The Medium

The Medium presents an interesting stress test for the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 22 FPS, while dropping to 1080p Low yields 94 FPS. This wide spread suggests a system that is heavily reliant on resolution and settings headroom, with the data indicating a GPU-bound scenario at higher presets and a more balanced profile at lower ones.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the slope is not uniform across all settings. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (94 FPS) to 2560x1440 (79 FPS) represents a 16% drop, while moving to 3840x2160 (62 FPS) results in a further 21.5% reduction from the 1440p figure. This suggests that even at Low settings, the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint.

For Medium settings, the scaling is more pronounced. The jump from 1080p (59 FPS) to 1440p (49 FPS) is a 17% decrease, and the leap to 4K (39 FPS) is a 20.4% drop from 1440p. The High preset tells a similar story: 1080p yields 42 FPS, 1440p drops to 35 FPS (a 16.7% decline), and 4K falls to 28 FPS (a 20% decline from 1440p). Ultra settings follow the same trajectory, with 33 FPS at 1080p, 28 FPS at 1440p (a 15.2% drop), and 22 FPS at 4K (a 21.4% drop).

The data shows that the percentage loss from 1440p to 4K is consistently higher than the loss from 1080p to 1440p across all presets. This non-linear scaling is characteristic of a system where the GPU's memory bandwidth or compute throughput becomes increasingly saturated as pixel count rises. The RTX 5060 Mobile’s 128-bit memory bus and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth appear to be significant factors here, as the 4K resolution demands substantially more memory throughput than 1440p or 1080p.

The implication is that for this game, the RTX 5060 Mobile is the limiting component at resolutions above 1080p. The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads are unlikely to be the bottleneck, given that the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the pixel count increase. The data suggests that players targeting 4K will need to rely on Low settings to approach playable frame rates, while those at 1080p have the headroom to use higher presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. Its boost clock of 1455 MHz and base clock of 952 MHz are relatively modest, but the architecture’s efficiency is evident in the benchmark scores. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3013.5 and PassMark G3D score of 18852 place it in the 67th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer.

In the context of The Medium, the GPU’s memory configuration is critical. The game’s 4K High preset produces only 28 FPS, while 4K Low jumps to 62 FPS. This dramatic difference suggests that the game’s high-quality textures and effects at 4K exceed the 8 GB VRAM capacity or saturate the 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, forcing the GPU to rely on slower memory operations. The 4K Medium result of 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and maximum of 45, further supports this, as the variance indicates occasional memory-related stalls.

The GPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (deltaPct -0.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (deltaPct -1.3). The RTX 5060 Mobile’s scores are within 1.3% of these competitors, suggesting that its performance in synthetic benchmarks is comparable. However, the measured FPS in The Medium shows that this equivalency does not always translate to real-world parity, as the game’s specific demands on VRAM and bandwidth can amplify differences.

The GPU’s 3328 shading units and 104 tensor cores are adequate for the game’s rendering needs, but the 48 ROPs may be a limiting factor at high resolutions. The pixel rate of 69.84 GPixel/s and texture rate of 151.3 GTexel/s provide a baseline, but the 4K results indicate that the GPU is working near its limits. The data implies that the RTX 5060 Mobile is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in The Medium, where it can maintain higher frame rates without hitting memory bottlenecks.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile ranks 2476 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the combo in the lower third of all tested systems, which is somewhat surprising given the individual component specifications. The CPU is a high-end mobile processor with a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 67th percentile, yet their combined performance in this game is modest.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900K (deltaPct -1.7) and AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX (deltaPct 2), show that the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is competitive in synthetic benchmarks. However, the combo rank suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing. The RTX 5060 Mobile’s performance in The Medium, particularly at higher resolutions, drags down the overall combo ranking.

This ranking implies that while the CPU has ample headroom, the GPU cannot fully utilize it in this game. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 94 FPS, which is reasonable, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 22 FPS. The rank of 2476 out of 3724 indicates that there are many other combos that perform better, likely those with more powerful GPUs. The pairing of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU in this instance results in a system that is CPU-overkill for the game’s demands.

The percentile data for the individual components further highlights the imbalance. The CPU’s 95th percentile ranking suggests it is among the best available, but the GPU’s 67th percentile is more modest. In a game like The Medium, which appears to be GPU-intensive based on the resolution scaling, the GPU’s performance is the primary determinant of the combo’s ranking. The data indicates that users seeking higher rankings would need to pair this CPU with a more powerful GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution, with average frame rates ranging from 33 FPS at Ultra to 94 FPS at Low. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to between 28 and 79, while 3840x2160 yields only 22 to 62 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory bandwidth affect 4K performance?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile’s 384.0 GB/s bandwidth on a 128-bit bus appears to be a limiting factor at 4K. The average FPS at 4K High is 28, which is significantly lower than the 42 FPS at 1080p High, suggesting that the memory subsystem cannot keep up with the increased pixel data.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has 16 cores and 32 threads, and its benchmark scores are strong, but the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU limitations. The combination’s rank of 2476 out of 3724 indicates the GPU is the constraining factor.

Q: What is the difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 79 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 28 FPS. This is a 51 FPS difference, representing a 64.5% reduction in performance when moving from Low to Ultra, which highlights the significant impact of settings on frame rate.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4060 Mobile?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 22435, while the RTX 4060 Mobile scores 22729, resulting in a deltaPct of -1.3. This indicates the RTX 5060 Mobile is slightly slower in synthetic benchmarks, though real-world game performance may vary.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 4K Medium?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS is 33, with an average of 39 and a maximum of 45. This data point is useful for understanding the frame time variance at that setting.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for settings based on resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers a balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50, ensuring a stable experience. The High preset at 42 FPS is also playable, but the Ultra preset at 33 FPS may introduce noticeable stutter in a horror game where smoothness is crucial.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset at 79 FPS is the only option that provides a comfortably high frame rate. The Medium preset at 49 FPS is acceptable, but the High (35 FPS) and Ultra (28 FPS) presets dip below the 30 FPS threshold, which could detract from the game’s atmosphere. The data suggests that 1440p users should stick to Low or Medium for a responsive experience.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset at 62 FPS is recommended for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 39 FPS is marginal, and the High (28 FPS) and Ultra (22 FPS) presets are not suitable for a playable experience. The GPU’s memory bandwidth is the likely culprit, as the higher presets demand more data throughput than the 384.0 GB/s can provide.

The best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1080p Medium, which provides a 59 FPS average with a minimum of 50, offering a good compromise between visual fidelity and smoothness. For users prioritizing frame rate, 1080p Low at 94 FPS is the clear choice. The data indicates that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo, as it maintains playable frame rates across all resolutions without the extreme performance drop seen at High and Ultra.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its 64 MB of shared L3 cache and 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are substantial, and its benchmark scores reflect this, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35314 and a Geekbench multicore score of 20992. The CPU’s 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a top-tier mobile processor.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU bottlenecks. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 94 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would require strong CPU performance to maintain, but the CPU’s 16 cores are more than adequate for this task. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900K (deltaPct -1.7), show that it is competitive, but the game’s performance is not CPU-bound.

The CPU’s high single-core performance, as evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2464 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2044, is relevant for games that rely on a few threads. However, The Medium’s performance scaling with resolution suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s 32 threads are likely underutilized, as the game does not appear to be heavily threaded based on the resolution scaling data.

The data implies that the CPU provides ample headroom for the RTX 5060 Mobile to operate, but the GPU cannot fully exploit this. The combo’s rank of 2476 out of 3724 suggests that the CPU is not the constraining factor, as other combos with similar GPUs but weaker CPUs would likely perform similarly. The CPU’s 55 W TDP and 4 nm process node contribute to its efficiency, but these factors do not directly impact the game’s frame rate in a measurable way.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium with the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 94 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 67, providing a stable experience. The High preset averages 42 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 33 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 61 FPS, representing a 64.9% reduction in performance.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 79 FPS, which is a 15 FPS decrease from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 49 FPS, with a minimum of 42 and a maximum of 57, which is a 10 FPS decrease from the 1080p Medium result. The High preset averages 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 28 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all presets, with an average drop of approximately 16-17%.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 62 FPS, which is a 17 FPS decrease from the 1440p Low result. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45, which is a 10 FPS decrease from the 1440p Medium result. The High preset averages 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 22 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, with an average drop of approximately 20-21%.

The data shows that the Medium preset consistently provides the most balanced performance across all resolutions, with the minimum FPS staying within 15% of the average. The Low preset is the only option that maintains frame rates above 60 FPS at all resolutions, while the Ultra preset never exceeds 33 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the RTX 5060 Mobile is the primary determinant of performance, with the CPU providing sufficient support for the GPU’s output.