The Medium

Best Settings per Resolution

The recorded data for this combination shows a consistent pattern: no settings preset reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold at any of the three tested resolutions. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is, in fact, none of them. Every measured configuration falls well short of that mark.

At 3840x2160, the strongest result appears at Low settings with an average of 34 FPS. Medium settings produce 21 FPS on average, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS. High settings drop to 15 FPS, and Ultra falls to 12 FPS. The data indicates that even the least demanding preset at 4K resolution leaves the system at roughly half the required frame rate for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the best average is again at Low settings, where the system records 43 FPS. Medium settings deliver 27 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 23 and 31 FPS respectively. High settings average 19 FPS, while Ultra averages 15 FPS. The gap between the Low preset and the 60 FPS target remains substantial, at 17 FPS below the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the situation improves slightly but still does not cross the playable line. Low settings yield an average of 51 FPS, which is the highest recorded average across all resolutions and presets in the database. Medium settings average 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. High settings average 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The 1080p Low preset comes closest to playable performance, but it still trails the 60 FPS target by 9 FPS.

In practical terms, the verdict by resolution is clear: the database lists no playable settings for any resolution. The best achievable experience, according to the measured results, is 1080p at Low settings, which delivers an average frame rate that is noticeably below the playable threshold. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, this combination would require further settings reductions, possibly including resolution scaling or other mitigations not covered in the measured presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck in this pairing. The Intel Arc B390, with its integrated-class design, records a percentile rank of only 9 among all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 1482 places it near the bottom of the performance spectrum. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D sits in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75779. This extreme disparity suggests that the processor is far more capable than the graphics solution, and the frame rates are constrained almost entirely by the GPU.

Evidence from the scaling between resolutions supports this interpretation. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 51 to 43, a reduction of approximately 16 percent. From 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at Low settings, the average falls from 43 to 34, another drop of roughly 21 percent. These declines are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing pixel count directly taxes the rendering pipeline. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain more stable across resolutions, since the processor workload does not scale as steeply with pixel count.

The preset scaling further confirms the GPU's role. At 1920x1080, raising settings from Low to Medium cuts the average from 51 to 32 FPS, a 37 percent reduction. Moving from Medium to High drops it from 32 to 23 FPS, and High to Ultra brings it down to 18 FPS. Similar patterns appear at 2560x1440 and 3840x2160. These steep penalties for increased graphical fidelity are typical of a system where the graphics card is saturated, and the CPU has ample headroom to spare.

The CPU's specifications, including 16 cores and 32 threads with a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, would be more than adequate for a game like The Medium, which is not known for extreme multi-threaded demands. The recorded CPU benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a single-core score of 2259, indicate strong processing capability. However, none of that headroom translates into higher frame rates because the GPU cannot keep up. The data shows that the Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1536 shading units are simply insufficient for this title at the tested settings.

At higher resolutions, the GPU bottleneck becomes more pronounced. The 4K Medium preset records an average of 21 FPS, while the 1080p Medium preset averages 32 FPS. The difference of 11 FPS highlights how resolution scaling disproportionately impacts the graphics card. Conversely, the CPU's performance would not differ meaningfully between these two scenarios, reinforcing the conclusion that the graphics solution is the limiting factor across all tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS in The Medium at any resolution?

A: No. The database records no playable settings at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The highest average FPS across all tests is 51 at 1080p Low, which falls short of the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best performing preset for this combination?

A: The best average frame rate recorded is 51 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 43 FPS, and at 3840x2160, Low settings produce 34 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to other graphics cards in the database?

A: The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which is 1.3 percent slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which is 2.7 percent slower based on average benchmark scores.

Q: How does the CPU compare to other processors in the database?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D ranks in the 95th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, which is 0.1 percent slower, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285, which is 0.4 percent slower.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main reason for the low frame rates?

A: The GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU is highly capable with a 95th percentile rank, while the GPU is in the 9th percentile. The steep FPS drops when increasing resolution or settings are consistent with a GPU-bound system.

Q: What are the frame rate ranges at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 32 FPS with a range of 27 to 37 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 27 FPS with a range of 23 to 31 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 21 FPS with a range of 18 to 24 FPS.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: this combination cannot run The Medium at a playable frame rate for any of the tested resolutions or presets. The verdict by resolution lists no playable settings at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The playable threshold is set at 60 FPS, and the highest recorded average is 51 FPS at 1080p Low.

At 4K, even the lowest preset averages 34 FPS, which is less than 60 percent of the target. At 1440p, Low settings reach 43 FPS, still 17 FPS short. At 1080p, Low settings come closest with 51 FPS, a 9 FPS deficit. Every other preset and resolution combination performs worse, with Ultra settings at any resolution falling between 12 and 18 FPS.

The root cause is apparent from the hardware profiles. The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with a 9th percentile rank, and its average benchmark score of 1482 places it alongside entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago. The CPU, by contrast, is a top-tier desktop processor. The mismatch means that the graphics card cannot translate the CPU's capability into usable frame rates for this title.

For users considering this setup, the practical implication is that The Medium is not playable at the standard 60 FPS target. The system would require either a significant reduction in internal resolution, which is not reflected in the measured presets, or a different GPU altogether. The recorded data does not support any configuration where this pairing meets the playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is closely matched by several processors in the database. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 has an average score of 75738, a delta of 0.1 percent. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D scores 75716, also 0.1 percent behind. The AMD EPYC 8224P comes in at 75582, 0.3 percent slower, and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 scores 75488, 0.4 percent slower. Any of these CPUs would deliver essentially identical performance in a GPU-bound scenario, meaning the frame rates for The Medium would be unchanged.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are much older, lower-end parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX has an average score of 1463, which is 1.3 percent slower than the Arc B390. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5 percent slower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5 percent slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7 percent slower. These alternatives would produce frame rates that are marginally worse than the recorded values, but the practical difference is negligible: all of them would fall well below the 60 FPS target.

The implication is that swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals would not change the outcome for The Medium, since the GPU remains the limiting factor. Similarly, replacing the GPU with one of its nearest rivals would only degrade performance further. The recorded data suggests that the only meaningful upgrade path would involve moving to a substantially more powerful GPU, one that ranks far above the 9th percentile.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking of tested combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3314 out of 3724 combinations. That places it in the bottom 11 percent of all tested systems for this game. The rank reflects the overall playability, or lack thereof, across all resolutions and presets.

The high CPU rank of 95th percentile does little to boost the combo's standing, because the GPU's 9th percentile rank drags the overall result down. The database's combo rank is a holistic measure, and the recorded frame rates show that this system is closer to the bottom of the distribution than to the top. With no playable settings at any resolution, the rank of 3314 out of 3724 is consistent with the measured performance.

For context, the large gap between the CPU's capabilities and the GPU's limitations means that the combo rank is essentially determined by the graphics card. Users looking at this ranking should understand that the processor is not the issue; the graphics solution is. The data shows that even the most favorable settings, 1080p Low at 51 FPS, are still below the threshold, and the overall ranking reflects that reality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured results is as follows. At 3840x2160, High settings average 15 FPS, Low settings average 34 FPS, Medium settings average 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24, and Ultra settings average 12 FPS. There are no recorded minimum or maximum values for High, Low, or Ultra at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, High settings average 19 FPS, Low settings average 43 FPS, Medium settings average 27 FPS with a range of 23 to 31, and Ultra settings average 15 FPS. Again, only the Medium preset includes minimum and maximum values.

At 1920x1080, High settings average 23 FPS, Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium settings average 32 FPS with a range of 27 to 37, and Ultra settings average 18 FPS. The pattern is consistent: Low settings provide the best average at each resolution, and the frame rate drops monotonically as settings increase.

Across all twelve measured configurations, the highest average is 51 FPS at 1080p Low, and the lowest is 12 FPS at 4K Ultra. The Medium presets at each resolution show the only available min-max ranges, with the narrowest being 18 to 24 FPS at 4K and the widest being 27 to 37 FPS at 1080p. These numbers reinforce the conclusion that the system is consistently GPU-limited, with no configuration approaching the 60 FPS playable threshold.