The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built around atmospheric storytelling, presents a unique performance profile for the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card, with the high-end CPU providing ample headroom. The data shows a clear narrative: this combo is capable of smooth gameplay at lower settings, but demanding presets at high resolutions will challenge the GPU’s limits.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 illustrates a classic GPU-bound scenario. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 101 at 1080p to 85 at 1440p, a 15.8% reduction, and then to 67 at 4K, a further 21.2% decrease from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the rendering load is increasing proportionally with pixel count, a hallmark of a system where the graphics processor is the primary bottleneck. The CPU is not holding the system back; if it were, the frame rates would plateau or show less consistent scaling across resolutions.

The Medium preset shows a similar, though less steep, trend. At 1080p, the average is 63 FPS, dropping to 53 at 1440p (a 15.9% decrease) and then to 42 at 4K (a 20.8% decrease from 1440p). The High preset follows the same pattern, with averages of 45 FPS at 1080p, 38 at 1440p, and 30 at 4K. The consistent percentage drops across these presets reinforce the idea that the workload is scaling directly with resolution, and the GPU’s pixel throughput is the limiting factor.

The Ultra preset presents a more dramatic drop, with averages of 36 FPS at 1080p, 30 at 1440p, and 24 at 4K. This steeper degradation at Ultra suggests that the combination of higher resolution and more demanding visual effects—likely including enhanced lighting and shadow calculations—places a heavier load on the GPU’s compute and memory subsystems. The fact that the 4K Ultra average of 24 FPS is barely above the threshold for playability highlights the GPU’s struggle in this configuration.

The data points to a system where the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, is unlikely to be a constraint at any of these settings. The consistent frame rate scaling with resolution is the definitive indicator that the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the component determining performance. For users targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the Low preset is the only setting that can deliver a triple-digit average, while 1440p and 4K require more moderate settings to achieve smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1648th out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, suggesting that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is also not at the bottom. The rank reflects the overall capability of the pairing in this specific title, which is ultimately limited by the GPU’s performance level.

The GPU’s position in the broader market helps contextualize this rank. The Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014 and sits at the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average score are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is 0.7% faster, and the AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 7700, which are 1.0% slower. This indicates that the RX 9060 is performing in the same league as these cards, and its rank in The Medium is consistent with this mid-range positioning. The combo’s rank of 1648 out of 2911 suggests that many other pairings, likely those with more powerful GPUs, achieve higher frame rates in this game.

The CPU, by contrast, is a top-tier part. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 84003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, is only 0.2% slower, showing that this processor is at the very peak of performance. This contrast is important: the combo’s rank in The Medium is not a reflection of the CPU’s capability but rather the GPU’s. The data suggests that this processor is far more powerful than what the RX 9060 can utilize in this title, making the GPU the definitive factor in the overall ranking.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 101 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

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

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K with Low settings, it averages 67 FPS. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average drops to 24 FPS, which is not ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 0.7% faster, while the AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 7700 are both 1.0% slower.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for this combination?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. Frame rates scale consistently with resolution, showing a classic GPU-bound workload, and the CPU’s high benchmark scores suggest it has ample headroom.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 101 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 36 FPS. This is a significant 65 FPS difference, showing the large performance cost of the Ultra preset.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM of the GPU appear to be a limitation in this game?

A: While the data does not directly measure VRAM usage, the significant frame rate drops at higher settings and resolutions, particularly the 30 FPS average at 4K High, suggest that the GPU’s memory and processing capabilities are being heavily taxed.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture of performance for the twelve tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 101 FPS, making it the only preset to exceed the 100 FPS mark. The Medium preset averages 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS, indicating a playable range for most users. The High preset averages 45 FPS, which is still smooth for a horror title. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 36 FPS, a significant drop from Medium.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 85 FPS, still a very playable number. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS, showing a consistent performance level. The High preset drops to an average of 38 FPS, which is on the lower end of playable. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 30 FPS, which is borderline for a game that benefits from smooth motion.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset remains the most viable option, averaging 67 FPS. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, providing a somewhat playable experience but with noticeable dips. The High preset averages 30 FPS, which is the bare minimum for a playable frame rate. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 24 FPS, a level that is generally considered too low for a good experience. The frame pacing data, where available, shows that the Medium preset at all resolutions has a consistent range, but the lack of min/max data for other presets means we can only assess the averages.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the primary driver of the frame rates observed in The Medium. Its performance characteristics, including its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, are central to its behavior. The memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is a key figure; the game’s high-resolution textures and effects can saturate this bandwidth, leading to the performance dips seen at 4K and Ultra settings. The GPU’s boost clock of 2990 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz are high, but the underlying architecture’s raw throughput, as indicated by its 21.43 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is what determines its ability to process the game’s shaders.

The GPU’s overall benchmark scores put it in a mid-range position. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 and Passmark G3D score of 17631 are consistent with its 59th percentile ranking. The benchmark results show that while it is a capable card, it is not designed for maximum settings at high resolutions in demanding titles. The data from The Medium confirms this, as the card struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on High settings, let alone 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is also a potential concern for this game, as the frame rate drops at 4K Ultra suggest the card may be running out of memory or hitting a bandwidth wall, forcing it to manage data less efficiently.

The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the RTX 3060 Ti, are all within a 2.1% performance delta in average benchmark score. This indicates that the RX 9060 is a solid performer in its class. In The Medium specifically, its performance is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming at medium or low settings, but it is not the ideal pairing for a high-end CPU like the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus if the goal is maximum visual fidelity at high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the Low preset is the only reliable choice. At 1920x1080, it delivers 101 FPS on average, and even at 2560x1440, it achieves 85 FPS. This makes it the best option for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, though it comes at the cost of visual quality.

For a more balanced experience, the Medium preset is the recommended choice for most users. At 1080p, it provides an average of 63 FPS, which is well within the playable range. At 1440p, the average of 53 FPS is still smooth enough for most players, though the minimum of 45 FPS indicates some potential for noticeable dips. The Medium preset offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining acceptable performance. At 4K, the Medium preset’s 42 FPS average is borderline, but it may be acceptable for a slower-paced horror game.

The High and Ultra presets are only recommended for users with lower performance expectations or those using lower resolutions. At 1080p, High averages 45 FPS and Ultra averages 36 FPS. While playable, these settings do not offer a substantial enough visual improvement over Medium to justify the frame rate hit. At 1440p and 4K, High and Ultra presets should be avoided, as the frame rates of 30 FPS or lower will likely detract from the experience, causing the game to feel sluggish. The data clearly shows that for this title, the Medium preset is the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and performance on the AMD Radeon RX 9060.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a high-end processor that plays a minimal role in limiting The Medium’s performance. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it has immense parallel processing power. Its benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303. These figures place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, demonstrating that it is one of the fastest processors available. In a game like The Medium, which is not known for being CPU-intensive, this processor is unlikely to ever be the bottleneck.

The CPU’s high boost clock of 5.80 GHz and base clock of 3.70 GHz ensure strong single-threaded performance, which is often what matters most in games. However, the frame rate data across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent GPU-bound trend. The fact that the FPS scales so directly with resolution is the key indicator that the CPU is not holding the system back. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU workload would remain constant while the GPU workload increased.

The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, is only 0.2% slower in average benchmark score, showing that this processor is at the absolute top of its class. In this pairing, the CPU is effectively over-provisioned for the GPU. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus could easily support a more powerful graphics card without becoming a constraint. Its role in this combo is to ensure that the GPU is always the limiting factor, providing a stable and consistent frame rate that is entirely dependent on the graphics settings and resolution.