The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a study in system imbalance, where a modern 6-core desktop processor is mated to an integrated graphics solution that is decisively below the performance curve for contemporary 3D gaming. The benchmark results for The Medium indicate a configuration that is entirely GPU-bound across all tested resolutions and settings, with the CPU's substantial compute resources remaining largely underutilized.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 (Phoenix) architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm TSMC process. It operates with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, within a 65 W TDP envelope. This CPU features a multi-tiered cache hierarchy: 64 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, alongside a 16 MB shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores are robust, positioning it in the 77th percentile of all tested CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851 and single-core score of 2943 indicate strong computational throughput. The average benchmark score of 25005 places it near the top of its immediate competitive set; it is a mere 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964) and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i7-11850H (24935). The data suggests this processor has ample headroom for gaming workloads.

However, in The Medium, the CPU's theoretical capabilities are never taxed. The measured frame rates are uniformly low, even at 1080p Low settings where the CPU would typically be most relevant. The 46 FPS average at 1080p Low is far below what this CPU could deliver if paired with a discrete graphics card. The bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU, as the 8400F's 12 threads and high clock speeds are more than sufficient to handle the game's logic and draw calls. The processor is essentially idle, waiting on the integrated graphics to produce frames.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it has no dedicated VRAM and relies on the system's main DDR5 memory, with bandwidth consequently described as "System Dependent." The GPU has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores.

The Arc B370's raw compute figures are modest: 6.144 TFLOPS for FP32 and 12.29 TFLOPS for FP16. Its performance percentile is quite low, sitting in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the company of legacy parts, with its nearest rival being the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, a -0.2% delta). This performance level is fundamentally inadequate for a demanding horror title like The Medium, which was released in 2021.

The impact of this GPU limitation is evident in the measured data. At 1080p Low, the system averages 46 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Any increase in resolution or graphical fidelity causes a rapid collapse in frame rates. The lack of dedicated VRAM means the IGP must constantly access system memory, which is a severe performance handicap. This is not a case of a GPU that is slightly underpowered; it is a case of a graphics solution that is not designed for this class of gaming workload, as evidenced by its nearest rivals being over a decade old.

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

The resolution scaling data for this combination shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation, confirming the GPU as the primary limiting component. The frame rate drop is not linear but exponential, with the fill-rate demands of higher resolutions quickly overwhelming the Arc B370's limited pixel throughput.

At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 29 at 1080p to 24 at 1440p, a reduction of 5 FPS or approximately 17%. Moving from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160) brings a further drop from 24 FPS to 19 FPS, a decrease of another 5 FPS. This shows that while the resolution increase does hurt, the GPU is already so far below the performance threshold that the absolute FPS loss is contained to single digits.

The pattern is even more stark at High settings. The system averages 21 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 17 FPS at 1440p, and then to 14 FPS at 4K. The delta between resolutions narrows as the absolute frame rate becomes lower, suggesting that the GPU is hitting a hard architectural wall. The 4K Low setting, at 30 FPS, is actually higher than the 1080p High setting at 21 FPS, illustrating that the game's settings have a more significant impact on this IGP than raw resolution changes. This data strongly indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any point; the scaling is entirely dictated by the graphics processor's ability to render each frame.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance envelope across three resolutions and four quality presets.

1920x1080: The best result is achieved at Low settings, yielding an average of 46 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 and maximum of 33. High settings drop to 21 FPS average. Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at 16 FPS average.

2560x1440: At this resolution, Low settings still manage an average of 39 FPS. Medium settings average 24 FPS (min 21, max 28). High settings drop to 17 FPS, while Ultra falls to 14 FPS.

3840x2160: Low settings are the only playable option, with an average of 30 FPS. Medium settings average 19 FPS (min 16, max 22). High settings produce 14 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 11 FPS.

The data reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra settings is massive at every resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (46 FPS) and Ultra (16 FPS) is 30 FPS. The Medium preset offers a slight bump in fidelity over Low but costs a significant 17 FPS at 1080p, dropping from 46 to 29 FPS. The min/max values for Medium settings show a relatively tight frame time distribution, but the overall averages are too low for a fluid experience.

FAQ

*Q: Is this system capable of running The Medium at a stable 60 FPS?*

A: No. The measured data shows the maximum average FPS is 46 at 1080p Low settings. All other settings and resolutions produce averages below 40 FPS, with Ultra presets falling to 16 FPS at 1080p and 11 FPS at 4K.

Q: What resolution and settings combination offers the highest average frame rate?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 46 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration that approaches playable frame rates.

Q: Why does the 4K Low setting (30 FPS) perform better than the 1080p High setting (21 FPS)?

A: The data indicates that this GPU is more sensitive to shader complexity and texture quality changes from the settings preset than to the raw pixel count changes from resolution scaling. Lowering the settings relieves pressure on the GPU's shading units and memory system, resulting in a higher frame rate even with a larger output resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals based on average score?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, a -0.2% delta. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. The performance class is comparable to these older, low-power mobile and entry-level desktop parts.

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F the reason for the low performance in The Medium?*

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851, place it in the 77th percentile. The frame rates in The Medium are consistently low even at 1080p Low, which would be a CPU-favorable scenario. The data indicates the Intel Arc B370 integrated graphics is the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance delta between the Ryzen 5 8400F and its nearest rival, the Ryzen 5 7500F?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25005, while the Ryzen 5 7500F has an average score of 24964. The 8400F is 0.2% faster, a negligible difference in real-world performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable configuration for a playable experience is the Low settings preset. At 1920x1080, this yields an average of 46 FPS, which, while not hitting the 60 FPS target, is the smoothest experience this hardware can provide. The Medium preset at 1080p drops the average to 29 FPS, a 17 FPS penalty that is not justified by the marginal visual improvements on a system with this GPU's capabilities.

For users who must play at higher resolutions, the Low preset is still the only option. At 2560x1440, it maintains an average of 39 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it drops to 30 FPS. Choosing any other preset at these resolutions results in average frame rates in the teens, which is a slideshow-like experience. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely; it produces an average of 16 FPS at 1080p, rendering the game effectively unplayable.

The data suggests that the best "experience" per the measured rows is the 1080p Low setting. It provides the highest average FPS (46) and is the only configuration that approaches a standard playability threshold. While 1440p Low (39 FPS) is a viable alternative for users prioritizing resolution, the 1080p Low setting offers the most headroom in terms of average frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of components ranks 2681 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the individual component data. The Intel Arc B370's 5th percentile performance ranking is the dominant factor in this low overall placement.

The CPU's strong benchmark performance, ranking in the 77th percentile, is entirely negated by the GPU. The system's frame rates are indistinguishable from what a much older, weaker CPU could produce when paired with this IGP. The data shows a significant mismatch: a modern, high-performance CPU is paired with a graphics solution that is competitive with parts from over a decade ago, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770.

The rank of 2681 is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. While the Ryzen 5 8400F is capable of far higher frame rates in this game, as evidenced by its CPU benchmarks, it is held back by the Arc B370. This combo serves as a clear example of how a system's overall gaming performance is only as strong as its weakest link, and in this case, that link is the integrated graphics processor. The result is a system that is technically functional but practically unsuitable for playing The Medium at acceptable performance levels.