The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a specific performance profile in The Medium, a horror title released on 2021-01-27. The benchmark data, measured directly rather than estimated, shows that this combination's ability to maintain a 60 FPS target is heavily dependent on resolution and graphical settings. The data indicates that the playable threshold of 60 FPS is only consistently cleared at the Low preset across all tested resolutions, with performance dropping significantly at higher presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS figures, compares the hardware against similar options, and provides a clear verdict based on the observed results.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest settings preset that achieves 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: The Low preset is the only one that clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1920x1080, delivering an average of 90.1 FPS. The Medium preset falls short with an average of 54.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800XT has an average benchmark score of 29879. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, scores 29868, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X scores 29713, which is 0.6% lower.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other tested GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B580 sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it outperforms a majority of tested graphics cards. Its average benchmark score is 23021.

Q: At which resolution does the combo achieve the highest average FPS on the Ultra preset?

A: The Ultra preset yields the highest average FPS at 1920x1080, with a score of 33.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 25.7 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it averages 21.5 FPS.

Q: What is the exact average FPS difference between Low and High settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 71.4 FPS, while the High preset averages 35.8 FPS. This represents a difference of 35.6 FPS.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of all tested system combinations for this game?

A: Yes. The combo ranks 2803 out of 3724 total tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the overall rankings, but the data confirms it is a measured configuration rather than an estimate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal how the balance between CPU and GPU workload shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the gap between the Low and High presets is substantial: 90.1 FPS versus 40.8 FPS. This 49.3 FPS spread suggests that at lower resolutions, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as changing graphical settings has a massive impact on frame rate. The CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 3 architecture, has ample headroom to feed the GPU, but the Arc B580's rendering load dictates the final output.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling pattern continues. The Low preset delivers 71.4 FPS, while High drops to 35.8 FPS. The performance hit from increasing resolution is evident when comparing Low at 1080p (90.1 FPS) to Low at 1440p (71.4 FPS), a decrease of 18.7 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is working harder to fill more pixels, but the CPU is still not the limiting factor. The Medium preset at 45.9 FPS and Ultra at 25.7 FPS further reinforce that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth (456.0 GB/s) are the decisive elements.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's dominance becomes absolute. The Low preset barely maintains playability at 60.5 FPS, while Medium drops to 37.2 FPS, High to 24.5 FPS, and Ultra to 21.5 FPS. The scaling from 1440p Low (71.4 FPS) to 4K Low (60.5 FPS) shows a 10.9 FPS reduction, which is modest compared to the 35.8 FPS gap between High and Low at 1440p. This pattern confirms that across all resolutions, the Intel Arc B580's shading units (2560), texture mapping units (160), and render output units (80) are the primary determinant of performance. The Ryzen 7 5800XT, with its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and boost clock of 4.80 GHz, provides consistent support, but its role remains secondary. The data shows no scenario where the CPU's performance ceiling is reached before the GPU's, making the graphics card the clear bottleneck in every tested configuration.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users targeting a consistent 60 FPS experience, the data provides a clear guide. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only viable option, achieving an average of 90.1 FPS. The Medium preset comes close at 54.5 FPS, but it falls below the playable threshold, making Low the recommended choice for fluid gameplay. The High preset at 40.8 FPS and Ultra at 33.7 FPS are not suitable for 60 FPS targets.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. The Low preset delivers 71.4 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS bar with a comfortable margin. The Medium preset averages 45.9 FPS, which is playable but below the target, while High (35.8 FPS) and Ultra (25.7 FPS) are significantly slower. Therefore, Low is the only preset that meets the 60 FPS requirement at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset barely achieves the target with an average of 60.5 FPS. This is the most demanding resolution where the combo still technically clears 60 FPS, but the margin is slim. The Medium preset drops to 37.2 FPS, High to 24.5 FPS, and Ultra to 21.5 FPS, all of which are far below the playable threshold. The verdict data confirms that Low is the best and only playable setting at 4K, with an average FPS of 60.5. Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the Low preset is the most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS, and any increase in graphical fidelity results in a substantial performance penalty.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2803 out of 3724 tested system configurations for The Medium. This places the combo in the 25th percentile of all tested setups, meaning approximately 75% of other combinations deliver higher average frame rates. The rank of 2803 is based on measured data, confirming that this is a real-world performance result rather than a theoretical projection. Given that the GPU alone sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs, the low overall combo rank suggests that the pairing is not optimizing the GPU's potential in this specific title.

The CPU's percentile of 81 indicates it is a strong performer relative to all other processors, but this strength does not translate to a high overall rank. The data implies that the Arc B580, despite its solid benchmark scores, struggles with the specific rendering demands of The Medium at higher presets. The rank of 2803 is a definitive statement that this hardware combination is not well-suited for high-settings gameplay in this game, even though the CPU is capable of handling the workload. The gap between the CPU's 81st percentile and the combo's 25th percentile rank highlights that the GPU is the limiting factor, and its performance in this title is below what its average benchmark score might suggest.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would deliver similar performance. For the Ryzen 7 5800XT, the closest matches are the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (avg score 29868, 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (avg score 29955, -0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS (avg score 29955, -0.3% delta). These processors would produce nearly identical CPU-bound results in The Medium, meaning the frame rates would be unchanged if the same GPU were used. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (avg score 29713, 0.6% delta) is also within 0.6% of the 5800XT's performance, so it would behave similarly in this title.

For the Intel Arc B580, the nearest GPU rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (avg score 23061, -0.2% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (avg score 22895, 0.6% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (avg score 23172, -0.7% delta), and the NVIDIA P106-100 (avg score 23249, -1% delta). These GPUs have average benchmark scores within 1% of the Arc B580, suggesting they would yield very similar FPS numbers in The Medium. Specifically, the RTX 2080 and RTX 3080, despite their different architectures, are statistically close enough to the Arc B580 that a user swapping between them would see negligible differences in the measured FPS figures. The data shows that these alternatives would produce frame rates within the same range, making them viable substitutes for users seeking similar performance.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run The Medium, but only under strict conditions. The verdict by resolution is definitive: at 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, with an average of 60.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low is also the only playable setting, delivering 71.4 FPS. At 1920x1080, Low achieves 90.1 FPS, which is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo. All other presets—Medium, High, and Ultra—fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution.

The data shows that the combo is capable of 60 FPS gameplay, but users are restricted to the Low preset. The 60.5 FPS at 4K Low is particularly telling, as it indicates the hardware is right at the edge of playability at that resolution. For a smoother experience, dropping to 1440p Low provides a 10.9 FPS buffer, while 1080p Low offers a 30.1 FPS buffer over the 4K result. The verdict is clear: this system can run the game, but it cannot handle higher graphical presets while maintaining the playable threshold. Users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate will need to accept averages below 60 FPS, with the Medium preset at 1080p being the closest alternative at 54.5 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 90.1 FPS, which is the highest score for this combo. The Medium preset drops to 54.5 FPS, a reduction of 35.6 FPS. High averages 40.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 33.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a total loss of 56.4 FPS, with the most significant drop occurring between Low and Medium.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 71.4 FPS. Medium averages 45.9 FPS, which is 25.5 FPS lower. High averages 35.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 25.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 45.7 FPS, indicating a more gradual decline compared to 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 60.5 FPS, barely clearing the playable threshold. Medium averages 37.2 FPS, High averages 24.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 21.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 23.3 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 3.0 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest settings.

Comparing across resolutions, the Low preset scales from 90.1 FPS at 1080p to 71.4 FPS at 1440p to 60.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a 29.6 FPS drop from 1080p to 4K. The Medium preset scales from 54.5 FPS at 1080p to 45.9 FPS at 1440p to 37.2 FPS at 4K, a total drop of 17.3 FPS. The High preset drops from 40.8 FPS to 35.8 FPS to 24.5 FPS across the three resolutions, a total loss of 16.3 FPS. The Ultra preset drops from 33.7 FPS to 25.7 FPS to 21.5 FPS, a total loss of 12.2 FPS. These numbers confirm that the GPU's performance degrades predictably with increasing resolution, but the relative impact is more pronounced at lower presets.