The Medium

The Medium presents a unique technical challenge, as it renders two simultaneous perspectives in many sequences, effectively doubling the scene complexity. This analysis examines how the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination handles this load, drawing strictly from measured data. The pairing of a top-tier 24-core processor with a mid-range RDNA 1.0 graphics card creates a significant performance bottleneck that becomes increasingly apparent as resolution scales. Benchmark results indicate a system that is consistently capable of playable frame rates at lower settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at higher presets, particularly at 4K resolution. The data presents a clear picture of a GPU-bound configuration where the processor's substantial headroom goes largely unused in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, a pattern that strongly suggests the graphics card is the primary limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 89 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 75 FPS, a 15.7% decrease, and then to 4K Low, where the average falls to 59 FPS, a further 21.3% drop. This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits, as the workload on the graphics card increases quadratically with pixel count.

The impact of resolution is even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At Medium settings, the average frame rate descends from 56 FPS at 1080p, to 47 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 37 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33.9% decrease from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the figures are 40 FPS, 34 FPS, and 26 FPS respectively. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic degradation, with averages of 32 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and a nearly unplayable 21 FPS at 4K. The consistent and substantial FPS drops across all settings indicate that the RX 5700 XT's processing power, memory bandwidth, and fill rate are being exhausted as the render target expands.

This scaling pattern has a clear implication for the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation in frame rates across resolutions, as the processor's workload would remain relatively constant. Instead, the data shows average FPS dropping by roughly half from 1080p Low (89 FPS) to 4K Low (59 FPS), and a similar proportional decline at other settings. The evidence points to the GPU as the definitive constraint. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is capable of far more work than the RX 5700 XT can feed it, leaving the graphics card saturated and unable to keep up with the demands of higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a formidable processor, built on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture and fabricated on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It boasts 24 cores and 24 threads, a base clock of 3.70 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes a 36 MB shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates exceptional strength, scoring 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,303 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 84,003 puts it slightly ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83,807) and the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83,090), with a 1.2% lead over the AMD EPYC 9135.

However, in The Medium, this processing power appears largely underutilized. The game's performance is not limited by the CPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling discussed previously. The fact that frame rates drop so significantly when moving from 1080p to 4K demonstrates that the GPU is the constraint. The CPU's role is to prepare the frame data for the GPU, and with such a powerful processor, this task is completed with time to spare. The 24 cores and high boost clock of 5.80 GHz are more than sufficient to handle the game's logic, physics, and the dual-world rendering logic, creating a situation where the CPU is likely waiting on the GPU to finish its work.

This is a classic example of a high-end CPU paired with a mid-range GPU. The processor's raw compute capabilities, reflected in its Passmark multi-thread score of 60,860 and floating-point math score of 214,760, are not the limiting factor. The data suggests that even a significantly less powerful CPU would produce similar frame rates with this GPU in this game. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is effectively "asleep" in this configuration, its vast resources untapped because the RX 5700 XT simply cannot process frames fast enough to require more input from the processor. The bottleneck is unequivocally on the graphics side.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, based on the Navi 10 chip and RDNA 1.0 architecture, is the clear performance limiter in this combination. It features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operations pipelines. Its memory subsystem comprises 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's clocks are set at a base of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. The combination of its 9.754 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 304.8 GTexel/s texture rate is simply not enough for the demands of The Medium at higher resolutions and quality settings.

The data shows a GPU that is consistently overwhelmed. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 56, but with minimums of 48 FPS, indicating occasional dips below the average. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 47 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 37 FPS. The Ultra preset is even more telling, with the 4K average at just 21 FPS, a figure that is well below the threshold for a smooth experience. The GPU's percentile ranking at 59th among all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 16,277, places it in the mid-range category, which aligns with its performance in this title.

The RX 5700 XT's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely contributing to the performance degradation at 4K. The game's high-resolution textures and the dual-scene rendering can quickly consume memory, and the available bandwidth becomes a limiting factor. The GPU's DirectX 12 score of 64 in Passmark suggests it handles the API competently, but the raw horsepower is insufficient. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the RX 5700 XT's average benchmark score of 16,361 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16,351) and slightly below the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (16,408), indicating it is at the lower end of its performance class. This GPU is the definitive reason why the system cannot maintain high frame rates, and its capabilities dictate the playable settings for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 2,161 out of 2,911 total combos. This places it in the bottom 26% of all tested systems, which is a surprisingly low rank given the CPU's top-tier status. The ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range performance, as the overall system capability is dragged down by the graphics card's inability to keep pace with the processor.

This rank of 2,161 out of 2,911 combos indicates that the vast majority of other configurations tested, including those with less powerful CPUs but more capable GPUs, achieve better frame rates in this game. The data implies that the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus's exceptional 96th percentile CPU ranking cannot compensate for the RX 5700 XT's 59th percentile GPU ranking. The game's performance is overwhelmingly dependent on the graphics card, and this combo's rank reflects the GPU's limitations rather than any deficiency in the CPU.

The high CPU score and low combo rank create a stark contrast. It suggests that users who prioritize CPU-intensive tasks would find this processor excellent, but for gaming in The Medium, it is effectively wasted potential. The data shows that the combo's performance is dictated by its weakest link, which is the GPU. To improve the rank, a more powerful graphics card would be necessary, as the current one is the clear bottleneck. This result highlights the importance of balanced system building; a top-tier CPU does not guarantee high gaming performance if paired with a mid-range GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results. The Low preset yields an average of 89 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. The Medium preset averages 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. These figures show a playable experience at Low and Medium settings, with High and Ultra being less smooth.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance declines across the board. The Low preset averages 75 FPS, still a respectable number. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. The High preset averages 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 27 FPS. This resolution is a middle ground, where the system can handle Low and Medium settings adequately, but the higher presets become increasingly difficult to maintain at a consistent frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a playable average, at 59 FPS. The Medium preset averages 37 FPS, with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 43 FPS. The High preset averages 26 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 21 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 30 FPS, showcasing the significant impact of resolution. The data shows a clear trend: the system is capable of high frame rates only at lower resolutions and settings, and its performance degrades rapidly as the graphical load increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the user's resolution and performance targets. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the only viable option is 1080p with Low settings, which averages 89 FPS. The 1440p Low preset, averaging 75 FPS, also provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it a good choice for users with a 1440p monitor who prioritize frame rate. At 4K, the Low preset, averaging 59 FPS, is the only option that approaches a playable standard.

For users seeking higher visual fidelity, the Medium preset offers a balanced compromise. At 1080p, it averages 56 FPS, which is playable, though not perfectly smooth. At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 47 FPS, which is borderline acceptable for a slower-paced horror game. The 4K Medium preset, averaging 37 FPS, is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience, as the minimum FPS of 31 indicates noticeable stutters.

The High and Ultra presets are generally not recommended for this combination. At 1080p, the High preset averages 40 FPS and Ultra averages 32 FPS, both of which are below the ideal smoothness threshold. At 1440p and 4K, these presets produce average frame rates in the 20s and 30s, which will result in a visually jarring and less immersive experience. For a game like The Medium, which relies on atmosphere and tension, frame rate stability is crucial. The data suggests that users should prioritize either 1080p Low for high frame rates or 1080p/1440p Medium for a balance of quality and performance, while avoiding High and Ultra presets at all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that provides a significant margin above 60 FPS, averaging 89 FPS. The 2560x1440 Low preset, averaging 75 FPS, is also a viable option for 60 FPS gaming.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset averages 59 FPS, which is barely playable. The Medium preset averages 37 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 26 FPS and 21 FPS respectively, which are too low for a smooth experience.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The data indicates the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the limiting component. This is evident from the significant FPS drops when resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU is highly capable, ranking in the 96th percentile, but its power is underutilized.

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

A: This combination ranks 2,161st out of 2,911 tested combos for The Medium. This low ranking is directly attributed to the GPU's mid-range performance, despite the CPU's top-tier status.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that can maintain an average above 50 FPS?

A: The only preset that achieves this is Medium at 1920x1080, which averages 56 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 47 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to 37 FPS.

Q: Can the system handle the Ultra preset at any resolution?

A: The data shows that the Ultra preset produces average frame rates of 32 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. These are all well below the smoothness threshold, so the Ultra preset is not recommended for this combination.