The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with the Intel Arc B370 produces a severely constrained gaming experience in The Medium, with the measured frame rates indicating that the graphics processor is the overwhelming performance bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings. The data shows a best-case average of only 46 FPS at 1080p Low, with every higher-quality preset and resolution falling below the threshold for smooth, consistent playability. This combination ranks in the bottom tier of tested hardware configurations, making it unsuitable for a title that demands significantly more graphics horsepower.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark and predictable collapse in performance as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 21 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset drops the average to 17 FPS, and at 4K it falls further to 14 FPS. This represents a 33% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K at High settings, a scaling pattern that points directly at the GPU struggling to fill an increasing number of pixels.

The scaling behavior at Low settings is more revealing. At 1080p Low, the system achieves its highest measured average of 46 FPS. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 39 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 30 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low is roughly 35%, which is a larger relative decline than seen at High settings. This indicates that even when the graphical workload is reduced, the GPU's raw pixel throughput is still insufficient, and the frame rate remains heavily dependent on resolution rather than on CPU capability.

At Medium settings, the measured averages are 29 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. At Ultra settings, the averages are 16 FPS at 1080p, 14 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset at 4K produces the lowest measured average of 11 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable at that configuration. The pattern across all settings is consistent: every doubling of pixel count from 1080p to 4K results in an average FPS drop of roughly one-third to one-half, which is classic GPU-bound behavior.

The data strongly suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution. The Ryzen 5 5600F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely delivering ample processing power for the game's logic, while the Arc B370's integrated graphics architecture simply cannot keep pace. The min FPS measurements at Medium settings, which are 24 at 1080p, 21 at 1440p, and 16 at 4K, show that even the worst-case frame times scale proportionally with resolution, further confirming that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading throughput are the primary constraints.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be largely supportive, as the measured frame rates are far too low for processor core count or clock speed to be the deciding factor. The benchmark results show that this CPU achieves an average benchmark score of 36,945, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with a score of 36,938, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with a score of 37,018, a delta of -0.2% relative to the 5600F.

Given the GPU's extreme performance limitations, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are almost certainly not being fully utilized in The Medium at the tested settings. The game's horror genre typically involves scripted sequences and limited simultaneous actors, which rarely stress a modern 6-core processor. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are more than adequate for feeding the GPU, but the GPU's own memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," indicating it shares system memory and is likely starved for bandwidth at higher resolutions.

The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 2,872 and multithread score of 19,236 suggest a capable processor for general workloads. However, the measured FPS in The Medium shows no meaningful difference between resolutions that would indicate a CPU bottleneck. For example, the drop from 1080p Medium at 29 FPS to 4K Medium at 19 FPS is a 34% reduction, which aligns with the GPU's pixel-fill limitations rather than any CPU constraint. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, which is not the case.

The data also shows the CPU's production status is Active and it was released on 2025-09-15, making it a recent addition to the Ryzen 5000 series. Its 65 W TDP and 7 nm process node from TSMC indicate an efficient design, but efficiency does not translate to gaming performance when the paired GPU is this weak. In summary, the Ryzen 5 5600F is not the bottleneck in this configuration for The Medium; it is simply waiting for a GPU that can deliver higher frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the only configuration that approaches a playable experience is 1080p with Low settings, which yields an average of 46 FPS. This is the single highest average FPS recorded for this combo, and it is the only setting that exceeds 30 FPS. All other settings at 1080p fall below 30 FPS: Medium averages 29 FPS, High averages 21 FPS, and Ultra averages 16 FPS. Therefore, for any user who prioritizes frame rate over visual fidelity, 1080p Low is the only viable choice from the measured data.

At 1440p, the Low preset produces an average of 39 FPS, which is still below the 1080p Low result but may be acceptable for users with lower frame rate expectations. However, the Medium preset at 1440p drops to 24 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 17 FPS and 14 FPS respectively. The 4K resolution is essentially unplayable across all settings, with the best result being 30 FPS at Low and the worst being 11 FPS at Ultra. The data clearly indicates that 4K should be avoided entirely for this game with this hardware combination.

The Medium settings, which are often a balance between quality and performance, produce 29 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The min FPS at Medium settings are 24 at 1080p, 21 at 1440p, and 16 at 4K, showing that frame pacing is relatively stable but the overall performance is too low for a smooth experience. The High preset, which might be the intended "default" for many users, performs worse than Medium in every resolution, with 21 FPS at 1080p and 14 FPS at 4K.

Given the measured data, the recommendation is unequivocal: use 1080p with Low settings for the best average FPS. If a user insists on higher visual quality, the Medium preset at 1080p is the next best option, but it comes with a 37% performance penalty compared to Low. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it produces the lowest frame rates across the board, with 16 FPS at 1080p being its best result. The data does not support any configuration above 1080p Medium as a reasonable gaming experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F + Intel Arc B370 combination ranks 2,681 out of 2,911 tested combos in The Medium. This places the combo in the bottom 8% of all tested hardware configurations, indicating that it is one of the weakest performers for this specific game. The percentile ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows that the combo cannot achieve 60 FPS at any resolution or setting, and only barely exceeds 30 FPS at 1080p Low.

The low rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU's performance. The Intel Arc B370 has a percentile ranking of 5 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1,184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 with a score of 1,186, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1,190. This places the Arc B370 in the company of GPUs from over a decade ago, which explains why it struggles so severely with a game released in 2021.

In contrast, the CPU's percentile ranking of 85 is relatively strong, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's deficiencies. The combo rank of 2,681 out of 2,911 is a clear verdict: this is a severely underpowered pairing for The Medium. The data shows that even the weakest CPU-GPU combinations tested are unlikely to perform much worse, and the vast majority of other combos deliver significantly higher frame rates.

The rank also highlights the mismatch between the two components. While the Ryzen 5 5600F is a capable processor that sits in the 85th percentile, the Arc B370's 5th percentile GPU ranking creates an enormous imbalance. In gaming, the GPU typically dictates the frame rate, and this combo's rank reflects that reality. Users considering this combination for The Medium should expect a bottom-tier experience, with the measured FPS data confirming that the game is only marginally playable at the lowest settings and resolution.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process node. Its base clock is 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2400 MHz, and it features 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units. The GPU's memory is listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on system RAM for its frame buffer, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical weakness for a game like The Medium, which requires substantial memory bandwidth for its fixed-camera rendering and high-resolution textures.

The GPU's performance metrics are extremely low. It achieves a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, with a FP32 compute throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS. These figures are consistent with a low-power integrated solution, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, both of which are legacy products, underscoring how far behind modern discrete GPUs this chip is.

The GPU's role in The Medium is the primary determinant of the measured frame rates. At 1080p Low, the GPU can manage 46 FPS, but this drops to 30 FPS at 4K Low, showing that the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are exhausted quickly as resolution increases. The boost clock of 2400 MHz is relatively high, but the low shading unit count and shared memory architecture limit its real-world gaming performance. The GPU's TDP is just 25 W, which confirms it is designed for power efficiency rather than high performance.

The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck in every single measured configuration. The CPU's strong benchmark scores are irrelevant because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to utilize them. The 10 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) are features that would help in modern titles, but they do not compensate for the fundamental lack of raw throughput. For The Medium, the GPU's role is to be the limiting factor, and the measured FPS data reflects that reality clearly, with no configuration exceeding 46 FPS and most falling well below 30 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 46, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. All other settings and resolutions produce lower averages, with the next best being 39 FPS at 2560x1440 Low.

Q: Is this combo capable of running The Medium at 4K?

A: The data shows 4K performance is very poor. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 30, at Medium it is 19, at High it is 14, and at Ultra it is 11. These frame rates are not suitable for smooth gameplay, making 4K effectively unplayable with this hardware.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has an average benchmark score of 36,945, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 at 36,938. It is 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which scores 37,018, and 0.5% slower than the Intel Core i9-12900T, which scores 37,112.

Q: What is the GPU's performance ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1,184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This places it in the same performance tier as the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1,190.

Q: Which settings provide the best balance between FPS and visual quality?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p Low is the only setting that provides an average FPS above 30, at 46 FPS. If visual quality is prioritized, 1080p Medium provides 29 FPS, but this is a significant drop from Low and may not be smooth.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations in The Medium?

A: This combo ranks 2,681 out of 2,911 tested combos, placing it in the bottom tier of performers. The rank reflects the GPU's severe limitations, as the CPU's 85th percentile performance cannot overcome the GPU's 5th percentile ranking.