The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, but the data from this specific hardware pairing—AMD Ryzen 7 5700 with Intel Arc B390—reveals a system that is decisively GPU-limited at every tested configuration. The measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four quality presets show a consistent pattern: the Intel Arc B390, which sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, is the primary bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 5700, a desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, provides ample computational headroom that the game never fully utilizes. This analysis breaks down the resolution scaling, CPU and GPU roles, ranking among tested combos, and provides precise FPS figures for each setting.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all quality presets, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 51 at 1920x1080 to 43 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 8 FPS (approximately 15.7%). Moving to 3840x2160 at Low settings, the average drops further to 34 FPS, which is 17 FPS lower than the 1080p result—a 33.3% decrease from the baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that even at the lowest quality preset, the GPU's rendering capabilities are overwhelmed by the pixel count increase at 4K.

At Medium settings, the same trend is visible but with a slightly different magnitude. The average FPS at 1920x1080 is 32, dropping to 27 at 2560x1440 and then to 21 at 3840x2160. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 5 FPS (15.6%), while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 6 FPS (22.2%). The minimum and maximum FPS values at Medium settings, which are only recorded for this preset, show a similar decline: at 1080p, the range is 27 to 37; at 1440p, it narrows to 23 to 31; and at 4K, it becomes 18 to 24. This tightening range at higher resolutions suggests that frame time consistency improves slightly as the GPU becomes more uniformly saturated, but the overall performance remains low.

High settings show a more dramatic drop from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 23; at 2560x1440, it falls to 19; and at 3840x2160, it reaches just 15 FPS. The percentage decrease from 1080p to 4K is 34.8%, which is larger than the drop seen at Low or Medium settings. This indicates that the High preset introduces additional shading and texture work that scales more steeply with resolution, further straining the Arc B390. Ultra settings follow a similar path: 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, being the most demanding, shows the smallest absolute differences between resolutions (3 FPS from 1080p to 4K), but this is because the baseline is already so low that the GPU is operating near its limits even at 1080p.

The data clearly shows that resolution scaling is not linear. The jump from 1440p to 4K incurs a larger relative penalty than the jump from 1080p to 1440p, particularly at Low and Medium settings. For example, at Low settings, the 1080p-to-1440p drop is 8 FPS, but the 1440p-to-4K drop is 9 FPS. This suggests that the Arc B390's memory bandwidth, which is system-shared and system-dependent, becomes a more significant constraint at 4K. The GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in this title, regardless of the quality preset.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is a desktop processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne, manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide solid bandwidth for gaming workloads. In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 7 5700 scores 20655 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2916 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 9959 and single-core score of 1907. These figures place the CPU at the 78th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25517.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is minimal because the GPU is the bottleneck. The measured FPS figures do not show any sign of CPU limitation; for instance, at 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 51, which is not particularly high and does not approach the CPU's threading capabilities. The Ryzen 7 5700's 3DMark scores—6628 for 16 threads, 5585 for 8 threads, and 901 for single-thread—indicate strong multi-threaded performance, but The Medium is not a CPU-heavy title at these settings. The game's horror genre typically involves scripted sequences and limited on-screen actors, which does not stress the CPU's 8 cores to any significant degree.

The nearest rivals for the Ryzen 7 5700, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon D-2752TER (score 25530, delta -0.1%), AMD Ryzen 5 7640U (score 25485, delta 0.1%), AMD Ryzen 5 6600H (score 25550, delta -0.1%), and AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (score 25446, delta 0.3%). These deltas are all within 0.3% of the Ryzen 7 5700's average score, indicating that the CPU's performance is closely matched to these rivals. However, none of these rivals would change the GPU-bound nature of the results; the Arc B390's low GPU percentile (9th) means that any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical FPS in The Medium.

The CPU's base and boost clocks, along with its TDP of 65 W, suggest that it is a power-efficient part, but this has little bearing on the game's FPS. The key takeaway is that the Ryzen 7 5700 is not the limiting factor in any of the measured configurations. The FPS differences between resolutions and settings are entirely attributable to the GPU's performance ceiling. Even at the lowest resolution and settings, the CPU is not the constraint; the Arc B390's fill rate and shading units are the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3314 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the 11th percentile of all tested configurations (since 3314 divided by 3724 is approximately 0.89, meaning it is better than only about 11% of combos). This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's weak performance; the Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, delta 1.3%), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, delta 1.5%), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, delta 2.5%), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, delta 2.7%). These rivals are all low-end GPUs from previous generations, reinforcing the Arc B390's position as an entry-level part.

The combo rank of 3314 out of 3724 indicates that most other CPU-GPU pairings deliver better FPS in The Medium. The Ryzen 7 5700, while a capable CPU on its own, cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations. The data shows that even the best-case scenario—1080p Low settings at 51 FPS—is only marginally playable, and the worst-case scenario—4K Ultra at 12 FPS—is unplayable. The ranking reflects this reality: the combo is positioned in the bottom quartile of all tested combinations, with only 410 combos performing worse.

The delta percentages for the GPU's nearest rivals are small (1.3% to 2.7%), but they are all faster than the Arc B390. This means that swapping the GPU for even a modestly better part would improve the combo's ranking. However, the CPU's percentile (78th) suggests that the Ryzen 7 5700 is a strong component; the bottleneck is unequivocally the GPU. The combo rank is thus a direct consequence of the GPU's low average benchmark score and its placement in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), with average FPS recorded for all, and minimum/maximum FPS only for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 51 FPS, which is the highest average across all configurations. Medium settings at 1080p yield 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and maximum of 37. High settings drop to 23 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 18 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a steady decline: 51, 32, 23, and 18 FPS, respectively.

At 2560x1440, the same settings produce lower averages. Low settings average 43 FPS, Medium settings average 27 FPS (with a range of 23 to 31), High settings average 19 FPS, and Ultra settings average 15 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is consistent: Low loses 8 FPS, Medium loses 5 FPS, High loses 4 FPS, and Ultra loses 3 FPS. This pattern suggests that higher settings are less affected by resolution increases, relative to their baseline, because the GPU is already working at near-peak capacity.

At 3840x2160, the averages are the lowest. Low settings average 34 FPS, Medium settings average 21 FPS (with a range of 18 to 24), High settings average 15 FPS, and Ultra settings average 12 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is: Low loses 9 FPS, Medium loses 6 FPS, High loses 4 FPS, and Ultra loses 3 FPS. The absolute differences between 1440p and 4K are smaller than those between 1080p and 1440p for Medium, High, and Ultra, which indicates that the GPU is approaching a hard performance floor at 4K.

The Medium settings' minimum and maximum FPS values provide additional insight. At 1080p, the framerate varies between 27 and 37, a range of 10 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 8 FPS (23 to 31), and at 4K, it narrows to 6 FPS (18 to 24). This narrowing of the range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently saturated, reducing the variability but also lowering the average. The minimum FPS values are particularly important for a horror game, where sudden frame drops can break immersion; at 4K Medium, the minimum of 18 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and tolerance for frame drops. At 1920x1080, Low settings provide the only playable experience, with an average of 51 FPS. This is the only configuration that exceeds 50 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for acceptable smoothness. Medium settings at 1080p, with an average of 32 FPS, are playable but may suffer from noticeable stutter, especially during horror sequences with heavy effects. High and Ultra settings at 1080p, at 23 and 18 FPS respectively, are not recommended for any gameplay, as they will likely cause motion sickness or frustration.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 43 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings at 1440p, with an average of 27 FPS and a minimum of 23, are borderline; the minimum FPS is below 30, which can cause visible hitches. High and Ultra at 1440p, at 19 and 15 FPS, are unplayable. For 1440p, Low settings are the only viable option, and even then, the experience will be subpar compared to lower resolutions.

At 3840x2160, no settings are recommended for serious gameplay. Low settings average 34 FPS, which is technically playable but will be a poor experience given the horror genre's need for atmospheric tension. Medium settings at 21 FPS, High at 15 FPS, and Ultra at 12 FPS are all far below acceptable thresholds. The best recommendation is to play at 1080p with Low settings, accepting the visual compromises for a playable framerate. If the user values visual fidelity over smoothness, Medium at 1080p offers a balance, but the average of 32 FPS is a significant compromise.

The data indicates that this combo is not suited for The Medium at any resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p, only Low settings provide a reliable experience. The GPU's low pixel rate (60.00 GPixel/s) and texture rate (120.0 GTexel/s) limit its ability to handle the game's rendering demands, making Low settings the only sensible choice for a stable framerate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with a chip codenamed Panther Lake, manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. It has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 render output units (ROPs). The GPU's base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It features 12 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GPU's FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1). Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. The GPU has a TDP of 80 W and uses system-shared memory, with bandwidth described as system-dependent.

The Arc B390's benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, which places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all low-end discrete GPUs from NVIDIA, such as the GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463) and GeForce GT 710 (score 1443), indicating that the Arc B390 performs at the level of a decade-old entry-level graphics card. This is the primary reason for the low FPS in The Medium.

The GPU's role in this game is the dominant bottleneck. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions is directly proportional to the GPU's capability. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 51, which matches the GPU's expected performance given its 7.680 TFLOPS and 1536 shading units. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 12 is consistent with the GPU's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s, which is insufficient for the 8.3 million pixels at 4K. The GPU's memory bandwidth, being system-shared, further constrains performance at higher resolutions, as the CPU and GPU compete for the same memory bandwidth.

The GPU's percentile of 9 means that 91% of GPUs tested are faster, which explains why this combo ranks so low in The Medium. The Ryzen 7 5700's strong CPU performance cannot overcome the GPU's limitations. The data shows that the GPU is the sole determinant of FPS in this game; the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are never the limiting factor. If a user were to pair the Ryzen 7 5700 with a more powerful GPU, the FPS would increase substantially, but with the Arc B390, the results are capped at the levels shown.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest average FPS is 51, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 or the Intel Arc B390 the bottleneck in this game?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is the bottleneck. The GPU ranks at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and the FPS figures are consistently low across all resolutions and settings, while the CPU's performance (78th percentile) is not a limiting factor.

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

A: Yes, but only at very low framerates. At 3840x2160, Low settings average 34 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS, High averages 15 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. None of these are ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS at Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 27 FPS and maximum is 37 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 23 FPS and maximum is 31 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 18 FPS and maximum is 24 FPS.

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

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

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU combinations in The Medium?

A: The combo ranks 3314 out of 3724 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations.