The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and Intel Arc B570 combination presents a distinct performance profile in The Medium, one that is heavily dictated by the graphics card’s capabilities. The measured data reveals a system where the CPU provides ample headroom, but the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions and settings. This analysis walks through the benchmark results step by step, interpreting what the numbers mean for the overall experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this pairing. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 78 FPS at 1920x1080 to 66 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 12 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average falls further to 52 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that even at the lowest settings, the demand on the Intel Arc B570 increases significantly with pixel count, indicating that the GPU is the primary performance limiter across all tested resolutions.

The Medium preset tells a similar story. The average frame rate at 1080p is 49 FPS, which drops to 41 FPS at 1440p and then to 32 FPS at 4K. The consistent decline suggests that the game’s rendering load scales predictably with resolution, and the Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus, while capable, are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data points to a graphics card that is well-suited for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, but struggles to keep up with the demands of 4K.

The High and Ultra presets show even more pronounced drops. At High, the transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a drop from 35 FPS to 29 FPS, and then to 23 FPS at 4K. This steep decline underscores the GPU's struggle with higher fidelity settings. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with average frame rates of 28 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and a barely playable 18 FPS at 4K. These figures confirm that the limiting component is the GPU, as the Ryzen 9 7900X’s processing power cannot compensate for the rendering limitations of the Arc B570 at higher resolutions. Benchmark results indicate that for a smooth experience, users should target 1080p or be prepared to significantly lower settings at 1440p.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines. Its boost clock is listed at 2500 MHz, and it has a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s. These specifications provide a baseline for understanding its compute capabilities. The card’s memory subsystem consists of 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and some 1440p scenarios, but the 160-bit bus can become a constraint at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth demands increase.

In The Medium, the GPU’s role is decisive. The frame rate data shows that the Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck in this combination. The GPU’s FP32 performance is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS, which places it in a mid-range tier. The measured scores in other benchmarks, such as a Passmark G3D score of 14195 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649, confirm its positioning. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Arc B570’s average benchmark score of 20556 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582), with a deltaPct of 0.1% and -0.1%, respectively. This indicates that its raw compute power is on par with those cards, but the game-specific results show how that power translates into actual frame rates.

The VRAM capacity of 10 GB is sufficient for The Medium at most settings, but the card's overall performance ceiling is evident in the 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate falls to 18 FPS, showing that the GPU is overwhelmed. The card’s 18 ray tracing cores are present, but the game’s implementation and the card’s raw power mean that the measured FPS at higher settings are not competitive. The data suggests that the Arc B570 is best utilized at 1080p with medium to high settings, where it can provide playable performance without being overly taxed.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. This substantial processing power is evident in its benchmark scores, which include a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29300 and a Geekbench multicore score of 19267. The CPU’s percentile rank is 91 among all tested CPUs, placing it in the top tier of processors.

Given the GPU-bound nature of the results, the Ryzen 9 7900X appears to have a minimal limiting effect on the frame rates. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2016.5 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4238, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU in most scenarios. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck; the frame rate differences between resolutions are almost entirely attributable to the GPU’s workload.

However, the CPU’s role is not negligible. At 1080p with Low settings, the average frame rate of 78 FPS suggests that the CPU can handle the game’s logic and draw calls efficiently, allowing the GPU to output frames. The Ryzen 9 7900X’s high boost clock and multiple cores ensure that even in scenes with significant on-screen activity, the processor does not become a limiting factor. Its performance relative to rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700F, which is 0.6% slower in average benchmark score, indicates that it is a top-tier partner for this GPU. In this combo, the CPU provides a stable foundation, but the Arc B570’s performance ceiling determines the playable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results show a wide range: the Low preset averages 78 FPS, Medium averages 49 FPS (with a min of 41 and max of 56), High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the game is playable on all presets, with Low and Medium offering the smoothest experience. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 41 indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above the stutter threshold for most players.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 66 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium drops to 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 23 FPS. At this resolution, the Medium preset becomes the highest playable option for a consistent experience, as High and Ultra fall below the 30 FPS mark. The data shows a clear degradation in performance as resolution increases, confirming the GPU’s limitations.

At 3840x2160, the results are mostly below playable thresholds. The Low preset averages 52 FPS, making it the only playable option at this resolution. Medium averages 32 FPS (min 27, max 37), which may be acceptable for some, but High and Ultra drop to 23 FPS and 18 FPS, respectively. These figures highlight the extreme demand of 4K rendering on the Arc B570. The combination of the CPU and GPU cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K with any fidelity, making it unsuitable for this resolution in The Medium.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the Low preset provides the best frame rates, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra. The differences between presets are significant, with Ultra often being less than half the FPS of Low. Benchmark results indicate that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the primary factor in these differences, as the CPU’s performance is consistent across all tests.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and the Intel Arc B570 ranks at 2321 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This rank places it in the lower-middle percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not a bottom-tier performer, it is far from the top. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance, which is a limiting factor in this game. The GPU’s percentile rank among all GPUs is 65, meaning it performs better than 65% of all graphics cards, but its absolute performance in this title is constrained by the demands of The Medium.

The combo’s rank reflects the fact that the CPU is significantly more powerful than the GPU. The Ryzen 9 7900X is a top-tier processor, but it cannot overcome the Arc B570’s limitations. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck, and this is reflected in the combo’s overall ranking. Systems with similarly powerful CPUs but faster GPUs would likely rank higher, while systems with weaker CPUs but the same GPU would likely rank similarly, as the GPU would still be the limiting factor.

The rank of 2321 out of 2911 suggests that this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming and some 1440p gaming, but it is not competitive at higher resolutions. The performance is acceptable for its target market, but it does not offer the headroom needed for future games or more demanding settings. The measured data shows that this combo is a balanced pairing for mid-range gaming, but it is not a high-performance solution for The Medium.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the best resolution. At 1080p with Medium settings, the average frame rate is 49 FPS, which is playable. The Low preset offers 78 FPS for a smoother experience, but Medium provides a good balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: No, the data shows that 4K gaming is not viable. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 52 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 32 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 23 FPS and 18 FPS, respectively. These frame rates are too low for a smooth experience.

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

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The frame rate drops are consistent across all resolutions and settings, indicating that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component. The Ryzen 9 7900X provides ample processing power, but the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demands.

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

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582). The deltaPct is 0.1% and -0.1%, respectively, indicating that they are performance equals in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the most consistent preset for a playable experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the most consistent, with an average frame rate of 41 FPS and a minimum of 35 FPS. This provides a stable experience. The Low preset is smoother at 66 FPS, but Medium offers better visual fidelity.

Q: Does the combo rank well compared to other tested systems?

A: No, the combo ranks at 2321 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower-middle percentile, indicating that its overall performance is below average for this game, primarily due to the GPU’s limitations.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the data points to the Low preset at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 78 FPS. This is the smoothest option and is ideal for players who prioritize frame rate over visual details. If a balance between visual quality and performance is desired, the Medium preset at 1080p is recommended, with an average of 49 FPS and a minimum of 41 FPS, ensuring a mostly consistent experience.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the highest playable option, with an average of 41 FPS. This should be the default setting for users with a 1440p monitor, as it provides a playable frame rate while maintaining some level of graphical fidelity. The Low preset at 1440p is also viable, with 66 FPS, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it for most players. High and Ultra presets are not recommended at 1440p, as they fall below 30 FPS.

For users attempting 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 52 FPS. However, the overall experience is likely to be inconsistent, and it is advised to lower the resolution to 1440p for a better experience. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it only achieves a maximum average of 28 FPS at 1080p, which is too low for a satisfying experience. Benchmark results suggest that this combo is best utilized at 1080p, where it can deliver a solid performance across most presets.