The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 occupies a very specific and lowly position in the database for The Medium. The combo ranks 3314 out of 3724 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. This rank is heavily influenced by the GPU, which sits in the 9th percentile of all tested graphics cards, rather than the CPU, which is in the 85th percentile of all processors. The data indicates a profound imbalance where the processor is vastly more capable than the graphics solution, resulting in frame rates that are firmly in the single-digit to low-double-digit territory at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall rank of 3314 out of 3724 is a clear indicator of the system's standing within the database for this specific title. This position is not a middle-of-the-pack result; it is a bottom-tier placement, suggesting that the combination is heavily constrained by its weakest link. The rank is a composite of the two components' contributions, but the GPU's percentile ranking of 9 versus the CPU's percentile ranking of 85 reveals the entire story. The data shows a massive gulf between the two parts, and the benchmark results reflect the GPU's inability to keep pace with the CPU's processing power. This system is not competitive for high-fidelity gaming in The Medium, as evidenced by the fact that over 88% of all tested combos outperform it. The score is a direct reflection of the graphics bottleneck, making the CPU's potential largely irrelevant in this context.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary factor limiting performance in The Medium. Its architecture is Xe3-LPG, built on a 3 nm process, and it features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. The GPU has 12 ray tracing cores, though its performance in this title suggests they are not heavily utilized to overcome the raw rendering deficit. The clock speeds are listed with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz, but these frequencies do not translate into competitive frame rates. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on shared system memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical weakness for a game like The Medium, which features a split-screen mechanic that renders two perspectives simultaneously, placing a high demand on memory bandwidth and capacity.

The GPU's benchmark score is a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, with a score of 1463, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, with a score of 1460. The delta percentages are small, showing the Arc B390 is only 1.3% and 1.5% faster than these older, entry-level mobile parts, respectively. This contextualizes the GPU as a very low-end solution, incapable of handling modern game loads at playable frame rates. Its FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, but the benchmark results show that theoretical compute is not translating into practical gaming performance. The data suggests the Arc B390 is a significant bottleneck, and no amount of CPU power can compensate for its fundamental lack of rendering capacity.

CPU Role

In stark contrast to the GPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a high-performance desktop processor. It is an 8-core, 16-thread part based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It has a 32 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory. The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptionally strong, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19088 and a single-core score of 1987. Its average benchmark score is 35909, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 with a score of 35802, a 0.3% difference, and the Intel Core 7 250H with a score of 35728, a 0.5% difference. These are all closely matched, high-performing chips.

Given the CPU's capabilities, it is not the limiting factor in this combination. The data shows that the CPU can deliver scores that are thousands of points higher than its rivals, indicating it is more than capable of feeding frames to a discrete graphics card. However, with the Intel Arc B390, the CPU's role is diminished. In The Medium, the CPU's job is to process game logic and prepare draw calls, but the GPU is unable to execute them quickly enough. The benchmark results show that the system is bottlenecked by the GPU in all tested scenarios. The CPU's high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2289, is irrelevant when the graphics pipeline is the chokepoint. The processor is effectively waiting on the GPU for the vast majority of the time, making its powerful 16 threads an unused resource in this specific pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium shows a consistent pattern of low performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the lowest tested resolution, the system achieves an average of 51 FPS on Low settings, which is the only playable result in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium settings at 1080p, the average drops to 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37. High settings at 1080p produce an average of 23 FPS, while Ultra settings yield a mere 18 FPS. These numbers indicate that even at the most common gaming resolution, the system struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at anything above the lowest settings.

At 1440p, the performance degrades further. Low settings produce an average of 43 FPS, which is still borderline playable but shows a significant drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings at 1440p average 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. High settings drop to 19 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 15 FPS. The trend continues at 4K, where the system is essentially non-functional for gaming. Low settings at 4K average 34 FPS, but this is the exception. Medium settings at 4K average 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24. High settings average 15 FPS, and Ultra settings plummet to 12 FPS. The data shows a clear and steep decline in performance as resolution and settings increase, confirming the GPU's severe limitations.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X the reason for the low frame rates in The Medium?

A: No. The CPU is in the 85th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 35909. The data indicates the GPU, which is in the 9th percentile, is the primary bottleneck.

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 51 at a resolution of 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only setting combination that breaks the 50 FPS mark.

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

A: The Arc B390 has a benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, has a score of 1463, making the Arc B390 1.3% faster. It is also 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M.

Q: Is it possible to play The Medium at 4K with this system?

A: The data shows that 4K performance is very poor. At 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS is 12. At 4K High, it is 15 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 21 FPS. Even 4K Low only reaches an average of 34 FPS.

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

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

Q: Does the CPU have a high core count?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X has 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, but this does not help overcome the GPU's limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only viable setting for a remotely smooth experience is Low. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 51 FPS, which is the only result above 50 FPS in the entire dataset. This is the recommended configuration for any attempt at playability. The next step up, Medium settings at 1080p, yields an average of 32 FPS, which is a significant drop and may be too stuttery for most users. The data shows a clear pattern: each increase in settings level reduces the average FPS by roughly 10-15% or more, making Low the only sensible choice.

At higher resolutions, even Low settings become less viable. At 1440p Low, the average FPS drops to 43, which is a noticeable decrease from the 1080p result. At 4K Low, the average is 34 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for a game that relies on atmosphere and timing. Therefore, the recommendation is to play at 1080p with Low settings. There is no other option that provides a playable frame rate. The data shows that the system is simply not capable of handling Medium or higher presets without sacrificing too much performance. The 32 FPS average at 1080p Medium might be acceptable for some, but the minimum of 27 FPS suggests inconsistent frame pacing, making the experience less stable.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and reveals the nature of the bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 51 at 1080p to 43 at 1440p, a drop of 8 FPS, and then to 34 at 4K, a further drop of 9 FPS. This shows a steady decline as the pixel count increases. However, the percentage drop is more telling. Moving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings represents a 33% decrease in performance. At Medium settings, the drop is from 32 FPS at 1080p to 27 FPS at 1440p, and then to 21 FPS at 4K, a 34% decrease from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the drop is from 23 FPS at 1080p to 19 FPS at 1440p, and then to 15 FPS at 4K, a 35% decrease.

This consistent pattern of roughly a one-third reduction in FPS from 1080p to 4K is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the performance would not scale as directly with resolution. The data shows that as the rendering load increases, the GPU is unable to keep up, and the frame rate falls proportionally. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings also reinforce this. At 1080p, the minimum is 27 FPS; at 1440p, it is 23 FPS; and at 4K, it is 18 FPS. The consistent scaling across all settings and resolutions confirms that the Intel Arc B390 is the definitive limiting component, and the powerful CPU is left idle, waiting for the GPU to complete its tasks.