The Medium

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and the Intel Arc B390 shows a consistent pattern across all tested resolutions and presets: the frame rates fall well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The measurements cover three resolutions (3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080) at four settings tiers (Low, Medium, High, and Ultra). No configuration in the database reaches the playable threshold, and the highest average recorded is 51 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly low. The Low preset delivers an average of 34 FPS. Medium drops the average to 21 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS. High yields only 15 FPS on average, while Ultra bottoms out at 12 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 22 FPS, indicating that the rendering load increases sharply as settings climb. Every preset at 4K remains far below the 60 FPS target, and even the most forgiving Low setting cannot reach half of the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the same hierarchy holds, but with slightly higher numbers. Low produces an average of 43 FPS. Medium averages 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS. High drops to 19 FPS, and Ultra falls to 15 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra here is 28 FPS, a larger spread than at 4K. Notably, the 1440p Low result is the closest any measurement comes to 60 FPS, but it still misses the mark by 17 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best results of the entire dataset appear. Low reaches an average of 51 FPS, the single highest average recorded for this combo. Medium averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 33 FPS, the largest of the three resolutions. Even at 1080p with the lowest settings, the average remains 9 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold, and no preset at any resolution clears the playable bar.

The min and max data points are only available for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 3840x2160 Medium, the range is 18 to 24 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the range is 23 to 31 FPS. At 1920x1080 Medium, the range is 27 to 37 FPS. These ranges show that even the best-case frame times at Medium settings stay below 40 FPS, reinforcing the overall picture of a system that cannot sustain playable performance in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average is 51 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Does any resolution and preset combination reach 60 FPS?

A: No. The verdict data lists no playable settings for 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and every recorded average falls below it.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Low at the same resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 12 FPS versus 34 FPS for Low. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 15 FPS versus 43 FPS for Low. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 18 FPS versus 51 FPS for Low.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum frame rates at Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 18 FPS and the maximum is 24 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 23 FPS and the maximum is 31 FPS. At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 27 FPS and the maximum is 37 FPS.

Q: Which resolution shows the largest performance gap between Low and Ultra?

A: The gap is largest at 1920x1080, where Low averages 51 FPS and Ultra averages 18 FPS, a difference of 33 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390's benchmark score close to any other GPU in the database?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443. The Arc B390 leads these by 1.3% to 2.7%.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is the dominant bottleneck in this pairing. The GPU sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals are low-end NVIDIA parts from previous generations, all within a 2.7% performance delta. The CPU, by contrast, is a much stronger component. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 ranks in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40081 and a multithreaded Cinebench R23 score of 18760.

The FPS measurements support this interpretation. Across all three resolutions, the frame rates are low even at 1080p Low, which suggests the GPU is saturated before the CPU can demonstrate its full capability. If the CPU were the limiting factor, lowering the resolution from 1440p to 1080p would typically produce a larger jump in frame rate. Instead, the 1080p Low average of 51 FPS is only 8 FPS higher than the 1440p Low average of 43 FPS, and the 4K Low average of 34 FPS is 9 FPS below that. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario: the CPU has enough headroom to process the game logic, but the GPU cannot convert the render workload into higher frame rates.

The settings scaling reinforces the GPU-bound conclusion. At every resolution, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average FPS by a substantial margin. At 1080p, the drop from 51 FPS to 18 FPS is 33 FPS. At 1440p, the drop from 43 FPS to 15 FPS is 28 FPS. At 4K, the drop from 34 FPS to 12 FPS is 22 FPS. The fact that these reductions are consistent across resolutions, even at 1080p where CPU load is relatively higher, indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor in all configurations.

The CPU does contribute to the overall system, but its contribution is not visible in the measured frame rates because the GPU cannot keep pace. The Ryzen 7 7700's 8 cores and 16 threads, along with its boost clock of 5.30 GHz, provide ample processing power for a horror title like The Medium. However, the Arc B390's 1536 shading units and 24 ROPs, paired with system-shared memory, are insufficient to render the game at playable frame rates regardless of resolution or preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the GPU, the nearest rivals in the database are all older NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX has an average score of 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. Any of these GPUs would behave very similarly to the Arc B390 in The Medium, meaning they would also fall far short of the 60 FPS threshold at all tested resolutions and presets. The performance deltas are small enough that the differences in frame rates would be within a few FPS at most.

For the CPU, the nearest rivals are much closer in relative performance. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048, which is 0.1% higher than the Ryzen 7 7700's 40081. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246, 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, 0.6% higher. These deltas are negligible in gaming contexts, so swapping the Ryzen 7 7700 for any of these CPUs would not meaningfully change the measured FPS in The Medium. The bottleneck remains the GPU, and the CPU choice has little effect on the outcome.

The asymmetry between the CPU rivals and GPU rivals is important. The CPU sits near a cluster of similarly performing parts, all within 0.6% of each other. The GPU, on the other hand, is grouped with parts that are dramatically weaker than the rest of the modern GPU landscape, as indicated by its 9th percentile ranking. This means that upgrading or changing the CPU would not rescue the system's performance, while changing the GPU to a substantially stronger part (not listed among the nearest rivals) would be the only path toward playable frame rates.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: this PC cannot run The Medium at a playable level. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the verdict by resolution lists no playable settings for any of the three tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the best average is 34 FPS on Low, which is 26 FPS short of the target. At 2560x1440, the best average is 43 FPS on Low, 17 FPS short. At 1920x1080, the best average is 51 FPS on Low, 9 FPS short.

The Ultra preset is the worst performer at every resolution, with averages of 12 FPS at 4K, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 1080p. Medium performs slightly better but still remains below 35 FPS everywhere. High is only marginally better than Ultra at 1080p and 1440p, and identical in the low 20s at 4K.

The conclusion from the recorded measurements is that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor. The CPU is a high-end desktop part, but no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for a GPU that delivers single-digit to low-50s frame rates across the entire settings range. Users with this combination should not expect a playable experience in The Medium at any resolution or preset. The best-case scenario, 1080p Low at 51 FPS average, is still below the 60 FPS threshold and would likely exhibit noticeable stutter during demanding scenes, although the database does not record 1% lows or frame time variance beyond the Medium min/max values.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3314 out of 3724 tested combos in the database for The Medium. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems. The ranking reflects the GPU's severe performance deficit: the Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 7700 is in the 87th percentile among all CPUs. The CPU's strong benchmark scores do not translate into a good gaming result because the GPU cannot deliver the necessary frame rates.

The rank of 3314 out of 3724 means that roughly 410 tested combinations perform worse than this one, while over 3300 perform better. Given the measured FPS data, this low ranking is expected. No preset at any resolution reaches even 52 FPS, and the majority of configurations fall below 35 FPS. The combination is effectively held back by the GPU, and the CPU's high percentile ranking does not compensate for the GPU's low one.

The nearest GPU rivals, the GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, would all produce similarly low rankings if paired with a strong CPU. The GPU is the determining factor in this game's performance, and the database ranking reflects that reality.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records no playable settings for any resolution. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and every measured average falls below it. As a result, there is no "best settings" recommendation that achieves the target frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the highest average is 34 FPS on Low. This is the most demanding preset that stays the closest to 60 FPS, but it still falls 26 FPS short. Medium averages 21 FPS, High averages 15 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. None of these are playable.

At 2560x1440, the highest average is 43 FPS on Low. Medium averages 27 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that approaches half of the target frame rate, but it remains 17 FPS below the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the highest average is 51 FPS on Low. Medium averages 32 FPS, High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p is the best result in the entire dataset, yet it still misses the 60 FPS target by 9 FPS.

For users who must play at lower frame rates, 1080p Low is the only configuration that approaches a semi-smooth experience, with an average of 51 FPS. However, the database verdict is clear: no settings combination at any resolution meets the 60 FPS playable threshold for this hardware pairing.