The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a particularly constrained configuration for The Medium, a horror title that demands significant graphical resources. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings indicate that this combo operates at the lower end of the performance spectrum, with the data showing a clear pattern of GPU limitation. This analysis breaks down the specific numbers, scaling behavior, and component roles to provide a methodical view of what this hardware combination can deliver.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across every settings preset, which points directly to the graphics processor as the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 51 FPS at 1920x1080 to 43 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 8 FPS, and then further declines to 34 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% loss from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a substantial hit that becomes even more pronounced at higher presets.

Moving to Medium settings, the scaling pattern intensifies. The average FPS at 1080p is 32, dropping to 27 at 1440p and then to 21 at 4K. The percentage decline from 1080p to 4K here is approximately 34%, slightly worse than Low settings. At High settings, the numbers are 23 FPS at 1080p, 19 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K, representing a 35% drop across the resolution range. Ultra settings show the most severe scaling, with 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four presets is telling. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would tend to cluster together at higher resolutions, as the GPU becomes less stressed and the processor's ceiling is reached. Instead, the data shows a nearly linear degradation with pixel count, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The Arc B390's pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient to maintain higher frame rates as the render target grows, and the results confirm this hardware constraint.

The min and max FPS figures available only for Medium settings reinforce the scaling story. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate fluctuates between 27 and 37 FPS, a 10 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 23 to 31 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it narrows to 18 to 24 FPS. The tightening of the frame time variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is operating closer to its saturation point, leaving less headroom for variance. This is a direct consequence of the rendering workload scaling with resolution while the compute resources remain fixed.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. Its specifications paint a clear picture of a low-power part: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz. The memory configuration is listed as System Shared, meaning the GPU draws from the CPU's DDR5 memory pool rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is accordingly listed as System Dependent, which introduces a variable that can affect performance depending on the system's memory configuration.

The benchmark data places this GPU at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all aging discrete parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, deltaPct 1.3), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, deltaPct 2.5), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, deltaPct 2.7). This places the Arc B390 marginally ahead of these entries, but all of them are firmly in the entry-level category, and the deltas are within a few percentage points, indicating negligible real-world differences.

In The Medium, the GPU's role is decisive. The measured FPS at any resolution and settings combination never exceeds 51 FPS, and the playable threshold of 30 FPS is only crossed at Low settings across all resolutions. The data shows that the Arc B390's FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS is not sufficient for this game's rendering demands at higher presets. The integrated nature of the GPU, with its System Shared memory, likely compounds the issue, as the lack of dedicated VRAM can lead to additional latency and bandwidth contention. However, the measured FPS numbers are the empirical result, and they consistently show the GPU as the limiting factor, as confirmed by the resolution scaling analysis.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a 32 MB shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4691 and a multithread score of 36470, placing it at the 94th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database show how competitive it is. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875 (deltaPct 0.2), the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70163 (deltaPct -0.2), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515 (deltaPct 0.7), and the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 69355 (deltaPct 0.9). These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the Ryzen 7 9700F is statistically on par with these high-end parts in general compute workloads. Its average benchmark score of 69996 reflects this positioning.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is largely passive due to the GPU bottleneck. The game's frame rates are so low that the Ryzen 7 9700F is almost certainly not being stressed to its limits. The processor's 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with a 5.50 GHz boost clock, provide ample headroom for the game's logic and physics. The data does not show any scenario where CPU limitation would explain the FPS figures, as the performance scales directly with resolution, which is a GPU workload characteristic. The CPU's high single-thread performance (PassMark 4691) is more than adequate for a title like this, and the benchmark results align with the expectation that the Arc B390 is the constraining component in this pairing.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the settings recommendations are straightforward, and they are driven entirely by the GPU's limitations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 51 FPS, which is the only settings level that approaches a smooth experience. The Medium preset drops to 32 FPS, which is borderline playable but with noticeable stutter potential, as indicated by the min FPS of 27. High and Ultra presets at 1080p fall to 23 and 18 FPS respectively, which are not viable for a game that requires timing and atmospheric tension.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 43 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced horror gameplay, but the Medium preset at 27 FPS and High at 19 FPS are too low for consistent play. The Ultra preset at 15 FPS is effectively a slideshow. At 3840x2160, the Low preset manages 34 FPS, which is the only setting at 4K that stays above 30 FPS, but it requires significant visual compromises. The Medium preset at 21 FPS and High at 15 FPS are not recommended, and Ultra at 12 FPS is unplayable.

The data indicates that the best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1080p with Low settings, where the 51 FPS average provides the most fluid motion. For users willing to accept lower frame rates for better visuals, 1080p Medium at 32 FPS is the next viable step, but the min FPS of 27 suggests potential dips. At higher resolutions, the Low preset is the only sensible choice, and even then, the frame rates are below the 60 FPS target that most gamers prefer. The recommendation is to prioritize resolution scaling down before adjusting settings, as the Low preset at 1440p (43 FPS) outperforms the Medium preset at 1080p (32 FPS) in terms of frame rate, though the visual quality difference is subjective.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 51, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that exceeds 50 FPS.

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at any setting?

A: No. The data shows no measured configuration reaches 60 FPS. The closest is 1080p Low at 51 FPS, and all other settings and resolutions fall below that mark.

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

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 puts it slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, deltaPct 1.3) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, deltaPct 1.5), but the deltas are under 3%, indicating near-identical performance levels.

Q: What is the impact of raising settings from Low to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 51 at Low to 32 at Medium, 23 at High, and 18 at Ultra. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate from Low to Ultra.

Q: Does the CPU performance vary significantly from its closest rivals?

A: No. The Ryzen 7 9700F's average benchmark score of 69996 is within 1% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, deltaPct 0.2), Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163, deltaPct -0.2), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, deltaPct 0.7), and Intel Core i7-14700K (69355, deltaPct 0.9).

Q: Which resolution is most playable for this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 with Low settings (51 FPS) is the most playable. At 2560x1440 Low, the 43 FPS average is also viable, but 3840x2160 Low at 34 FPS is the minimum recommended for playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings shows a consistent decline. Low settings produce an average of 51 FPS, which is the best result in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 32 FPS, with a measured range of 27 to 37 FPS. High settings yield 23 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 18 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 33 FPS, demonstrating the heavy cost of higher quality presets on this GPU.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down proportionally. Low settings average 43 FPS, which is still above the 30 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 27 FPS, with a range of 23 to 31 FPS. High settings average 19 FPS, and Ultra settings average 15 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 28 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p, which aligns with the GPU-bound behavior.

At 3840x2160, the performance is the weakest across the board. Low settings average 34 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration above 30 FPS. Medium settings average 21 FPS, with a range of 18 to 24 FPS. High settings average 15 FPS, and Ultra settings average 12 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 22 FPS, further confirming that the GPU's limitations dominate the scaling curve.

The min and max FPS data is only available for Medium settings, but it provides useful context. At 1080p, the range is 27 to 37 FPS (a 10 FPS spread). At 1440p, the range is 23 to 31 FPS (an 8 FPS spread). At 4K, the range is 18 to 24 FPS (a 6 FPS spread). The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates reduced variance, which is consistent with a GPU that is increasingly saturated and cannot produce higher peaks.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2581 out of 2911 combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations, which is a direct reflection of the GPU's limited capabilities. The CPU's strong benchmark position (94th percentile) does not compensate for the GPU's weak performance (9th percentile), and the combo ranking reflects the lower of the two components' capabilities.

The rank of 2581 out of 2911 means that 330 other combos perform worse, but the vast majority (over 2500) outperform this setup. This is not surprising given the Arc B390's integrated nature and its benchmark scores, which put it in the same class as decade-old discrete GPUs. The Ryzen 7 9700F is clearly not the limiting factor, as its benchmark scores are competitive with top-tier desktop processors, but the combo's overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU.

For context, the GPU's nearest rivals in the database (GT 520MX, 800M, GT 625 OEM, GT 710) would likely produce similar rankings when paired with a modern CPU, as their performance deltas are within 3%. The data suggests that this combo is suitable only for very light gaming or non-gaming workloads, and The Medium at playable frame rates requires the lowest settings and resolution. The rank of 2581 serves as a quantitative measure of this limitation, and it is unlikely to change without a significant upgrade to the graphics subsystem.