The Medium

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 lands at rank 1384 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places the combo in the lower half of the database, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with significant compromises at higher settings. The percentile ranking for the CPU is 50, while the GPU sits at 58, suggesting the pairing is balanced but not exceptional for this specific title. The data shows this combo is best suited for 1080p gameplay, where it achieves playable frame rates, rather than higher resolutions that push the GPU beyond its limits.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently delivers playable frame rates across all settings. The average FPS ranges from 31.2 at Ultra to 84.4 at Low, making 1080p the recommended target.

Q: How does the combo rank overall in the game?

A: The combo ranks 1384 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 18% of all tested systems. This indicates the hardware is below average for this specific game's demands.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop sharply, with the Ultra preset yielding only 21.1 FPS. The GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as the RTX 2060's performance is insufficient to maintain smooth gameplay regardless of the CPU's capabilities.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS jumps from 31.2 on Ultra to 84.4 on Low, a difference of 53.2 FPS. This shows that settings have a massive impact on performance, with Low providing more than double the frame rate of Ultra.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest rivals in CPU and GPU benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 2305, which is within 0.6% of the nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8809G. The GPU's average score is 16074, placing it 1.7% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and 1.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500.

Q: Does the game run better at 1440p Medium or 1080p High?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 45.0, while at 1920x1080 High it is 38.6. The 1440p Medium setting provides higher frame rates despite the increased resolution, suggesting that Medium settings are more efficient than High at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. Starting at 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 84.4 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 69.1 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 54.0 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 36% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the higher pixel count.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher quality presets. On High settings, the average FPS falls from 38.6 at 1080p to 31.6 at 1440p and finally to 23.3 at 4K. This 39.6% drop from 1080p to 4K shows that the RTX 2060 struggles to maintain playable frame rates as resolution increases, particularly with more demanding graphical effects. The Ultra preset demonstrates the most severe scaling, with average FPS dropping from 31.2 at 1080p to 25.5 at 1440p and 21.1 at 4K, a 32.4% decline.

The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions. The RTX 2060's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus width, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth, are insufficient for 4K textures and effects in The Medium. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is less of a bottleneck at these resolutions, as the frame rate drops are primarily attributable to the GPU's pixel and texture processing limits. Benchmark results indicate that users should target 1080p for a consistent experience, as the performance penalty at 1440p and 4K is substantial regardless of settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 84.4 FPS, which is smooth and well above playable thresholds. Medium settings drop the average to 52.7 FPS, still comfortable for most gameplay. High settings yield 38.6 FPS, which is playable but may show occasional stutters in demanding scenes. Ultra settings bring the average down to 31.2 FPS, which is borderline for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and smooth camera movement.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 69.1 FPS, which remains playable, but Medium drops to 45.0 FPS. High settings average 31.6 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a smooth experience. Ultra settings fall to 25.5 FPS, making the game feel sluggish and potentially impacting the horror experience.

At 3840x2160, the combo is largely unsuitable for gameplay. Low settings average 54.0 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that approaches playability. Medium drops to 31.5 FPS, High to 23.3 FPS, and Ultra to 21.1 FPS. These frame rates are too low for a game that requires precise timing and atmospheric tension, making 4K impractical for this hardware combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 features 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support, with 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth, are standard for its generation. In The Medium, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU, as the game is graphically intensive rather than CPU-bound.

Benchmark data shows the i5-9400 achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 7969 and a single-core score of 1125. Its average benchmark score is 2305, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-10305 with a score of 2300 and the Intel Core i7-8809G with 2319, showing the i5-9400 is performance-competitive with these parts.

In this game, the CPU's 6 threads are sufficient to feed the RTX 2060 at lower resolutions, but the data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 84.4 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this title. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's performance has less impact on the final frame rate. The 4.10 GHz boost clock helps maintain consistent frame pacing, but the lack of hyper-threading means the CPU may struggle in scenes with heavy AI or physics calculations, though this is not evident from the measured FPS data alone.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset delivers an average of 52.7 FPS, which balances visual quality with smooth gameplay. The Medium preset provides a significant improvement over High (38.6 FPS) while maintaining acceptable graphical fidelity for a horror title.

For users prioritizing frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p offers 84.4 FPS, which is ideal for a responsive experience, though it sacrifices visual atmosphere. The High preset at 1080p is a compromise at 38.6 FPS, but the data shows this is below the 40 FPS threshold where many users perceive smoothness. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution, as the average FPS drops below 31.2 even at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only viable option, with 45.0 FPS, but this is still below the 1080p Medium experience. The Low preset at 1440p offers 69.1 FPS, which is playable but lacks visual detail. At 4K, the Low preset provides 54.0 FPS, but this comes with significant graphical compromises that detract from the game's horror atmosphere. The benchmark results clearly indicate that 1080p Medium is the sweet spot for this hardware, providing a stable and immersive experience without overburdening the RTX 2060.