The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2681st out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This ranking is heavily skewed by the Arc B370’s performance class, as the GPU sits at the 5th percentile of all tested graphics cards, while the Ryzen 9 5950X is at the 91st percentile of all CPUs. The result is a system where the processor has far more headroom than the graphics solution can utilize, making this combo one of the more lopsided pairings in the database for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2681 out of 2911 tested configurations places it firmly in the lower quartile of systems tested with The Medium. The primary bottleneck is unambiguous: the Intel Arc B370’s benchmark scores indicate it is a low-power integrated graphics solution, with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 5950X is a high-end desktop processor, with an average benchmark score of 51947 that places it at the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

The delta between the two components is stark. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (scoring 1186, a 0.2% difference), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (scoring 1190, a 0.5% difference), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (scoring 1192, a 0.7% difference). These are all older, low-end parts, confirming that the Arc B370 is competing in a performance tier that predates modern gaming standards. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 9 5950X’s nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (average score 52073, 0.2% lower), the AMD EPYC 8124P (average score 52121, 0.3% lower), and the Intel Core i9-13900F (average score 51730, 0.4% higher).

What this means for The Medium is that the CPU is essentially idle relative to its capacity. The game’s frame rates are almost entirely dictated by the GPU’s ability to render frames, and the data shows that the Arc B370 struggles to maintain playable framerates even at lower resolutions and settings. The combo’s rank of 2681 out of 2911 indicates that there are only 230 tested configurations that perform worse, a group that would likely consist of systems with similarly weak graphics solutions paired with even older or less capable processors.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded across all tested settings and resolutions is 46 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that approaches a playable frame rate, but it remains below the 60 FPS threshold that many players target.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51947, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52073), 0.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 8124P (52121), and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i9-13900F (51730). The differences are minor, placing the 5950X in a tight pack of high-performance CPUs.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: Yes. The Intel Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. This GPU performance tier is far below what The Medium requires for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the combo delivers 29 FPS at 1920x1080, 24 FPS at 2560x1440, and 19 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 34.5% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 5950X have enough cores for this game?

A: The Ryzen 9 5950X has 16 cores and 32 threads, which is more than sufficient for any modern title. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26017 and single-core score of 1614 indicate that CPU performance is not a constraint in The Medium, as frame rates remain low across all settings regardless of resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only settings that recorded minimum FPS values were Medium. At 1920x1080, the minimum was 24 FPS; at 2560x1440, it was 21 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it was 16 FPS. Low, High, and Ultra settings did not record minimum FPS values in the data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that is characteristic of a GPU-bound system with a very weak graphics processor. At Low settings, the combo achieves 46 FPS at 1920x1080, 39 FPS at 2560x1440, and 30 FPS at 3840x2160. This is a 34.8% drop from 1080p to 4K, which indicates that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increased pixel count, but the scaling is relatively linear because the GPU is already operating near its limits.

At Medium settings, the performance drops are more pronounced: 29 FPS at 1920x1080, 24 FPS at 2560x1440, and 19 FPS at 3840x2160. The 4K result represents a 34.5% reduction from 1080p, similar to the Low setting scaling. However, the absolute numbers are lower, suggesting that the additional graphical effects at Medium settings exacerbate the GPU’s limitations.

High settings show a steeper decline, with 21 FPS at 1920x1080, 17 FPS at 2560x1440, and 14 FPS at 3840x2160. The 4K result is 33.3% lower than 1080p. Ultra settings follow the same trend but at even lower absolute values: 16 FPS at 1920x1080, 14 FPS at 2560x1440, and 11 FPS at 3840x2160, a 31.3% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The consistent pattern across all settings is that the frame rate drops by roughly one-third when moving from 1080p to 4K. This is a classic sign of a pixel-bound scenario where the GPU’s rendering throughput is the sole limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 5950X’s capabilities are never taxed, as even the lowest resolution and settings do not produce frame rates that would require significant CPU involvement. The data suggests that the Arc B370 is the definitive bottleneck, and the CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads remain largely unused in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured FPS values provides a detailed picture of how this combo performs across all tested configurations.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers 46 FPS at Low settings, 29 FPS at Medium, 21 FPS at High, and 16 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting recorded a minimum FPS of 24 and a maximum of 33, showing some frame time variance. Low, High, and Ultra did not have min/max values recorded, but the averages indicate that only Low settings approach a playable experience, and even then, 46 FPS is below the standard 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops: 39 FPS at Low, 24 FPS at Medium, 17 FPS at High, and 14 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting’s min/max values are 21 and 28 FPS, respectively. This resolution is only marginally playable at Low settings, with all other presets falling into the 14-24 FPS range, which is well below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the results are largely unplayable: 30 FPS at Low, 19 FPS at Medium, 14 FPS at High, and 11 FPS at Ultra. The Medium setting has a minimum of 16 FPS and a maximum of 22 FPS. Even at Low settings, the 30 FPS average is borderline, and any higher settings produce frame rates that would be considered slideshow-like in a horror title that relies on atmosphere and pacing.

The data shows a consistent hierarchy: Low settings are the only viable option at any resolution, and even then, 1080p is the only resolution where the average FPS exceeds 40. The gap between Low and Medium is significant at every resolution, typically a 37-41% reduction in FPS, which indicates that the Medium preset introduces rendering features that the Arc B370 cannot handle efficiently.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only setting that provides a remotely playable experience is Low at 1920x1080, which yields 46 FPS. This is the sole configuration that approaches the 60 FPS target, but it still falls short. For users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, Low at 1080p is the recommended preset, as it is the only option that keeps the average FPS above 40.

Medium settings at 1080p produce 29 FPS, which is a 37% reduction from Low. This is a substantial drop for what is typically a modest visual upgrade, and the 24 FPS minimum suggests that frame pacing could be inconsistent during intense scenes. Given that The Medium is a horror game where smooth camera movement is important, the trade-off is not favorable.

High settings at 1080p deliver 21 FPS, and Ultra drops to 16 FPS. These are both unplayable, and the same applies to all resolutions above 1080p. At 1440p, even Low settings only reach 39 FPS, and at 4K, Low settings hit 30 FPS. The data indicates that this combo is not suited for The Medium at any resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p, users must accept Low settings to achieve a playable frame rate.

The recommendation is clear: use Low settings at 1920x1080. This is the only measured configuration that provides a playable experience, and even then, users should be prepared for occasional dips below 40 FPS. For those who cannot tolerate sub-30 FPS, the data suggests that this combo is not viable for The Medium, as no setting combination achieves a minimum FPS above 24.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with 64 MB of L3 cache. Its synthetic benchmark scores are impressive, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 26017 and a single-core score of 1614, as well as a Geekbench multicore score of 15233 and a single-core score of 2083.

However, these CPU capabilities are largely irrelevant to The Medium’s performance with this combo. The measured FPS values are uniformly low across all settings and resolutions, with the highest average being 46 FPS at 1080p Low. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario where the graphics card’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor. The Arc B370’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it at the 5th percentile of GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all over a decade old.

The CPU’s role in this combo is to feed the GPU with data, but the GPU’s low performance means that the CPU is never stressed. Even in the most demanding scenario (4K Ultra at 11 FPS), the CPU has more than enough headroom to handle the game’s logic and draw calls. The 5950X’s 16 cores and 32 threads are far more than The Medium requires, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rates do not improve when moving from 4K to 1080p at the same settings in a way that would indicate CPU involvement.

The Ryzen 9 5950X’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX and the AMD EPYC 8124P, both of which are high-performance parts. Yet, when paired with the Arc B370, the CPU’s performance class has no bearing on the gaming experience. The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this combo; rather, the GPU is so far below the required performance level that the CPU’s capabilities are wasted. For The Medium, users would need a significantly more powerful GPU to take advantage of the 5950X’s processing power.