The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the Intel Arc B570 produces a specific performance profile in The Medium, one that is heavily dictated by the graphics card. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what settings offer the most playable experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM4 platform. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, and it has a 105W TDP. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a substantial 64 MB of L3 cache. This is a high-end desktop part from the 5000 series, launched in November 2020 with a launch MSRP of $549.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The data shows that the frame rate scales dramatically with resolution changes, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. However, the 5900X’s raw capabilities are still relevant. Its benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16262 and a Geekbench multicore score of 14118. The single-thread performance is also solid, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1527 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2083.

The processor’s 3DMark scores further illustrate its strength. It achieves 9075 in the 16-thread test and 10075 in the max-threads test, while the 2-thread and 4-thread scores are 1852 and 3588, respectively. This suggests that even when a game uses only a few threads, the 5900X has ample headroom. The passmark multithread score of 39002 and single-thread score of 3469 reinforce the idea that this CPU is not the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios.

The data implies that the Ryzen 9 5900X is likely delivering frames faster than the Intel Arc B570 can render them, especially at higher resolutions. The combination’s rank in this game is 2321 out of 2911 tested combos, which places it in the lower half of the database. This poor ranking is almost certainly due to the GPU’s performance, not the CPU’s. The 5900X’s percentile against all CPUs is 87, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. In contrast, the GPU’s percentile is only 65. This gap in relative performance strongly suggests that the CPU is waiting on the GPU to complete its work. The CPU has the compute power to handle the game’s logic and physics, but the render output is constrained by the graphics card.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B570 is a discrete graphics card based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, also known as Battlemage. It features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. The card has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. Its base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The GPU has a TDP of 150W and requires a single 8-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 450W.

The Arc B570’s performance in The Medium is the primary determinant of the system’s overall results. The measured frame rates show a clear pattern: the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The card’s benchmark scores are modest, with a Passmark G3D score of 14195 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649. Its percentile against all GPUs is 65, which is notably lower than the CPU’s percentile.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and the Intel Arc A750. The Arc B570’s average benchmark score is 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.1% lower than the Arc A750. This places the B570 in a competitive position with those cards, but the game-specific results show that it is not sufficient for high-end 4K gaming in The Medium. The 10 GB VRAM capacity may also be a factor at 4K with high textures, but the measured data does not isolate VRAM usage. The GPU’s compute performance, as measured by Passmark GPU Compute at 7281, is far below its 3D rendering performance, indicating a card designed more for rasterization than compute-heavy tasks.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data for this combination provides clear guidance on which settings to use. The goal is to find a preset that keeps the average frame rate above 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable experience in a slow-paced horror game like The Medium.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 78 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combination. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 56. The High preset at 1080p drops to 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 28 FPS. For a smooth experience at 1080p, the Medium preset is the best option, as it provides a comfortable margin above 30 FPS with better visual fidelity than Low.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 66 FPS, which is still very playable. The Medium preset at 1440p produces 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47. The High preset at 1440p drops to 29 FPS, which is borderline, and the Ultra preset falls to 23 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot for this resolution, offering a playable frame rate with significantly better visuals than Low.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset delivers 52 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that achieves a playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 4K produces only 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37, putting it on the edge of playability. The High preset at 4K drops to 23 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 18 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable choice, as the other settings will result in a stuttery and unresponsive experience.

The data suggests that the best overall experience is achieved by using the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p. This provides a balance between visual quality and performance, keeping the average FPS well above 30. If a higher resolution is desired, the Low preset must be used, as the GPU does not have enough headroom for Medium or higher settings at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2321 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 20% of all systems tested, indicating that this pairing is not well-suited for this particular game. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s limited performance, as the CPU is clearly capable of much more.

The combo’s rank of 2321 is particularly telling when considering the CPU’s high benchmark percentile. The Ryzen 9 5900X ranks in the 87th percentile against all CPUs, meaning it is more powerful than 87% of processors in the database. In contrast, the Arc B570 ranks in the 65th percentile against all GPUs. The discrepancy between these two percentiles highlights the imbalance in this pairing. The CPU is a top-tier part, while the GPU is a mid-range part. In a game like The Medium, which appears to be GPU-intensive, this imbalance results in a low overall ranking.

The data indicates that this combo is not competitive with others in the database. The rank of 2321 suggests that a significant portion of the 2911 tested combinations achieve higher frame rates in this game. This is likely because many other tested combinations include more powerful GPUs, which is the primary factor in this game’s performance. The CPU’s contribution is minimal, as the frame rates are clearly limited by the GPU’s rendering capabilities.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates across different resolutions reveal a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 78 FPS at 1080p to 66 FPS at 1440p, and then to 52 FPS at 4K. This represents a 15% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% drop from 1080p to 4K. This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card’s fill rate and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors as the pixel count increases.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend. The average frame rate is 49 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. This is a 16% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 35% drop from 1080p to 4K. The High preset drops from 35 FPS at 1080p to 29 FPS at 1440p and 23 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, falling from 28 FPS at 1080p to 23 FPS at 1440p and 18 FPS at 4K.

The consistent, significant drops in frame rate as resolution increases strongly indicate that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not change with resolution. The fact that the frame rates drop so dramatically with each resolution increase confirms that the GPU is unable to keep up with the increased rendering demands. The CPU is likely delivering frames faster than the GPU can process them, leaving the GPU as the sole constraint on performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following is the complete set of measured frame rate data for this combination in The Medium:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Ultra: average 28 FPS
• High: average 35 FPS
• Medium: average 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS
• Low: average 78 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Ultra: average 23 FPS
• High: average 29 FPS
• Medium: average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS
• Low: average 66 FPS

3840x2160 (4K):

• Ultra: average 18 FPS
• High: average 23 FPS
• Medium: average 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS
• Low: average 52 FPS

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only setting that provides a minimum FPS value, with a minimum of 41 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. The absence of minimum FPS data for other settings suggests that the frame pacing may be less consistent, but the average values are the primary indicator of performance. The Low preset at 1080p offers the highest average FPS at 78, while the Ultra preset at 4K offers the lowest at 18. The gap between the best and worst performance is 60 FPS, highlighting the extreme sensitivity of this GPU to resolution and settings changes.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this CPU and GPU combo?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with the Medium preset delivers an average of 49 FPS, which is the highest playable frame rate above 30 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset still achieves 41 FPS, making it a viable alternative. The 3840x2160 resolution is only playable at the Low preset, which achieves 52 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556. This is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile’s score of 20534, and 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750’s score of 20582. It is also 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon R9 M390X’s score of 20480.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combination?

A: The frame rate scaling across resolutions indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The average FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K (e.g., from 78 to 52 at Low settings), which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU’s high percentile rank of 87 versus the GPU’s 65 also supports this conclusion.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 78 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in the database for this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2321 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower 20% of all tested systems.

Q: What are the frame rate ranges for the Medium preset at different resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 49 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 56. At 2560x1440, it averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47. At 3840x2160, it averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37.