The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both the GPU and CPU in different ways depending on your target resolution. This analysis covers the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, using recorded data from the database. The focus is on which settings keep frame rates at or above 60 FPS, how the workload shifts between components, and what similar hardware options exist.

Best Settings per Resolution

Starting with the most demanding preset that still clears the 60 FPS threshold, the data is clear for each resolution.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the only playable preset is Low. The measured average FPS at Low is 77.2. That is well above the 60 FPS target. Medium at 4K drops to 57.6 average FPS, which is below the threshold. High at 4K averages 43.4 FPS, and Ultra is even lower at 36.0 FPS. So for 4K, you must use Low settings to maintain a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves. Medium settings deliver an average of 66.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS line. Low at this resolution averages 81.3 FPS, but Medium is the most demanding preset that still hits the target. High at 1440p falls short at 53.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 44.2 FPS. If you want the best visual quality while staying playable, Medium is the choice at 1440p.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), High settings are the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. The measured average is 64.8 FPS. Medium at 1080p averages 73.0 FPS, and Low averages 86.1 FPS. Ultra is the only preset that fails the threshold at 1080p, with an average of 53.0 FPS. So for 1080p, High is the sweet spot for visual fidelity without sacrificing playability.

It is important to note that the database records only average FPS, not minimum or maximum values. This means the data reflects overall smoothness but does not capture frame time spikes or stutters. The verdict is based on averages, so a preset that averages 64.8 FPS could still have occasional dips below 60 in heavy scenes, but the recorded data indicates it clears the threshold on average.

CPU and GPU Roles

Determining which component matters more for The Medium requires looking at how FPS scales with resolution and settings. The recorded data shows a clear pattern.

Between 1080p and 1440p, the average FPS at High settings drops from 64.8 to 53.7, a decrease of 11.1 FPS. At Medium settings, the drop is from 73.0 to 66.6, a 6.4 FPS decrease. At Low settings, the drop is from 86.1 to 81.3, only 4.8 FPS. This pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more stressed because each frame requires more pixel work. The CPU load remains similar across these resolutions, so the difference in FPS is primarily due to GPU rendering load.

Going from 1440p to 4K, the scaling is more dramatic. At High settings, FPS falls from 53.7 to 43.4, a 10.3 FPS drop. At Medium, it falls from 66.6 to 57.6, a 9.0 FPS drop. At Low, it falls from 81.3 to 77.2, only a 4.1 FPS drop. This suggests that at higher settings, the GPU is heavily taxed at 4K, while at Low settings, the GPU has enough headroom that the resolution increase matters less.

The CPU role becomes evident when looking at settings within a single resolution. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra changes FPS from 86.1 to 53.0, a 33.1 FPS swing. At 4K, the same settings change goes from 77.2 to 36.0, a 41.2 FPS swing. The larger swing at 4K indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter, as higher settings add more pixel shading and memory bandwidth demands. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, likely provides enough throughput for the game logic at these settings, but it is not the bottleneck in this configuration.

The data shows that the RTX 3080 is the dominant factor at 4K, where even Medium cannot hold 60 FPS. At 1440p and 1080p, the GPU still leads, but the CPU has more influence because the frame rates are higher, leaving less margin for CPU overhead. The i5-9400 has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, which is adequate for this horror title, but its 6 threads may struggle if the game has heavy CPU-bound scenes. However, the recorded FPS values suggest that for the tested presets, the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at 4K Ultra where FPS drops to 36.0.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both the CPU and GPU provides context for how this specific pairing compares to other hardware combinations.

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the database lists four similar CPUs based on aggregate benchmark scores. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-9400’s average benchmark score of 2254. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% higher than the i5-9400. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% lower. These deltas are tiny, all within 0.4% of the i5-9400, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver essentially identical frame rates in The Medium. The i5-9400 sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, which is mid-range, but for this game, that is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 3080 at the tested settings.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, the nearest rivals are also very close in performance. The NVIDIA P106-100 has an average score of 23249, 0.3% lower than the RTX 3080’s 23172. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, 0.4% lower. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, 0.4% lower. These delta values are all negative, meaning the RTX 3080 is slightly ahead of each rival, but by less than half a percent. In practical terms, any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical FPS numbers in The Medium. The RTX 3080 has a percentile ranking of 68 among all GPUs, placing it above the mid-point, and its launch MSRP was 699 USD, which is a factual data point but not a performance metric.

The key takeaway is that if you swapped the i5-9400 for any of its listed rivals, you would not see a meaningful change in FPS. Similarly, swapping the RTX 3080 for any of its listed rivals would yield nearly the same measured performance. This means the bottleneck in this system is not the CPU or GPU individually, but rather the combination’s ability to handle the game’s demands at higher presets.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Medium? Yes, but with specific limitations based on resolution and settings.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable only on Low settings, with an average FPS of 77.2. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 57.6, 43.4, and 36.0 respectively. So for 4K gaming, you are restricted to Low for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable on Low and Medium, with Medium being the best visual option at 66.6 FPS. High averages 53.7 and Ultra averages 44.2, both below the 60 FPS threshold. So at 1440p, you can enjoy Medium settings without sacrificing frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the system is playable on High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best visual option at 64.8 FPS. Ultra averages 53.0, which fails the threshold. So at 1080p, High settings are the limit for maintaining 60 FPS.

The verdict is straightforward: this system runs The Medium at 1080p High, 1440p Medium, and 4K Low, all with average FPS above 60. The recorded data does not include minimum or maximum FPS, so there is no information on how bad frame drops might be, but the averages are sufficient for a playable experience. The game is a horror title, so smoothness matters, and these presets provide that.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete recorded data for this CPU and GPU combination, sorted by resolution and settings.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low at 77.2, Medium at 57.6, High at 43.4, and Ultra at 36.0. There are no min or max FPS values recorded for any of these entries.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low at 81.3, Medium at 66.6, High at 53.7, and Ultra at 44.2. Again, min and max FPS are not recorded.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are: Low at 86.1, Medium at 73.0, High at 64.8, and Ultra at 53.0. No min or max FPS data exists.

Looking at the pattern, Low settings consistently deliver the highest FPS at every resolution, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 41.2 FPS at 4K, 37.1 FPS at 1440p, and 33.1 FPS at 1080p. This shows that the GPU has significant headroom at lower presets, even at 4K. Medium settings are the best balance between visual quality and performance at 1440p, while High is viable at 1080p.

The data also reveals that the step from Medium to High is costly. At 4K, that step costs 14.2 FPS (from 57.6 to 43.4). At 1440p, it costs 12.9 FPS (from 66.6 to 53.7). At 1080p, it costs 8.2 FPS (from 73.0 to 64.8). This suggests that High settings introduce effects or rendering techniques that are disproportionately expensive on this hardware. Similarly, the step from High to Ultra costs 7.4 FPS at 4K, 9.5 FPS at 1440p, and 11.8 FPS at 1080p, showing that Ultra is increasingly costly at lower resolutions where the GPU has more relative headroom.

For those who want to maximize visual quality, the data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS, while High at 1080p is the highest at that resolution. At 4K, Low is the only option. There is no recorded data for settings like Very High or custom configurations, so these four presets represent the full picture from the database.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset I can use at 1080p while staying above 60 FPS?

A: High settings at 1920x1080 average 64.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at the same resolution averages 53.0 FPS, so it does not qualify.

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

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which average 77.2 FPS at 3840x2160. Medium at 4K averages 57.6 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold, so Low is the only playable preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The GPU is more important. The FPS drop from Medium to High at 1440p is 12.9 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 9.5 FPS, indicating that GPU rendering load is the primary factor. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads appear sufficient, as the recorded FPS values do not show a CPU bottleneck.

Q: How does this system compare to similar hardware?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals in average benchmark score, including the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, Intel Core i7-10710U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, and Intel Core i3-10305. The RTX 3080 is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA P106-100, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and AMD Radeon R9 M290X. Any of these swaps would produce nearly identical FPS in The Medium.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 average 66.6 FPS, which is the most demanding preset that clears 60 FPS. Low averages 81.3 FPS, but Medium offers better visuals while still being playable.

Q: Are there any recorded minimum or maximum FPS values?

A: No. The database only records average FPS for this game and hardware combination. All entries have null values for min and max FPS, so the analysis is based solely on average performance.