The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror game that stresses both GPU and CPU, and the measured data for the Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 places this combination in the 2581st position out of 2911 tested combos in this title. That ranking, which sits in the bottom 11% of all configurations, reflects a system where the processor is a top-tier performer but the graphics solution is severely constrained, creating a profound imbalance that defines every framerate result in this dataset.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 2581 out of 2911 combos is a decisive indicator that this pairing struggles in The Medium. The rank places the system in the bottom percentile of tested configurations, meaning the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average framerates. The data shows a consistent pattern: regardless of resolution or settings, the Intel Arc B390 becomes the limiting factor, dragging down what would otherwise be a high-end platform.

The CPU in this combo, the Intel Core i7-14700K, sits in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, which signals exceptional processing capability. Its average benchmark score of 69355 places it nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 9115, which scores 69288 with a deltaPct of 0.1. The Core i7-14700K also edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, which has an average score of 69515 and a deltaPct of -0.2. These rival comparisons show the processor is competitive with flagship server and desktop parts, yet the combo rank is dragged down by the GPU.

The GPU, Intel Arc B390, holds a percentileVsAllGpus of 9, meaning it outperforms only 9% of all graphics cards in the database. Its average benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 places it just ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 with a deltaPct of 1.3. The Arc B390 also edges out the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, deltaPct 1.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, deltaPct 2.5). These are all entry-level or legacy parts, confirming that the GPU is the primary reason this combo ranks so low in The Medium.

Benchmark results indicate that the combination of a 94th-percentile CPU with a 9th-percentile GPU creates a scenario where the system's gaming performance is capped by the weakest component. In The Medium specifically, the game's rendering demands overwhelm the Arc B390, and the CPU's power cannot compensate. The rank of 2581 out of 2911 is a clear verdict: this is a bottom-tier configuration for this game, despite the processor's strength.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive component in this combo's performance, and its specifications explain why the measured framerates are so low. The GPU is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a Panther Lake chip, fabricated on a 3 nm process node from Intel. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, which are the only clock figures available in the data. The memory configuration is System Shared, meaning the GPU relies on system RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with memory type and bus width both listed as System Shared and bandwidth described as System Dependent.

The GPU's compute resources are modest: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. It includes 12 ray tracing cores, which is notable for a low-end part, but the raw throughput figures tell the story. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, and the FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1). These numbers place the Arc B390 in a performance class that is far below what The Medium requires for smooth gameplay.

The GPU's TDP is 80 W, and it is classified as an IGP with a slot width of "IGP," meaning it is an integrated graphics solution. It uses no power connectors and has a bus interface of IGP, with display outputs described as Portable Device Dependent. This is not a discrete add-in card; it is an integrated solution designed for mobile or low-power systems, which explains its positioning in the 9th percentile against all GPUs.

In the context of The Medium, the GPU's limitations manifest directly in the measured FPS data. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 12, which is unplayable. The GPU's shared memory architecture means it competes with the CPU for system memory bandwidth, and the 80 W TDP limits sustained performance. The DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are present, but they do not overcome the fundamental lack of compute and memory resources. The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at every resolution and settings level, with the CPU's capabilities left largely unused.

FAQ

Q: Why does this combo rank so low in The Medium despite having a powerful CPU?

A: The combo ranks 2581 out of 2911 because the Intel Arc B390 GPU sits in the 9th percentile against all GPUs, while the Intel Core i7-14700K sits in the 94th percentile against all CPUs. The GPU's average benchmark score of 1482 is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, indicating it is far too weak for this game, and the CPU cannot compensate for that bottleneck.

Q: What is the best measured framerate this combo achieves in The Medium?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 51, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution with Medium settings, the average drops to 32 FPS, and at High it falls to 23 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 yields only 18 FPS on average.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), and 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446). These deltas are small, placing the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as those legacy parts.

Q: What is the CPU's benchmark performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has an average benchmark score of 69355. That is 0.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 9115 (69288), 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515), 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875), and 0.9% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996). The CPU is essentially on par with these high-end parts.

Q: Does the GPU have dedicated VRAM, and how does that affect performance?

A: The GPU uses System Shared memory, with memory size, type, and bus width all listed as System Shared, and bandwidth as System Dependent. This means it has no dedicated VRAM and relies on system memory, which contributes to the low average FPS values, such as 15 FPS at 3840x2160 High and 19 FPS at 2560x1440 High.

Q: What are the GPU's clock speeds and how do they relate to the game's results?

A: The base clock is 300 MHz and the boost clock is 2500 MHz. These clocks, combined with 1536 shading units and an FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS, produce the measured results where the highest average FPS is 51 at 1080p Low, and the lowest is 12 at 4K Ultra. The clocks do not vary in the data, so the framerate differences come entirely from resolution and settings changes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in The Medium reveals a clear hierarchy across resolutions and settings, with no configuration reaching what would be considered smooth gameplay. The dataset includes average FPS for every combination, with min and max FPS only provided for Medium settings at each resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently poor. The High preset yields an average FPS of 15, while the Low preset improves to 34 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 24. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 12 FPS, the lowest recorded value in the entire dataset. These numbers show that 4K is not viable for this combo, with even Low settings barely reaching 34 FPS, which is below the threshold for acceptable gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440 provides a modest improvement but remains insufficient. High settings average 19 FPS, while Low settings average 43 FPS. Medium settings average 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31. The Ultra preset averages 15 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that the GPU is still heavily taxed, and no settings level achieves the 60 FPS mark that would be ideal for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best-case scenario emerges. Low settings achieve an average of 51 FPS, which is the highest number in the entire measured dataset. Medium settings average 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 37. High settings average 23 FPS, and Ultra settings average 18 FPS. Even at 1080p, only Low settings break the 50 FPS barrier, and the gap between Low and Medium is substantial, a 19 FPS drop that suggests the GPU's resource limits are quickly exceeded as quality increases.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Low settings always deliver the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, then Ultra. This ordering is expected, but the magnitude of the differences is notable. At 1080p, the spread from Low (51 FPS) to Ultra (18 FPS) is 33 FPS, while at 1440p the spread is 28 FPS (43 to 15), and at 4K it is 22 FPS (34 to 12). The data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is low, and each settings increment costs a significant portion of framerate.

The min and max FPS values for Medium settings provide additional context. At 4K Medium, the range is 18 to 24 FPS, a narrow band that indicates consistent, but very slow, performance. At 1440p Medium, the range is 23 to 31 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it is 27 to 37 FPS. These ranges show that the game does not have severe frame-time spikes at Medium settings, but the absolute values are too low for a smooth experience. The lack of min and max data for other settings means no further conclusions can be drawn about frame-time consistency.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture with a Raptor Lake-R codename. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3 cache. It is fabricated on a 10 nm process node from Intel, with a die size of 257 mm².

In benchmark tests, the Core i7-14700K demonstrates strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 33440.5, while the single-core score is 2160. Geekbench results show a multi-core score of 20767 and a single-core score of 2569. PassMark tests reveal a multi-thread score of 52392 and a single-thread score of 4472. The CPU also excels in specialized tests: PassMark data compression scores 695234, data encryption scores 40091, extended instructions score 40632, floating point math scores 134222, and integer math scores 182876. These numbers place the CPU in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69355.

Despite this processing power, the CPU's role in The Medium is secondary because the GPU is the bottleneck. The game's measured FPS values are so low that the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are not fully utilized; the Arc B390 cannot feed frames fast enough to stress the processor. For example, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 51, which is the highest in the dataset, but even this figure does not require the CPU's full multi-core capability. The CPU's boost clock of 5.60 GHz and large L3 cache would be advantageous in CPU-bound scenarios, but the data shows the game is GPU-bound at every settings level.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmarks are all AMD parts. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69288, a deltaPct of 0.1% lower than the Core i7-14700K. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, a deltaPct of -0.2%, meaning it is 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, a deltaPct of -0.7%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996, a deltaPct of -0.9%. These deltas are all within 1%, indicating that the Core i7-14700K is performance-equivalent to these rivals, but none of that matters in The Medium because the GPU limits the system.

The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, along with its dual-channel memory bus, provides flexibility, but the GPU's System Shared memory architecture may compete for bandwidth. The CPU's integrated graphics, UHD Graphics 770, is present but not used in this configuration. The processor's launch MSRP is $409, which reflects its high-end positioning, and its production status is Active. For this game, the CPU's role is to provide a stable platform that never becomes the limiting factor, but that advantage is rendered moot by the GPU's severe constraints.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable settings for this combo in The Medium are at 1920x1080 with Low quality, which produces an average FPS of 51. This is the sole configuration that exceeds 50 FPS, and it is the recommended choice for any attempt at playable performance. The 51 FPS average at 1080p Low is still below the 60 FPS target, but it is the best the hardware can deliver.

At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average drops to 32 FPS, which is a significant decline from Low. The difference of 19 FPS indicates that the Medium preset's additional visual effects overwhelm the GPU's 1536 shading units and 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The min FPS of 27 at Medium means the game will dip into the mid-20s during demanding scenes, which is uncomfortable for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and timing.

For 2560x1440, the data shows that Low settings average 43 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings at 1440p average 27 FPS, and High settings drop to 19 FPS. The 1440p Low preset is the second-best option, but it requires a resolution reduction from 1080p to achieve only a 8 FPS improvement, indicating diminishing returns. At 3840x2160, even Low settings average only 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 12 FPS, making 4K entirely unsuitable.

The recommendation is to use 1920x1080 with Low settings as the primary configuration. This delivers the highest average FPS of 51 and avoids the severe drops seen at higher settings. If the user prefers 1440p, then Low settings at 43 FPS is the only reasonable choice, but the lower resolution provides a smoother experience. Medium settings at any resolution are not recommended because the average FPS falls to 32 or below, and the min FPS values indicate dips that will disrupt gameplay.

Ultra settings should be avoided entirely. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 18 FPS; at 1440p Ultra, it is 15 FPS; and at 4K Ultra, it is 12 FPS. These are all below the threshold for playable frame rates, and the visual quality gain from Ultra does not justify the framerate cost. The data also shows that High settings provide little benefit over Medium in terms of framerate, but both are too slow for this combo.

The measured rows indicate that the game's performance scales poorly with settings on this hardware. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 19 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 9 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 5 FPS. This non-linear scaling suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are exhausted quickly, and the only way to achieve a decent framerate is to minimize settings across the board. For the best experience, use 1080p Low, and accept that the system cannot deliver high-quality visuals in The Medium.