and 1440p to 4K costs 6 FPS (27 to 21). The consistent FPS cost per resolution step, regardless of preset, indicates that the GPU's fixed-function units (24 ROPs, 48 TMUs) are the primary constraint. The CPU's role is minimal here; even a much weaker processor would likely produce similar frame rates in this title, while a stronger GPU would be required to meaningfully improve the experience.

The Verdict

This PC cannot run The Medium at 60 FPS at any tested resolution or preset. The database's verdict data lists no playable settings for 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The playable threshold is set at 60 FPS, and the highest recorded average is 51 FPS at 1080p Low. Every other combination of resolution and preset falls below that, with 4K Ultra bottoming out at 12 FPS.

The most playable experience, if one accepts sub-60 frame rates, is 1080p Low at 51 FPS. That is a marginal result for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and timing; frame pacing and drops below the average would likely be noticeable. At 1440p, the best option is Low at 43 FPS, and at 4K, Low at 34 FPS. None of these are comfortable gaming experiences by modern standards, and even the minimum FPS values recorded for Medium settings (18 FPS at 4K, 23 FPS at 1440p, 27 FPS at 1080p) show that the system struggles under load.

The root cause is the Intel Arc B390. Its 9th percentile GPU rank and nearest rivals being the GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710 make it clear that this is not gaming-class hardware. The Ryzen 5 5600F is not the problem; it ranks at the 85th percentile among CPUs and is more than capable of feeding a modern graphics card. But paired with the Arc B390, the GPU becomes an insurmountable barrier to playability in The Medium. The answer to whether this PC can run the game is a definitive no for 60 FPS gameplay, and even at lower targets, the experience would be compromised.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in The Medium?

A: The highest recorded average is 51 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. That is still below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best recorded result is 34 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 21 FPS, High 15 FPS, and Ultra 12 FPS. None approach 60 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in the database's GPU benchmark, placing it at the 9th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% behind), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% behind), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% behind), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% behind).

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600F a strong enough CPU for this game?

A: Yes. The CPU ranks at the 85th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average score of 36945. Its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, are within 0.5% of its score. The CPU is not the limiting factor.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The best result is Low at 43 FPS, which is 17 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 27 FPS, High 19 FPS, and Ultra 15 FPS.

Q: How does the FPS scale between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 51 FPS, Medium 32 FPS, High 23 FPS, and Ultra 18 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 33 FPS, and every preset step reduces performance noticeably, indicating the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested CPU and GPU combinations in the database, this pairing ranks 3314 out of 3724 for The Medium. That places it in the bottom 11% of tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile ranking and the complete absence of any 60 FPS playable settings. The rank reflects the combined performance of the Ryzen 5 5600F and Arc B390, and the result is dominated by the GPU's severe limitations.

The CPU's strong standing, 85th percentile among all CPUs, does little to lift the combo rank because the GPU is the binding constraint in this title. A system with the same CPU and a modern discrete GPU would rank substantially higher, but with the Arc B390's integrated graphics, the combination lands near the bottom of the database. The 410 combos ranked below this one would be systems with even weaker GPUs or CPUs, but the margin is thin; the 9th percentile GPU score means there is very little headroom before hitting the absolute bottom of the performance distribution.

For context, the GPU's nearest rivals, the GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, are all legacy parts that no modern gamer would consider. The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is the sole GPU benchmark, and it confirms that this is an entry-level integrated solution. The combo rank of 3314 out of 3724 is therefore a fair representation of the experience: this system is near the bottom of the database for The Medium, and no settings adjustment can overcome the hardware gap.