The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B570 pairing presents a fascinating case study in system bottlenecking, particularly with a demanding horror title like The Medium. The data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions, yet manages to find a playable niche at more modest settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance figures to determine exactly where this combo stands and what users can expect.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At the demanding 3840x2160 (4K) resolution, the results are stark. The Ultra preset yields a paltry average of 18 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable and requiring a massive reduction in graphical fidelity. Dropping to the High preset only raises the average to 23 FPS, still far below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset shows some improvement with an average of 32 FPS, though frame times fluctuate significantly, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. Even at the lowest settings, the 4K resolution proves too heavy for this configuration, with the Arc B570 managing an average of just 52 FPS.

Stepping down to 2560x1440 (1440p) provides a clearer picture of the system’s capabilities. The Ultra preset continues to struggle, producing an average of only 23 FPS. High settings are better but still insufficient for smooth gameplay, at 29 FPS. The Medium preset delivers a more consistent experience, with an average of 41 FPS and a tighter frame window of 35 to 47 FPS. The only setting that breaks the 60 FPS barrier at 1440p is the Low preset, which achieves an average of 66 FPS.

At the standard 1920x1080 (1080p) resolution, the situation improves, but the pattern remains. The Ultra preset averages just 28 FPS, and High settings only reach 35 FPS. The Medium preset provides a playable frame rate for less demanding users, with an average of 49 FPS and a range of 41 to 56 FPS. However, it is the Low preset that is the clear winner for a smooth experience, hitting an average of 78 FPS. This data implies a significant performance cliff between the Low and Medium presets, suggesting that the Medium preset includes effects that the Intel Arc B570's hardware cannot efficiently handle.

Similar Performance Alternatives

To contextualize the performance of this specific CPU and GPU pairing, we can look at the nearest rivals from the database. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a powerful processor, sitting in the 91st percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 7313P, which has an average benchmark score that is only 0.2% different, meaning the 7900X offers comparable compute performance. On the other end, the Intel Core i7-14700F is just 0.6% behind, indicating that these processors would yield very similar frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios.

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU, placing in the 65th percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which has an average score a mere 0.1% higher. This suggests that in gaming, the Arc B570's raw performance is on par with a laptop-class RTX 3070. Another close competitor is the Intel Arc A750, which is just 0.1% faster. In practice, a system with a Ryzen 9 7900X and an RTX 3070 Mobile or an Arc A750 would be expected to produce very similar frame rates in The Medium, given the same in-game settings.

The fact that the CPU is so far ahead of the GPU in terms of performance percentile is telling. The Ryzen 9 7900X is a top-tier processor, while the Arc B570 is a mid-range card. This indicates that in most gaming scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions, the GPU will be the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The data for this specific configuration places it at rank 2999 out of 3724 total tested combos for The Medium. This is a low ranking, in the bottom 20% of all system configurations. This ranking is a clear indicator that, while the CPU is high-end, the overall gaming performance of this pairing is not competitive in the broader landscape of tested hardware. The frame rates observed across all settings and resolutions are limited by the Intel Arc B570. This rank suggests that many other PC configurations, likely with more powerful graphics cards, would offer a significantly better experience in this title. The data indicates that the 7900X's potential is largely left untapped in this specific configuration.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 4K resolution?

A: No. The data shows that at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves an average of 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High, Medium, and Ultra presets are all far below that mark, with averages of 23, 32, and 18 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the highest graphical preset that maintains a 60+ FPS average at 1440p?

A: The Low preset is the only playable option at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset falls short with an average of 41 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570's performance compare to a mobile RTX 3070?

A: The benchmark data shows the Arc B570 has an average score that is only 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile. This indicates that they are essentially equal in raw compute performance, and in The Medium, they would be expected to produce nearly identical frame rates.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X a bottleneck for the Arc B570 in this game?

A: The data suggests the opposite. The Ryzen 9 7900X is in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B570 is in the 65th percentile of GPUs. This large performance gap indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor for the game's frame rate.

Q: What is the in-game ranking of this system?

A: This combo is ranked 2999 out of 3724 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 20% of systems. This poor ranking is primarily a result of the GPU's performance, which is not high enough to pair well with the powerful processor.

Q: What FPS can be expected with Medium settings at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p with Medium settings, the average FPS is 49. However, this is not considered playable as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The minimum recorded was 41 FPS, and the maximum was 56 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in this configuration. The Ryzen 9 7900X is a flagship processor, but its capabilities are not the primary driver of frame rates in The Medium. The evidence lies in the scaling between resolutions. When moving from 1080p to 4K, the average frame rates at identical settings drop dramatically. For instance, on Low settings, the average FPS falls from 78 at 1080p to 52 at 4K. This significant drop is a classic symptom of a GPU bottleneck, as the graphics card is struggling to render the increased pixel count.

The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. As the resolution increases, the number of frames the CPU can prepare is not the limiting factor, but the GPU's ability to render them is. The 12 cores and 24 threads of the Ryzen 9 7900X are more than sufficient for this game. The GPU, however, with its 10 GB of memory and 11.52 TFLOPS of power, becomes overloaded. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck; instead, the Arc B570's rendering power is the primary constraint on performance across all settings and resolutions.

The gap between the Low and Medium presets also suggests a specific GPU limitation. The frame rates drop significantly when moving to Medium, which implies that the Medium preset may introduce certain rendering techniques like higher-quality textures or particle effects that the Arc B570's hardware, specifically its compute units, is not well-optimized for.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 4K (3840x2160), there is no playable settings option. All presets, including Low, fail to reach the 60 FPS threshold, so the best recommendation is to not use this resolution for gaming.

For 1440p (2560x1440), the only playable setting is Low. This preset achieves an average of 66 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. While this is the only playable option, it shows that the game is playable at this resolution with the lowest graphical fidelity.

For 1080p (1920x1080), the best playable option is also Low, delivering an average of 78 FPS. While the Medium preset is an option, it falls short with a 49 FPS average. This makes the Low preset the only reliable way to achieve a smooth 60+ FPS experience, even at the lowest resolution.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Medium? The answer is nuanced and depends heavily on the user's preferences for resolution versus visual fidelity. The data shows that this configuration is capable of playing the game, but with significant compromises.

At 3840x2160, the answer is a definitive no. No settings combination reaches the 60 FPS target, making the game unplayable at a smooth frame rate. At 2560x1440, the system can run the game, but only at the Low preset with an average of 66 FPS. This will result in a playable, but visually basic experience. At 1920x1080, the game is playable at the Low preset, achieving an average of 78 FPS.

The verdict is that this combo provides a playable experience only when the graphical settings are significantly reduced. The powerful CPU is wasted in this configuration, as the Intel Arc B570 holds the system back. For a game like The Medium, which has a heavy atmosphere, the need to play on "Low" settings at 1080p or 1440p to get a smooth experience is a major drawback. The system can run the game, but it does not run it well.