The Medium

The Medium presents an unusual challenge for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the Intel Arc B390. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is decisively limited by its graphics component, with the CPU's substantial processing resources largely left untapped. The measured frames per second across all resolutions and settings paint a clear picture of a system where the integrated GPU is the primary bottleneck, struggling to maintain playable frame rates even at the lowest settings. This analysis breaks down the measured data to explain the performance characteristics of this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting component in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 51 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops performance to 43 FPS, a reduction of 8 FPS or roughly 15.7%. The jump to 4K at Low settings yields 34 FPS, another 9 FPS reduction, or a 20.9% decrease from the 1440p result. This scaling pattern—a consistent and significant drop with each resolution increase—is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering workload is overwhelming the graphics processor.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS falls from 32 at 1080p, to 27 at 1440p, and finally to 21 at 4K. This represents a 34.4% performance loss from 1080p to 4K. For High settings, the drop is from 23 FPS at 1080p to 19 FPS at 1440p, and then to 15 FPS at 4K, a cumulative loss of 34.8%. At Ultra settings, the degradation is most severe, with the average FPS plummeting from 18 at 1080p to 12 at 4K, a 33.3% reduction. The fact that performance degrades so consistently with resolution, regardless of the graphics preset, strongly suggests that the GPU's fill rate and shading capabilities are saturated at all tested configurations.

The data shows that the CPU is not a factor in this scaling. The Ryzen 7 3700X has ample headroom to handle the increased draw calls and geometry at higher resolutions, but the Arc B390's rendering pipeline cannot keep up. The 4K Ultra result of 12 FPS is a clear indicator that the GPU is fully exhausted, with the resolution increase directly translating to a proportional drop in frame rate. The performance curve is smooth and predictable, with no sudden cliffs or anomalies that would indicate a CPU limitation. This is a purely GPU-bound scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of hardware ranks at position 2581 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the bottom 11.3% of all configurations, a position that reflects the GPU's limited capabilities. The ranking is heavily influenced by the Intel Arc B390's performance profile, which is notably weak in the context of this game's demands.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 9 among all tested GPUs provides context for this low combo rank. The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482, which places it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 (a 1.3% advantage), and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which scores 1460 (a 1.5% advantage). The gap to the next closest rivals is similarly small, with the GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% ahead) and the GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% ahead). These are all extremely low-end graphics solutions, and the Arc B390 is only marginally faster than them.

The combo's rank in the 2581st position out of 2911 is a direct consequence of this GPU performance. While the Ryzen 7 3700X is a powerful CPU, ranking in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, it cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations in a graphically intensive title like The Medium. The data suggests that the CPU's contribution to the overall frame rate is minimal, and the ranking is almost entirely determined by the GPU's inability to render the game at competitive speeds. The combination is effectively held back by its weakest link, which is the graphics processor.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a high-performance processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 2 architecture on a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, which can boost up to 4.40 GHz. This is a robust configuration for gaming, with a Passmark multithread score of 22458 and a single-thread score of 2656. In synthetic benchmarks, it sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, demonstrating that its processing power is well above the average.

However, in The Medium, the CPU's role is almost entirely passive. The frame rates are so low that the CPU is never the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is highest at 51 FPS, the 8-core, 16-thread processor is unlikely to be breaking a sweat. The game’s demands on the CPU are easily met, and the bottleneck is entirely on the graphics side. The data shows that increasing resolution has a significant impact on performance, which would not be the case if the CPU were the constraint.

The CPU's performance in related benchmarks shows it is more than capable of handling the game's logic. Its Passmark physics score of 1181 and integer math score of 66399 indicate strong processing capabilities. The Cinebench R15 multicore score of 2092 and single-core score of 204 further confirm its competence. The fact that the game's performance scales so directly with resolution and settings, rather than showing any CPU-related stutters or inconsistencies, points to the GPU being the sole bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 3700X is effectively waiting for the Intel Arc B390 to finish its rendering work.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 51 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. It is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GT 710 (1443).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. Frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases, which is a characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's performance is sufficient and does not appear to limit the frame rate.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 32 FPS at 1920x1080 to 21 FPS at 3840x2160, a 34.4% reduction in performance.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations for The Medium?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2581st out of 2911 tested combos in this game.

Q: Does the game achieve a playable frame rate at 4K with any settings?

A: The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 34 FPS, which is achieved with Low settings. All other settings at 4K yield average frame rates below 22 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines. Its boost clock is 2500 MHz, and it has 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU's theoretical performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. Despite these specifications, its measured performance in The Medium is very low.

The GPU's benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, and its nearest rivals are all legacy, low-end NVIDIA parts. The Arc B390's memory is system shared, meaning its bandwidth is dependent on the system's memory configuration, which can be a limiting factor. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are not sufficient for the demands of The Medium at higher resolutions.

In this game, the GPU's limitations are clear. At 1080p Ultra, the average frame rate is only 18 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it falls to 12 FPS. The GPU is unable to handle the rendering load, and its performance is the defining characteristic of this combo. The Arc B390's ray tracing cores are present, but the overall performance is so constrained that enabling such features would likely render the game unplayable. The data shows that the GPU is the absolute ceiling for performance in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only way to achieve a somewhat reasonable frame rate with this combo is to use the Low preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average frame rate is 51 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches playability. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 43 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users, but it is a noticeable decrease. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 34 FPS, which is borderline.

The Medium preset is not recommended for a good experience. At 1080p, it yields an average of 32 FPS, which is below the 51 FPS of the Low preset. The High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable, with 1080p High averaging 23 FPS and 1080p Ultra averaging 18 FPS. At higher resolutions, these settings produce results that are well below 20 FPS.

For the best experience, the data suggests using the Low preset at 1920x1080. This provides the highest measured frame rate and is the only setting where the game is likely to feel responsive. If the user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a compromise, but the drop to 32 FPS is significant. The data clearly shows that this hardware combination is not suited for high or ultra settings in The Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates is as follows. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 12 FPS, High averages 15 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS, and Low averages 34 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 15 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, Medium averages 27 FPS with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS, and Low averages 43 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 18 FPS, High averages 23 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS, and Low averages 51 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: for each resolution, the frame rate increases as the settings are lowered from Ultra to Low. The delta between Ultra and Low is consistent across resolutions, with a difference of 22 FPS at 1080p (18 to 51), 28 FPS at 1440p (15 to 43), and 22 FPS at 4K (12 to 34). This indicates that the settings have a uniform impact on performance, regardless of resolution, further confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

The Medium settings are the only ones with min and max frame rate data. At 1080p, the frame rate ranges from 27 to 37 FPS, a variance of 10 FPS. At 1440p, it ranges from 23 to 31 FPS, also a variance of 8 FPS. At 4K, it ranges from 18 to 24 FPS, a variance of 6 FPS. These ranges show that the performance is relatively stable but consistently low, with no large spikes or drops that would indicate a CPU-related issue. The performance is uniformly constrained by the GPU's throughput.