The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the data for this combination of an Intel Core i9-14900K and an Intel Arc B370 shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all resolutions and settings are low, indicating that this configuration is not suitable for a smooth gameplay experience at standard display resolutions. The numbers below reveal a clear pattern: the Arc B370, an integrated-class GPU, struggles to maintain playable frame rates, and the powerful CPU cannot compensate for this bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only preset that approaches a playable experience is the Low setting at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 46 FPS. This is the single highest average frame rate recorded for this combo. While 46 FPS is not ideal for a fast-paced game, it is the only configuration that breaks the 30 FPS barrier, making it the sole viable option for actual gameplay. Every other settings and resolution combination falls below 40 FPS, with most sitting well under 30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 39 FPS, which is borderline but still below the 1920x1080 Low result. The Medium preset, which has min/max data available, shows averages of 29 FPS at 1920x1080, 24 FPS at 2560x1440, and 19 FPS at 3840x2160. These numbers confirm that even the Medium preset is not a practical choice for a consistent experience. For the High and Ultra presets, the situation is worse; they produce averages of 21 FPS and 16 FPS at 1920x1080, respectively, and drop to single-digit-to-low-teen figures at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that users should avoid High and Ultra presets entirely, as they result in unplayable performance. The Medium preset is also not recommended, as its average frame rates are below the threshold for a smooth experience. The only reasonable path forward, if one must use this hardware, is the Low preset at 1920x1080. Even then, users should expect a sub-60 FPS experience. The benchmark results indicate that this combination is not designed for high-fidelity gaming; it is a clear case where graphical settings must be minimized to achieve any level of playability.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this system. Its specifications paint a picture of a low-power integrated graphics processor. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a total of 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. The GPU’s memory is listed as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This architecture explains the poor performance, as shared memory is typically slower and has higher latency than dedicated graphics memory.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score is 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, and AMD Radeon HD 7650M, with scores of 1186, 1190, and 1192, respectively. The delta percentages are minimal, at -0.2%, -0.5%, and -0.7%, meaning the Arc B370 performs nearly identically to these legacy parts. This comparison underscores its position as an entry-level, low-performance graphics solution.

The measured FPS data directly reflects this GPU limitation. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields an average of 11 FPS, while the High preset only manages 14 FPS. Dropping to Medium at this resolution improves the average to 19 FPS, and Low reaches 30 FPS. The pattern is consistent: even at the lowest resolution tested, 1920x1080, the Ultra preset only achieves 16 FPS, and High reaches 21 FPS. The GPU’s 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient for the demands of The Medium at higher settings. The data shows that the Arc B370 is the limiting factor in every scenario, as the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic.

FAQ

Q: What is the best playable setting for this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?

A: Based on the measured data, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that achieves an average FPS above 40, specifically 46 FPS. All other settings and resolutions produce lower averages, making this the only viable option for gameplay.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190. The delta percentages are -0.2% and -0.5% respectively, indicating nearly identical performance levels.

Q: Is the Intel Core i9-14900K the reason for the low frame rates?

A: No. The CPU is a high-end desktop processor with 24 cores and 32 threads, and its benchmarks place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The low frame rates are attributable to the Intel Arc B370, which is an integrated graphics solution with a 25 W TDP and shared system memory.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 46 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers an average of 16 FPS. This represents a significant drop of 30 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset is not feasible on this hardware.

Q: Does increasing resolution from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 have a major impact on the Low preset?

A: Yes. The Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 46 FPS. At 2560x1440, it drops to 39 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 30 FPS. The data shows a clear decline in performance as resolution increases.

Q: What is the average FPS for the Medium preset at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 has an average FPS of 24, with a minimum of 21 and a maximum of 28. This is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across all tested resolutions and settings. Starting at the highest resolution, 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields an average of 11 FPS. The High preset improves this marginally to 14 FPS. The Medium preset, which has min/max data, averages 19 FPS, with a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 22. The Low preset is the best performer at this resolution, achieving an average of 30 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 14 FPS, and the High preset averages 17 FPS. The Medium preset shows a slight improvement, with an average of 24 FPS, a minimum of 21, and a maximum of 28. The Low preset at this resolution delivers an average of 39 FPS, which is the second-highest result in the entire dataset.

At 1920x1080, the most common gaming resolution, the Ultra preset averages 16 FPS, and the High preset averages 21 FPS. The Medium preset provides an average of 29 FPS, with a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 33. The Low preset is the standout, achieving an average of 46 FPS, which is the highest recorded for this combination. This data shows a consistent and expected trend: lower resolutions and lower settings yield higher frame rates, but no configuration reaches the 60 FPS target that most gamers consider ideal.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking for this specific combination in The Medium is 2681 out of 2911 tested combos. This places it in the bottom portion of the database, indicating that it performs worse than the vast majority of other CPU and GPU pairings tested for this game. The rank of 2681 out of 2911 means that roughly 92% of all tested combinations deliver better performance in The Medium. This low ranking is not surprising given the GPU's 5th percentile standing among all GPUs.

The data shows that the CPU is not the issue; the Intel Core i9-14900K is a top-tier processor, ranking in the 95th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, has an average score of 79371, a delta of -0.3%, showing they are essentially equivalent. In contrast, the Arc B370's benchmark score of 1184 and its 5th percentile rank demonstrate that it is the component dragging this combination down. The combo rank of 2681 reflects the GPU's severe performance limitations, making this pairing unsuitable for playing The Medium at any reasonable quality level.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K plays a secondary role in this configuration, as its capabilities far exceed what the Intel Arc B370 can utilize in The Medium. This CPU is a 24-core, 32-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, based on the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. Its cache configuration includes an 80 KB L1 cache per core, a 2 MB L2 cache per core, and a 36 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory and features a Gen 5 PCIe interface with 16 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i9-14900K demonstrates its strength. It scores 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2262.5 in single-core. Its Geekbench scores are 21697 for multicore and 2655 for single-core. PassMark results show a multithread score of 58674 and a single-thread score of 4697. These numbers place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, confirming that it is one of the most powerful processors available. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900KF and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, have average scores of 79371 and 79574, with deltas of -0.3% and -0.6%, indicating that the i9-14900K is at the top of its class.

Despite this processing power, the measured FPS in The Medium is low because the CPU is waiting on the GPU for almost every frame. The game's performance is entirely gated by the Arc B370's ability to render frames. The CPU's high core count and clock speeds do not translate into higher frame rates when the GPU is the bottleneck. The data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor; its role is to feed the GPU with data, but the GPU cannot process it fast enough. For this specific game and this GPU, the i9-14900K's power is largely wasted, as the system's performance ceiling is defined by the graphics processor.