The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the Intel Arc B370 delivers a profoundly constrained experience in The Medium, with the data indicating that the graphics processor is the overwhelming bottleneck at every tested resolution. The measured frame rates place this combination in the bottom percentile of all tested configurations, making it suitable only for the most forgiving visual settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K in The Medium follows a steep and predictable curve, but the absolute numbers are so low that the resolution scaling only confirms the GPU’s severe limitation. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo manages an average of 46 FPS, which is the only playable result in the entire dataset. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset drops the average to 39 FPS, a reduction of roughly 15%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 30 FPS, which is another 23% decrease from the 1440p figure.

The scaling becomes more punishing at higher quality presets. With High settings, the average frame rate descends from 21 FPS at 1080p to 17 FPS at 1440p, and then to 14 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33% total loss from 1080p to 4K, but the starting point is already below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset shows a similar pattern: 29 FPS at 1080p, 24 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, yields only 16 FPS at 1080p, 14 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K.

What this data reveals is that the limiting component is unequivocally the graphics processor. The frame rate drops are proportionally large when moving up in resolution, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU, which has a robust multi-core design, is not the constraining factor here; if it were, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the consistent degradation from 1080p to 4K at every preset indicates that the Intel Arc B370’s rendering capabilities are exhausted long before the resolution becomes a meaningful variable. For context, the 4K Ultra result of 11 FPS is barely a slideshow, while the 1080p Low result of 46 FPS is the only configuration that approaches a console-like experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary determinant of this combo’s performance in The Medium, and the benchmark data paints a stark picture. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is an exceptionally low standing, and the nearest rivals confirm the company it keeps: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% ahead), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% ahead). The only GPU in the dataset that the Arc B370 beats is the AMD FirePro M2000, which scores 1168, a 1.4% deficit. These are all legacy or low-end parts, and the Arc B370’s position among them explains why The Medium runs so poorly.

The GPU’s specifications are consistent with this low benchmark standing. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output pipelines. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with an FP32 throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS. The boost clock is 2400 MHz, but the base clock is only 300 MHz, which suggests a wide dynamic range that may not sustain high performance under sustained load. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning the GPU relies on the system’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which introduces a potential bottleneck for a game like The Medium that streams high-resolution textures.

The measured frame rates align with these specifications. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 11 FPS, and even at 1080p Low, it only reaches 46 FPS. The 25 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate this is an integrated-class part, not a discrete solution, which further explains its inability to handle the game’s fixed and dynamic camera angles. The GPU’s API support includes DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, so it is not lacking in feature compatibility, but raw throughput is clearly insufficient. The data suggests that the Arc B370 is the hard ceiling for this configuration, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for its rendering limits.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a far more capable component than the GPU, and the data shows it is not the limiting factor in The Medium. This processor features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its architecture is Arrow Lake-S, built on a 3 nm process, and it supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, along with a Passmark multi-thread score of 38706 and a single-thread score of 4394. These numbers place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, a stark contrast to the GPU’s 5th percentile ranking.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (0.4% ahead), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.5% ahead), and the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (0.6% behind). The Intel Core i5-14600K is also close, sitting 0.8% behind. These are all competitive desktop or workstation parts, and the Ultra 5 245 holds its own against them. For a horror game like The Medium, which relies on fixed camera perspectives and scripted scenes rather than massive crowds or physics simulations, the CPU’s 14 cores and high boost clock are more than adequate to feed the GPU.

The evidence that the CPU is not the bottleneck lies in the resolution scaling data. If the CPU were the constraint, the frame rates would be similar across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Instead, the averages drop consistently as resolution increases, which is the opposite of a CPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s Passmark physics score of 2569 and data compression score of 400942 indicate solid general-purpose performance, but none of these metrics translate into higher frame rates when the GPU is already maxed out. In this pairing, the Ultra 5 245 is effectively waiting on the Arc B370, and its headroom is wasted.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the only viable settings for this combo in The Medium are at 1080p with the Low preset. This configuration yields an average of 46 FPS, which is the sole result that approaches a playable frame rate. The next best option is 1440p Low at 39 FPS, but that is still below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for a smooth experience. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 29 FPS, which is a significant step down and likely to feel stuttery during the game’s tense, slow-paced exploration sequences.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low is the only preset that keeps the average above 30 FPS at any resolution, and even then, only at 1080p and 1440p. The Medium preset provides 29 FPS at 1080p, which is borderline, but the minimum frame rate of 24 FPS suggests occasional dips into the low 20s. The High preset at 1080p averages 21 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 16 FPS, both of which are too low for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and timing. At 4K, all presets are effectively unplayable, with the Low preset averaging 30 FPS, Medium at 19 FPS, High at 14 FPS, and Ultra at 11 FPS.

For the best experience per the measured rows, the recommendation is to run the game at 1080p with Low settings. This sacrifices visual fidelity but provides the only average above 45 FPS in the entire dataset. If the user prioritizes resolution over smoothness, 1440p Low at 39 FPS is a secondary option, but it remains a compromise. The Medium preset at 1080p is not recommended because the 29 FPS average and 24 FPS minimum introduce noticeable frame pacing issues. There is no configuration in this dataset that delivers both high visual quality and acceptable performance, so the Low preset is the only sensible choice.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking for this CPU and GPU combination in The Medium is 3439 out of 3724 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, a position that reflects the GPU’s severe limitations rather than the CPU’s capabilities. The rank is a composite measure, and the data indicates that the Arc B370 drags the entire system down to a level where even the most optimized settings cannot overcome the hardware deficit.

To contextualize this rank, consider that the GPU sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. This is an extreme mismatch, and the combo rank of 3439 out of 3724 is the predictable result. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, are parts from a bygone era, and their performance levels align with what the Arc B370 delivers. The CPU’s rivals, by contrast, are modern chips like the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and the Intel Core i5-14600K, which are far more powerful in absolute terms.

The data suggests that this combo is not designed for demanding games like The Medium. The rank of 3439 indicates that the vast majority of other tested configurations outperform it, and the only way to improve the experience would be to replace the GPU with a more capable part. The CPU has ample headroom, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput and shared memory architecture. For a game released in 2021, this combo is only marginally playable at the lowest settings, and the ranking reflects that reality.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Medium?*

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 46 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 0.2% behind the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, 0.5% behind the ATI Radeon HD 5770, and 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7650M. It is 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU, which scores in the 90th percentile, is not the constraint.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 11 FPS, which is well below any playable threshold.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in The Medium?*

A: This combo ranks 3439 out of 3724 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations.

Q: What is the only preset that delivers a playable frame rate?

A: The only preset that delivers an average above 45 FPS is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 46 FPS. All other configurations fall below 40 FPS.