The Medium

The Medium is a horror title built around fixed-camera angles and heavy atmosphere, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 shows a system that is consistently GPU-bound across all tested resolutions. The Arc B390, an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, produces playable frame rates only at the lowest settings, while higher presets push the combination into slideshow territory. Benchmark results indicate that this pairing ranks 2581 out of 2911 tested combos in this game, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. The Core i5-10400F, a 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake processor with a 2.90 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost clock, is not the limiting factor here; the integrated GPU’s performance ceiling is the story.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but steep decline as resolution increases, and the pattern is consistent across every settings preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo delivers 51 FPS average, which is the only measured result that approaches smooth gameplay. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops the average to 43 FPS, a 15.7% reduction, and at 3840x2160 Low the average falls to 34 FPS, another 20.9% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling curve is typical of a GPU that is already near its limits at 1080p; the integrated Arc B390 does not have enough headroom to maintain playable rates as pixel count grows.

The Medium settings preset tells a similar story with lower absolute numbers. At 1080p Medium, the average is 32 FPS, which falls to 27 FPS at 1440p (a 15.6% decrease) and then to 21 FPS at 4K (a 22.2% decrease from 1440p). The min and max FPS values for Medium settings confirm the instability: at 1080p the range is 27 to 37 FPS, at 1440p it is 23 to 31 FPS, and at 4K it is 18 to 24 FPS. These narrow bands suggest that the GPU is consistently saturated, with no CPU-related stuttering or frame time spikes, because the bottleneck is purely the rendering pipeline.

High settings show a more severe resolution penalty. The 1080p High average is 23 FPS, dropping to 19 FPS at 1440p (17.4% lower) and then to 15 FPS at 4K (21.1% lower than 1440p). Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops between resolutions for Ultra are 16.7% from 1080p to 1440p and 20% from 1440p to 4K. Across all four presets, the resolution scaling factor is remarkably uniform, hovering around 15-22% per step, which indicates that the GPU’s fillrate and shading throughput are the dominant constraints, not memory bandwidth or CPU geometry processing.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, Low (51 FPS) is 183% faster than Ultra (18 FPS). At 1440p, Low (43 FPS) is 187% faster than Ultra (15 FPS). At 4K, Low (34 FPS) is 183% faster than Ultra (12 FPS). This consistent ratio suggests the rendering workload scales linearly with both resolution and settings, and the integrated GPU has no architectural advantage that could mitigate the combined load. The limiting component is unequivocally the Intel Arc B390, as the Core i5-10400F’s 12 threads and 12 MB of shared L3 cache are more than adequate for a title that is primarily GPU-bound at these frame rates.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in every measured frame rate, and its specifications explain why the results are so low. This integrated GPU, built on Intel’s 3 nm process, has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. With 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, the B390 offers theoretical pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput is 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1). These are not trivial numbers for an iGPU, but they are far below what discrete graphics solutions deliver, and the game’s performance data reflects that reality.

The memory configuration is a critical weakness. The Arc B390 uses System Shared memory, with the bus width, bandwidth, and total size all listed as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the CPU’s DDR4 dual-channel memory, which has a theoretical bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s for the Core i5-10400F. In practice, shared memory incurs latency penalties and bandwidth contention that discrete VRAM avoids. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (12 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (18 FPS) suggests that the shared memory subsystem cannot keep up with the texture and buffer demands of higher presets, even though the shading units are also strained.

The GPU’s benchmark results place it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals are all ancient or low-end parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, delta 1.3%), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, delta 1.5%), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, delta 2.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, delta 2.7%). This places the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as a GT 710, which is a card from 2014 that was never intended for modern gaming. The delta percentages against these rivals are all positive, meaning the B390 is slightly faster, but the margin is 2.7% or less, which is within run-to-run variance.

The GPU’s 12 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support are present on paper, but the measured data shows no scenario where these features translate into playable performance. The Medium settings at 1080p, which likely enable some ray-traced effects, still only produce 32 FPS average. The game’s horror atmosphere relies on volumetric lighting and reflections, which are computationally expensive, and the B390’s 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is insufficient for these workloads at any resolution above 720p. The TDP of 80 W for the iGPU, with no power connectors and a slot width of IGP, confirms that this is a power-constrained design, not a performance-oriented part.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 51 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. No other settings or resolution combination exceeds this value; 1440p Low produces 43 FPS and 4K Low produces 34 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-10400F or the Intel Arc B390 the bottleneck?

A: The Arc B390 is the limiting component. The CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads with a 4.30 GHz boost clock, and its benchmark scores (e.g., 10283 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are far above what this game needs. The GPU ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GT 710 and GT 625 OEM, which are entry-level parts from over a decade ago.

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

A: The B390’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% slower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% slower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% slower). The B390 is the fastest of this group, but the margins are under 3%.

Q: What are the min and max FPS values for Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the min is 27 FPS and max is 37 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the min is 23 FPS and max is 31 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the min is 18 FPS and max is 24 FPS. No min or max values are listed for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2581 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 11.3% of all systems, which is consistent with the low GPU percentile and the sub-60 FPS results at every settings and resolution combination.

Q: Does the game support ray tracing on this GPU?

A: The Arc B390 has 12 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), so the hardware capability exists. However, the measured FPS at Ultra settings (which would include heavier ray tracing) is 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, indicating that ray tracing is not practical on this hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS table for the Intel Core i5-10400F + Intel Arc B390 in The Medium is as follows, organized by resolution and settings.

1920x1080:

• Low: 51 FPS average
• Medium: 32 FPS average (min 27, max 37)
• High: 23 FPS average
• Ultra: 18 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 43 FPS average
• Medium: 27 FPS average (min 23, max 31)
• High: 19 FPS average
• Ultra: 15 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 34 FPS average
• Medium: 21 FPS average (min 18, max 24)
• High: 15 FPS average
• Ultra: 12 FPS average

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings are the only preset that reaches 30+ FPS at any resolution, and even then only at 1080p (51) and 1440p (43). Medium settings break the 30 FPS barrier only at 1080p (32), while High and Ultra never exceed 23 FPS at any resolution. The jump from Low to Medium costs 19 FPS at 1080p (from 51 to 32), 16 FPS at 1440p (from 43 to 27), and 13 FPS at 4K (from 34 to 21). The jump from Medium to High costs 9 FPS at 1080p (32 to 23), 8 FPS at 1440p (27 to 19), and 6 FPS at 4K (21 to 15). The jump from High to Ultra costs 5 FPS at 1080p (23 to 18), 4 FPS at 1440p (19 to 15), and 3 FPS at 4K (15 to 12).

These stepwise reductions are nearly linear, which is unusual for a game where higher presets often introduce nonlinear effects like dynamic shadows or ambient occlusion. The linearity suggests that the Arc B390 is simply running out of raw shading throughput, and each settings tier adds proportional work. The min and max FPS values for Medium settings show that the frame time consistency degrades as resolution increases: the 1080p range is 10 FPS wide (27 to 37), the 1440p range is 8 FPS wide (23 to 31), and the 4K range is 6 FPS wide (18 to 24). The narrower range at 4K is not a sign of stability; it reflects that the GPU is so saturated that FPS cannot vary much above the floor.

For Low settings, the 1080p result of 51 FPS is the only measurement that would be considered playable for a horror game, which typically benefits from smooth camera movement. The 1440p Low result of 43 FPS is borderline, but the 4K Low result of 34 FPS is likely to feel stuttery during fast transitions. For all other settings, the FPS is below 32, which is below the threshold for comfortable third-person exploration. The measured data includes no FPS values above 51, and no combination of resolution and settings achieves 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank in game is 2581 out of 2911 tested combos, which puts it at the 88.7th percentile from the bottom, or the 11.3rd percentile from the top. This is a very low ranking, and it aligns with the GPU’s 9th percentile standing among all GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, is in the 68th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. The Core i5-10400F’s nearest CPU rivals are the Intel Xeon 6756E (score 14163, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core 7 160UL (score 14232, delta -0.3%), the AMD EPYC 7552 (score 14115, delta 0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (score 14277, delta -0.6%). These deltas are all within 0.6%, meaning the CPU is essentially tied with these parts in synthetic benchmarks.

The disparity between the CPU’s 68th percentile and the GPU’s 9th percentile explains why the combo ranks so poorly. In The Medium, the CPU is never the bottleneck, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1080p Low (51 FPS), the frame rate is not CPU-limited. The Core i5-10400F’s Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10283 and single-core score of 1451 are more than sufficient for a game that relies on fixed cameras and scripted sequences. The GPU’s 3DMark score of 1482, which is 1.3% to 2.7% faster than the GT 520MX, GT 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, places it firmly in the "legacy integrated" tier.

The ranking of 2581 out of 2911 means that only 330 combos are slower than this one. Those slower combos would likely feature older integrated graphics or severely underclocked laptop parts. The Arc B390’s nearest rivals in GPU performance are all discrete cards from the early 2010s, which suggests that this combo is roughly equivalent to a 2012-era budget gaming laptop. The 2911 total combos tested likely include a wide range of modern discrete GPUs, from the RTX 4060 to the RX 7800 XT, all of which would rank far higher. The data indicates that this combo is not suitable for The Medium at any settings above Low, and even Low at 4K (34 FPS) is a stretch.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear path for the best experience on this hardware. The only settings preset that consistently delivers playable frame rates is Low, and even then only at 1080p and 1440p. At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 51, which is above the 30 FPS threshold typically considered minimum for a slow-paced horror game. At 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 43 FPS, still playable but with more noticeable frame pacing. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 34 FPS, which is borderline and likely to feel choppy during camera transitions.

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, 1920x1080 with Low settings is the recommended configuration. This produces 51 FPS, the highest measured result, and allows the game’s horror atmosphere to be experienced without constant stutter. The Medium preset at 1080p (32 FPS) is technically above 30 FPS, but the min FPS of 27 indicates that it will dip below that threshold during demanding scenes, which could ruin the tension. The High preset at 1080p (23 FPS) and the Ultra preset at 1080p (18 FPS) are both below the playable threshold and should be avoided.

If the user is willing to accept lower resolution, 2560x1440 Low at 43 FPS is the second-best option, offering more detail but with a 15.7% performance penalty compared to 1080p Low. However, the fixed-camera angles in The Medium mean that resolution has less impact on gameplay than frame rate, so 1080p Low is the safer choice. At 4K, no settings preset is recommended, as the highest average is 34 FPS at Low, which is still below the ideal 60 FPS and likely to cause motion sickness in a game with slow panning shots.

The data shows that the Arc B390 cannot handle the Medium preset’s extra effects (likely improved shadows and reflections) at any resolution without dropping below 32 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 37% of the FPS at 1080p (51 to 32), which is a massive hit for a single settings tier. This suggests that the Medium preset enables features that are disproportionately expensive on this iGPU, possibly related to its 12 ray tracing cores. Users should stay on Low settings for the entire playthrough, as the visual upgrade from Low to Medium is not worth the frame rate loss. The Ultra preset is the worst choice, producing 12 FPS at 4K and 18 FPS at 1080p, which is unplayable by any standard.