The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers a fascinating performance profile in The Medium, one that is heavily dictated by the game’s engine and the specific demands of its fixed-camera horror presentation. The data shows a system with immense headroom, where the choice of settings and resolution dramatically reshapes the bottleneck and the resulting frame rate. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and presets, contextualizes the results against other tested combinations, and provides clear guidance for players seeking an optimal experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, and manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor includes 96 MB of shared L3 cache, a substantial amount that is characteristic of the X3D line, alongside 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. This configuration is designed to excel in gaming workloads, where large caches can mitigate memory latency.

In the context of The Medium, a horror title that relies on rendering two simultaneous worlds, the CPU's role is significant but not limiting at lower resolutions. The game is primarily GPU-bound, especially at higher settings, but the 9850X3D’s strong single-thread performance is evident in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2228. The multi-core score of 22807 in the same test indicates that the processor has ample parallel processing capability. However, the measured frame rates in this game show that even at 1080p Low, the average of 198 FPS is far from the CPU’s theoretical ceiling, as the processor’s benchmark scores suggest it could handle far more. The 9850X3D ranks in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 58386, demonstrating that it is a top-tier part. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900 with an average score of 58115, are within a 0.5% delta, underscoring the competitive field at the high end.

The processor’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, paired with dual-channel DDR5 support, ensures that data can be fed to the GPU efficiently. Yet, the data suggests that in The Medium, the CPU is never the primary constraint. The frame rate differences between resolutions at the same settings are more telling of GPU load. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 97 at 1080p to 82 at 1440p and then to 64 at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the graphics card is the limiting factor, as the CPU maintains a consistent ability to feed frames. The 9850X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for the game’s logic, and the large L3 cache likely helps with the streaming of assets for the dual-world mechanic. In summary, the CPU provides a robust foundation, but its performance headroom is not fully utilized in this title, as the RTX 5090 becomes the bottleneck at virtually every measured configuration.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB202 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It is a massive piece of silicon with 92,200 million transistors and a die size of 750 mm². The card is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its clocks are listed with a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz or 28 Gbps effective. The RTX 5090 features 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, alongside 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores.

In The Medium, the GPU’s role is decisive. The game’s visual fidelity, particularly at higher presets, places a substantial load on the rendering hardware. The measured FPS shows a clear correlation between settings and performance, with the GPU being the primary driver of frame rate changes. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 51, which is the lowest recorded for this combo, indicating that the game’s most demanding settings overwhelm even this flagship card. The RTX 5090’s 32 GB of VRAM is a notable asset, as The Medium’s high-resolution textures and dual-world rendering can consume significant memory, but the data does not indicate any VRAM-related stutters or limitations, as the card’s capacity far exceeds what the game requires at these settings.

The GPU’s performance percentile is 92, with an average benchmark score of 79842. Its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with a score of 79605, are within a 0.3% delta, which is interesting given the generational gap, but the RTX 5090’s gaming-specific features and drivers are what matter here. The card’s FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS provides immense compute power, which is reflected in the high frame rates at lower settings. For example, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 198, and at 1440p Low, it is 182, showing that the GPU can easily handle lighter loads. The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution demonstrates the GPU’s sensitivity to graphical complexity, with a significant performance penalty for each step up in preset. The RTX 5090 is clearly a powerful card, but The Medium’s Ultra settings are exceptionally demanding, pushing it to its limits at 4K.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data provides clear evidence of a GPU-bound system. The measured FPS across the three resolutions for each preset shows a consistent pattern of decline as pixel count increases. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 198 at 1080p to 182 at 1440p, a drop of 8.1%, and then to 143 at 4K, a further drop of 21.4% from 1440p. This indicates that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s performance headroom is not the constraint.

At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 135 at 1080p to 114 at 1440p (a 15.6% decrease) and then to 90 at 4K (a 21.1% decrease from 1440p). The scaling is more pronounced at higher settings because the GPU’s workload increases with both resolution and detail. At High settings, the average FPS is 97 at 1080p, 82 at 1440p, and 64 at 4K. The percentage drops are 15.5% from 1080p to 1440p and 22.0% from 1440p to 4K. This pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the number of pixels being processed directly impacts the frame rate.

The most demanding configuration, Ultra settings, shows the steepest decline. At 1080p, the average FPS is 77, which drops to 65 at 1440p (a 15.6% decrease) and then to 51 at 4K (a 21.5% decrease). The fact that the game cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, even with the most powerful consumer GPU available, highlights the extreme demands of the title. The consistent scaling across all presets confirms that the RTX 5090 is the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see less of a difference between 1080p and 4K, as the CPU’s workload would remain relatively constant while the GPU’s workload increases. Instead, the data shows a clear correlation between resolution and FPS, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated, while the 9850X3D has ample resources to spare.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 48th out of 3,724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 1.3% of all configurations, a strong result that reflects the high-end nature of both components. However, the rank is not first, which is notable given the flagship status of the CPU and GPU. The data suggests that other combinations, likely those with even more specialized configurations or better optimization for this specific game, achieve higher average frame rates.

The rank of 48 indicates that while this combo is excellent, it is not the absolute best for The Medium. This could be due to the game’s engine favoring certain hardware configurations or perhaps the CPU’s 3D V-Cache not providing a significant advantage in this title. The combo’s performance is still in the 92nd percentile for both the CPU and GPU individually, but the combined result is slightly lower than the top-tier combos. The delta to the number 1 combo is not provided, but the rank suggests that there is a measurable gap to the best-performing systems.

That said, a rank of 48 out of 3,724 is a very strong showing. It places this combo in the upper echelon of all tested systems, and the absolute FPS numbers are high in most scenarios. For instance, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 198 FPS, which is a very high frame rate by any standard. The rank is a holistic measure that considers all tested settings and resolutions, and the fact that this combo is in the top 50 out of nearly 4,000 demonstrates its overall capability. It would be a top choice for any user seeking high performance in this game, even if a few other exotic configurations edge it out.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides a clear picture of how each preset performs, allowing for a recommendation based on the desired experience. For players targeting the highest possible frame rates, particularly for competitive play or high refresh-rate displays, the Low preset at 1080p or 1440p is the clear choice. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 198, and at 1440p Low, it is 182. These frame rates are well above the threshold for smooth gameplay and would be ideal for a 144Hz or 165Hz monitor. The visual quality is reduced, but the performance is outstanding.

For a balanced experience that maintains high visual fidelity while still delivering smooth gameplay, the Medium preset is the best recommendation. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 135, which is excellent. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 114, still very smooth. Even at 4K Medium, the average FPS is 90, which is above the 60 FPS standard for most players. The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while keeping the frame rate high enough for an enjoyable experience. The min FPS at Medium settings is also worth noting: 115 at 1080p, 97 at 1440p, and 76 at 4K. These minimums indicate that the game maintains a stable frame rate without major stutters, which is crucial for a horror title where smoothness is paramount.

The High preset is also viable, especially at 1080p and 1440p, where the average FPS is 97 and 82 respectively. However, at 4K High, the average FPS drops to 64, which is close to the 60 FPS threshold but may not be stable enough for some players. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and the data shows that it is only playable at 1080p, where the average FPS is 77. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 65, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 51, which is below the 60 FPS standard. The recommendation is to use Medium settings for the best balance of visual quality and performance, as it provides the most consistently smooth experience across all resolutions. For those with a 4K display, Medium is the only preset that guarantees a 90 FPS average, making it the optimal choice.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 114, with minimum and maximum FPS of 97 and 131 respectively.

Q: Is this combo capable of running the game at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 51, which is below the 60 FPS target for most players. It is playable but not ideal for smooth gameplay.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D has an average benchmark score of 58386, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and 0.5% higher than the Intel Core i9-14900, but 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 198, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the game utilize the CPU's multi-threading capabilities fully?

A: The data does not show CPU-specific metrics, but the significant FPS drops at higher resolutions and settings suggest the GPU is the limiting factor, indicating that the CPU’s 16 threads are not the primary constraint.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in The Medium?

A: This combination ranks 48th out of 3,724 tested combos, placing it in the top 1.3% of all systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for this combo is presented below, organized by resolution and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS 198.
• Medium: Average FPS 135, with minimum FPS 115 and maximum FPS 156.
• High: Average FPS 97.
• Ultra: Average FPS 77.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS 182.
• Medium: Average FPS 114, with minimum FPS 97 and maximum FPS 131.
• High: Average FPS 82.
• Ultra: Average FPS 65.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS 143.
• Medium: Average FPS 90, with minimum FPS 76 and maximum FPS 103.
• High: Average FPS 64.
• Ultra: Average FPS 51.

The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, with the lowest settings at 1080p providing the highest frame rate and the highest settings at 4K providing the lowest. The Medium preset at each resolution offers a balanced option, with frame rates that are playable across the board. The High and Ultra presets are more demanding, and at 4K, they fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making Medium the recommended preset for the best overall experience.