The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror title that stresses the GPU heavily, and pairing the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X with the Intel Arc B390 produces results that are firmly at the low end of the performance spectrum. The data shows a system that can run the game at playable frame rates only when settings are reduced and resolution is kept modest. This analysis covers resolution scaling, how the combo ranks, measured FPS, settings recommendations, and the CPU’s role.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern: as resolution increases, average frame rates drop substantially. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 51 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 43 FPS, a reduction of 8 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 34 FPS. This progression shows that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary limiting factor, as the performance penalty from increasing pixel count is steep. The GPU’s low compute throughput, indicated by its 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 rating and its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs, means it simply cannot sustain high frame rates at higher resolutions.

Looking at the Medium preset, the scaling is similar. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 32 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, it drops to 27 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average falls to 21 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K for Medium settings is 11 FPS, which represents a 34% decline. For Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 4K is 17 FPS, a 33% decrease. This consistency indicates that the bottleneck remains the GPU across all tested resolutions; the CPU is not being pushed to its limits.

The High preset shows even more dramatic scaling. At 1920x1080 High, the average is 23 FPS. At 2560x1440 High, it is 19 FPS. At 3840x2160 High, it drops to 15 FPS. The 4K result is barely interactive. The Ultra preset is worse: 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. These numbers confirm that the GPU’s 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are insufficient for the demands of The Medium’s higher presets. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply too low for this game’s rendering load.

What does this say about the limiting component? The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X with 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the constraint. Its benchmark scores are respectable: Cinebench R23 multicore of 17528.5, single-core of 2183.5, and a PassMark single-thread score of 4570. The GPU, however, sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of just 1482. When a system’s GPU ranks in the bottom 10% while the CPU ranks in the 81st percentile, the GPU is the obvious bottleneck. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are almost entirely attributable to the Arc B390’s limited fillrate and shading power.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this CPU-GPU pairing ranks 2581 out of 2911 combos for The Medium. That places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems. This is a poor showing, but it is not surprising given the GPU’s individual standing. The Intel Arc B390’s nearest rivals in GPU benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710. The Arc B390 outperforms these by small margins: 1.3% ahead of the GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are all ancient, low-end parts, and the Arc B390’s 1482 average benchmark score places it in the same performance class.

The combo rank of 2581 means that 330 other tested combinations perform worse in this specific game. That is a thin margin of error. The CPU’s high percentile ranking does little to boost the overall combo because the GPU dominates the performance equation. The Ryzen 5 9600X’s nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (0.2% ahead), AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (0.5% behind), AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (0.6% behind), and AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (0.8% behind). These deltas are tiny, meaning the CPU is competitive with mid-range chips from previous generations. But that strength is wasted when paired with a GPU that ranks near the bottom.

The data indicates that this combo is severely imbalanced. The CPU is capable of feeding a much faster GPU, but the Arc B390 cannot translate that CPU headroom into frame rate. For a game like The Medium, which has a fixed-camera perspective and often renders complex scenes with multiple layers, the GPU’s 1536 shading units are inadequate. The combo rank reflects this: 2581 out of 2911 is a bottom-tier result, and users should expect to play at Low or Medium settings at 1080p if they want something approaching smooth gameplay.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 51 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. No other preset or resolution combination exceeds this.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 34 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 21 FPS, and at High it is 15 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages just 12 FPS, which is not playable.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. It is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M, 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710. These are all very low-end GPUs.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X a strong CPU for gaming?

A: The CPU ranks in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 17528.5 and a single-core score of 2183.5. It is not the limiting factor in this combo. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, is only 0.2% ahead in average benchmark score.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in The Medium?

A: The combo ranks 2581 out of 2911 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: What settings should I use for the most consistent frame rate?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 offers an average of 32 FPS with minimums of 27 FPS and maximums of 37 FPS. This is the only preset with recorded min/max data, and it shows a relatively stable frame time window compared to other settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 51 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 and maximum of 37, High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that crosses the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so by a wide margin. Medium is still playable but requires accepting a 32 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the numbers drop. Low averages 43 FPS, Medium averages 27 FPS with a minimum of 23 and maximum of 31, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 16 FPS, which is significant. Low at 1440p is the only preset that stays above 40 FPS, but it is still below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset’s minimum of 23 FPS indicates that there will be noticeable stutter in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes marginal. Low averages 34 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 and maximum of 24, High averages 15 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. No preset at 4K achieves even 35 FPS on average. The Low preset is the only one that could be considered for actual play, and even then, the 34 FPS average will feel sluggish during camera transitions and busy scenes. The Ultra preset at 12 FPS is effectively a slideshow.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution costs roughly 8-10 FPS at Low settings, and each step up in settings costs roughly 10-15 FPS at the same resolution. The Medium preset’s min/max values are the only ones recorded, but they suggest that frame pacing is relatively stable, with a 10 FPS spread between minimum and maximum at 1080p, 8 FPS at 1440p, and 6 FPS at 4K. This narrow spread might indicate that the GPU is consistently pegged at its limit, with little variance in load.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the best experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields a 51 FPS average. This is the only preset that approaches smooth gameplay. However, Low settings will noticeably degrade visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p, with a 32 FPS average, is a compromise that preserves more visual detail while still being playable. The recorded minimum of 27 FPS and maximum of 37 FPS suggest that the frame rate stays within a manageable range, though it will dip below 30 FPS in heavy scenes.

If resolution is a priority, 2560x1440 Low offers a 43 FPS average. This is a better option than 1080p Medium in terms of sharpness, but the drop from 51 FPS at 1080p Low to 43 FPS at 1440p Low is noticeable. For users with a 1440p monitor, this is the recommended path. At 4K, the only viable option is Low settings, averaging 34 FPS. This is borderline for a horror game where atmosphere and timing matter; a 34 FPS average with potential dips could hurt the experience.

The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely. It averages 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. These frame rates are below the threshold for interactive gameplay. The High preset is also not recommended, as it averages 23 FPS at 1080p and 15 FPS at 4K. The performance cost of High over Medium is substantial, and the visual gain is unlikely to justify the frame rate hit. The Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo: it provides a 32 FPS average with recorded minimums of 27 FPS, which is the most stable playable configuration in the data.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the recommendation is to run at 1920x1080 Medium. If frame rate is the absolute priority, drop to Low at the same resolution for 51 FPS. For those who must use a higher resolution, 2560x1440 Low is the only reasonable choice. 4K gaming is not practical with this hardware, as even Low settings only reach 34 FPS, and the game’s fixed-camera angles may exacerbate perceived stutter at lower frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU’s benchmark results show strong single-thread performance: 3DMark single-thread score of 1253, Cinebench R15 single-core of 342, Cinebench R23 single-core of 2183.5, Geekbench single-core of 2923, and PassMark single-thread of 4570. These scores place it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is faster than the majority of processors on the market.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU. The game’s performance is clearly limited by the Intel Arc B390, which ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU’s multi-threaded scores, such as Cinebench R23 multicore of 17528.5 and PassMark multithread of 30027, indicate that it can handle the game’s CPU-side workload without bottlenecking. The 12 threads are more than sufficient for a game that is not heavily threaded.

The nearest CPU rivals to the Ryzen 5 9600X are all AMD parts: the Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (0.2% ahead), Ryzen 7 7840H (0.5% behind), Ryzen 7 5800XT (0.6% behind), and Ryzen 7 8845HS (0.8% behind). These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, meaning the 9600X is on par with these chips. None of these rivals would change the outcome in The Medium because the GPU is the limiting factor.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s and support for DDR5 memory are also not the issue. The game’s frame rates are so low that memory bandwidth is unlikely to be a constraint. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and L2 cache of 1 MB per core provide adequate data feeding for the GPU. In essence, the Ryzen 5 9600X is a capable gaming CPU that is being held back by the Arc B390’s weak performance. If a faster GPU were installed, the CPU could likely push substantially higher frame rates, but with this GPU, the CPU sits idle much of the time, waiting for the graphics pipeline to catch up.

The combo rank of 2581 out of 2911 is a direct result of this imbalance. The CPU’s high percentile ranking cannot compensate for a GPU that is 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. For The Medium, the data clearly shows that the CPU is not the problem; the GPU is. Users considering this combo should prioritize a GPU upgrade over a CPU upgrade if they want better performance in this title.