The Medium

The Medium is a demanding title, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination shows a clear pattern: the game’s preset selection matters more than resolution for achieving a playable experience. This pairing is capable of solid performance, but only if you choose the right settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frames per second (FPS) data indicates that the Medium preset is the optimal balance for this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, this preset delivers an average of 70 FPS, which is a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The jump from Medium to High is not worth the performance cost; High drops the average to 47.4 FPS at the same resolution, a significant 32% reduction that will be noticeable in fast-moving scenes.

The Low preset is the only other viable option if you prioritize maximum frame rates. It achieves 90.1 FPS at 1080p, but this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. The data suggests that the visual quality difference between Low and Medium is substantial enough that the frame rate gain is not always worth it, especially when the Medium preset already provides a playable experience.

Ultra is not recommended for this combination. At 1080p, it yields only 39.3 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience in a horror game where atmosphere and timing are critical. The performance penalty for Ultra is steep, and the visual improvements over High are typically marginal in this title. For a 60 FPS target, the Medium preset is the clear choice. If you have a high-refresh-rate monitor and can tolerate lower graphical details, the Low preset is your only path to a higher frame rate, as even the High preset struggles to maintain 60 FPS at any resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory is a key asset. The benchmark results show a dramatic difference between the Low and High presets at 4K, with the average FPS jumping from 73.6 to 33.3. This indicates that the GPU is being heavily taxed by the increased texture and shader complexity at higher settings. The 12 GB frame buffer gives this card the capacity to handle the higher-resolution textures, but the processing power is still the limiting factor.

The GPU’s boost clock of 2581 MHz and game clock of 2424 MHz are the engines driving these results. The card’s memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s is substantial, but the data shows that the core clock speed is what determines the final output. The 40 ray tracing cores are present, but the performance data does not suggest they are being used to their full potential here, as the overall FPS figures are dominated by the rasterization workload.

The card’s position in the 77th percentile of all GPUs reinforces that it is a strong performer. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800, is only 0.7% ahead in average benchmark score, which is a negligible difference. This means the RX 6700 XT is performing at a level very close to a higher-tier card, but the game’s engine still presents a challenge at higher presets. The GPU is not the bottleneck at Low settings, but it becomes the primary constraint as you increase the graphical load.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the most reliable resolution. It provides the highest frame rates across all presets, with the Low preset hitting 90.1 FPS and the Medium preset reaching 70 FPS. At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop, but the Medium preset still manages a playable 56.9 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only on the Low preset. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 is 73.6 FPS on Low, which is playable. The High and Ultra presets are not viable at 4K, with averages of 33.3 FPS and 23.9 FPS respectively, which are too low for a smooth experience.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 holding back the Radeon RX 6700 XT?

A: The benchmark data does not suggest a significant CPU bottleneck. The frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient to keep the GPU fed, as evidenced by the strong performance at 1080p.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to its closest competitor?

A: According to the average benchmark scores, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 is only 0.7% faster than the RX 6700 XT. In practical terms, this is a negligible difference, and the RX 6700 XT offers nearly identical performance in this game.

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

A: The difference is massive. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 90.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset only manages 39.3 FPS. This is a 56% reduction in performance, which illustrates the heavy cost of the highest graphical settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination ranks 985th out of 1689 tested combos in this game. This places it in the bottom 42% of all configurations, which is a surprisingly low ranking given the individual components' strengths. This suggests that while the parts are capable, they are not an ideal match for The Medium's specific engine requirements.

The low ranking is likely due to the game’s heavy reliance on the GPU. While the RX 6700 XT is a strong card, it is not a top-tier model, and the game’s high preset demands are proving too much for it. The CPU, while older, is not the primary cause of this low ranking, as the frame rate drops are more associated with graphical settings than resolution changes.

This ranking indicates that users with this combo will need to make compromises. The data shows that the combo is not competitive with higher-end configurations, but it can still provide a playable experience at 1080p with the correct settings. The ranking is a warning that this is a mid-range setup that will not excel in this particular game.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is telling. At the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 70 at 1080p to 56.9 at 1440p, and then to 46.3 at 4K. This is a gradual decline, indicating that the GPU is being progressively more stressed as the pixel count increases. The drop from 1080p to 4K is a 34% reduction in frame rate, which is a significant but not catastrophic loss.

The scaling pattern is different at the Low preset. The average FPS at 1080p is 90.1, dropping to 83.1 at 1440p, and then to 73.6 at 4K. This is a much smaller performance penalty, suggesting that at Low settings, the game is less reliant on the GPU’s raw power. This implies that the CPU becomes a more significant factor at lower settings, but it is still able to maintain a high frame rate.

The High and Ultra presets show a steeper decline. At High, the FPS drops from 47.4 at 1080p to 43.6 at 1440p and then to 33.3 at 4K. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component, as the increased resolution and settings are overwhelming its capabilities. The data confirms that the RX 6700 XT is the bottleneck at higher settings, while the i5-9400 is sufficient to avoid being the primary constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: The average FPS is 90.1. This is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo and provides the smoothest gameplay experience.
• Medium: The average FPS is 70. This is a solid result for a balanced visual and performance profile.
• High: The average FPS is 47.4. This is a noticeable step down from Medium and is not ideal for consistent 60 FPS gaming.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 39.3. This is below the playable threshold and is only suitable for screenshot purposes.

2560x1440:

• Low: The average FPS is 83.1. This is still an excellent result, showing the card's strength at lower settings.
• Medium: The average FPS is 56.9. This is just below 60 FPS, making it a borderline playable experience.
• High: The average FPS is 43.6. This is a significant drop from Medium and is not recommended for action-heavy sequences.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 35.1. This is too low for a smooth experience.

3840x2160:

• Low: The average FPS is 73.6. This is surprisingly high for 4K and is the only playable preset at this resolution.
• Medium: The average FPS is 46.3. This is below the 60 FPS target and will be noticeable.
• High: The average FPS is 33.3. This is a slideshow-like experience and is not suitable for gameplay.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 23.9. This is the lowest recorded result and is not viable for play.