The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that places significant demands on both the processor and the graphics card. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, using recorded measurements from the database. The data covers four graphics presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions: 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. The playable threshold for this analysis is set at 60 frames per second (FPS). The recorded results show a system that can handle the game at lower settings, but struggles as graphical fidelity increases.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 1920x1080 resolution?

A: Yes, but only on the Low preset. The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings is 84.4, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset drops to 52.7 FPS, High falls to 38.6 FPS, and Ultra is at 31.2 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440 resolution?

A: The only playable setting at 2560x1440 is Low, with an average FPS of 69.1. The next step up, Medium, averages 45 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. High averages 31.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 25.5 FPS.

Q: Is 4K resolution (3840x2160) playable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 54 on the Low preset, which still falls short of the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 31.5 FPS, High averages 23.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 21.1 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, which is 0.4% lower. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, which is 0.4% higher.

Q: How does the GPU rank against other graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 with a score of 15283, a difference of 0%. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, which is 0.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, which is 0.8% lower.

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination for this game?

A: This combination ranks 2942 out of 3724 tested combinations in the database for The Medium. This places it in the lower portion of tested systems.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database records benchmark scores for the CPU and GPU separately, allowing for a comparison of nearby hardware that would likely produce similar results in The Medium.

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the closest alternatives are all within a fraction of a percent in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259, which is effectively identical to the i5-9400's 2254. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a difference of 0.3%. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a difference of 0.4%. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a difference of 0.4%. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver nearly the same frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same graphics card. The performance differences are within the margin of measurement noise.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, the situation is similar. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has an average score of 15283, which is a 0% difference from the RTX 2060's 15290. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, a 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, a 0.6% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, a 0.8% difference. This suggests that these graphics cards would produce nearly identical frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same CPU. The differences between these GPUs are so small that the user would not perceive a difference in gameplay.

When considering the full system, a user with this CPU and GPU combination should expect that swapping either component for one of the listed rivals would yield almost identical performance in The Medium. The recorded data shows that the performance bottleneck is more likely to be the graphics settings and resolution rather than the specific choice among these components.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded FPS data reveals which component has a larger impact on performance for The Medium. By examining the scaling between resolutions and presets, the pattern becomes clear.

At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is dramatic. The Low preset averages 84.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 31.2 FPS. This is a drop of 53.2 FPS, or approximately 63%. The jump from Low to Medium reduces the average to 52.7 FPS, a drop of 31.7 FPS. The jump from Medium to High reduces it further to 38.6 FPS, a drop of 14.1 FPS. Finally, High to Ultra drops to 31.2 FPS, a reduction of 7.4 FPS. This pattern shows that the graphics card is the primary driver of performance at this resolution, as the preset changes directly affect the GPU workload.

At 2560x1440, the same trend continues. Low averages 69.1 FPS, Medium drops to 45 FPS, High falls to 31.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 25.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 24.1 FPS, which is a substantial reduction. The scaling is less aggressive between Medium and High (13.4 FPS) and between High and Ultra (6.1 FPS).

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Even the Low preset only achieves 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium drops to 31.5 FPS, High falls to 23.3 FPS, and Ultra sits at 21.1 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 22.5 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is only 2.2 FPS. This indicates that at 4K resolution, the GPU is saturated, and further increases in graphical fidelity yield diminishing returns.

The CPU's role can be inferred from the fact that at the same preset, the frame rate drops as resolution increases. For example, on the Low preset, the average FPS goes from 84.4 at 1920x1080 to 69.1 at 2560x1440 to 54 at 3840x2160. This resolution scaling is entirely a GPU workload increase. The CPU is not being tasked with more work at higher resolutions; the same frames are rendered, but the GPU has to process more pixels. Since the CPU is the same across all these measurements, the consistent FPS drop with resolution confirms that the GPU is the dominant factor in this game.

However, the CPU still matters. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 84.4 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to reach that level. If the CPU were severely limited, the FPS would plateau regardless of the GPU. The recorded data does not show such a plateau, which implies the i5-9400 is sufficient for the game's CPU demands at the tested settings.

In summary, the GPU is the decisive component for The Medium. The CPU provides a baseline that is adequate for the game, but the graphics card determines whether the frame rate stays above the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

The question is whether this PC can run The Medium. The answer depends on the resolution and preset. The database provides a clear verdict based on the measured FPS and the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system cannot maintain a playable frame rate on any preset. The highest average FPS is 54 on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdict for 4K is that no settings are playable.

At 2560x1440, the system can run the game on the Low preset. The average FPS is 69.1, which clears the 60 FPS target by a margin of 9.1 FPS. This is the only playable setting at this resolution. Medium falls short at 45 FPS, and both High (31.6 FPS) and Ultra (25.5 FPS) are well below the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the system can also run the game on the Low preset. The average FPS is 84.4, which is 24.4 FPS above the playable threshold. This is the only playable setting at this resolution. Medium averages 52.7 FPS, which is close but still short of 60 FPS. High (38.6 FPS) and Ultra (31.2 FPS) are not playable.

The overall verdict is that this PC can run The Medium, but with significant limitations. The user must select the Low preset at either 1920x1080 or 2560x1440 to achieve a playable frame rate. Higher presets are not viable. This system is not capable of running the game at higher graphical fidelity while maintaining 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data presents the measured average FPS for each resolution and preset combination.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 84.4 FPS. The Medium preset averages 52.7 FPS. The High preset averages 38.6 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 31.2 FPS. The progression shows a steep decline from Low to Medium, with a more gradual decline from Medium to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 69.1 FPS. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS. The High preset averages 31.6 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 25.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 24.1 FPS, which is the largest gap at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average of 54 FPS. The Medium preset averages 31.5 FPS. The High preset averages 23.3 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 21.1 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 2.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated at these settings.

The data shows that the game is heavily GPU-bound. The frame rate drops consistently as resolution increases for the same preset. For example, on Low settings, the average FPS goes from 84.4 at 1920x1080 to 69.1 at 2560x1440 to 54 at 3840x2160. This is a direct consequence of the GPU having to render more pixels at higher resolutions.

The minimum and maximum FPS values were not recorded for any of these configurations. The analysis is based solely on average FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The database provides this information through the recorded measurements.

At 1920x1080, the only preset that achieves 60 FPS or higher is Low, with an average of 84.4 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 52.7 FPS. Therefore, the best playable setting at this resolution is Low.

At 2560x1440, the only preset that achieves 60 FPS or higher is Low, with an average of 69.1 FPS. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS. Therefore, the best playable setting at this resolution is also Low.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS or higher. The closest is Low with 54 FPS, which is below the threshold. The database indicates that there are no playable settings at this resolution.

The pattern is consistent: the user must use the Low preset to play The Medium on this system. There is no headroom to increase the graphical fidelity while maintaining a playable frame rate. The jump from Low to Medium results in a significant FPS drop at every resolution, making the higher presets unsuitable.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 for The Medium. The recorded rank is 2942 out of 3724 tested combinations. This places the system in the lower 21% of all tested configurations.

This rank reflects the overall performance of the pair, not just the average FPS. It takes into account all the measured data points across the resolutions and presets. The low rank is consistent with the observed limitations: the system can only play the game on Low settings at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, and it cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any setting.

The position in the ranking indicates that there are many other CPU and GPU combinations that deliver better performance in The Medium. The RTX 2060, while a capable card for its time, is not sufficient for high-fidelity gaming in this title at higher resolutions. The i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, provides adequate CPU performance but does not boost the system beyond its GPU limitations.

In the context of the database, this combo is not a strong performer for The Medium. The user should expect to compromise on visual quality to achieve a playable frame rate. The system is functional for the game, but it does not offer the performance headroom that would allow for higher settings or future-proofing.