The Medium

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 produces a mixed set of results in The Medium, heavily dependent on the resolution and quality preset selected. At 1080p, the combo delivers smooth gameplay on Medium settings, but the frame rate drops sharply when pushing to High or Ultra. At 1440p, the configuration barely maintains a playable experience on Medium, while at 4K, only the Low preset keeps the game fluid. The recorded data shows a clear pattern: this pairing is capable, but its limits are quickly reached as graphical demands increase.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measurements for this combination cover three resolutions and four settings levels, with average FPS values recorded for each configuration. Minimum and maximum frame rates were not captured in the database, so the analysis relies entirely on average frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 85.5 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo at any resolution or setting. Moving to Medium at the same resolution, the average drops to 73.3 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset at 1080p yields 49.9 FPS, falling below that threshold. The Ultra preset at 1080p is the most demanding, producing an average of only 41.9 FPS, a significant step down from the Medium result.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 84.4 FPS, nearly matching the 1080p Low performance. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 60.8 FPS, which just clears the 60 FPS line. High at 1440p averages 45.9 FPS, while Ultra at this resolution falls to 34.7 FPS, the lowest recorded value for 1440p. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is roughly 23 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is about 15 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 75.9 FPS, which is surprisingly strong for 4K and remains above the playable threshold. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 44.7 FPS, a 31 FPS reduction from Low. High at 4K averages 33.5 FPS, and Ultra at 4K is the worst case for this entire dataset at 26.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a loss of about 49 FPS, indicating that resolution has a substantial impact on performance for this game.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in The Medium, with the CPU showing limited influence on frame rates across the tested configurations. The Intel Core i5-9400 has a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with an average score of 2259, the Intel Core i7-10710U at 2248, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 at 2246, and the Intel Core i3-10305 at 2264. These deltas are all within 0.4%, meaning the CPU performance level is closely matched among this group.

The GPU, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, sits in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon 860M at 26401, NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26421, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26553, and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT at 26011. The GPU's percentile ranking is notably higher than the CPU's, reinforcing that the graphics card carries the primary workload in this title.

Looking at the scaling between resolutions, the performance drops from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Medium, the average is 73.3 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it falls to 60.8 FPS, a 17% reduction. At 4K Medium, it drops to 44.7 FPS, another 26% reduction from 1440p. These percentage losses align with the pixel count increases, which is typical for a game where the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's 6-core, 6-thread configuration with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz appears sufficient to feed the GPU at these settings, as no frame rate plateaus suggest a CPU limitation.

The preset scaling also points to GPU dominance. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs about 12 FPS, from Medium to High costs about 23 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs about 8 FPS. The largest drop occurs between Medium and High, which suggests that High enables effects that heavily tax the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR7 memory or its 3840 shading units. At 4K, the same pattern appears: Low to Medium costs 31 FPS, Medium to High costs 11 FPS, and High to Ultra costs about 7 FPS. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s are likely limiting factors at higher resolutions and presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals to the Intel Core i5-9400 are all within a narrow performance band. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 has an average score of 2259, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-9400. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% lower. In practical terms, any of these CPUs should deliver nearly identical frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same GPU, since the delta between the best and worst is only 0.8%. The database results for this combo would likely translate to systems using these alternatives with minimal variation.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar tight grouping. The AMD Radeon 860M has an average score of 26401, 0.3% lower than the RTX 5060. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, also 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, 0.8% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, 1.2% higher. When swapping the RTX 5060 for any of these cards, the measured FPS values in The Medium should remain very close to those recorded here. For example, a system with the RX 6750 XT might see slightly higher frame rates, given its 1.2% higher benchmark score, but the difference would be within a few FPS in practice.

Combining these alternatives, a user with an Intel Core i7-10710U and an AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT would likely see performance that is a few percentage points better than the tested combo, while an Intel Core i3-10305 with a GeForce MX550 would be a few points worse. None of these alternatives would change the overall verdict at any resolution: Medium settings at 1080p and 1440p, Low settings at 4K.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 60 FPS on 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 73.3, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset also exceeds 60 FPS at 85.5 FPS. However, High and Ultra presets fall below 60 FPS at 49.9 and 41.9 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p with this hardware?

A: The best setting that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 60.8 FPS. Low is also playable at 84.4 FPS, but Medium provides higher visual quality while still clearing the threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable on this combination?

A: Only with the Low preset. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 75.9. The Medium preset drops to 44.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playability standard.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its close competitors?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores 2264, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower. These differences are negligible for gaming performance in The Medium.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its close competitors?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, which is 1.2% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, which is 0.8% higher. The performance gap among these GPUs is small enough that frame rates would be similar.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 47th percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 72nd percentile. The frame rate scaling across resolutions and presets indicates a GPU bottleneck, as performance drops align with increased pixel counts and graphical effects.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low, which delivers an average of 75.9 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays at or above 60 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset at 44.7 FPS is not playable by the 60 FPS standard.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium, with an average of 60.8 FPS. This just clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 84.4 FPS is also playable but offers lower visual quality. High and Ultra are not playable at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Medium, with an average of 73.3 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS line. The Low preset at 85.5 FPS is also an option, but Medium offers better visuals without sacrificing playability. High and Ultra fall below the threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 2042 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, with roughly 55% of tested combinations performing better. The ranking reflects the CPU's modest 47th percentile position, which holds back the GPU's stronger 72nd percentile capability. In practical terms, this combo is capable of running the game at playable frame rates on Medium settings at 1080p and 1440p, and Low settings at 4K, but it does not excel in any configuration. The data suggests that users with this pairing should prioritize resolution over visual fidelity, as the frame rate penalties for High and Ultra presets are steep at all tested resolutions. The verdict is clear: this is a mid-range setup that handles The Medium adequately but not impressively.