The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B570 combination produces a playable but heavily settings-dependent experience in The Medium. Benchmark data shows the pairing ranks 2321 out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of configurations. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is consistently GPU-limited, where resolution and preset choices have a more dramatic impact on performance than the CPU’s capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe across all tested presets, which clearly identifies the Intel Arc B570 as the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 78 FPS at 1920x1080 to 66 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 12 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low yields 52 FPS, which is 26 FPS lower than the 1080p result. This represents a 33% performance loss from 1080p to 4K at the lowest preset.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher visual quality levels. With High settings, the average drops from 35 FPS at 1080p to 29 FPS at 1440p, then to 23 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the steepest relative decline: 28 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and only 18 FPS at 4K. This consistent pattern—where each resolution step costs roughly 5-6 FPS at High and Ultra—indicates that the rendering workload is scaling directly with pixel count, with no sign of CPU-side limitations.

The Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum frame data, further illustrates the scaling trend. At 1080p Medium, the average sits at 49 FPS with a range of 41 to 56 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 41 FPS with a range of 35 to 47 FPS. The 4K Medium result averages 32 FPS with a range of 27 to 37 FPS. The frame time variance remains consistent across resolutions, suggesting the GPU is handling the workload uniformly without introducing stutter or inconsistency as resolution increases.

The data indicates that this combo cannot maintain 60 FPS at any resolution above 1080p, regardless of settings. Even at 1080p Low, the 78 FPS average is the only result that clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably. The 4K Ultra result of 18 FPS is effectively unplayable, and the 4K High result of 23 FPS is similarly marginal. This is a configuration designed for 1080p gaming, with 1440p only viable at Low settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 provides six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. This is a Zen 3 architecture part built on a 7 nm process, featuring 16 MB of L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16429 and a single-core score of 2319, which places it at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs.

The CPU’s role in The Medium appears secondary to the GPU. The frame rate scaling across resolutions shows that performance degrades uniformly as pixel count increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with the gap only appearing at 4K. Instead, the data shows consistent drops at each step, meaning the CPU has headroom to spare.

The 3DMark thread scaling results support this interpretation. The CPU scores 1645 in the 2-thread test, 3151 in the 4-thread test, 4593 in the 8-thread test, and 5411 in the max-thread test. The incremental gains from 2 to 4 to 8 threads indicate that the CPU scales well with additional workload, and the 12-thread configuration should handle the multi-threaded demands of a horror game like The Medium without issue.

The Ryzen 5 5500’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 with an average score of 19617 (0.1% lower), the Intel Core i5-12500 at 19668 (0.4% higher), the Intel Core i7-10700F at 19499 (0.5% lower), and the Intel Core i5-11600KF at 19723 (0.7% higher). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the CPU’s performance class is tightly grouped and unlikely to be the differentiator in gaming frame rates. The bottleneck is decisively on the graphics side.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a Battlemage-generation GPU built on a 5 nm process, featuring 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. It operates at a 2500 MHz base and boost clock, with 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. The GPU’s 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 compute places it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs.

The VRAM capacity of 10 GB is not the limiting factor in The Medium, as the frame rate scaling is consistent across resolutions without any sudden drops that would indicate memory capacity issues. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, however, is likely a contributing factor to the performance degradation at higher resolutions, where increased pixel throughput demands more memory traffic.

The GPU’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with an average score of 20534 (0.1% higher), the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (0.1% lower), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X at 20662 (0.5% lower). These rivals are all within 0.5% of the Arc B570’s average benchmark score, indicating that the GPU is positioned in a competitive mid-range tier. However, the measured frame rates in The Medium show that this performance level is insufficient for high-refresh-rate gaming at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s passmark DirectX 11 score of 118 and DirectX 12 score of 72 provide context for its gaming performance. The Medium likely utilizes DirectX 12 features, and the relatively modest DirectX 12 score compared to the DirectX 11 result suggests that the GPU’s driver optimization may not be fully realized in this title. The 4K Ultra result of 18 FPS and the 1440p Ultra result of 23 FPS demonstrate that the GPU cannot handle the highest visual quality settings at playable frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the Low preset is the only reliable option for smooth gameplay at 1080p, delivering 78 FPS. This is the only measured configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the clear recommendation for players who prioritize frame rate stability. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 49 FPS, which is playable but not smooth by modern standards, and the High preset drops to 35 FPS, which is borderline for a slow-paced horror title.

At 1440p, the Low preset produces 66 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 41 FPS, which is acceptable for a game like The Medium where the pacing is slower, but the High and Ultra presets at 29 FPS and 23 FPS respectively are not recommended. At 4K, the Low preset at 52 FPS is the only viable choice, while Medium at 32 FPS and above are all below the threshold for comfortable play.

For players who want the best visual experience at a playable frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p with 49 FPS represents the optimal balance. The frame data for Medium at 1080p shows a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS, indicating that the frame times are consistent and free from major spikes. The Medium preset at 1440p with 41 FPS is also viable, but the 1080p Medium result offers a safer margin above the 30 FPS floor.

The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely. At no resolution does it exceed 28 FPS, and at 4K it drops to 18 FPS. The visual fidelity gains from Ultra over High are likely minimal in a game with this art style, and the performance cost is substantial. The data suggests that players should stick to Low for high frame rates or Medium for a balanced experience, with High reserved for players who prefer visual quality over smoothness and are willing to accept sub-40 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1080p Low delivers 78 FPS, making it the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS. For a better visual experience, 1080p Medium at 49 FPS is the recommended balance of quality and performance.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: 4K is only playable at Low settings, which yields 52 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 32 FPS, and High and Ultra produce 23 FPS and 18 FPS respectively, which are not recommended.

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

A: The frame rate scaling clearly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. Performance drops consistently as resolution increases, with the CPU showing sufficient headroom based on its benchmark scores and thread scaling results.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 0.1% higher, and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 0.1% lower. All rivals are within 0.5% of the Arc B570’s average benchmark score.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset delivers 66 FPS, Medium delivers 41 FPS, High delivers 29 FPS, and Ultra delivers 23 FPS. Only Low is recommended for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

Q: Is the 10 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The measured results show no sudden frame rate drops that would indicate VRAM capacity issues. The performance scaling is consistent across resolutions, suggesting that the 10 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in The Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a full picture of the system’s performance envelope. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 78 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS. The High preset at 1080p produces 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset yields 28 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset reaches 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 41 FPS, with a range of 35 to 47 FPS. The High preset at 1440p drops to 29 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 23 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a consistent reduction of 12 FPS at Low, 8 FPS at Medium, 6 FPS at High, and 5 FPS at Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset produces 52 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS. The High preset at 4K yields 23 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 18 FPS. The step from 1440p to 4K costs 14 FPS at Low, 9 FPS at Medium, 6 FPS at High, and 5 FPS at Ultra.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete frame data across all resolutions, showing that the frame time range expands slightly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 15 FPS (41 to 56), at 1440p it is 12 FPS (35 to 47), and at 4K it is 10 FPS (27 to 37). This indicates that the frame pacing remains stable even as the average frame rate decreases.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2321 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places the system in the 20th percentile of all configurations tested, meaning roughly 80% of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning combined with the CPU’s solid but not exceptional performance.

The combo rank is consistent with the individual component percentiles. The CPU sits at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, which is above average, while the GPU sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The combination of an above-average CPU with a slightly above-average GPU results in a system that performs well at lower resolutions but struggles at higher settings, as evidenced by the measured frame rates.

The ranking suggests that this combo is adequate for 1080p gaming in The Medium but not competitive at higher resolutions. The 2321st position out of 2911 combos indicates that most other tested configurations, likely those with higher-end GPUs, can achieve better results. However, the system’s performance is not the worst in the database, and the 1080p Low result of 78 FPS shows that the hardware is capable of delivering a smooth experience when settings are adjusted appropriately.

The combination of a $159 launch MSRP CPU and a $219 launch MSRP GPU places this system in the entry-level to mid-range segment. The measured performance aligns with this positioning, offering playable frame rates at 1080p across all presets and at 1440p on Low settings. For players who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, this combo can deliver a satisfactory experience, but those seeking high-quality visuals at higher resolutions will need to look at more powerful GPU options.