The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and Intel Arc B390 combination. This pairing, featuring a capable six-core CPU and an integrated graphics processor, yields playable results only at the lowest settings and resolutions. The measured data reveals a system severely constrained by its graphics solution, where adjustments to resolution and quality presets have a dramatic impact on frame rates. This analysis explores the performance scaling, component roles, and optimal settings based strictly on the measured FPS data.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable pattern: as resolution increases, average frame rates drop substantially. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 51 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset reduces the average to 43 FPS, a decrease of 8 frames. At 4K, the average falls further to 34 FPS. This scaling indicates that the rendering resolution is a primary factor in performance, with the GPU struggling to fill the increased pixel count.

The relationship between resolution and performance is consistent across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 32 at 1080p to 27 at 1440p, and then to 21 at 4K. The High preset shows a similar trend, with averages of 23, 19, and 15 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. Even the Ultra preset, which yields the lowest overall scores, follows this pattern with averages of 18, 15, and 12 FPS across the same resolution steps.

This consistent drop suggests that the limiting component is the GPU. The Intel Arc B390, which has a benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, is being overwhelmed by the pixel throughput required at higher resolutions. The FPS penalty for moving from 1080p to 1440p is roughly a 15-20% reduction, while the jump to 4K incurs an additional significant penalty. The data implies that the system's memory bandwidth, listed as "System Dependent" and "System Shared," cannot keep up with the demands of higher resolutions, making 1080p the only viable target for this hardware.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. Its benchmark results show a strong single-thread score of 1409 in Cinebench R23 and a multicore score of 10551. This places the CPU in the 74th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 21088. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-1220P and AMD Ryzen 5 7530U, have nearly identical average scores, indicating that the CPU is a well-rounded performer for its class.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, the system only manages 51 FPS, which is far below what the CPU is likely capable of delivering. The processor's high single-core performance should not be a bottleneck in a game like this, especially since the game's release date is 2021-01-27. The data suggests that the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, but the GPU's limitations prevent the system from achieving higher frame rates.

The CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide a solid foundation for gaming. However, the fact that the GPU uses "System Shared" memory means the CPU and GPU are competing for the same memory resources. This can lead to performance degradation, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU requires more memory bandwidth. The benchmark results for the CPU, such as a Passmark multithread score of 19717, indicate a capable processor, but the overall system performance is hamstrung by the integrated graphics.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on a 3 nm process. Its performance profile is extremely limited, as indicated by its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of just 1482. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, which are very old, low-end mobile parts. This context is crucial for understanding the measured FPS in The Medium.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz, are not enough to compensate for its limited hardware resources. It features 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The theoretical pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. While these numbers seem reasonable on paper, the GPU's performance is severely constrained by its memory configuration. With "System Shared" memory and "System Dependent" bandwidth, the GPU is likely starved for data, especially at higher resolutions.

The benchmark results clearly show this limitation. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to just 12, which is unplayable. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average is only 18 FPS. The data indicates that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this system. The game's visual demands, likely including complex lighting and particle effects common in horror titles, are simply too much for the integrated solution to handle at playable frame rates, except at the lowest settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience is achieved at the Low settings preset. At 1080p, the Low preset yields an average of 51 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches a smooth, playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 1080p provides an average of 32 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players but is less fluid. The data suggests that for a consistent experience, the Low preset is the only viable choice.

The High preset at 1080p delivers an average of 23 FPS, which is a significant drop and likely to feel stuttery. The Ultra preset is the worst performer, with an average of 18 FPS at 1080p. The pattern is clear: the quality settings have a massive impact on performance. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 19 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 9 FPS.

The data indicates that the "best experience" is a compromise between visual fidelity and frame rate. The Low preset at 1440p yields an average of 43 FPS, which might be preferable to 1080p Medium's 32 FPS for some users who prioritize resolution over detail. However, the 1080p Low setting is the only one that consistently stays above the 30 FPS threshold, making it the recommended preset for general playability. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even the Low preset only manages an average of 34 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2581 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations, indicating that it is a very low-performing pairing for this specific game. The rank reflects the severe GPU bottleneck that limits the system's overall capability.

Given the GPU's 9th percentile ranking and its similarity to ancient parts like the GeForce GT 710, this low rank is expected. The CPU, which performs well in synthetic benchmarks, cannot overcome the GPU's limitations. The data shows that this combo is not suitable for playing The Medium at anything above the lowest settings, and even then, the frame rates are only marginal.

The combo's rank suggests that most other tested combinations, likely featuring discrete graphics cards, will provide a significantly better experience. The 330 combos ranked below this one likely feature even older or more integrated graphics solutions. For this pairing, the performance is essentially dictated by the Intel Arc B390, which is a major limiting factor in achieving a playable frame rate in a demanding title like The Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 51 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37. The High preset drops to an average of 23 FPS. The Ultra preset provides the lowest average of 18 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 43 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. The High preset drops to an average of 19 FPS. The Ultra preset provides an average of 15 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 34 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24. The High preset drops to an average of 15 FPS. The Ultra preset provides the lowest average of 12 FPS.

These numbers highlight the stark performance differences. The best-case scenario is 1080p Low at 51 FPS, while the worst-case is 4K Ultra at 12 FPS. The data shows that the system is only capable of smooth performance in the most undemanding configuration.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that the 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset is the best choice, as it is the only configuration that achieves an average FPS above 50, reaching 51 FPS.

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

A: Technically yes, but the performance is poor. At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 34 on Low settings to just 12 on Ultra settings, all of which are below playable levels.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main performance bottleneck?

A: The benchmark results and FPS data indicate the Intel Arc B390 GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU performs well in benchmarks, but the GPU's low score and system-shared memory severely limit the game's frame rates.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, have scores of 1463 and 1460, respectively, showing they are all in a similarly low performance tier.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 51 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 18 FPS. This is a difference of 33 FPS, showing a massive performance cost for higher visual quality.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combos in this game?

A: This combo ranks 2581 out of 2911 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom percentile of systems for playing The Medium.