The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D produces a wide spectrum of performance across its four graphics presets and three resolutions. The data indicates a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher settings, with the CPU holding its own even at lower graphical loads. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, contextualizes the hardware's standing, and offers practical settings guidance based solely on the provided benchmark results.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic pattern of GPU dominance. At the Medium preset, the average frame rate drops from 102 FPS at 1920x1080 to 96 FPS at 2560x1440, and then sharply to 89 FPS at 3840x2160. The transition from 1440p to 4K represents a 7 FPS loss, while the jump from 1080p to 1440p only costs 6 FPS. This suggests that the GPU still has headroom at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K resolution begins to strain the rendering pipeline.

The High preset shows a steeper scaling curve. Starting at 90 FPS in 1080p, it drops to 85 FPS at 1440p and then falls to 68 FPS at 4K. The 17 FPS difference between 1440p and 4K is nearly three times larger than the 5 FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p. This indicates that at High settings, the 4K resolution is pushing the GPU significantly harder, moving the bottleneck more firmly onto the graphics card's compute and memory subsystems.

With the Ultra preset, the scaling becomes even more pronounced. The system delivers 82 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The 15 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is substantial, and the further 15 FPS drop to 4K represents a 22% reduction from the 1440p figure. The data suggests that Ultra settings at 4K are particularly taxing, with the RTX 5090 D's performance falling by over a third compared to its 1080p result. This is a clear sign that the game's highest preset includes effects that scale heavily with pixel count.

The Low preset exhibits the smallest absolute scaling gap, yet it still shows a meaningful decline. At 1080p, the average is 123 FPS, which drops to 116 FPS at 1440p and 107 FPS at 4K. Even at the lowest settings, the 4K resolution costs 16 FPS compared to 1080p. This indicates that the game's rendering engine has a baseline resolution cost that cannot be eliminated by lowering settings, likely tied to the fixed camera angles and complex post-processing.

Notably, the gap between the Low and Medium presets at 4K is 18 FPS (107 vs. 89), whereas the gap between Medium and High at 4K is 21 FPS (89 vs. 68). The scaling suggests that the High preset introduces a significant rendering load increase over Medium, likely due to higher-quality shadows and reflections. Overall, the resolution scaling data confirms that this configuration is balanced for 1440p high-refresh gaming, while 4K requires careful preset selection to maintain playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the extensive database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 236 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places the system in the top 8.1% of all tested configurations, a strong showing that reflects the high-end nature of both components. The percentile data reinforces this, with the CPU scoring in the 85th percentile against all CPUs and the GPU in the 92nd percentile against all GPUs.

The combo's ranking is particularly notable given the CPU's specifications. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is a significant amount of cache for gaming workloads. However, its average benchmark score of 37018 places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. It is only 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, and 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450. This indicates that the CPU is competitive but not a class leader in raw throughput.

The GPU, on the other hand, is a dominant force. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, posts an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals are notably different in character: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT is 1.1% behind, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants are 1.6% to 2.4% ahead. This suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 D is surrounded by mobile and datacenter parts, but in gaming workloads like The Medium, its combination of raw power and memory bandwidth proves decisive.

The fact that this combo ranks 236th out of 2911, despite the CPU being only mid-range in synthetic tests, underscores the game's reliance on GPU performance. The data implies that The Medium is not particularly sensitive to CPU cache or core count beyond a certain threshold, allowing the RTX 5090 D to carry the load. This ranking also suggests that many of the 235 combos ahead of this one likely feature even more powerful CPUs paired with the same or similar GPUs, but the performance gap in actual gameplay is likely minimal given the GPU-bound nature of the title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s, which is crucial for The Medium's high-resolution textures and dual-reality rendering mechanics. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed, and the GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. These clocks, combined with 21760 shading units and 176 ROPs, explain why the card can push 123 FPS at 1080p Low but only 54 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's architecture, Blackwell 2.0, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. This massive chip delivers a pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s, which directly translate to the frame rates observed. The card's 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores are also relevant, as The Medium uses ray-traced reflections and shadows, though the data does not isolate these effects. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is a strong indicator of its ability to handle the game's complex shaders.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with settings. At 4K, the card goes from 107 FPS at Low to 89 FPS at Medium, a 17% drop. The jump to High brings it to 68 FPS, a further 24% reduction, and Ultra drops it to 54 FPS, another 21% decline. This pattern indicates that each preset tier adds a substantial computational load. The 32 GB VRAM is likely not a limiting factor at any resolution, as The Medium's requirements are far below this capacity, but the bandwidth and compute are clearly stretched at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 92 places it well above average, and its nearest rivals in the database—the RX 6650M XT and RX 6850M XT—are mobile parts, which highlights the desktop card's superiority in sustained performance. The RTX 5090 D's 575 W TDP and suggested 950 W PSU reflect its power demands, but the data shows it delivers the expected high-end results. In The Medium, the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all settings above Low, and even at Low, the 4K resolution still requires significant GPU resources.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration offers a range of experiences. The Low preset achieves an average of 123 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Medium preset delivers 102 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, showing stable frame pacing. The High preset drops to 90 FPS, still well within playable territory, but the Ultra preset falls to 82 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 41 FPS, indicating that the highest settings carry a significant cost even at the lowest resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. The Low preset averages 116 FPS, a modest 7 FPS drop from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 96 FPS with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 111 FPS. The High preset delivers 85 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 69 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU can handle high refresh rates at this resolution if settings are kept at Medium or below. The gap between Medium and High is 11 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 16 FPS, suggesting that Ultra is the most demanding tier.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. The Low preset averages 107 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K and indicates the GPU's raw power. The Medium preset averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 102 FPS, which is the only 4K row with full min/max data. The High preset drops to 68 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 54 FPS. The 4K scaling shows that the Low preset is the only one that guarantees a 100+ FPS experience, while Medium is playable but not ideal for high-refresh displays. Ultra at 4K is the most demanding scenario, with the average dipping below 60 FPS.

Comparing the Medium preset across all resolutions, the frame rates are 102 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 89 FPS at 4K. This represents a total drop of 13 FPS from 1080p to 4K, or roughly 13%. The High preset drops from 90 FPS at 1080p to 68 FPS at 4K, a 24% reduction. The Low preset drops from 123 FPS to 107 FPS, a 13% reduction as well. This data shows that the relative cost of 4K increases with higher settings, confirming that the game's more advanced effects are resolution-sensitive.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D plays a supporting but non-negligible role in this configuration. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer), it operates at a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The processor's standout feature is its 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is designed to reduce memory latency in gaming workloads. The CPU's 105 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are standard for the platform.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for its gaming performance. Its single-thread score is 2941, and its multithread score is 20363. The passmark physics score of 2282 is relevant for game physics, and the floating-point math score of 34511 indicates solid computational throughput. The CPU's percentile of 85 against all CPUs suggests it is well above average, but its nearest rivals show that it is not a performance outlier. The 0.2% delta against the Ryzen 5 5600F and Core Ultra 5 225 means these CPUs are essentially interchangeable in synthetic tests.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is evident from the frame rate scaling at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system produces 123 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame rate ceiling for this game. The fact that the 4K Low preset produces 107 FPS—only 16 FPS lower—suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution, as the GPU handles the higher pixel counts. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration is sufficient for the game's threading model, which typically scales well up to 8 threads.

The CPU's large L3 cache likely helps with the game's streaming of assets, particularly in the dual-world sequences where The Medium renders two environments simultaneously. However, the benchmark data does not isolate this benefit. The CPU's boost clock of 4.00 GHz is modest compared to newer parts, but the cache architecture compensates. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU does not limit the GPU at 4K Ultra, where the 54 FPS result is clearly GPU-bound, nor does it limit at 1080p Low, where the 123 FPS result is near the upper bound for many CPUs in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080 displays with a 60 Hz refresh rate, the Ultra preset at 82 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a fully smooth experience while maximizing visual quality. For 144 Hz displays, the Medium preset at 102 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a 20 FPS advantage over High while still delivering a high frame rate. The Low preset at 123 FPS is only necessary for 120+ Hz displays that cannot be reached with Medium, but the visual compromise is significant.

For 2560x1440 gaming, the Medium preset at 96 FPS is the recommended starting point. It provides a strong balance of visual fidelity and performance, with a minimum of 82 FPS ensuring no major dips. The High preset at 85 FPS is also viable for 60 Hz displays, but for high-refresh monitors, Medium is the better option. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, and the Low preset at 116 FPS is overkill for most displays unless aiming for maximum frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations shift toward lower presets. The Medium preset at 89 FPS is the best overall choice for 4K, as it delivers a smooth experience with a minimum of 76 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 68 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but the 21 FPS drop from Medium is noticeable. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS falls below the 60 FPS target, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 107 FPS is the only option for 4K displays with 100+ Hz refresh rates, but the visual quality is severely reduced.

In summary, the data suggests that the Medium preset is the most versatile across all resolutions, providing 102 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 89 FPS at 4K. This preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with the minimum frame rate never dropping below 76 FPS. For users prioritizing visual fidelity on 1080p, the Ultra preset is viable, and for 4K gaming, Medium is the clear recommendation. The Low preset should be reserved for extreme refresh rate scenarios, while the High preset is a middle ground that offers diminishing returns over Medium at higher resolutions.