The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the pairing of an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X with an Intel Arc B580 produces a very specific performance profile. The recorded data shows this combo is capable of smooth gameplay, but only within a narrow range of settings and resolutions. The measurements indicate a hard ceiling at the 60 FPS threshold, with the system falling short of that mark at higher quality presets across all tested resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the most common resolution, the data shows a clear progression tied to the graphics preset. With Low settings, the system achieves an average of 88 FPS, which is well above the playable threshold of 60 FPS. Moving up to Medium settings drops the average to 55 FPS, with recorded lows of 47 FPS and highs of 64 FPS. This places the average just below the 60 FPS target, indicating that Medium at 1080p is a borderline experience. High settings lower the average further to 40 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 31 FPS. The benchmark results show that only the Low preset at 1080p provides a consistent margin of comfort above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance scaling follows the same pattern but at lower overall numbers. The Low preset produces an average of 74 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a healthy margin. Medium settings at this resolution yield an average of 47 FPS, with minimums of 40 FPS and maximums of 54 FPS. High settings average 33 FPS, and Ultra settings average 26 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p Low is the only viable option for maintaining average performance above 60 FPS, while Medium and above fall short of the target.

At 3840x2160, the results are more constrained. The Low preset averages 58 FPS, just two frames short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 37 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS. High settings average 26 FPS, and Ultra settings average 21 FPS. The measured performance at 4K shows that no preset, including Low, reaches the playable average of 60 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at this resolution is substantial, a 21 FPS drop, which suggests a steep cost for the next quality tier.

The min and max data points, where available, provide additional context. At 1080p Medium, the range from 47 to 64 FPS shows that the experience is not consistently smooth; some scenes will hit the target while others will dip noticeably below it. Similarly, at 1440p Medium, the range of 40 to 54 FPS indicates a persistent shortfall. At 4K Medium, the range of 31 to 42 FPS confirms that this preset is strictly for lower-fidelity play. The absence of min and max values for other presets means the analysis must rely on the average, which still gives a clear picture of the overall capability.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the database records for comparable components provides context for where this CPU and GPU sit. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 34260. Its nearest rivals in the CPU database include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, with a score of 34222 and a delta of 0.1 percent, meaning the 3700X is effectively tied with it. The AMD EPYC 4244P scores 34220, again a 0.1 percent difference. The Intel Core i5-13450HX scores 34333, which is 0.2 percent higher, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 34083, which is 0.5 percent lower. These small deltas indicate that, for synthetic compute workloads, the Ryzen 7 3700X performs nearly identically to a range of newer and older processors. A user moving from any of these CPUs to the 3700X would see no meaningful change in CPU-bound tasks.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, which scores 23061, a delta of negative 0.2 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, which is 0.6 percent lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, which is 0.7 percent higher. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, which is 1 percent higher. These deltas show that the Arc B580 sits in a performance band where it trades blows with GPUs from different generations and market segments. In practical terms, a system with an RTX 2080 or an RTX 3080 would generate very similar frame rates in The Medium, provided the rest of the system is consistent.

It is important to note that these rival comparisons are based solely on aggregate benchmark scores, not on game-specific measurements. The recorded FPS data for this specific combo is the only direct evidence of in-game behavior. However, the close scores suggest that the Arc B580's performance in The Medium would be representative of what those other GPUs might deliver, assuming no major driver or architecture specific quirks.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results across resolutions and presets reveal how the CPU and GPU share the workload in The Medium. The most telling observation is the scaling between 1080p and 1440p, and then between 1440p and 4K, at the same preset. For Low settings, the average FPS drops from 88 at 1080p to 74 at 1440p, a 16 percent reduction, and then from 74 to 58 at 4K, a 22 percent reduction. This consistent decline with increasing resolution indicates a system that is primarily GPU limited. As the pixel count rises, the graphics card must work harder, and the frame rate falls accordingly.

The role of the CPU becomes clearer when examining the performance difference between presets at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium costs 33 FPS, and from Medium to High costs another 15 FPS. At 4K, the same Low to Medium transition costs 21 FPS. These drops are driven by the GPU's rendering workload, not by the CPU. The Ryzen 7 3700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, has enough headroom to feed the Arc B580 even at lower resolutions where the CPU load is typically higher.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing for The Medium. The consistent frame rate drops with both higher resolution and higher preset quality point squarely at the GPU as the performance bottleneck. The Arc B580's capabilities, as measured by its 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, determine the ceiling. The CPU's role is to keep up, and the recorded numbers indicate it does so without introducing additional frame time issues.

At 1080p Low, the system produces 88 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that a weaker CPU might struggle to maintain. The fact that the average holds at that level suggests the Ryzen 7 3700X is providing sufficient processing power. At 4K Low, the 58 FPS average is lower, but this is due to the GPU's fill rate limits, not the CPU. The scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU bound scenario across all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested system combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 7 3700X and the Intel Arc B580 holds a rank of 2819 out of 3724 total combinations. This places it in the lower portion of the ranking, roughly in the 24th percentile of tested systems. The rank reflects the overall average performance across all tested settings and resolutions, weighted by the database's methodology.

This rank is not surprising given the measured FPS data. The system cannot achieve 60 FPS at 4K on any preset, and at 1440p and 1080p, it only clears that bar on Low settings. Many other tested combinations, particularly those with higher tier GPUs, would have more playable settings available. The rank of 2819 indicates that a significant majority of tested systems outperform this combo in The Medium.

However, the rank should not be interpreted as a failure. The combo sits within the middle to lower range, but it is still ahead of over 900 other tested combinations. The database includes a wide range of hardware, from entry level to enthusiast. This pairing is not at the bottom, but it is clearly not built for high fidelity gaming in this specific title.

The Verdict

The recorded data provides a clear answer on whether this system can run The Medium. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, meaning no preset achieves an average of 60 FPS or higher. The best case at 4K is Low settings with 58 FPS, which is just short of the threshold. For users targeting 4K, this combo is not suitable for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the system has one playable setting: Low. This preset delivers an average of 74 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin. Medium settings at 1440p fall to 47 FPS, which is not playable by the database's standard. Users at 1440p should run Low settings for a smooth experience, and they should not expect to raise the quality without sacrificing frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the system also has one playable setting: Low. The average of 88 FPS at this preset is well above the threshold, providing a responsive experience. Medium settings at 1080p average 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS mark, and the recorded minimum of 47 FPS means there will be noticeable stutters during intense scenes. The verdict is that this combo can run The Medium at 1080p Low and 1440p Low, but it cannot maintain 60 FPS at any higher quality preset.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The closest is Low settings, which averages 58 FPS, just below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this system at 1920x1080?

A: Low is the only playable preset at 1080p, with an average of 88 FPS. Medium settings average 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, while the RTX 2080 scores 22895. The Arc B580 is 0.6 percent higher, meaning the two GPUs perform at nearly the same level.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B580 in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. Frame rates drop consistently with higher resolution and quality presets, which points to GPU load rather than CPU limitations.

Q: What average FPS does this system achieve at 2560x1440 on Medium settings?

A: The average is 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Where does this CPU and GPU combo rank among all tested systems for The Medium?

A: The combination ranks 2819 out of 3724 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the database.