The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 pairs with the Intel Arc B580 to form a mid-range foundation that is heavily tested in The Medium. The CPU is a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 3 part with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its average benchmark score of 20875 places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, making it a solid performer for gaming workloads. Benchmark results show a significant gap between single-threaded and multi-threaded performance: the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 is roughly seven times the single-core score of 2319, which indicates that the processor scales well with threaded workloads. In this game, the CPU’s 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s are sufficient to feed the GPU, as the measured frame rates show that the graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck at higher settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 5500’s six physical cores and twelve threads provide ample processing power for The Medium, a horror title that does not appear to be heavily CPU-bound in the measured data. The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in a PassMark multithread score of 19330 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 5411, suggest that it can handle background tasks and game logic without becoming a limiting factor. The boost clock of 4.20 GHz is modest compared to higher-end parts, but the single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2319, is adequate for maintaining consistent frame pacing.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5500 is nearly identical in average score to the Intel Core i5-12500, with a delta of -0.1%, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, also at -0.1%. It is slightly ahead of the AMD EPYC 7J13 by 0.1% and trails the Intel Core i5-12600T by 0.2%. This tight grouping means that any of these CPUs would deliver similar results in The Medium, and the choice between them would hinge on platform features rather than raw performance. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 89.2 FPS, which is more than double the 39.2 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This scaling suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint, as the frame rate drop from Low to Ultra is drastic, indicating that GPU load is the dominant factor.

The CPU’s 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a flexible option for builders, but the benchmark results do not show any scenario where the processor becomes the bottleneck in this game. Even at 1080p, where CPUs typically matter most, the frame rate drops by roughly 47% when moving from Medium to Ultra, a pattern that points to the GPU as the limiting component. The Ryzen 5 5500’s performance in synthetic tests, such as the 3DMark 16-thread score of 5386, confirms that it has enough headroom to support the Arc B580 without holding it back, but the measured FPS data indicates that the graphics card is the deciding factor in most configurations.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in The Medium?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 89.2 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that breaks the 60 FPS mark, with 1440p Low reaching 76.8 FPS and 4K Low hitting 61.2 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20875, which is 0.1% lower than the Core i5-12500’s 20897. This difference is negligible, meaning the two CPUs are effectively tied in overall performance.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B580 outperform the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in synthetic benchmarks?

A: No. The Arc B580’s average benchmark score is 23021, while the RTX 4060 scores 23181, giving the NVIDIA card a 0.7% advantage. The Arc B580 is also behind the AMD Radeon 760M by 0.1% but ahead of the NVIDIA P106-100 by 0.3%.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1277 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. This rank reflects the combined performance of the Ryzen 5 5500 and the Arc B580 in The Medium.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the FPS differences between settings?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary factor. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra drops FPS from 89.2 to 31.4, a 65% reduction. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the drop would be less severe at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the Arc B580’s memory bandwidth and how does it affect performance?

A: The Arc B580 has a 192-bit bus with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. This high bandwidth is sufficient for the game’s textures, but the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (23.6 FPS) shows that the GPU’s compute power, not bandwidth, is the limiting factor.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with 2560 shading units and 20 ray tracing cores. Its boost clock is 2670 MHz, which is identical to the base clock, indicating that the card runs at a sustained frequency under load. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a substantial amount for a card in this segment. However, the benchmark results in The Medium show that the card’s raw compute throughput, rated at 13.67 TFLOPS FP32, is more critical than memory bandwidth.

The Arc B580’s average benchmark score of 23021 places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with the nearest rival being the AMD Radeon 760M at a 0.1% higher score. The card trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 by 0.7% and leads the NVIDIA P106-100 by 0.3% and the RTX 4060 Mobile by 1.3%. In practical terms, this means the Arc B580 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but the measured FPS data shows that it struggles at 4K with high settings. At 1440p High, the combo produces 35.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, while 1440p Medium reaches 46.2 FPS. The card’s performance at 1080p Medium, at 55.3 FPS, is close to playable, but it cannot maintain a smooth experience at higher settings.

The GPU’s 190 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest it is a power-hungry card, but the suggested PSU of 450 W is reasonable for a mid-range build. The measured results indicate that the Arc B580 is the clear bottleneck in this combo, as the CPU does not appear to limit performance at any resolution. The 12 GB VRAM is not a constraint in The Medium, as even at 4K Ultra, the card achieves 23.6 FPS, which is a compute limitation rather than a memory capacity issue. The GPU’s 80 ROPs and 160 TMUs are sufficient for the game’s fixed-function work, but the shading units are the limiting factor at high resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the combo delivers 36.9 FPS at 1080p, 35.2 FPS at 1440p, and 28.6 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is only 4.6%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 18.8%. This suggests that the GPU is being saturated at 1440p, and the additional pixel count at 4K overwhelms the card’s compute resources. In contrast, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 89.2 at 1080p to 76.8 at 1440p (a 13.9% reduction) and then to 61.2 at 4K (a 20.3% reduction). This steeper decline at Low settings indicates that the GPU is still the limiting factor, but the lower rendering load allows the card to scale more predictably.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings shows a reduction from 55.3 FPS to 36.4 FPS, a 34.2% drop, which is more severe than the High settings drop of 22.5%. This non-linear behavior suggests that the game’s Medium preset introduces rendering effects that are particularly taxing on the Arc B580’s architecture. At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 31.4 at 1080p to 23.6 at 4K, a 24.8% reduction, which is the smallest percentage drop of any preset. This indicates that the Ultra preset is so demanding that the GPU is already near its limits at 1080p, and additional resolution has a diminishing impact.

The data clearly shows that the Arc B580 is the limiting component in this combo. The CPU’s performance is consistent across resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS differences are proportional to the GPU load. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the significant drops indicate that the GPU is working at full capacity. The 4K results, which range from 61.2 FPS at Low to 23.6 FPS at Ultra, highlight that the card is only suitable for 4K gaming at the lowest settings. At 1440p, the card can achieve playable frame rates at Medium settings (46.2 FPS) but falls short of 60 FPS at High settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and the Intel Arc B580 ranks 1277 out of 1689 tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the 75th percentile of all combos, meaning that roughly 24% of tested systems perform worse. This rank is reflective of the Arc B580’s mid-range positioning, as the CPU is a strong performer that does not drag the combo down. The Ryzen 5 5500’s 79th percentile ranking among CPUs suggests that it is a better-than-average processor, but the GPU’s 66th percentile ranking drags the overall combo down.

The rank of 1277 indicates that there are many combos with more powerful GPUs that achieve higher frame rates, but it also shows that this pairing is viable for 1080p and 1440p gaming at medium settings. The data shows that the combo is not among the top performers, but it is also not at the bottom of the list. The nearest rival CPUs, such as the Intel Core i5-12500, would likely yield a similar rank if paired with the same GPU, as the CPU performance is nearly identical. The combo’s rank is primarily determined by the GPU, and the Arc B580’s position in the 66th percentile of GPUs is a good indicator of where this combo lands in the overall ranking.

The measured FPS data supports this rank, as the combo achieves playable frame rates at 1080p Medium (55.3 FPS) and 1440p Medium (46.2 FPS), but struggles at 4K. The rank of 1277 out of 1689 is a statistical representation of this performance, showing that the combo is better than many budget-oriented systems but falls behind those with higher-end GPUs. For a builder looking at this combo, the data suggests that it is a balanced mid-range option that can handle the game at moderate settings, but it is not a high-performance solution for 4K gaming.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience from this combo in The Medium is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings, which yields 55.3 FPS. This is close to the 60 FPS target and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 89.2 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS and offers a very smooth experience, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. For players who prioritize frame rate over graphics, 1080p Low is the best choice, as it provides a 61% improvement over Medium and a 184% improvement over Ultra.

At 1440p, the best option is Low settings, which delivers 76.8 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for users with 1440p monitors. 1440p Medium achieves 46.2 FPS, which is playable but may feel inconsistent during fast-paced scenes. 1440p High (35.2 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (27.2 FPS) are not recommended, as they fall below the 30 FPS threshold for playability at Ultra and are too choppy for a horror game that relies on atmosphere.

At 4K, the only viable option is Low settings, which produces 61.2 FPS. This is surprising, as it suggests that the Arc B580 can handle 4K at low settings, but the visual compromise is substantial. 4K Medium (36.4 FPS) and 4K High (28.6 FPS) are below playable thresholds, and 4K Ultra (23.6 FPS) is not recommended. For the best overall experience, the data indicates that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot, offering a balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. If a player wants to play at 1440p, they should use Low settings to maintain a high frame rate, while 4K is only feasible at Low settings. The measured rows show that this combo cannot sustain 60 FPS at High settings at any resolution, so users should expect to make compromises on visual quality to achieve smooth gameplay.