The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 lands in the lower-middle portion of the performance hierarchy for The Medium, securing the 1648th spot out of 2911 tested combinations. This places the combo in roughly the 43rd percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it is far from the bottom of the pack, it also does not deliver the high-end experience that many players seek for this title. The ranking reflects a system that can run the game, but with notable compromises required at higher resolutions and quality settings.

The data shows a configuration where the GPU is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios, a conclusion reinforced by the measured frame rates across different resolutions. At 1080p with Medium settings, the combo produces 63 FPS on average, which is playable, but the drop to 36 FPS at Ultra settings reveals the graphics card's limitations under load. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, provides ample processing headroom, as evidenced by its strong synthetic benchmarks, but this power is largely untapped in The Medium, where the Radeon RX 9060 struggles to keep pace with the graphical demands.

How This Combo Ranks

The 1648th rank out of 2911 tested combinations places this hardware pairing in the 43rd percentile overall for The Medium. This is a mid-pack result, meaning that a majority of tested systems outperform it, but it also leaves a substantial portion of the field behind. The ranking suggests that this is not a combination built for maximum frame rates or high-refresh-rate gaming in this specific title, but rather one that can handle the game at moderate settings with acceptable performance.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU is a strong performer in general workloads, with an average benchmark score of 41376 and a percentile rank of 87 when compared to all CPUs. This puts it in the top 13% of processors globally, a signal of its multi-threaded capabilities. However, this raw processing power does not translate directly into gaming performance in The Medium, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The combo's overall rank is dragged down by the graphics card's more modest standing, which sits at the 59th percentile among all GPUs.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's lower one is the defining characteristic of this pairing. The Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-end processor that is effectively held back by the mid-range Radeon RX 9060 in this game. This is a classic case of a CPU that is "too good" for its GPU companion in a graphically intensive title, leading to a system that is unbalanced for The Medium's specific demands. The data suggests that the combo's rank is not a reflection of poor components, but rather of a mismatch in their respective performance tiers when applied to this particular workload.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p gaming but becomes a significant constraint at higher resolutions. In The Medium, the measured frame rates show a clear pattern: at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 24, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely a limiting factor at 4K, where the game's textures and effects can easily exceed this amount, leading to performance degradation.

The GPU's clock speeds are relatively high, with a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. These clocks are competitive for the GPU's class, allowing it to perform reasonably well at lower resolutions. The RDNA 4.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process, delivers a peak FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS, which is a respectable figure for a mid-range card. However, the 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM limit its ability to maintain high frame rates when the resolution and settings are pushed higher.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning, with an average benchmark score of 16014 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has a nearly identical average score, coming in at just 0.7% higher. This indicates that the RX 9060 is a solid performer at its tier, but it is not designed to compete with higher-end cards. In The Medium, this translates to playable performance at Medium settings across all resolutions, but with a significant penalty at Ultra, where the GPU's architectural and memory limitations become apparent.

FAQ

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

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 63, with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 72 frames per second.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings, and is it playable?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 24, which is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth, playable performance in a game like The Medium.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck in this system for The Medium?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores are significantly higher than the GPU's, and the frame rates drop dramatically as resolution and settings increase, indicating the graphics card cannot keep up with the CPU's capabilities.

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

A: The combo ranks 1648th out of 2911 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this game.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score that is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, indicating nearly identical overall performance.

Q: Is the CPU's performance a limiting factor at any tested resolution or setting?

A: No, the data does not indicate the CPU is a limiting factor. The Ryzen 9 5900X has a percentile rank of 87 among all CPUs, and the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this combo handles The Medium across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is generally acceptable for most settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 101, which is very smooth and indicates the GPU has plenty of headroom at this resolution. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 72, which is still a playable experience. High settings yield an average of 45 FPS, which begins to feel less fluid, and Ultra settings drop further to 36 FPS, which is borderline for a horror game that benefits from smooth motion.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings produce an average of 85 FPS, which is still quite good, but Medium settings average 53 FPS with a minimum of 45, putting it in the playable but not optimal range. High settings average 38 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 30 FPS, which is at the lower limit of what is generally considered playable. The trend clearly shows that the GPU's memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity are being stretched at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal. Low settings yield an average of 67 FPS, which is surprisingly playable, but Medium settings average 42 FPS with a minimum of 35, which is starting to feel choppy. High settings average 30 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 24 FPS, making the game very difficult to play smoothly. The data shows a clear pattern: the combo can handle 1080p and 1440p at Medium settings, but 4K requires significant compromises in quality to achieve a playable frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a strong GPU bottleneck. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p, a decrease of approximately 16%. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average FPS drops from 53 to 42, a further decrease of about 21%. This scaling behavior is consistent with a system where the GPU is the limiting factor, as the performance penalty for increasing resolution is substantial and not offset by the CPU's considerable processing power.

The scaling at Low settings shows a similar pattern, with FPS dropping from 101 at 1080p to 85 at 1440p and then to 67 at 4K. This is a more gradual decline, suggesting that at lower quality settings, the GPU is less stressed, but it still cannot maintain the high frame rates seen at 1080p when the resolution is increased. The data indicates that the bottleneck is the GPU's raw rendering capability and memory subsystem, which is taxed more heavily as the pixel count increases.

This behavior is a clear sign that the CPU is not a limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates regardless of resolution, as the CPU's workload remains relatively constant. Instead, the frame rates drop significantly with each resolution increase, proving that the Radeon RX 9060 is unable to keep up with the demands of higher resolutions. The combo's performance is therefore dictated by the GPU, and users should expect to lower settings or resolution to achieve their desired frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it provides an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 53, ensuring a smooth and consistent experience. While Low settings offer a higher average of 101 FPS, the visual quality trade-off is not worth it when the Medium preset is so comfortably playable. The High preset at 45 FPS is workable but may feel less responsive, and Ultra at 36 FPS is not advisable for a game that relies on atmosphere and tension.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the best choice, delivering an average of 53 FPS with a minimum of 45. This offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, keeping the game smooth enough for an enjoyable experience. The Low preset at 85 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, but the Medium preset is recommended for its superior image quality. The High and Ultra presets, at 38 and 30 FPS respectively, are not recommended due to the risk of noticeable stuttering and a less immersive experience.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only reasonable option for playable performance, yielding an average of 67 FPS. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is technically playable but may feel inconsistent, with minimums dropping to 35 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are not viable options at this resolution, with average frame rates of 30 and 24 FPS, respectively. Players wishing to run at 4K should accept the Low preset's visual limitations, or they will need to consider a more powerful GPU to unlock higher quality settings.