The Medium

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 in The Medium produces a severely GPU-limited experience, with performance placing the combo at rank 2581 out of 2911 tested configurations. The data shows that this system is only capable of playable frame rates at the lowest settings, and even then, it barely exceeds 50 FPS at 1080p. The bottleneck is unequivocally the integrated graphics solution, which struggles to keep pace with even a modest six-core, twelve-thread CPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In the context of The Medium, a horror title that often loads multiple threads for rendering and game logic, this CPU provides a solid foundation. Its benchmark scores—such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and a Passmark multithread score of 18747—indicate it has ample headroom for the game’s CPU demands. The single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Geekbench single-core score of 1848, ensuring that the game’s primary simulation thread is well-fed.

However, the benchmark results across all resolutions and settings reveal that this CPU’s capabilities are largely untapped. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 51 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 18 FPS. This dramatic scaling with graphics settings is a classic sign that the graphics processor, not the CPU, is the limiting factor. The CPU’s 3DMark scores, including a max-thread score of 5890 and a single-thread score of 910, suggest it could sustain much higher frame rates if paired with a more capable GPU. The processor’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide sufficient data locality for the game’s assets, further confirming that it is not the source of the performance bottleneck.

The data indicates that the i5-12400 is effectively idle during most of the gaming session, as the frame rates are dictated by the GPU’s rendering throughput. The CPU’s position in the broader market, at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, reinforces that it is a mid-range performer that should not be the reason for low FPS in a 2021 title like The Medium. When compared to its nearest rivals, it performs essentially identically, with a delta of -0.1% against the AMD EPYC 7643 and -0.3% against the Intel Core i7-1355U. This parity suggests that any of these CPUs would yield the same gaming experience in this specific configuration, which is to say, a GPU-bound one.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. As an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 3 nm Panther Lake chip, it is architecturally modern but severely constrained by its hardware resources. With 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, its raw compute is limited, reflected in a FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS. The GPU’s benchmark score is telling: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of just 1482 places it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is among the weakest performers in the database.

The Arc B390’s memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s main memory for both capacity and bandwidth, which is "System Dependent." This is a critical weakness for The Medium, a game known for its detailed environments and streaming assets. The lack of dedicated VRAM forces the GPU to contend with the CPU for memory access, leading to significant performance degradation. The GPU’s clock speeds, with a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz, cannot compensate for the memory bottleneck. The result is a GPU that manages only 15 FPS at 4K High and 23 FPS at 1080p High, numbers that are simply not viable for a smooth experience.

The benchmark data shows that the Arc B390 is comparable to ancient discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which it beats by only 1.3%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which it beats by 2.7%. This positions the Arc B390 as a solution for basic display output, not for gaming. The GPU’s RT cores, of which there are 12, are present but likely underutilized due to the overall lack of processing power. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are theoretical maximums that the shared memory system prevents from being realized in practice. The conclusion is clear: the Arc B390 is the primary reason for the low frame rates observed.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet severe scaling pattern as resolution increases, confirming the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 51 FPS. When moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 43 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 34 FPS. This scaling is roughly linear with the increase in pixel count, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has no trouble maintaining these frame rates, as evidenced by the fact that the i5-12400’s performance metrics are far above what would be needed for even the 4K Low result.

The pattern is more pronounced at higher settings. At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 32 FPS at 1080p to 27 FPS at 1440p and 21 FPS at 4K. At High settings, the drop is from 23 FPS at 1080p to 19 FPS at 1440p and 15 FPS at 4K. This shows that the GPU’s rendering workload scales directly with resolution, and the integrated graphics unit simply cannot handle the increased pixel throughput. The Ultra preset offers the worst scaling, with 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K, a mere 6 FPS difference between the lowest and highest resolutions, indicating that the GPU is already saturated at 1080p Ultra.

The data suggests that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU’s workload does not change with pixel count. Instead, the consistent FPS drops with each resolution increase point directly to the Arc B390’s inability to process the higher resolution buffers. The fact that the 4K Low (34 FPS) is higher than the 1080p Ultra (18 FPS) is a stark illustration that the graphics settings have a more profound impact on performance than resolution, further underscoring the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured performance data, the only viable settings for this configuration are the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 51 FPS, which is the only setting and resolution combination that approaches playability. The 1440p Low preset yields 43 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users on a lower-refresh-rate monitor, while the 4K Low preset at 34 FPS is borderline. Any setting above Low results in frame rates below 33 FPS at 1080p, which is not suitable for a smooth gaming experience.

The Medium preset at 1080p provides 32 FPS, which is playable but not ideal, and the frame rate variance (min 27 FPS, max 37 FPS) suggests potential stuttering. The High preset at 1080p drops to 23 FPS, which is too low for consistent gameplay, and the Ultra preset at 18 FPS is unplayable. The benchmark results indicate that the Arc B390’s shared memory architecture cannot handle the increased texture detail and effects of higher presets, leading to a significant performance penalty. For the best experience per the measured rows, users should select the Low preset and accept the lower visual fidelity to maintain a playable frame rate.

The data does not support any other recommendation. The 1440p Low preset, with 43 FPS, is a reasonable alternative for users with a 1440p display who prioritize resolution over detail. However, the 1080p Low preset offers the highest frame rate and the most stable experience. The Medium preset is a compromise, but the frame rate is often below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable title. Therefore, the Low preset is the only setting that delivers a consistent, playable experience across the board, and it should be the default choice for this hardware combination.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 1080p with High settings?*

A: No. The benchmark results show an average of 23 FPS at 1080p High, which is below the playable threshold. The GPU is the limiting factor, and even at 1080p, the Arc B390 cannot handle the High preset’s demands.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo?

A: According to the data, 1080p with the Low preset offers the highest average frame rate at 51 FPS. While 1440p Low achieves 43 FPS, the 1080p resolution provides the most headroom for consistent performance.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 or the Intel Arc B390 the bottleneck?

A: The data clearly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rates scale directly with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of GPU limitation. The CPU’s high benchmark scores and the fact that it is at the 72nd percentile of all CPUs suggest it is far more capable than the integrated graphics.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The Arc B390’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it at the 9th percentile of all GPUs. It performs within 1.3% of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and within 2.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, indicating it is in the lowest performance tier.

Q: Is the Ultra preset ever playable with this hardware?

A: No. The Ultra preset yields an average of 18 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. These frame rates are far too low for any practical gaming, making the Ultra preset entirely unviable for this configuration.

Q: What is the frame rate variance at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from a minimum of 27 FPS to a maximum of 37 FPS, with an average of 32 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 23 to 31 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 18 to 24 FPS, all of which indicate inconsistent performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080

• Low: 51 FPS average.
• Medium: 32 FPS average, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS.
• High: 23 FPS average.
• Ultra: 18 FPS average.

2560x1440

• Low: 43 FPS average.
• Medium: 27 FPS average, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS.
• High: 19 FPS average.
• Ultra: 15 FPS average.

3840x2160

• Low: 34 FPS average.
• Medium: 21 FPS average, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS.
• High: 15 FPS average.
• Ultra: 12 FPS average.