The Medium

The Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 combination delivers a distinctive performance profile in The Medium, one that is heavily constrained by the GPU rather than the CPU. The processor, which sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs tested, is far more capable than the graphics card, which ranks in the 68th percentile among all GPUs. This pairing means that in nearly every resolution and settings configuration, the Arc B580 becomes the limiting factor, with the i7-13700K’s substantial multi-threaded headroom going largely unused. The data shows a system that can handle the game’s demanding horror environments, but only at lower graphical presets, and the gap between the CPU’s potential and the GPU’s delivery is stark.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700K posts an average benchmark score of 46881, placing it within a razor-thin margin of several competing processors. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, a difference of only -0.2%, meaning the two chips are effectively interchangeable in synthetic workloads. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 achieves 47022, also -0.2% relative to the i7-13700K, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX trails by a mere 0.5% with a score of 46654. The Intel Xeon w3-2535 matches that exact score of 46654, also at 0.5% behind. In practical terms, any of these four processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same GPU, since the game’s performance ceiling is dictated by the graphics card.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B580’s average benchmark score is 23021, which places it alongside some unexpected rivals. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23061, just -0.2% higher, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, a 0.6% deficit. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, surprisingly, scores 23172, which is only -0.7% relative to the Arc B580, indicating that in this particular benchmark aggregate, the older flagship and the newer mid-range card are remarkably close. The NVIDIA P106-100 completes the group with a score of 23249, -1% from the Arc B580. For The Medium specifically, the data suggests that swapping the Arc B580 for any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical average FPS at each settings preset, given the small deltaPct values.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 run The Medium at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured average FPS at 1080p Low is 88, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. At Medium settings, the average drops to 55 FPS, which falls below that threshold.

Q: What is the highest resolution this combo can play at 60 FPS?

A: The data shows playable performance at 2560x1440, but only with Low settings, where the average FPS is 74. At 3840x2160, no settings preset reaches 60 FPS; the best result is 58 FPS at Low settings.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to the RTX 2080 in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, while the RTX 2080 scores 22895. This represents a 0.6% advantage for the Arc B580, meaning the two GPUs are statistically equivalent in synthetic testing.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 1440p, Low settings produce an average of 74 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 26 FPS. That is a 48 FPS difference, representing a 185% performance increase from Ultra to Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: Benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The i7-13700K ranks in the 89th percentile among CPUs, while the Arc B580 ranks in the 68th percentile among GPUs. The measured FPS values align with GPU-bound behavior, as the CPU’s high multi-threaded scores do not translate into higher frame rates at higher settings.

Q: Does the Arc B580 support modern graphics APIs needed for The Medium?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers the API requirements for the game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the Arc B580 struggles across all presets. Low settings yield an average of 58 FPS, which is just shy of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 37 FPS average, with a minimum of 31 and a maximum of 42 FPS. High settings fall further to 26 FPS average, and Ultra settings bottom out at 21 FPS average. None of these configurations provide a consistent 60 FPS experience, and even the Low preset’s 58 FPS average suggests occasional dips below playability.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains limited. Low settings achieve an average of 74 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings produce 47 FPS average, with a range of 40 to 54 FPS, indicating noticeable stutter during demanding scenes. High settings drop to 33 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 26 FPS average. The gap between Low and Medium is 27 FPS, which is substantial, but the step from Medium to High is only 14 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at higher presets.

At 1920x1080, the most common resolution, the pattern holds. Low settings deliver an average of 88 FPS, which is the best result across all tests. Medium settings average 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 and a maximum of 64 FPS, meaning the frame rate occasionally spikes above 60 but often falls below. High settings average 40 FPS, and Ultra settings average 31 FPS. The data shows that the Arc B580 is capable of high refresh rates only at the lowest preset, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is thin.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 combination cannot run The Medium at 60 FPS in 3840x2160 at any settings preset. The closest result is 58 FPS at Low, which is below the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the system does clear 60 FPS, but only with Low settings, achieving an average of 74 FPS. At 1920x1080, the same limitation applies: Low settings produce 88 FPS average, while Medium falls to 55 FPS. The verdict is clear: this hardware is playable at 60 FPS exclusively on Low settings, and only at 1440p or 1080p resolutions. Any attempt to increase graphical fidelity will result in frame rates that dip well below 60 FPS, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The best average FPS is 58 at Low settings, but since this fails to reach the 60 FPS threshold, no recommendation can be made for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Low, which delivers an average of 74 FPS. This is the only settings option that maintains performance above 60 FPS at this resolution, and it provides a reasonable margin of 14 FPS over the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is also Low, with an average of 88 FPS. This is the highest frame rate achievable in any configuration, offering a 28 FPS cushion above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 1080p produce 55 FPS, which is not playable by the defined standard.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations in the benchmark database, this pairing of Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2819 out of 3724 total combos for The Medium. This places it in the lower half of tested systems, specifically around the 75th percentile from the bottom, meaning roughly three-quarters of all tested configurations outperform it in this game. The rank reflects the GPU’s limitations rather than the CPU’s capability, as the i7-13700K’s strong benchmark scores do not compensate for the Arc B580’s relatively modest performance in this title. The data indicates that users with this combo should expect a playable experience only at lower settings, and those seeking higher visual quality would need a more powerful GPU to leverage the CPU’s headroom.