The Medium

Best Settings per Resolution

The recorded data for this combination of hardware and The Medium shows that the 60 FPS playable threshold is not reached at any resolution tested, regardless of the graphics preset applied. For each resolution, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS does not exist, as every measured average frame rate falls below that target.

At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate recorded is 30 FPS, achieved with the Low preset. The Medium preset produces an average of 19 FPS, High drops to 14 FPS, and Ultra falls to 11 FPS. None of these approach the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 39 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 17 FPS, and Ultra averages 14 FPS. Again, no preset reaches 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 46 FPS, the highest recorded across all resolutions and settings. Medium averages 29 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 16 FPS. Even at the lowest resolution and lowest settings, the average frame rate remains 14 FPS short of the playable threshold.

The data indicates that this system cannot sustain 60 FPS in The Medium under any combination of the tested resolutions and presets. The best settings per resolution, defined as the most demanding preset at or above 60 FPS, are therefore none. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, the only viable approach would be to seek settings below the Low preset, but the database does not provide measurements for such configurations.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-13400F, based on aggregate benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS with an average score of 25284, the Intel Core 5 120 with 25362, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D with 25365, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H with 25201. The i5-13400F posts an average score of 25292. The delta percentages are minimal: the Ryzen 9 6900HS matches the i5-13400F within 0.0 percent, the Core 5 120 and Ryzen 5 5600X3D are each 0.3 percent ahead, and the Ryzen 7 6800H is 0.4 percent behind. This clustering suggests that swapping the i5-13400F for any of these processors would produce nearly identical CPU-driven performance in The Medium, assuming the GPU remains unchanged.

For the Intel Arc B370, the nearest rivals are significantly older or lower-tier graphics solutions. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 averages 1186 points, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 averages 1190, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M averages 1192, and the AMD FirePro M2000 averages 1168. The Arc B370's average benchmark score is 1184. The delta percentages are -0.2 percent against the HD 5570, -0.5 percent against the HD 5770, -0.7 percent against the HD 7650M, and +1.4 percent against the FirePro M2000. In practical terms, the Arc B370 performs within a narrow band of these legacy cards, meaning that a system with any of those GPUs would produce similar frame rates in The Medium, all of which would fall short of 60 FPS.

The combination of a mid-range modern CPU with a GPU that ranks at the 5th percentile of all tested graphics cards creates an unusual balance. The CPU is far more capable than the GPU, so any of the listed CPU alternatives would not change the outcome. The GPU alternatives, being comparable to the Arc B370 in raw score, would likewise fail to reach playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database provides average frame rates for all four presets at each of the three resolutions, with minimum and maximum values recorded only for the Medium preset.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 30 FPS. Medium averages 19 FPS, with a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 22 FPS. High averages 14 FPS. Ultra averages 11 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 39 FPS. Medium averages 24 FPS, with a minimum of 21 FPS and a maximum of 28 FPS. High averages 17 FPS. Ultra averages 14 FPS.

At 1920x1080, Low averages 46 FPS. Medium averages 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 33 FPS. High averages 21 FPS. Ultra averages 16 FPS.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: lowering the resolution from 4K to 1080p improves the Low preset average from 30 to 46 FPS, a gain of 16 FPS. For Medium, the improvement is from 19 to 29 FPS, a gain of 10 FPS. High improves from 14 to 21 FPS, a gain of 7 FPS. Ultra improves from 11 to 16 FPS, a gain of 5 FPS.

The scaling between presets at a fixed resolution shows that dropping from Ultra to Low at 1080p increases the average from 16 to 46 FPS, a 30 FPS swing. At 1440p, the same preset change goes from 14 to 39 FPS, a 25 FPS swing. At 4K, it goes from 11 to 30 FPS, a 19 FPS swing.

The minimum and maximum values for the Medium preset reveal a tight frame time distribution. At 1080p, the range spans from 24 to 33 FPS, a spread of 9 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 21 to 28 FPS, also a spread of 7 FPS. At 4K, the range is 16 to 22 FPS, a spread of 6 FPS. This consistency suggests that the GPU is operating near its limits without severe stuttering, but the overall performance is far below the playable threshold.

The Verdict

The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: this PC cannot run The Medium at a playable frame rate. The database defines playable as an average of at least 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves this, with the best result being 30 FPS on Low. At 2560x1440, the best result is 39 FPS on Low. At 1920x1080, the best result is 46 FPS on Low.

Even the highest average frame rate recorded across all configurations, 46 FPS at 1080p Low, is 14 FPS below the threshold. The gap widens as resolution increases or as preset quality rises. At 4K Ultra, the average of 11 FPS represents only 18 percent of the target frame rate.

The data indicates that the limiting factor is not the CPU, as the i5-13400F ranks in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU, however, ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs and has a single recorded benchmark score of 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This low ranking aligns with the observed frame rates.

Users seeking to play The Medium with this hardware would need to accept frame rates well below 60 FPS, which the database classifies as unplayable. There are no settings in the recorded data that change this conclusion. The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 is not suitable for this title under the tested conditions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results show that the GPU is the dominant constraint at every resolution and preset. The evidence lies in the absolute frame rates, which remain low even when the CPU has ample headroom. The i5-13400F posts strong synthetic scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 22604 and a Geekbench multicore score of 11068. The Arc B370, by contrast, has a percentile rank of 5 among all GPUs, placing it in the bottom tier of tested graphics hardware.

The scaling between resolutions provides further insight. When moving from 1080p to 1440p, the Low preset average drops from 46 to 39 FPS, a 15 percent reduction. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 39 to 30 FPS, a 23 percent reduction. This resolution sensitivity is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload, where increasing pixel count directly stresses the renderer. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions because the CPU workload would stay similar.

The scaling between presets also points to GPU limitations. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 46 to 16 FPS, a 65 percent drop. At 4K, the same preset change reduces the average from 30 to 11 FPS, a 63 percent drop. The proportional penalty is similar across resolutions, which indicates that the GPU is saturated even at the lowest settings, and additional graphical features only compound the shortfall.

The CPU's role becomes more prominent only in the sense that it does not bottleneck the GPU. Since the GPU produces such low frame rates, the CPU is never waiting for data, and its multi-threaded capabilities, such as a Passmark multithread score of 25032, go largely unused in this workload. The single-thread performance, with a Passmark single-thread score of 3634, is also sufficient for the game's logic, but the renderer cannot deliver frames fast enough.

In summary, the GPU is the primary factor determining performance in The Medium for this combination. The CPU contributes little to the observed frame rates because it is never the limiting resource. Any improvement in frame rate would require a more powerful GPU, not a faster CPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this system achieves in The Medium?

A: The highest recorded average is 46 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Does this system reach the 60 FPS playable threshold at any resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average is 30 FPS on Low. At 2560x1440, the best is 39 FPS on Low. At 1920x1080, the best is 46 FPS on Low.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the range is 24 to 33 FPS. At 2560x1440, the range is 21 to 28 FPS. At 3840x2160, the range is 16 to 22 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS scores 25284, the Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201. All are within 0.4 percent of the i5-13400F.

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

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168. The differences range from -0.7 to +1.4 percent.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU. The Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and the frame rates scale strongly with resolution and preset, indicating GPU saturation. The CPU ranks in the 77th percentile and is not the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3439 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 8 percent of all combinations in the database, which is consistent with the observed frame rates.

The rank reflects the GPU's severe limitation. The i5-13400F alone would not drag the ranking down, as it performs well in synthetic benchmarks, but the Arc B370's 5th percentile standing among GPUs ensures that any game relying heavily on the renderer will suffer. The Medium, being a horror title with fixed-camera scenes and detailed environments, appears to be particularly demanding on the GPU.

Given that 285 combos rank lower, there are systems that perform even worse, but those likely pair even weaker GPUs with similar or weaker CPUs. The data shows that this combo sits near the bottom of the distribution, with only the most underpowered hardware falling below it.

For context, the nearest GPU rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 or AMD Radeon HD 7650M, are all legacy parts from a different era. Their proximity in benchmark scores to the Arc B370 underscores how far behind the current graphics landscape this Intel integrated solution is. The CPU's strength does not compensate for this, as the game's performance is dictated by the GPU.

The verdict is clear: this combination is not suitable for The Medium at any resolution or preset, and the rankings reflect that reality.