The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that puts the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination through a demanding visual test. Measured frame rates span from 191 FPS at 1080p Low to 45 FPS at 4K Ultra, showing a system that caps out well above the 144 Hz threshold at low resolutions yet still remains playable at higher settings. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 is the limiting factor as resolution climbs, while the 9900X’s core/thread count and high boost clock keep the frame ceiling high at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

Scaling from 1920x1080 up to 3840x2160 reveals a GPU‑bound trend as the pixel count grows. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 191 at 1080p to 161 at 1440p and then to 127 at 4K. The drop between 1080p and 1440p is 30 frames, but the 1440p to 4K step loses another 34 frames, indicating that the 4K workload nearly doubles the demand on the GPU. The same pattern emerges when looking at a higher preset: High averages 86 FPS at 1080p, 72 at 1440p, and 57 at 4K. That 57 FPS figure sits below a common 60‑Hz target, so the GPU becomes the performance ceiling for high-end settings at 4K.

At Medium settings, the frame rates are 120 (1080p), 101 (1440p), and 79 (4K). The 4K result is comfortably above the typical 60 FPS, and the minimum observed at 4K is 67 FPS, which means the system never stutters below that floor. Ultra presets bring the 4K average down to 45 FPS, with 1440p and 1080p still hitting 57 and 68 respectively. These data points show that the RTX 4080 can carry the game at reasonable visual quality in 4K, but if maximum quality is desired, the GPU falls short.

The CPU’s influence is most noticeable at 1080p Low, where 191 FPS suggests the processor is not the bottleneck at that resolution. As resolution climbs, the FPS gap between low and ultra grows because the GPU must push more pixels, which shifts the balance toward the graphics card. The scaling pattern indicates that the pairing is best used at 1440p or 4K with medium/high settings, where the CPU can provide enough frames while the GPU does the heavy lifting.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads. It bases at 4.40 GHz and can boost to 5.60 GHz, using the Zen 5 architecture built on a 4 nm TSMC node. While raw core count often matters in rendering and heavy multithreaded workloads, The Medium’s pattern across resolutions highlights the importance of a fast chip for 1080p. The 1080p Low result of 191 FPS is a strong indicator that single‑core throughput and high boost clocks are decisive.

The 9900X’s average benchmark score is 57498, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. Among its closest rivals, the AMD EPYC 9015 tops the list at 57555, with the 9900X trailing by 0.1%. The AMD EPYC 7313 comes in at 57399, which the 9900X leads by 0.2%. The Intel Core i9-14900 records 58115 (1.1% higher) and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M reaches 58323 (1.4% higher), meaning the 9900X sits within a few percent of several top-tier server and desktop parts. Such scores should be sufficient for most gaming loads, and the measured frame rates confirm that the CPU is not slowing down the GPU at 4K.

The 24 threads also serve well for background tasks and any extra overhead from the game’s rendering. The 9900X shows no signs of holding back the RTX 4080 at any setting, as the FPS differences across resolutions follow the GPU’s scaling curve. This behavior is consistent with a 12‑core / 24‑thread chip that can deliver more than enough instruction throughput for modern titles.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS that this combo can produce?

A: At 1080p with Low settings, the pair delivers a 191 FPS average.

Q: Which resolution yields the lowest sustainable frame rate?

A: The lowest measured average FPS is 45, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values for Medium settings?

A: For Medium at 3840x2160, the minimum FPS is 67; at 2560x1440 it is 86; at 1920x1080 it is 102.

Q: Does the CPU have any unlocking capabilities for all cores?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked, indicating that the 9900X supports overclocking.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark percentile rank compare to its in-game performance?

A: The 9900X has a percentile of 92% among all CPUs, and in-game its 1080p Low result of 191 FPS shows strong single-threaded strength.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The RTX 4080 uses 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256‑bit bus, offering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What is the combo’s Rank within the tested database?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X + RTX 4080 pair rank 173rd out of 3,724 combinations tested for The Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination places 173rd out of 3,724 total combos in The Medium benchmark database. That rank is remarkable given the size of the field. The CPU sits in the 92nd percentile among all desktop processors, and the RTX 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. The combined position suggests that while neither part is the absolute top pick, the pairing offers a well‑balanced architecture for this horror title. The CPU’s proximity to rival EPYC 8230, EPYC 7313, Core i9-14900, and Xeon 8260M in average score—within 1.4% in either direction—means that the 9900X’s performance is solidly mainstream. The GPU’s 0.1% lead over the RTX 4080 SUPER also places it in the same performance class, reinforcing that does not need the absolute fastest package to still feel responsive.

The high rank owes much to the 1080p Low result of 191 FPS, which pushes the average across resolutions far above the typical requirement. However, even at more realistic 1440p Medium settings (101 FPS) and 4K Medium (79 FPS), the combination remains above the 60‑FPS target. In a large database with twice more than 3,700 entries, being in the top 5% is a strong performance signature for The Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates from the database:

• 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Low: 191 FPS (avg)
• Medium: 120 FPS (min 102, max 138)
• High: 86 FPS
• Ultra: 68 FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p)
• Low: 161 FPS
• Medium: 101 FPS (min 86, max 116)
• High: 72 FPS
• Ultra: 57 FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K)
• Low: 127 FPS
• Medium: 79 FPS (min 67, max 91)
• High: 57 FPS
• Ultra: 45 FPS

The breakdown shows a clear temporal gap between the four presets. At 1080p, the delta between Low and Ultra is 123 frames, indicating that any visual quality choice will still produce a very high frame rate. At 1440p, the rule scales 161 to 57 frames, a difference of 104 FPS. So while Low maximizes the monitor’s refresh rate potential, Medium maintains 101 and Ultra drops to 57, which require a high‑refresh panel to fully benefit.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the only one that stays above 60 FPS (79 FPS), while High and Ultra dip to 57 and 45 FPS, respectively. That makes Medium the recommended target for smooth 4K play, while Ultra is best reserved for frame‑rate tolerant scenes or a G‑Sync display with variable refresh.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates argue that Medium is the most balanced preset for this config across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 120 FPS, which is enough to drive a 120‑144 Hz panel without needing Low. The minimum for that preset at 1080p is 102 FPS, keeping the rate strictly above 60. For 1440p, Medium yields 101 FPS with a min of 86, again comfortably above the common refresh floor. At 4K, the Medium setting gives 79 FPS, with a min of 67, so it’s the only Ultra‑level resolution scaling that stays above 60 completely.

If the user’s primary target is maximum visual fidelity, Ultra at 1080p hits 68 FPS and Ultra at 1440p 57 FPS. The 1440p Ultra figure falls slightly below 60, but it is still playable for less demanding titles. For a strict 60 FPS lock, Medium is the best setting for 4K, and for 1440p the user can afford High at 72 FPS while keeping 60 FPS – outside the Ultra’s 57 FPS. At 1080p High gives 86 FPS, which is plenty high; but lowing to Medium boosts to 120 FPS, so users with 144Hz monitors will want to switch to Medium to take advantage of the extra visual R.

In summary, the 9900X + RTX 4080 is well matched to run The Medium smoothly at 1080p with any preset, while 1440p recommends Medium or High, and 4K should use Medium for a stable above‑60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset is reserved for those who accept lower frames in exchange for maximum visual quality.