The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a specific performance profile in The Medium, a horror title that is clearly demanding on the GPU at higher settings. This combination delivers playable frame rates only at the lowest settings for 1080p and 1440p, while 4K remains out of reach for smooth gameplay. The measured data shows a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card, with the CPU having ample headroom for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this configuration show a clear and consistent pattern: frame rates are strongly tied to the graphics preset, with resolution playing a secondary but significant role. At 1920x1080, the lowest settings yield an average of 78 FPS. Stepping up to Medium drops the average to 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS. High settings bring the average down further to 35 FPS, while Ultra is the most demanding, producing an average of 28 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance ceiling lowers noticeably. The Low preset here averages 66 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with a min/max range of 35 to 47 FPS. High settings average 29 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops the average to 23 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at this resolution is 25 FPS, showing that the jump in visual fidelity comes at a steep performance cost.

At 3840x2160, the picture is considerably weaker. The Low preset averages 52 FPS, which is still below the playable threshold. Medium averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. High settings are nearly unplayable at an average of 23 FPS, and Ultra produces just 18 FPS. The data shows that this combination is not suitable for 4K gaming in The Medium, regardless of the settings chosen, as even the least demanding preset fails to reach 60 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

The verdict data for this CPU and GPU combination indicates that only the Low preset achieves playable performance, and only at the two lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the best settings that maintain an average of 60 FPS or higher are Low, which produces an average of 78 FPS. This leaves a comfortable margin above the threshold, but it also means that any increase in visual quality will push the frame rate below the target.

For 2560x1440, the best playable setting is also Low, with an average of 66 FPS. This is a much smaller margin of safety compared to 1080p, and the performance headroom is minimal. The next step up, Medium, falls to 41 FPS, which is far below the 60 FPS target. For 3840x2160, there is no playable setting. The best option is Low at 52 FPS, but this still falls short of the required threshold, making 4K gaming unviable with this hardware.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary performance limiter in this configuration. This is evident from the scaling of frame rates across presets. At each resolution, the drop from Low to Ultra is drastic, with the average FPS falling by roughly 50 to 65 percent. For instance, at 1920x1080, the average goes from 78 FPS on Low to 28 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 50 FPS. This pattern indicates a GPU-bound scenario where the graphics card's rendering capabilities are the bottleneck.

The role of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is more supportive. Its processing power is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the resolution increases, the performance gap between settings narrows in absolute terms. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 50 FPS. At 1440p, that difference is 43 FPS, and at 4K, it is 34 FPS. This trend suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even the CPU's faster response cannot compensate for the increased pixel workload.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. The Ryzen 7 5800X has a strong multi-core score and a high percentile ranking, but its influence on The Medium's frame rate is minimal because the game's demands scale heavily with graphics settings and resolution. The GPU's performance is the dominant variable, and its limitations are exposed as soon as the preset is raised above Low.

The Verdict

This PC configuration can run The Medium, but only under strict conditions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average frame rate is 78 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is a smooth experience, though the visual quality is reduced. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average is 66 FPS, which is still playable but with less headroom. Any attempt to increase the settings to Medium or higher at either resolution will result in frame rates that fall below 60 FPS, leading to a less fluid experience.

For 3840x2160, the answer is a clear no. The best average frame rate at this resolution is 52 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets produce averages in the 18 to 32 FPS range, which is not suitable for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and pacing. The data indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming at the lowest settings, with 1440p being a marginal option for those who prioritize resolution over visual fidelity.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H, which has a negligible performance difference of 0.1 percent. The Intel Xeon Phi 7210 is slightly lower at -0.4 percent, and the Intel Core i5-13500HX is also marginally behind at -0.5 percent. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT is 0.6 percent ahead. These processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in The Medium, meaning the GPU would still be the decisive factor in frame rates.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B570's closest competitors are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which is 0.1 percent faster, and the Intel Arc A750, which is 0.1 percent slower. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4 percent slower, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5 percent slower. In practical terms, swapping the Arc B570 for any of these cards would yield very similar frame rates in The Medium, with the same constraint of only being playable at Low settings for 1080p and 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2999 out of 3724 tested configurations for The Medium. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that it is a below-average performer for this specific game. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations, as the CPU itself is a solid mid-range processor. The combination's overall standing suggests that while it can handle the game at its lowest settings, it does not offer the performance headroom that many other systems provide. For a player seeking a more versatile experience with higher settings, this pairing would not be a recommended choice.