The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a highly unusual combination for running The Medium. The CPU is a top-tier desktop processor, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution from a mobile-focused line. The measured data shows this system struggles to reach playable frame rates at every tested resolution, making it unsuitable for this title under the database’s 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this combination at rank 3439 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. That puts it in the bottom 7.7 percent of all systems tested, which is a clear indication of its performance class. The ranking is driven overwhelmingly by the GPU, which sits at the 5th percentile among all graphics processors. The Arc B370’s average benchmark score is 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, a result that places it alongside legacy mobile and desktop parts from over a decade ago.

To contextualize this rank, consider that the CPU alone is exceptional. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus achieves a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83807, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX at 83090. The 290K Plus leads those parts by 0.2 percent and 1.1 percent respectively. Yet in this game, the GPU bottleneck is so severe that the CPU’s strength contributes almost nothing to the final frame rates.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 46 FPS. At the same resolution with Ultra settings, it drops to 16 FPS. That is a 65 percent reduction in frame rate from Low to Ultra, a scaling pattern typical of a GPU that is completely overwhelmed. The rank of 3439 out of 3724 reflects that this is not a marginal shortfall; it is a fundamental mismatch between the CPU’s capability and the GPU’s output.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the GPU’s nearest rivals in the database, the Intel Arc B370’s performance is nearly identical to several older parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, which is 0.2 percent higher than the Arc B370. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5 percent higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7 percent higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4 percent lower. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would deliver essentially the same frame rates in The Medium as the Arc B370, since the 3DMark score delta is within 1.4 percent across the entire group.

For the CPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus’s nearest rivals are all high-end server or desktop parts. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is the closest match at 0.2 percent lower average score. The AMD EPYC 4584PX sits at 1.1 percent lower, and the AMD EPYC 9135 at 1.2 percent lower. The AMD EPYC 7F72 is 1.3 percent higher. If a builder were to swap the 290K Plus for any of these CPUs, the frame rates in The Medium would not change measurably, because the game’s performance is dictated by the GPU at all tested settings.

The practical takeaway is that this combo behaves like a low-end GPU paired with a flagship CPU. If the goal is to run The Medium, swapping the CPU would do nothing. The bottleneck is the Arc B370, and its nearest rivals are all parts that predate the game’s 2021 release by several years. None of those alternatives would offer a meaningful improvement.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data makes it unambiguous which component is the limiting factor. At 1920x1080, the frame rate ranges from 46 FPS on Low to 16 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the range is 39 FPS on Low to 14 FPS on Ultra. At 3840x2160, the range is 30 FPS on Low to 11 FPS on Ultra. In every case, the frame rate drops as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering. The CPU’s performance is constant across those resolutions; it is the GPU’s fill rate and shader throughput that determine the output.

The scaling between presets further isolates the GPU’s role. At 1920x1080, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average FPS from 46 to 29, a 37 percent drop. Moving from Medium to High reduces it to 21, another 28 percent drop. Moving from High to Ultra reduces it to 16, a 24 percent drop. These are large, consistent reductions that align with increased shading work, texture sampling, and post-processing effects, all of which load the GPU.

The CPU’s role is effectively negligible in this configuration. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has 24 cores and 24 threads, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and it scores 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. That is more than enough compute for any game released in 2021. The game’s CPU requirements are far below what this processor provides. The measured FPS differences between resolutions are entirely attributable to the GPU’s inability to keep up with higher pixel counts and more demanding presets.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is so far beyond its comfort zone that even Low settings only produce 30 FPS. That is half the playable threshold. The Medium settings at 4K produce 19 FPS, and Ultra produces 11 FPS. None of these are remotely close to 60 FPS. The data shows that the GPU is the sole determinant of playability, and the CPU has zero influence on whether this system can run the game smoothly.

FAQ

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 46, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At 2560x1440 Low, it reaches 39 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it reaches 30 FPS.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 1080p with medium settings?

A: No. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 29, with a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 33. This is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. 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. All of these are within 1.4 percent of each other.

Q: Would a faster CPU improve frame rates in this game?

A: No. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is already at the 96th percentile among CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83807 versus 84003, a 0.2 percent difference. Swapping CPUs would not change the GPU-bound frame rates.

Q: Is this combo ranked high in the database for this game?

A: No. It ranks 3439 out of 3724 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 7.7 percent of all systems tested for The Medium.

Q: What resolution and settings come closest to 60 FPS?

A: The closest is 1920x1080 with Low settings at 46 FPS. No other configuration exceeds 39 FPS, and all are below the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records no playable settings at any resolution, meaning there is no preset that achieves an average FPS of 60 or higher. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and every measured configuration falls short.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays closest to 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 46 FPS. The next step up, Medium, drops to 29 FPS, which is a substantial decline. High produces 21 FPS, and Ultra produces 16 FPS. None of these are playable per the database’s threshold, but if forced to choose a setting, Low is the only one that approaches a usable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 39 FPS. Medium drops to 24 FPS, High to 17 FPS, and Ultra to 14 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 15 FPS, which is significant, but even Low is 21 FPS short of the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 30 FPS. Medium drops to 19 FPS, High to 14 FPS, and Ultra to 11 FPS. The 4K resolution is the most demanding, and the GPU cannot handle it at any setting. The highest frame rate at 4K is exactly half of the playable threshold.

The verdict for all three resolutions is the same: no playable settings exist. The best possible experience is 1080p Low at 46 FPS, which is still 14 FPS below the threshold. If a player tolerates frame rates below 60, the 1080p Low setting is the only viable option, but it does not meet the database’s playability standard.

The Verdict

This PC cannot run The Medium at a playable level. The database’s verdictByResolution field lists no playable settings for 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the highest measured average across all nine tested configurations is 46 FPS at 1080p Low.

The root cause is the Intel Arc B370. This integrated GPU sits at the 5th percentile among all graphics processors, with a 3DMark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, both of which are from an era before The Medium was released. The GPU’s 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 25 W TDP are simply insufficient for a 2021 horror title that demands modern rendering features.

The CPU is not the issue. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a flagship desktop processor with 24 cores, a 5.80 GHz boost clock, and a 96th percentile ranking. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 is far beyond what The Medium requires. In any other configuration, this CPU would enable high frame rates. Paired with the Arc B370, it is wasted, because the GPU cannot translate that compute power into rendered frames.

For a builder considering this combo for The Medium, the data is unambiguous. At 1080p Low, the system produces 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. At any higher preset or resolution, the frame rate falls further, reaching as low as 11 FPS at 4K Ultra. The system does not meet the playability standard at any setting.

If the goal is to play The Medium, this combination should not be used. The Arc B370 is not a gaming GPU for this title. The database records no configuration where this system achieves 60 FPS, and the gap is substantial: at the best settings, the shortfall is 14 FPS. At more demanding settings, the shortfall grows to 30 FPS or more. The verdict is clear: this PC cannot run The Medium at a playable frame rate.