The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 presents a high-end mobile configuration for evaluating The Medium, a horror title known for its fixed-camera angles and demanding dual-reality rendering. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets provide a clear profile of where the performance bottlenecks lie, indicating a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings but reveals substantial headroom at lower loads.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU's dominance as the limiting factor. At the Medium preset, the average frame rate drops from 94 FPS at 1920x1080 to 79 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 15 FPS. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average falls to 62 FPS, a cumulative 34% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This consistent decline with each resolution step confirms that the rendering workload is scaling directly with pixel count, placing the burden squarely on the graphics card.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at the High preset. The system delivers 67 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 57 FPS at 1440p, and then to 45 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K represents a 21% performance loss, while the 1080p to 1440p step costs 15%. This non-linear drop suggests that at 4K, the GPU is reaching its limits with the increased shader and memory demands, pushing the experience below the smooth 60 FPS threshold.

At the Low preset, the scaling reveals the potential of the CPU-GPU combination. The system achieves 150 FPS at 1080p, 127 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K. While still scaling down with resolution, the 4K result remains well above playable levels, indicating that even at this high resolution, the GPU is not entirely saturated when graphical effects are minimized. The 34% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is proportionally similar to the Medium preset, indicating a consistent pixel-bound workload.

The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with averages of 53 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is 34% lower than the 1080p figure, and the 1440p result is already below the 60 FPS target. This indicates that the Ultra preset's additional effects, likely including higher shadow quality and volumetric effects, create a workload that even the RTX 4090 cannot manage smoothly at higher resolutions. The data shows that resolution is the primary driver of performance variance, with the GPU being the clear bottleneck at all settings above Low.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, with its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, provides a 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth. This substantial memory subsystem is critical for The Medium, which renders two simultaneous perspectives of the game world. The 24 GB capacity ensures that texture data for both realities can reside in VRAM without swapping, preventing stutter and maintaining consistent frame times. The measured results show that even at the highest settings, the frame rates are limited by processing power rather than memory capacity.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, drive its compute performance. The 16384 shading units and 128 RT cores deliver the raw throughput necessary for the game's directx 12 rendering. The benchmark results for the GPU show a Passmark G3D score of 38194, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The data indicates that the RTX 4090 is a top-tier part, yet the Ultra preset at 4K still results in an average of 35 FPS, highlighting the extreme demands of The Medium's highest quality mode.

The gap between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is substantial: 99 FPS versus 35 FPS, a difference of 64 FPS. This performance delta is attributable to the GPU's workload, not the CPU, as the resolution remains constant. The GPU is the component that processes the additional shadow maps, reflections, and post-processing effects that differentiate the presets. The fact that the 4K Low result is nearly three times the 4K Ultra result confirms that the RTX 4090 is capable of high frame rates when the graphical load is reduced, but its absolute limits are tested by the Ultra preset.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database, such as the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a 0% deltaPct, show that the RTX 4090's average score is closely matched by other parts. However, these rivals are not in the same performance class for gaming, as the RTX 4090's high-end positioning is clear from its 88th percentile ranking. For The Medium, the GPU role is to provide the muscle for high-resolution rendering, and the data shows that while it excels at Medium and High presets, the Ultra preset is beyond its capability for smooth 4K play.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In The Medium, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the game's simulation logic. The high core count and boost clock ensure that the CPU does not become a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The data supports this, as the frame rates at 1080p are significantly higher than at 4K, indicating that the CPU is capable of producing frames faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and single-core score of 6030 demonstrate its strong processing power, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. However, the benchmark results for The Medium show that this processing power is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 150 FPS, which is the highest measured result. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at this point across all settings, but instead, the frame rates drop as settings increase, confirming the GPU is the primary constraint.

The Ryzen 9 8945HX's performance is closely matched by its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX with a deltaPct of 0.1% and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D with a deltaPct of 0.6%. This indicates that the CPU is on par with other top-tier mobile processors. The data shows that even with such a powerful CPU, the game's performance at 4K Ultra is still only 35 FPS, proving that the CPU has ample headroom and is not the component limiting the experience. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support provide the necessary bandwidth for the game's data streaming, but these features do not contribute to the frame rate differences observed across presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 8945HX and RTX 4090 ranks 583rd out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations. This rank reflects the strength of the overall system, but the data suggests that the ranking is primarily driven by the GPU. The CPU's high percentile ranking (95th) and the GPU's strong showing (88th) indicate a balanced, high-end pairing, yet the game's specific demands mean that the system's raw power does not translate to top-tier performance at all settings.

The combo rank of 583 is noteworthy because it is lower than what the individual component rankings might suggest. This is due to the game's extreme GPU demands at higher settings. A system with a slightly weaker CPU but a similar GPU would likely achieve a similar rank, while a system with a stronger CPU but weaker GPU would rank lower. The data indicates that for this game, the GPU is the dominant factor in determining the overall combo rank, as the CPU has sufficient power to avoid being a limiting factor.

The measured frame rates for this combo show a wide range of performance, from 150 FPS at 1080p Low to 35 FPS at 4K Ultra. This range demonstrates the system's versatility, but also its limitations. The rank of 583 out of 2911 suggests that while this is a high-end configuration, there are other combos that can achieve better performance in this specific game, likely through more optimized GPU configurations. The data shows that the combo is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p on Medium settings, but it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience in The Medium. For a target of 60 FPS or higher, the Medium preset is the best choice across all resolutions. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 94 FPS, at 1440p it delivers 79 FPS, and at 4K it delivers 62 FPS. This makes Medium the only preset that achieves the 60 FPS target at 4K, providing a smooth and consistent experience. The minimum FPS of 53 at 4K and 67 at 1440p indicate some frame dips, but the averages are solidly above the threshold.

The High preset is a viable alternative for users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate smoothness. At 1080p, it delivers 67 FPS, which is acceptable, but at 1440p it drops to 57 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 45 FPS. The High preset is recommended for 1080p gaming where the frame rate remains above 60 FPS, but for higher resolutions, the Medium preset is a better option. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, with 150 FPS at 1080p and 99 FPS at 4K, but it likely compromises visual fidelity too much for a game like The Medium that relies on atmosphere and detail.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with frame rates ranging from 53 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 4K. This preset is not recommended for any resolution if a smooth experience is desired, as even the 1080p result is below the 60 FPS target. The data suggests that the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, offering a 62 FPS average at 4K, which is a significant improvement over the High preset's 45 FPS. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset at 1080p can take advantage of the 150 FPS capability, but for most players, Medium is the optimal choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates for this configuration is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 150 FPS on Low settings, 94 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 108, 67 FPS on High, and 53 FPS on Ultra. This resolution shows the greatest performance range, with the Low preset providing a 183% improvement over Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 127 FPS on Low, 79 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 91, 57 FPS on High, and 45 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below the target.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 99 FPS on Low, 62 FPS on Medium with a minimum of 53 and a maximum of 71, 45 FPS on High, and 35 FPS on Ultra. This resolution highlights the GPU's limits, with only the Low and Medium presets achieving playable frame rates above 60 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: Medium is the only preset that consistently achieves an average above 60 FPS. The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset indicate that frame times can dip, particularly at 4K where the minimum is 53 FPS, but the overall experience remains smooth. The High and Ultra presets show a significant performance penalty, with the Ultra preset at 4K delivering less than half the frame rate of the Medium preset at the same resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a solid 60 FPS experience?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 62 FPS, making it the only 4K setting to exceed the 60 FPS target. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset achieves 79 FPS, and at 1920x1080 it reaches 94 FPS, all providing a smooth experience.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 35 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution, as even at 1920x1080 it only achieves 53 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU performance affect the game's frame rates?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck. The Ryzen 9 8945HX, with its 16 cores and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, provides sufficient performance to allow the GPU to be the limiting factor. The frame rates scale with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound workloads.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 150 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 53 FPS. This represents a 97 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset's additional graphical effects impose a significant performance cost.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The 24 GB of memory is more than sufficient for The Medium. The game's dual-reality rendering can be memory-intensive, but the measured data shows no signs of texture swapping or stuttering, and the performance is limited by processing power, not memory capacity.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other systems tested for this game?

A: This combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 583rd out of 2911 total tested combos. This places it in the top 20% of systems, reflecting its high-end component selection, though the game's specific GPU demands prevent it from ranking higher.