The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G paired with the Intel Arc B570 in The Medium presents a fascinating case study in system balancing, where the data reveals a clear narrative about resolution scaling, component bottlenecks, and the practical limits of a mid-range setup in a demanding horror title. The measured frame rates, drawn from the benchmark database, show a system that can deliver playable performance at lower resolutions and settings, but which struggles to maintain fluidity as the graphical load intensifies, particularly at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The most immediate observation from the measured FPS data is the steep performance penalty incurred when moving from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 78 FPS, but this drops to 66 FPS at 2560x1440 and then to 52 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 21% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, suggesting that the Intel Arc B570 is becoming increasingly saturated as the pixel count rises.

The pattern becomes even more pronounced at higher quality settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 49 at 1080p to 41 at 1440p (a 16% decrease), and then to 32 at 4K (a 22% decrease from 1440p). At High settings, the averages are 35, 29, and 23 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. This translates to a 17% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 21% drop from 1440p to 4K. The consistent percentage declines at higher settings indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the workload scales directly with resolution.

The data implies that the 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on the Arc B570, paired with its 160-bit bus and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, is sufficient for the game’s assets at 1080p and 1440p, but the sheer pixel fill rate required at 4K overwhelms the card’s 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS is also a key constraint. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS collapses to 18, which is barely interactive. This suggests that the game’s most demanding settings at 4K are simply beyond the capabilities of this GPU, regardless of the CPU’s potential.

Interestingly, the scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent pattern. At 1080p, the range is from 78 FPS (Low) down to 28 FPS (Ultra), a 64% reduction. At 1440p, it goes from 66 to 23 FPS, a 65% reduction. At 4K, it goes from 52 to 18 FPS, a 65% reduction. This consistency in relative performance loss across resolutions indicates that the game’s settings are scaling the GPU workload in a similar proportion, and the Arc B570 is the component that is being taxed. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely not the bottleneck here, as the frame rate drops are directly correlated with the increased GPU load from higher resolutions and settings.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and Intel Arc B570 ranks at 2321 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 20th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it performs below the median for this particular game. The ranking suggests that while the components are individually capable, their combined performance in this title is not exceptional.

The CPU’s individual standing provides context. The Ryzen 5 5600G has a percentile of 74 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21088. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i3-1220P (average score 21066, a delta of 0.1%), the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (average score 21112, a delta of -0.1%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (average score 21133, a delta of -0.2%). This shows that the 5600G is a solid mid-range processor, performing nearly identically to these other chips in general benchmarks. However, its performance in The Medium is not enough to boost the combo’s ranking.

The GPU’s standing is similar. The Intel Arc B570 has a percentile of 65 versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (average score 20534, a delta of 0.1%), the Intel Arc A750 (average score 20582, a delta of -0.1%), and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (average score 20480, a delta of 0.4%). This suggests the B570 is a capable graphics card, but its performance is not top-tier. The combination of a mid-range CPU and mid-range GPU results in a lower overall ranking for this game, which is known to be demanding.

The fact that the combo ranks in the bottom 20% (2321 out of 2911) tells a story of a system that is likely not optimized for The Medium’s specific engine demands. The game’s horror genre often relies on complex lighting, shadows, and atmospheric effects, which can heavily tax the GPU. The data suggests that the Arc B570, while competent in many benchmarks, struggles with the specific rendering paths used in this title. The ranking is a clear indicator that users of this combo should not expect high-end performance in The Medium without significant compromises in settings or resolution.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates. At Low settings it averages 78 FPS, at Medium it averages 49 FPS, and at High it averages 35 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low setting (66 FPS) and Medium setting (41 FPS) remain in a playable range. At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls below 52 even on Low, indicating that 4K is not a viable option for this system.

Q: How does the Arc B570’s performance compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: In general GPU benchmarks, the Arc B570 has an average score of 20556. It is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534, a delta of 0.1%. It is also very close to the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582, a delta of -0.1%. This indicates that the B570 performs on par with these cards in synthetic tests, though its specific performance in The Medium may differ.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600G a bottleneck for the Arc B570 in this game?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10551 and a single-core score of 1409, suggest it is a capable processor. The fact that the FPS drops are consistent with increased GPU load from higher resolutions implies that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are likely sufficient for this title, so it does not appear to be the main constraint.

Q: What is the highest quality setting that maintains an average FPS above 60?

A: According to the measured data, the only configuration that achieves an average FPS above 60 is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 78 FPS. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average is 66 FPS, which is also above 60. No other settings or resolutions in the data reach this threshold.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from Medium to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium setting yields an average FPS of 41, while the Ultra setting yields an average of 23 FPS. This represents a 44% reduction in average frame rate when moving from Medium to Ultra. The jump from High (29 FPS) to Ultra (23 FPS) is a 21% reduction.

Q: Does the combo’s ranking in this game reflect the individual component benchmarks?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 74th percentile and the GPU in the 65th percentile individually, but the combo ranks 2321 out of 2911 for The Medium. This discrepancy suggests that the game’s specific engine and rendering requirements do not favor this combination, despite the components being relatively strong in general-purpose benchmarks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear hierarchy of settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 78 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this resolution. Medium drops to 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS, indicating some variance in frame times. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28 FPS. This progression shows that each step up in quality costs a significant number of frames, with the largest single step being from Low to Medium, a 37% reduction.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly. Low still leads with 66 FPS, which is surprisingly close to the 1080p Low result, suggesting the GPU can handle the extra pixels at lower graphical fidelity. Medium averages 41 FPS, with a min of 35 and max of 47. High drops to 29 FPS, and Ultra to 23 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 38%, which is consistent with the 1080p result. However, the absolute numbers are lower, showing the impact of the increased resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system clearly struggles. Low averages 52 FPS, which is the only setting at 4K that is remotely playable. Medium averages 32 FPS, with a min of 27 and max of 37. High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra drops to a mere 18 FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 4K is a 38% reduction, similar to lower resolutions, but the starting point is much lower. The data reveals that the Arc B570’s memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s and its 160-bit bus are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher-quality settings.

The min and max FPS data for Medium settings across all resolutions provides insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the range is 41 to 56 FPS, a 15 FPS spread. At 1440p, the range is 35 to 47 FPS, a 12 FPS spread. At 4K, the range is 27 to 37 FPS, a 10 FPS spread. This tightening of the range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently saturated, reducing the peaks and valleys in frame times. The game appears to be more stable at lower resolutions, but with higher average frame rates.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the dominant component in determining The Medium’s performance. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s, is a critical factor. At 4K, the game’s textures and geometry likely require significant memory bandwidth, and the data shows a substantial drop in average FPS from 1440p to 4K at all settings. For example, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 29 at 1440p to 23 at 4K, a 21% decrease. This is a clear sign that the GPU’s memory subsystem is being taxed.

The GPU’s clock speeds are fixed at 2500 MHz for both base and boost, which is relatively high. This helps the card achieve its FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS. However, the pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are the limits that are likely hit when rendering The Medium’s complex scenes. The game’s use of dynamic lighting and shadows, common in the horror genre, would directly impact these rates. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (18 FPS) indicates that the GPU is completely overwhelmed, as it tries to process the highest-quality effects at a very high pixel count.

The GPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, scores nearly identically in general benchmarks (20582 vs 20556 for the B570). In The Medium, the B570’s performance is likely constrained by its 160-bit memory bus, which is narrower than what higher-tier cards might use. The 10 GB VRAM is sufficient in terms of capacity, as the game does not appear to be running out of memory, but the bandwidth is the limiting factor. The data suggests that the Arc B570 is a capable 1080p and, to a lesser extent, 1440p card for this game, but it is not designed for 4K gaming at high settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This provides an average of 78 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold. If a player desires better visual quality, the Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 49 FPS and a minimum of 41 FPS, is a viable alternative. This represents a 37% reduction in average FPS compared to Low, but it likely offers a noticeably better visual experience. The High preset at 1080p (35 FPS) is borderline, as it may feel less fluid in fast-paced scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only setting that maintains an average FPS above 60, at 66 FPS. This is a good option for users with 1440p monitors who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1440p (41 FPS) is playable but not ideal, and the High (29 FPS) and Ultra (23 FPS) presets are not recommended for a comfortable experience. For 4K resolution, the data strongly suggests avoiding this resolution entirely. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is only 52, which is below the 60 FPS target, and the Medium preset (32 FPS) is not smooth enough for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and movement.

The data implies that the best balance of visual quality and performance is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This gives a playable average FPS of 49, with a minimum of 41 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced horror game. The jump from Low to Medium is significant in terms of visual quality, as it likely enables more detailed textures and lighting effects, without a catastrophic loss in frame rate. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not worth the performance cost, as the average FPS drops below 30 in all cases, which will result in a stuttery and unresponsive experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides a solid foundation for this gaming system. Its base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are respectable for gaming, and its Zen 3 architecture is known for good single-threaded performance. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 1409 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 10551 in multicore. These scores indicate that the CPU is not a weak link in the system.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows a consistent drop in performance as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the FPS scales down with the increased pixel count, confirming that the Arc B570 is the primary constraint.

The CPU’s 16 MB of L3 cache is adequate for gaming, and its memory support for DDR4 with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is sufficient to feed the GPU. The 5600G’s integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics are not used in this configuration, as the discrete Arc B570 handles all rendering. The CPU’s general benchmark scores place it in the 74th percentile, with a performance level nearly identical to the Intel Core i3-1220P (delta of 0.1%). This indicates that for games that are lighter on CPU usage, the 5600G performs admirably.

However, the combo’s low ranking in The Medium (2321 out of 2911) suggests that the game may have specific CPU demands that the 5600G does not fully meet, or that the overall system balance is off. The data indicates that even with a more powerful CPU, the frame rates would likely remain similar due to the GPU’s limitations. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, as seen in its Passmark multithread score of 19717, is strong for a 6-core part, but the game may not be heavily threaded, meaning the single-core performance (3177 in Passmark) is more relevant. The 5600G’s single-core score is adequate, but not exceptional, which could be a minor factor in the game’s overall performance.