The Medium

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1706 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the pairing in the upper half of the database, roughly the 54th percentile of all recorded system configurations. The rank reflects a meaningful but not dominant position: the system sits above the median tested combo, yet a substantial number of faster configurations exist. In practical terms, this means the pairing is competent for the game but will not be at the top of any leaderboard. The CPU itself holds a 47th percentile ranking across all tested processors, while the GPU sits at a 61st percentile across all tested graphics cards. The GPU is the stronger partner in this relationship, and that asymmetry shows up in the frame rate data, where resolution scaling behaves as one would expect when the graphics card is the primary performance driver.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark measurements reveal how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 88.2 FPS on Low settings, 73.4 FPS on Medium, 57.8 FPS on High, and 46.1 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the same settings produce 82.4 FPS, 64.2 FPS, 48.9 FPS, and 39 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, the numbers fall to 79 FPS, 52.6 FPS, 37.7 FPS, and 31.2 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a modest performance drop at Low settings, from 88.2 to 82.4 FPS, a reduction of roughly 6.6%. At Ultra settings, the same resolution step costs about 15.4%, dropping from 46.1 to 39 FPS. The heavier the settings load, the more the GPU becomes the limiting factor, which is typical for a game like The Medium with its fixed camera angles and rendered scenes.

The jump from 1440p to 4K is more punishing. At Low settings, the system goes from 82.4 to 79 FPS, a small loss of about 4.1%. At Medium, the drop is from 64.2 to 52.6 FPS, a 18.1% reduction. At High, it falls from 48.9 to 37.7 FPS, a 22.9% loss. At Ultra, the decline is from 39 to 31.2 FPS, a 20% reduction. These larger percentage drops at higher quality presets confirm that the GPU is carrying the load when settings and pixel count increase together. The CPU, a six-core, six-thread Coffee Lake part with a 2.90 GHz base and 4.10 GHz boost, has enough headroom to keep feeding the RTX 3070 at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering limits become apparent as the resolution climbs.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 42.1 FPS. At 1440p, it is 43.4 FPS. At 4K, it is 47.8 FPS. The widening spread indicates that the GPU is increasingly the bottleneck at higher resolutions, since the difference between presets grows when the renderer is under more pressure. Conversely, the CPU's role is most visible at 1080p Low, where the frame rate of 88.2 FPS is the highest recorded in the entire dataset, suggesting the CPU can still push high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily tasked.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database's nearest rival data for the CPU places the Intel Core i5-9400 in close company with several other processors. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 in the aggregate benchmark, a 0.2% difference from the i5-9400's 2254 average. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a 0.3% gap. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a 0.4% difference. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a 0.4% gap in the other direction. These four CPUs all sit within a narrow band around the i5-9400's aggregate score, meaning any of them would likely produce very similar frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same GPU. The differences are small enough to be within run-to-run variance, so users with any of these processors should expect comparable performance.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3070 has a 17208 average benchmark score and a 61st percentile ranking. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT at 17083, a 0.7% difference, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 at 17037, a 1% gap, the AMD Radeon HD 7970M at 17019, a 1.1% difference, and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c at 17468, a 1.5% gap in the opposite direction. The RX 7600 XT is the most relevant modern comparison, and the 0.7% delta means that swapping the RTX 3070 for an RX 7600 XT would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game. The GTX 690 and HD 7970M are much older parts, and their similar aggregate scores highlight how the benchmark average can mask generational differences, but in this specific title, the recorded data suggests they would land in the same performance vicinity.

The practical takeaway is that the i5-9400 is not a unique bottleneck. Any of the four rival CPUs would behave similarly, and the RTX 3070's nearest GPU rivals would also land within a couple of percent of its performance. For someone considering an upgrade or a sidegrade, the data indicates that the current pairing sits in a well-populated performance tier where many combinations would produce nearly identical results in The Medium.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this system can run The Medium, but the playable settings depend heavily on the target resolution. The database uses a 60 FPS threshold for playability. At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears that bar, with an average of 79 FPS. Medium at 4K falls to 52.6 FPS, which is below the threshold, and High and Ultra are worse at 37.7 and 31.2 FPS respectively. At 2560x1440, the system can handle Low and Medium, with averages of 82.4 and 64.2 FPS. High at 1440p drops to 48.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS, both below the playable line. At 1920x1080, Low and Medium are playable at 88.2 and 73.4 FPS, while High sits at 57.8 FPS, just under the threshold, and Ultra falls to 46.1 FPS.

The verdict is straightforward: 4K users must stick to Low settings, 1440p users can manage Medium, and 1080p users can also run Medium with confidence. The 60 FPS target is achievable at all three resolutions, but only with the appropriate settings cap. High and Ultra are not playable at any resolution in this dataset, since even the best High result, 57.8 FPS at 1080p, misses the mark by 2.2 FPS. The system is capable, but it does not have enough headroom for the game's higher quality presets at a smooth frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1920x1080?

A: Medium is the highest playable preset at 1080p, with an average of 73.4 FPS. High falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 57.8 FPS.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: Yes, but only on the Low preset, which averages 79 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 52.6 FPS, and Ultra sits at 31.2 FPS, both below the playable threshold.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest rivals, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i7-10710U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and Intel Core i3-10305, are all within 0.4% of that score, so performance differences would be negligible.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for this game?

A: The data shows the GPU is the dominant factor, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The frame rate drops between 1440p and 4K are larger at High and Ultra presets, indicating the RTX 3070 is the limiting component.

Q: What GPU rivals would perform similarly to the RTX 3070?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the closest rival, with a 0.7% aggregate score difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and AMD Radeon HD 7970M are also within 1.1%, though they are older parts.

Q: Why is 4K Medium slower than 1440p Ultra?

A: The recorded averages show 4K Medium at 52.6 FPS and 1440p Ultra at 39 FPS. The higher resolution at Medium still requires more pixel throughput, but the difference in settings means the 4K Medium preset actually runs faster than the 1440p Ultra preset in this dataset.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 79 FPS. Medium at 52.6 FPS, High at 37.7 FPS, and Ultra at 31.2 FPS all fall short. At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium, averaging 64.2 FPS. Low is also playable at 82.4 FPS, but Medium offers the highest quality while still clearing the threshold. At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Medium, with an average of 73.4 FPS. Low runs faster at 88.2 FPS, but Medium provides a better visual balance without dropping below 60 FPS. High at 1080p is not playable, as its 57.8 FPS average misses the mark.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of recorded measurements for this system in The Medium is as follows.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 79 FPS, Medium averages 52.6 FPS, High averages 37.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 31.2 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 82.4 FPS, Medium averages 64.2 FPS, High averages 48.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 39 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 88.2 FPS, Medium averages 73.4 FPS, High averages 57.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 46.1 FPS.

The dataset does not include minimum or maximum frame times, only averages, so the consistency of frame delivery cannot be assessed from these numbers alone. However, the average values show a clear pattern: the system degrades gracefully as resolution and quality increase, with the largest absolute drop occurring between 1080p Low at 88.2 FPS and 4K Ultra at 31.2 FPS, a total loss of 57 FPS across the full range of settings and resolutions. The most efficient configuration for smooth gameplay is 1080p Medium at 73.4 FPS, which offers a 14.2 FPS margin over the playability threshold while still using a mid-range quality preset.