The Medium

# FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings for this combo?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers an average of 68 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 25, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in The Medium, a horror title that relies on consistent frame pacing.

Q: What is the best resolution-to-settings balance for a 60 FPS target?

A: The data shows that 1080p Low achieves 108 FPS, while 1440p Low hits 91 FPS, and 4K Low reaches 72 FPS. For a 60 FPS target, 1440p Medium at 57 FPS is close, but 1080p Medium at 68 FPS is the most reliable choice.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713, which places it 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, 0.5% below the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, 0.6% below the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT, and 0.8% below the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The RTX 4060 ranks in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, is only 0.2% ahead, while the AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind.

Q: Is the combo's in-game ranking high or low relative to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1999 out of 3724 tested combinations in The Medium, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, which reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering 89.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. It also includes 32 MB of shared L3 cache, which is critical for gaming workloads that require fast access to frequently used data.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is primarily to handle the game's fixed-camera perspective rendering and the dual-reality mechanic, which often requires simultaneous scene processing. The 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient for this title, as benchmark results show that the CPU's single-thread performance is strong—evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2923 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5. The multi-threaded performance is also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17528.5.

However, the data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 108 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently at lower settings. The 3DMark scores reinforce this: the 16-thread score of 7585 and the single-thread score of 1253 show a balanced processor that can handle both lightly threaded and heavily threaded tasks. The CPU's percentile ranking of 81st among all CPUs further confirms that it is a capable performer, sitting just 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE in average benchmark score.

Given the game's genre and release date, the Ryzen 5 9600X provides ample headroom for the RTX 4060 to become the limiting factor in most scenarios. The CPU's 32 MB L3 cache and 5.40 GHz boost clock help maintain consistent frame times, especially in scenes with multiple characters or complex lighting. The data shows that the combo's FPS scales predictably with resolution changes, which is a hallmark of a CPU that is not constraining performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with an AD107 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, 48 raster output units, 24 ray tracing cores, and 96 tensor cores. Its base clock is 1830 MHz, with a boost clock of 2460 MHz, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In The Medium, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is a crucial factor. The game's high-resolution textures and the dual-world rendering technique can be memory-intensive, especially at higher settings. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages only 25 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of resolution and graphical fidelity. The 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth may also limit performance in scenes with heavy texture streaming.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning. It has a Passmark G3D score of 19545 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302. Its percentile ranking of 61st among all GPUs places it slightly above average, but its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, is just 0.2% ahead, indicating that the RTX 4060 sits in a competitive segment. The GPU's FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows that 4K gaming is challenging.

The RTX 4060's ray tracing cores and tensor cores are present, but The Medium's implementation of these features is not explicitly measured in the FPS data. However, the GPU's performance at 1440p Medium (57 FPS) and 1080p Medium (68 FPS) shows that it can handle the game's core mechanics at mainstream resolutions. The GPU's 115 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate an efficient design, but the FPS data reveals that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings. This configuration delivers an average of 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay in The Medium's horror sequences, where frame drops can be jarring. The 58 FPS minimum is above the 60 FPS target, providing a consistent experience.

For users prioritizing higher resolution, 1440p Medium offers 57 FPS on average, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. This is close to the 60 FPS target but may exhibit occasional stuttering during intense scenes. If a higher framerate is desired, 1440p Low achieves 91 FPS, which is a significant jump, but this sacrifices visual fidelity.

At 4K, the data shows that Medium settings yield 45 FPS (with a minimum of 38 FPS), which is playable but not ideal for a horror game that benefits from smooth motion. 4K Low achieves 72 FPS, but the reduction in texture quality and effects may detract from the game's atmospheric visuals. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it drops to 39 FPS at 1080p and 25 FPS at 4K, both of which are below the playable threshold.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, as it balances visual quality and performance. The 68 FPS average and 58 FPS minimum provide a comfortable margin over the 60 FPS target, and the settings retain enough detail to appreciate the game's dual-reality mechanics. If the user has a 1440p monitor, 1440p Medium is a viable alternative, but the lower minimum FPS may be noticeable in fast-paced sections.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1999 out of 3724 tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, indicating that while the combo is capable of running the game, it is not among the top performers. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range status, as the CPU is positioned in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU sits in the 61st percentile.

The combo's rank suggests that many other configurations, particularly those with higher-end GPUs, achieve better FPS in this title. However, the data shows that the combo performs adequately at 1080p and 1440p, with the 1080p Medium setting delivering 68 FPS. The rank of 1999 out of 3724 means that roughly 54% of tested combos perform better, but this is not a poor showing for a mid-range pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores—such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H and AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS—have similar average scores, but these are mobile processors, so the desktop Ryzen 5 9600X likely has better sustained performance. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon 780M and AMD Radeon Pro 560, are either integrated or older discrete GPUs, which underscores the RTX 4060's position as a modern entry-level discrete option.

In the context of The Medium, the combo's rank is influenced by the game's demanding nature at higher settings. The data shows that the combo can handle 1080p Medium comfortably, but it struggles at 4K Ultra, which drags down its overall ranking. Users with this combo should target 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings to maximize their experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 108 FPS on Low, 68 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS), 49 FPS on High, and 39 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear progression of decreasing performance as settings increase, with a 64% drop from Low to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS is 91 on Low, 57 on Medium (with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS), 41 on High, and 32 on Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 37%, and from Medium to Ultra is 44%, indicating that the GPU becomes more stressed at higher settings. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 49, which is below the 60 FPS target, suggesting potential frame stutters.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 72 on Low, 45 on Medium (with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS), 32 on High, and 25 on Ultra. The 4K resolution significantly impacts performance, with even Low settings requiring a 33% drop from 1080p Low. The Ultra preset at 4K is unplayable, averaging just 25 FPS.

The data reveals that the GPU is the primary performance limiter. For example, at 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance allows the GPU to reach 108 FPS on Low, but as settings increase, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become bottlenecks. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings across all resolutions (58 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, 38 FPS at 4K) show a consistent pattern of the GPU struggling to maintain frame times under load.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 68 at 1920x1080 to 57 at 2560x1440 and then to 45 at 3840x2160. This represents a 16% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 34% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth and fill rate are increasingly taxed at higher resolutions.

At Low settings, the FPS drops from 108 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p (a 16% drop) and then to 72 at 4K (a 33% drop from 1080p). This suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU's rendering capabilities are stretched at 4K, likely due to the pixel count exceeding the GPU's fill rate. At High settings, the FPS drops from 49 at 1080p to 41 at 1440p (a 16% drop) and to 32 at 4K (a 35% drop).

The scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect FPS to remain relatively constant as resolution increases, since the CPU would be the constraint. Instead, the consistent 16-35% drops as resolution increases point to the GPU's limitations. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM may also cause texture swapping at higher resolutions, further reducing performance.

The data suggests that for this combo, the optimal resolution is 1080p, where the GPU can maintain playable framerates even at Medium settings. At 1440p, the GPU is still capable, but the minimum FPS at Medium drops to 49, which may be noticeable in a game that relies on atmosphere. At 4K, the GPU is clearly overmatched, with only Low settings providing a playable experience at 72 FPS, while Medium and above fall below 45 FPS.