The Medium

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a fascinating case study in The Medium, a horror title known for its fixed-camera angles and dual-reality rendering. The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the GPU at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising potential at 1080p with lower settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS, component roles, and how this specific combination stacks up against the broader field of tested hardware.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this PC in The Medium?*

A: Based on the measured data, the best experience is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 78 FPS. This is the only configuration that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The next best is 2560x1440 on Low, which averages 66 FPS.

Q: How significant is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The gap is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 78 FPS on Low to 28 FPS on Ultra, representing a 64% decrease in performance. Similarly, at 1440p, the drop is from 66 FPS on Low to 23 FPS on Ultra.

Q: Does the game become more playable at 4K with this hardware?

A: Generally, no. At 3840x2160, the system only achieves a playable average of 52 FPS on Low settings. All other 4K presets, including Medium at 32 FPS and High at 23 FPS, fall below the ideal smoothness threshold. Ultra settings at 4K are unplayable, with an average of just 18 FPS.

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

A: The combination ranks 2321st out of 2911 tested combos for this game. This places it in the lower half of the performance spectrum, indicating that while it can run the game, it does not deliver top-tier performance.

Q: What is the CPU's performance profile relative to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177. It sits within a 1% performance delta of its nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 7H12 and the Intel Core i5-12450H, indicating a very tightly contested performance bracket.

Q: What are the GPU's memory specifications that are relevant to gaming?

A: The Intel Arc B570 features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in its performance, especially at higher resolutions where memory capacity and bandwidth become more critical.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the primary driver of performance in The Medium, and the data shows it is the limiting factor at resolutions above 1080p. The GPU's architecture, Xe2-HPG, is built on a 5 nm process by TSMC and features 2304 shading units. Its performance is anchored by a memory subsystem consisting of 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, which yields a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is crucial for a game like The Medium, which renders two distinct worlds simultaneously, requiring the GPU to shuttle large amounts of texture and frame buffer data.

The GPU's clock behavior is straightforward: both base and boost clocks are listed at 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). This fixed clock speed means performance scaling is entirely dependent on the workload's demands and the memory subsystem's ability to feed the processing units. The benchmark results demonstrate this clearly. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is overwhelmed, producing an average of just 18 FPS. This suggests the combination of the game's high-resolution textures and the dual-world rendering logic exceeds the Arc B570's fillrate and memory capacity, causing a severe bottleneck.

Interestingly, the GPU's overall performance percentile is 65, and its average benchmark score of 20556 places it in a tight competitive group. Its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, is only 0.1% behind, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% ahead. This indicates that the Arc B570 is a solid mid-range performer, but The Medium's specific rendering techniques at high settings are particularly demanding. The data implies that the 10 GB of VRAM might be sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the sheer computational load at 4K, combined with the dual-scene rendering, pushes the GPU past its limits, resulting in the sub-30 FPS averages seen at that resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced scaling pattern as resolution increases, clearly identifying the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p, the system shows its best performance, with Low settings reaching 78 FPS. However, moving to 1440p, the same Low settings see a drop to 66 FPS, a 15% decrease. This trend accelerates at 4K, where Low settings yield 52 FPS, a further 21% drop from 1440p. This scaling behavior is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the increased pixel count directly translates to a proportional increase in rendering workload.

The pattern is even more stark when examining the higher settings. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 35 at 1080p to 29 at 1440p (a 17% decrease) and then to 23 at 4K (a 21% decrease). This consistent degradation with resolution suggests that the Arc B570's processing power and memory bandwidth are being saturated. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-11400F with 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely not the primary bottleneck at these resolutions. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340, is adequate to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic at these frame rates.

The fact that the frame rate drops so steeply from 1080p to 4K, regardless of the preset, indicates that the game's visual complexity scales heavily with resolution. The Medium's fixed-camera angles often feature dense, detailed environments. At 4K, the GPU must process over four times the pixels of 1080p, and the data shows it simply does not have the horsepower to maintain playable frame rates on anything but the lowest settings. The implication is that for a smoother 4K experience, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the CPU appears to have enough headroom to support higher frame rates if the GPU could deliver them.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B570 holds a rank of 2321 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 21st percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 79% of tested configurations performed better. This ranking is a strong indicator that while this setup is functional, it is not optimized for high-end performance in this specific title. The rank reflects the GPU's struggles at higher resolutions and the overall average frame rates being below 60 FPS for most settings.

This low ranking is not necessarily a condemnation of the individual components. The CPU, for instance, performs well in general benchmarks. Its average benchmark score of 17177 places it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. However, this score is just a hair above its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, which has a score of 17120 and a deltaPct of 0.3%. This points to a very competitive mid-range CPU market. The GPU, similarly, is a competent performer in its class, with a percentile of 65 and an average score of 20556.

The issue lies in the synergy of this combination for The Medium. The game's specific demands, particularly its dual-world rendering, appear to penalize the Arc B570 heavily. While the CPU is capable, the GPU becomes a significant bottleneck. The ranking suggests that other combos, likely pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU or pairing a faster CPU with this GPU, would yield better results. The data implies that for users with this specific hardware, optimizing settings is crucial to achieving a playable experience, as the hardware's potential is capped by the GPU's performance in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear, resolution-by-resolution view of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the performance envelope is as follows:

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

Moving up to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease significantly:

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

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overburdened:

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

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the difference between Low and Medium settings is often relatively small, but the jump to High and Ultra incurs a massive performance penalty. For instance, at 1440p, moving from Medium (41 FPS) to High (29 FPS) is a 29% drop, while moving from High to Ultra (23 FPS) is another 21% drop. This suggests that High and Ultra presets enable computationally expensive effects that are disproportionately taxing on the Arc B570. The Medium settings appear to be the sweet spot for visual fidelity versus performance, but only at 1080p does it achieve a near-50 FPS average.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings for this hardware depend on the user's priority for frame rate versus visual quality. For a target of 60 FPS or higher, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only clear choice, delivering a 78 FPS average. This ensures smooth gameplay, which is critical for a horror title where responsiveness and atmosphere are key. The 1440p Low preset, at 66 FPS, is also viable for those with a higher-resolution monitor who can tolerate slightly lower settings.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity and can accept a lower frame rate, the Medium preset is the most balanced option. At 1080p, it provides a 49 FPS average, which is playable, though not perfectly smooth. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 41 FPS, which is a more cinematic experience but with a higher risk of noticeable stutter. The data indicates that the High and Ultra presets are not recommended. They consistently produce averages below 35 FPS at any resolution, which falls into a range that is often considered too choppy for a game that relies on tension and precise timing.

The recommendation is clear: to get the best experience from this combo, one must sacrifice visual presets for resolution or vice versa. Choosing 1080p Medium offers a good compromise between the game's artistic detail and a fluid frame rate. Alternatively, 1440p Low provides a sharper image but with simpler graphics. The measured minimum FPS values for Medium settings (41 at 1080p, 35 at 1440p) are also important; they show that the frame rate is relatively stable, which is preferable to a higher average with severe dips.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F plays a supporting, yet essential, role in this configuration. As a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, it provides a solid foundation for gaming. Its base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz are respectable, and its 12 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game data locality. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU performs well, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024, indicating a strong balance between multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and the orchestration of the dual-world rendering. The 12 threads are sufficient for modern games, and the data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The FPS scaling with resolution is a clear indicator of GPU limitation; if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see similar frame rates across different resolutions. Instead, the frame rates drop consistently as resolution increases, which points to the GPU being the limiting factor.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is also notable. Its average benchmark score of 17177 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 7H12 (17120) and Intel Core i5-12450H (17239), with deltaPct values of 0.3% and -0.4% respectively. This places it in a performance tier where it is neither a standout nor a laggard. For this game, the CPU provides enough headroom to feed the Arc B570 at 1080p and 1440p, but its potential is capped by the GPU's inability to render frames faster. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield a significant performance boost, whereas upgrading the CPU alone would likely result in minimal gains for The Medium.