The Medium

The Medium presents a uniquely demanding scenario for the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B390, a combination that lands near the bottom of the database. The measured frame rates are consistently low across all settings, placing this config at rank 2581 out of 2911 tested combos. This indicates a severe performance bottleneck that is instructive to analyze, as the data reveals a system struggling to maintain playable frame rates even at the lowest graphical presets.

The Arc B390, with its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, a figure that places it in direct competition with legacy parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and the GeForce GT 710. The pairing with a high-end 14-core CPU like the i5-14600KF creates a stark imbalance, where the processor's substantial compute potential is entirely held back by the integrated graphics solution. This analysis will dissect the measured FPS data to understand the nature of this bottleneck and what it means for the game's playability.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas as resolution increases are counter-intuitive for a typical gaming system. Usually, a drop in resolution leads to a significant jump in frame rate as the GPU workload lightens. However, the data for this combo shows a much more subdued scaling pattern, which is the first major clue that the GPU is not the only limiting factor. Going from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 51 to 43, a reduction of 8 frames. Moving further to 3840x2160 at Low settings, the average falls to 34 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K Low is a 17 FPS drop, or about a 33% reduction.

This is a surprisingly shallow curve for a resolution increase that quadruples the pixel count. In a GPU-bound scenario, the frame rate would typically be cut by more than half when moving from 1080p to 4K, as the render target size expands dramatically. The fact that the Arc B390 only loses a third of its performance suggests that the workload is not purely pixel-bound. Instead, the data implies a significant portion of the frame time is being consumed by other tasks, likely related to CPU-side game logic or driver overhead, which does not scale with resolution. The Intel Core i5-14600KF is powerful, but the game's engine may not be efficiently utilizing its 14 cores (20 threads) in a way that compensates for the GPU's fundamental lack of throughput.

At High settings, the pattern repeats. The average FPS is 23 at 1080p, 19 at 1440p, and 15 at 4K. This is a remarkably small range of just 8 FPS across all three resolutions. If the graphics card were the sole constraint, we would expect the 4K High result to be a fraction of the 1080p High result. The tight grouping of these numbers strongly suggests a hard limit on performance that is independent of resolution. This points to a bottleneck in the rendering pipeline that is not related to pixel shading or fill rate, but rather to geometry processing, draw calls, or another CPU-influenced stage.

The Medium settings, which have min/max data, provide further insight. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from 27 to 37 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it’s 23 to 31 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it’s 18 to 24 FPS. The minimum frame rates are particularly telling; they don't collapse as resolution increases, which would be a sign of GPU memory or bandwidth saturation. Instead, they decline gradually, reinforcing the theory that the CPU is struggling to feed the GPU with enough data to keep it consistently busy, resulting in a performance ceiling that the resolution changes can only modestly influence.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is configured as an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor), sharing system memory rather than having its own dedicated VRAM. This is a fundamental architectural point that heavily influences the results. The memory type is "System Shared," with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This means the GPU's performance is tied to the speed and bandwidth of the system's DDR4 or DDR5 memory, which is a significant handicap compared to a discrete card with its own high-speed VRAM.

The GPU's specifications reveal its limited capacity. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. This results in a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, with an FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS. While these numbers are not negligible, they are characteristic of a low-power, integrated solution rather than a gaming-focused discrete GPU. The 80W TDP and lack of any power connectors further cement its position as a power-efficient part for portable devices, not a desktop gaming workhorse.

The benchmark results confirm this. A 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% slower) and the GeForce 800M (1.5% slower). These are ancient, entry-level mobile parts. The data shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor in this configuration. However, the resolution scaling analysis suggests it is not the only one. The game's performance is so low that the CPU's inability to generate frames fast enough for the GPU to render becomes a secondary, yet visible, cap on performance. The GPU is the bottleneck, but the CPU is not entirely blameless given the poor scaling.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Core i5-14600KF and Arc B390 achieves a rank of 2581 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 11% of all system configurations in the database for this specific game. The rank is a direct reflection of the average FPS scores across all tested resolutions and settings, which are uniformly low.

To contextualize this rank, it is important to look at the individual components. The CPU is a top-tier performer in general benchmarks, holding the 90th percentile across all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in overall CPU performance are the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.3% faster), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% faster), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (0.8% faster). This shows that the processor is not the reason for the low ranking; it is more than capable of handling modern game logic.

Conversely, the GPU is a bottom-tier performer, sitting in the 9th percentile across all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster). The massive gulf between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's low percentile creates a system where the GPU is overwhelmingly the weakest link. The combo's low rank in The Medium is therefore almost entirely attributable to the Arc B390's inability to render the game at a playable frame rate, despite the powerful CPU sitting idle for much of the time.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance. Across all sixteen data points, the average frame rates range from a low of 12 FPS to a high of 51 FPS. No configuration achieves an average of 60 FPS, and only the 1080p Low setting comes close, with 51 FPS. This is a clear indication that the system is not suitable for high-refresh-rate gaming in this title.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 51 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS (with a range of 27 to 37), High averages 23 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steep decline, with the Ultra setting delivering only 35% of the performance of the Low setting. The 1080p Low setting is the only one that approaches a playable frame rate, though it may still suffer from stutters and inconsistent frame pacing.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops further. Low averages 43 FPS, Medium averages 27 FPS (with a range of 23 to 31), High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. The 1440p Low setting is the only one here that is marginally playable, but it is already below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for a smooth experience. The Ultra setting at 15 FPS is effectively a slideshow.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes untenable. Low averages 34 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (with a range of 18 to 24), High averages 15 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS. The 4K Ultra setting is the worst performer, with an average of 12 FPS. The data confirms that this combo cannot handle 4K gaming in The Medium under any settings, and even the Low preset fails to provide a consistently smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Medium at a stable 60 FPS?

A: No. The measured data shows that no resolution or settings combination achieves a 60 FPS average. The highest average FPS recorded is 51 at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: What is the best-case scenario for this hardware in this game?

A: The best-case scenario is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 51 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches a playable frame rate, though it is still below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its closest rivals in raw performance?

A: According to the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark, the Arc B390 scores 1482, which is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600KF the reason for the low frame rates?

A: No. The CPU benchmarks in the 90th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 49394. Its performance is not the limiting factor; the GPU is.

Q: What is the difference in performance between 1080p Low and 4K Low?

A: The average FPS drops from 51 at 1080p Low to 34 at 4K Low. This is a 17 FPS decrease, which is a relatively small penalty for a 4x increase in pixel count, indicating a non-GPU bottleneck.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a better experience than Medium?

A: No. The Ultra preset consistently delivers lower average FPS than Medium at all resolutions. For example, at 1440p, Ultra averages 15 FPS while Medium averages 27 FPS. The visual fidelity increase does not compensate for the severe performance loss.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable configuration for this system is 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This setting produces an average frame rate of 51 FPS, which is the closest to a playable standard that this combo can achieve. While not perfect, it is the only option that avoids the sub-30 FPS territory that dominates all other settings.

The Medium preset, while offering better visual quality, drops the average FPS to 32 at 1080p, with a minimum frame rate of 27. This is a significant step down in smoothness and could lead to a less responsive experience. The data shows that the performance cost of moving from Low to Medium is a 19 FPS reduction, which is a 37% performance hit. For a game like The Medium, which relies on atmosphere and tension, a fluctuating 27-37 FPS range is likely to be a worse experience than a consistent 51 FPS.

All High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable, with average FPS figures ranging from 12 to 23. These settings should be avoided entirely. The 4K resolution is also not a viable option, as even the Low setting only produces 34 FPS. The recommendation is clear: to achieve the best possible experience with this hardware, players must use 1080p and the Low preset, and accept that the game will not run at a high frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a powerful desktop processor with 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficient) and 20 threads, capable of boosting up to 5.30 GHz. Its architecture, Raptor Lake-R, is built on a 10nm process. In synthetic benchmarks, it excels, scoring 32544 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4594 in single-core. This performance profile places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, being just 0.3% faster in average benchmark score. This indicates that the CPU has more than enough processing power for the demands of The Medium.

However, the gaming data shows that this raw power is not being translated into frame rate. The shallow FPS scaling across resolutions is a classic sign of a CPU bottleneck, but in this case, it seems paradoxical given the CPU's strength. The explanation lies in the fact that the GPU is so weak that it cannot fully utilize the frames the CPU can produce. The CPU is likely waiting for the GPU to finish rendering, meaning it is not the bottleneck, but its performance is capped by the GPU's output. Yet, the scaling pattern suggests there is some CPU-side inefficiency as well, perhaps in the game's engine or driver overhead, that prevents the CPU from fully compensating for the GPU's weaknesses.

The CPU's role here is to provide a stable platform for the game's logic and physics, which it does admirably. The problem is that the Arc B390 is the limiting factor. The i5-14600KF is a high-performance part that could easily drive a much more powerful discrete GPU. In this pairing, it is effectively wasted, as the system's overall performance is constrained by the integrated graphics. The data shows a system with a 90th-percentile brain and a 9th-percentile pair of hands, and the hands are what determine the final output.