The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a playable experience in The Medium, but the data reveals a distinct performance ceiling. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 54 FPS, while dropping to 1080p Low only raises the average to 117 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, though the CPU prevents higher frame rates at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution decreases. At 4K with High settings, the average frame rate is 68 FPS. Dropping to 1440p High increases the average to 82 FPS, and at 1080p High, the average reaches 86 FPS. This relatively modest jump from 1440p to 1080p—just 4 FPS—suggests that the system is becoming less GPU-bound at lower resolutions, with other components beginning to limit performance.

The Medium preset tells a similar story. At 4K Medium, the average is 85 FPS, which rises to 92 FPS at 1440p and 98 FPS at 1080p. The scaling from 4K to 1440p yields a 7 FPS gain, while moving from 1440p to 1080p adds only 6 FPS. This diminishing return at 1080p reinforces that the CPU or memory subsystem is starting to bottleneck the RTX 5090 D, which is otherwise capable of much higher output.

For the Low preset, the pattern becomes even more pronounced. The 4K average is 102 FPS, the 1440p average is 111 FPS, and the 1080p average is 117 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 1080p is just 6 FPS, the smallest absolute difference among all quality presets. In contrast, the jump from 4K to 1440p adds 9 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p Low, the game is heavily CPU-limited, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames but the processor cannot feed it fast enough.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest performance cost. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 54 FPS, which is 31% lower than the 4K High result of 68 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 69 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 79 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 1080p Ultra is 10 FPS, the largest relative gain at low resolution, suggesting that even at the highest settings, the CPU bottleneck is partially alleviated by the reduced pixel count.

Overall, the data suggests that this combination is best suited for 1440p and 4K gaming, where the RTX 5090 D can flex its raw power. At 1080p, the Ryzen 5 5600F, with its six cores and 12 threads, becomes the limiting factor, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. The difference between 1080p High (86 FPS) and 1440p High (82 FPS) is minimal, meaning users gain visual clarity without sacrificing meaningful performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship-class GPU, and its specifications align with the high frame rates observed at 4K. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This massive memory pool is far beyond what The Medium requires, but it ensures that VRAM capacity is never a limiting factor, even at 4K Ultra with high-resolution textures.

The GPU's clock speeds are relatively modest for a top-tier card, with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. However, the raw compute power is immense, with 21,760 shading units and a FP32 throughput of 104.8 TFLOPS. This explains why the card can maintain playable frame rates at 4K High (68 FPS) and even 4K Medium (85 FPS), where the rendering load is substantial.

The RTX 5090 D sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 77,712. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks are notably different in class: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904 (1.1% lower), while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940 (1.6% higher). This indicates that the 5090 D is in a performance tier that is close to high-end mobile GPUs, despite being a desktop part with a 575 W TDP.

The GPU’s role in The Medium is clearly dominant. The measured data shows that at 4K, the average FPS scales from 54 on Ultra to 102 on Low, a range of 48 FPS. This wide spread indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at this resolution, as the CPU has enough headroom to keep up with the rendering demands. The RTX 5090 D also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for a game like The Medium that uses modern rendering features.

Despite its power, the GPU is not fully utilized at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average of 117 FPS is the highest in the dataset, but it is still far below what the GPU could theoretically output. This suggests that the CPU is limiting the system’s performance, as the GPU has significant spare capacity that cannot be used due to the processor's constraints. The Ryzen 5 5600F, with a boost clock of 4.00 GHz and 32 MB of shared L3 cache, is a capable mid-range part, but it is not in the same league as the GPU.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?*

A: The data shows that 1440p High provides an average of 82 FPS, which is a good balance of visual quality and performance. At 4K High, the average is 68 FPS, which is still playable, but the 1440p result offers smoother gameplay with only a minor visual compromise.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D overkill for this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate that the GPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average is 117 FPS, but the CPU prevents higher frame rates. The GPU’s power is best utilized at 4K, where it still delivers solid performance, but the CPU bottleneck means the card’s full potential is unrealized.

*Q: How does the CPU affect performance in The Medium?*

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F, with six cores and 12 threads, becomes a bottleneck at 1080p. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p is minimal (e.g., from 82 to 86 FPS on High), indicating that the processor cannot keep up with the GPU’s output at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the difference between the Medium and High presets?

A: At 4K, the Medium preset averages 85 FPS, while High averages 68 FPS. This 17 FPS difference is significant. At 1080p, the gap narrows to 12 FPS (98 vs. 86), suggesting that the CPU bottleneck reduces the impact of GPU-heavy settings at lower resolutions.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average is 54 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. At 1440p Ultra, the average rises to 69 FPS, making it a viable option for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

Q: How does this combo rank against others?

A: The combo ranks 339 out of 2,911 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the top 11.6% of all tested systems. This indicates that it is a high-performing setup, despite the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 339 out of 2,911 combos. This places the system in the top 11.6% of all tested configurations, a strong result that reflects the GPU’s power and the CPU’s adequate support.

The rank is driven primarily by the GPU’s high benchmark scores. The RTX 5090 D sits at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 77,712. This is significantly higher than the CPU’s percentile, which is 85th among all processors with an average score of 36,945. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (score 36,938, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (score 37,018, -0.2% delta), indicating that the 5600F is a solid mid-range performer.

The high rank of 339 suggests that the GPU is able to compensate for the CPU’s limitations. In a game like The Medium, which is likely GPU-intensive at high resolutions, the RTX 5090 D’s raw power dominates. The measured FPS data supports this: at 4K High, the combo achieves 68 FPS, which is a demanding resolution that stresses the GPU more than the CPU.

However, the rank also highlights the imbalance of the pairing. The CPU is a 65 W part with a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, which is modest compared to the GPU’s 575 W TDP. This mismatch is evident in the measured FPS, where the system fails to exceed 117 FPS even at 1080p Low. A more balanced pairing would likely rank higher, as the CPU would not be the bottleneck.

Overall, the rank of 339 confirms the GPU’s capabilities, but it also serves as a cautionary note. For users who play at 1080p, this combo is overkill, as the CPU will limit performance. For 4K gaming, the rank is more justified, as the GPU is fully utilized and delivers a playable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 4K (3840x2160), the Ultra preset yields an average of 54 FPS, the High preset averages 68 FPS, the Medium preset averages 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 and maximum of 98, and the Low preset averages 102 FPS. This shows a clear progression where reducing settings from Ultra to Low nearly doubles the frame rate.

At 1440p (2560x1440), the Ultra preset averages 69 FPS, High averages 82 FPS, Medium averages 92 FPS with a minimum of 78 and maximum of 106, and Low averages 111 FPS. The pattern is consistent with 4K, but the absolute values are higher, demonstrating the GPU’s ability to handle lower pixel counts with ease.

At 1080p (1920x1080), the Ultra preset averages 79 FPS, High averages 86 FPS, Medium averages 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 and maximum of 112, and Low averages 117 FPS. Notably, the Ultra preset at 1080p (79 FPS) is only slightly higher than the 4K High preset (68 FPS), underscoring the CPU bottleneck. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is minimal across all settings, with the largest gap being 10 FPS on Ultra (69 vs. 79).

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data. At 4K, the FPS ranges from 72 to 98, at 1440p from 78 to 106, and at 1080p from 83 to 112. This indicates that the frame pacing is stable, with a consistent range of approximately 26-29 FPS between minimum and maximum, regardless of resolution.

These numbers reveal that the RTX 5090 D is powerful enough to handle The Medium at 4K, but the CPU becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions. The data shows that 1080p performance is not meaningfully better than 1440p, which is unusual for a high-end GPU. This suggests that users should prioritize higher resolutions to get the most out of this hardware.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. For 4K gaming, the High preset is the best choice, offering an average of 68 FPS. This provides a smooth experience that is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 54 FPS, which may be acceptable for some users but is likely to feel less fluid during fast-paced scenes. The Medium preset at 4K averages 85 FPS, which is excellent, but the visual quality trade-off may not be worth it for a game like The Medium that emphasizes atmosphere.

For 1440p, the High preset averages 82 FPS, which is nearly identical to the 1080p High result of 86 FPS. This makes 1440p High the recommended configuration, as it offers a significant resolution upgrade over 1080p without any meaningful performance penalty. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 69 FPS, which is also playable and provides the best visual fidelity for users with high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1080p, the data shows that the CPU bottleneck limits the benefits of lower resolution. The High preset averages 86 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 98 FPS. The Low preset averages 117 FPS, which is the highest value in the dataset, but it comes at the cost of visual quality. Given the minimal performance difference between 1080p and 1440p, users are better off selecting 1440p with High or Medium settings rather than dropping to 1080p.

The Medium preset is a solid compromise across all resolutions. At 4K, it delivers 85 FPS, at 1440p 92 FPS, and at 1080p 98 FPS. The frame time data shows a stable range, with the minimum and maximum values varying by only a few FPS across resolutions. This indicates that the Medium preset offers consistent performance, making it a safe choice for users who want smooth gameplay without fine-tuning individual settings.

For the best overall experience, the data suggests prioritizing 1440p with the High preset. This configuration balances visual quality with performance, achieving 82 FPS average. Users who prefer maximum visual fidelity can opt for 1440p Ultra at 69 FPS, while those seeking the highest frame rates should consider 1080p Low at 117 FPS, though this is not recommended given the CPU bottleneck. The RTX 5090 D is best paired with a higher-resolution display to avoid wasting its potential.