The Medium

The Medium presents a uniquely demanding workload for this particular hardware pairing. The combination of an Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus processor with the integrated Intel Arc B390 graphics results in a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution. Benchmark data across all tested resolutions and settings reveals a consistent pattern: the CPU provides immense computational headroom, but the GPU is overwhelmed by the game's fixed camera angles and layered rendering techniques. The measured frame rates indicate that this configuration is only suitable for low-resolution, low-detail play, with any attempt to raise visual fidelity resulting in a slideshow-like experience. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance data to provide a clear picture of what to expect from this specific setup.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is found at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only configuration that approaches playability, yielding an average frame rate of 51 FPS. This is a significant jump from the Medium preset at the same resolution, which drops to an average of 32 FPS. The data shows that the step from Low to Medium incurs a 19 FPS penalty, a 37% reduction in average frame rate, indicating that the GPU is already struggling to maintain a smooth output even at the most modest settings.

At higher resolutions, the situation becomes more critical. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average FPS drops to 43, which is still technically playable but below the 60 FPS target most users prefer. However, moving to 3840x2160 at Low settings yields an average of 34 FPS, which is a noticeable decline and enters the territory where frame pacing becomes a concern. For users prioritizing a stable and responsive experience, the 1080p Low preset is the only viable choice. While the 1440p Low preset offers a higher resolution, the 43 FPS average is a compromise that may not be worth the loss in fluidity.

The Medium, High, and Ultra presets are effectively non-viable for this hardware combination. At 1080p, the Medium preset only manages 32 FPS, while High and Ultra drop to 23 FPS and 18 FPS, respectively. These figures are well below the threshold for a comfortable gaming experience and are indicative of a system that is severely underpowered for the task. The Ultra preset at 4K is the absolute worst performer, with an average of just 12 FPS, making it completely unplayable. The data suggests that users should not attempt to use any setting other than Low, as the performance degradation is steep and immediate.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this system. This integrated graphics processor, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. It operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. While the boost clock is respectable, the GPU's performance is fundamentally limited by its memory configuration, which is "System Shared." This means it relies on the system's main memory for both capacity and bandwidth, with the latter being described as "System Dependent."

This dependency on system memory is a critical factor. The GPU has no dedicated VRAM, and its performance is tied to the speed of the CPU's DDR5 memory subsystem. While the Core Ultra 9 290K supports DDR5 with a dual-channel memory bus, the bandwidth is shared with the CPU, creating a significant bottleneck. The benchmark results reflect this limitation. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, which are decades-old entry-level parts. This positions the Arc B390 as a solution strictly for basic desktop tasks, not for demanding gaming applications like The Medium.

The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU's performance collapses as resolution and settings increase. The frame rate at 1080p Ultra (18 FPS) is nearly three times lower than at 1080p Low (51 FPS). This scaling is a direct result of the GPU's limited fill rate and memory bandwidth. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply too low to handle the complex shaders and high-resolution textures in The Medium. The GPU is a bottleneck that cannot be overcome by the CPU's processing power.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking for this CPU and GPU combination in The Medium is poor. The combo is ranked 2581 out of 2911 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. This rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations. While the CPU is a top-tier part, the GPU is an integrated solution that is not designed for gaming.

The CPU's individual performance is exceptional, but it doesn't translate to gaming performance in this scenario. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus scores in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which is only 0.2% slower, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX, which is 1.1% slower. This shows that the processor is a powerhouse, but its capabilities are left unused due to the GPU bottleneck.

The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM and GT 710, are 2.5% and 2.7% faster, respectively. This stark contrast between the CPU's high ranking and the GPU's low ranking explains the combo's overall poor standing. The system is effectively a high-performance sports car engine attached to a bicycle's drivetrain. The 2581st place ranking is a clear indicator that this is not a gaming system, and the measured frame rates confirm this assessment.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 51 FPS, making it the only playable option. The Medium preset drops to 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 37 FPS, showing that even the lows are below the playable threshold. The High and Ultra presets manage only 23 FPS and 18 FPS, respectively.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a further hit. The Low preset averages 43 FPS, which is a noticeable drop from the 1080p result. The Medium preset averages 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are again unplayable, with averages of 19 FPS and 15 FPS, respectively. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p is roughly linear, showing that the GPU is the limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the system is completely overwhelmed. The Low preset manages an average of 34 FPS, which is the only double-digit average above 30 at this resolution. The Medium preset drops to 21 FPS, with a minimum of 18 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS. The High preset averages just 15 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to a nearly unresponsive 12 FPS. The data shows that this resolution is not viable for any setting, and even the Low preset provides an unsatisfactory experience.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a significant performance drop when moving from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 51 FPS at 1080p to 43 FPS at 1440p, a 15.7% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K further drops the frame rate from 43 FPS to 34 FPS, a 20.9% decrease. This consistent decline indicates that the GPU is scaling with resolution as expected, but the starting point is too low for a good experience.

At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 32 FPS at 1080p to 27 FPS at 1440p, and then to 21 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 15.6% and 22.2%, respectively. This pattern shows that the GPU's workload increases linearly with the number of pixels, but the absolute performance is so low that even the smallest resolution increase has a significant impact.

This scaling behavior is a strong indicator that the system is GPU-bound. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would be more consistent across resolutions, as the CPU's workload doesn't change with resolution. However, the data shows a clear and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases, which is a classic symptom of a graphics card that is running out of fill rate and memory bandwidth. The Core Ultra 9 290K is capable of far more, but it is held back by the Arc B390's inability to process frames fast enough.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is an extremely powerful processor, and its role in this configuration is to provide ample headroom that the GPU cannot utilize. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it is a multi-threading monster. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303. The data compression score of 698346 and integer math score of 166194 further demonstrate its raw compute power.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is largely irrelevant to the final frame rate. The game's engine is not heavily multi-threaded, and it is unlikely to fully utilize all 24 cores. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.80 GHz and base clock of 3.70 GHz ensure that it can handle the game's primary game logic and AI tasks without breaking a sweat. However, because the Arc B390 GPU is so slow, the CPU spends most of its time waiting for the GPU to finish rendering frames.

The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide a fast memory subsystem, but this advantage is negated by the GPU's "System Shared" memory, which creates a bottleneck. The CPU is a top-tier part, as evidenced by its 96th percentile ranking and its rivalry with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% slower) and AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% slower). But its performance is completely squandered in this gaming scenario. The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the measured results; the GPU is. The CPU is effectively a passenger in a car with a flat tire, providing immense power but unable to move forward.