The Medium

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a challenging profile for running The Medium. Based on the recorded data, this combination consistently falls short of the 60 FPS playable threshold across all tested resolutions and presets. The measurements show a hardware pairing that is heavily constrained by the graphics component, with the highest average frame rate recorded at 51 FPS in 1920x1080 with Low settings, still 9 FPS below the playable target. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it against similar hardware, and provides a clear verdict on what this system can and cannot deliver for this specific horror title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the results are uniformly below playable levels. With Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 12 FPS, while High settings produce 15 FPS. Medium settings yield 21 FPS with a recorded minimum of 18 FPS and maximum of 24 FPS. Dropping to Low settings improves the average to 34 FPS, but this still represents a substantial deficit from the 60 FPS target. The scaling from Ultra to Low at 4K shows a 22 FPS improvement, indicating that settings adjustments have a meaningful impact, yet none are sufficient for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues with all presets falling short of playable performance. Ultra settings average 15 FPS, High settings average 19 FPS, and Medium settings produce 27 FPS with a minimum of 23 FPS and maximum of 31 FPS. Low settings achieve the best result at this resolution with 43 FPS on average. The gap between Low at 1440p and the 60 FPS threshold is 17 FPS, which is noticeable during gameplay. The improvement from Ultra to Low at this resolution is 28 FPS, showing that the preset selection carries significant weight in performance outcomes.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the results remain below the playable threshold across all presets. Low settings deliver the best average at 51 FPS, which is the closest any configuration comes to 60 FPS in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 FPS and maximum of 37 FPS. High settings produce 23 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 18 FPS. The spread from Ultra to Low at 1080p is 33 FPS, the largest improvement seen across any resolution in the measurements. Despite this, even the most favorable settings configuration leaves the system 9 FPS short of the playable mark.

The data shows a consistent relationship between resolution and performance. For each preset, moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces the average frame rate by roughly 20 to 25 percent, and moving from 1440p to 4K reduces it further by approximately 30 to 40 percent. For example, Low settings at 1080p average 51 FPS, at 1440p they average 43 FPS, and at 4K they average 34 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the graphics processor is the primary bottleneck, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the pixel count increase.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database records the nearest performance rivals for both the CPU and GPU components of this pairing. For the Intel Core i3-12100F, the closest comparable processors in average benchmark score are the Intel Core 3 N355 with a delta of 0 percent, the Intel Core i5-9500 with a delta of 0.3 percent, the Intel Core 5 120UL with a delta of -0.7 percent, and the Intel Core i7-1250U with a delta of 1.1 percent. These deltas indicate that all four alternatives perform within a narrow band of the i3-12100F, with the i5-9500 being slightly faster and the Core 5 120UL being slightly slower. In practical terms for The Medium, systems built with any of these CPUs would likely exhibit nearly identical CPU-bound behavior, though the recorded frame rates suggest the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this game.

The Intel Arc B390 graphics processor sits in a much lower performance tier according to the benchmark data. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a delta of 1.3 percent, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M with a delta of 1.5 percent, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM with a delta of 2.5 percent, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 with a delta of 2.7 percent. These are all older, entry-level discrete graphics solutions, and the small delta percentages indicate that they would deliver comparable frame rates in The Medium. A system with any of these GPUs paired with a similarly performing CPU would almost certainly produce the same sub-60 FPS results observed in the measurements. The Arc B390's nearest rivals all belong to a performance class that predates modern gaming expectations, which contextualizes why the frame rates in this title are so low.

The combination of a mid-range CPU with a very low-tier GPU means that users upgrading from any of these rival GPU configurations would see minimal improvement in The Medium. The CPU's nearest rivals do not meaningfully change the outcome either, as the bottleneck clearly resides in the graphics subsystem across all tested scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F and Intel Arc B390 ranks at position 3314 out of 3724 total combinations. This places the system in the bottom 11 percent of all recorded configurations, a position that reflects the severely limited graphics performance. The rank indicates that roughly 89 percent of other tested hardware pairings deliver higher average frame rates in this game.

The low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU's performance percentile of 9, meaning the Arc B390 outperforms only 9 percent of all GPUs in the database. In contrast, the CPU sits at the 68th percentile, which is a respectable position for a modern quad-core processor. The disconnect between the CPU's reasonable standing and the GPU's very low standing explains why the overall combo ranks so poorly. The graphics processor drags the entire system down, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the GPU's inability to render frames at acceptable rates.

The rankings also show that the game is demanding enough that even the CPU's 68th percentile standing does not contribute to playable results. The measured frame rates, which never reach 60 FPS, are consistent with a combo sitting in the bottom 11 percent of all tested configurations.

The Verdict

The verdict from the recorded data is unambiguous: this PC cannot run The Medium at a playable level at any resolution or preset. The database defines the playable threshold at 60 FPS, and no configuration in the measured set reaches this mark. At 3840x2160, the best possible average frame rate is 34 FPS with Low settings, which is 26 FPS below the threshold. At 2560x1440, the best result is 43 FPS with Low settings, still 17 FPS short. At 1920x1080, the best result is 51 FPS with Low settings, which is 9 FPS below the playable mark.

The verdict by resolution confirms that no playable settings exist at any of the three tested resolutions. The database lists empty playable settings arrays for 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080, meaning there is no preset combination that achieves or exceeds 60 FPS. Users seeking a smooth experience with this hardware would need to consider either reducing the resolution below 1080p, which was not tested, or accepting frame rates in the 30 to 50 FPS range with significant visual compromises. The data shows that even the lowest settings at the lowest resolution cannot bridge the gap to playability.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in this pairing. The GPU is the dominant bottleneck at every resolution tested. Evidence for this comes from the frame rate scaling pattern: when resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 20 to 25 percent for each preset. When resolution increases from 1440p to 4K, the drop is even steeper. This behavior is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the graphics processor's pixel throughput becomes the constraining factor.

The CPU's role is comparatively minor in this game. The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, provides sufficient processing power for the game's logic and physics at the tested settings. The 68th percentile ranking for the CPU suggests it is not a weak link in the chain. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively constant across resolutions, which is not what the data shows. Instead, the consistent and significant frame rate drops with increasing resolution point directly to the Arc B390 as the limiting component.

The preset scaling also supports this conclusion. At a fixed resolution, changing from Ultra to Low settings produces substantial frame rate improvements, ranging from 22 FPS at 4K to 33 FPS at 1080p. These gains come primarily from reducing the GPU's workload through lower texture quality, reduced effects, and simpler lighting calculations. The CPU's workload in terms of game logic and draw calls does not change as dramatically with preset changes, further indicating that the GPU is responsible for the performance differences between presets.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured data shows the highest average frame rate is 51 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which is 9 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. No resolution or preset combination in the recorded results reaches 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best performing settings configuration for this hardware?

A: The best recorded result is 51 FPS average at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the closest any configuration comes to the playable threshold, though it is still below it.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a 1.3 percent delta, the GeForce 800M with a 1.5 percent delta, the GeForce GT 625 OEM with a 2.5 percent delta, and the GeForce GT 710 with a 2.7 percent delta. All of these GPUs perform within a narrow range of the Arc B390.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. Frame rates drop consistently with increasing resolution, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance. The CPU sits at the 68th percentile, indicating it is not a weak component, while the GPU sits at the 9th percentile.

Q: What overall ranking does this combo hold in the database?

A: This combination ranks 3314 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium, placing it in the bottom 11 percent of all recorded hardware pairings.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS. This is well below the playable threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records no playable settings for any of the three tested resolutions, as all configurations fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The best settings per resolution, meaning the most demanding preset that comes closest to 60 FPS, are as follows. At 3840x2160, Low settings deliver the highest average frame rate of 34 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low settings again produce the best result with 43 FPS. At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 51 FPS, which is the highest recorded average across all resolutions and presets in the entire dataset.

Since none of these configurations reach the 60 FPS playable mark, the practical recommendation for users is to run the game at 1920x1080 with Low settings for the best possible experience, accepting that frame rates will hover around 51 FPS. Higher presets at any resolution yield progressively lower performance, with Ultra settings at 4K producing only 12 FPS on average. The data indicates that this hardware is fundamentally mismatched for The Medium, and even the most favorable settings configuration leaves the system short of a smooth, playable experience.