The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT reflects a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions. The measured data across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K reveals a clear pattern of scaling that shifts from a balanced workload to a purely GPU-bound scenario as pixel count increases. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows to understand where this combination excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation is the dramatic impact of resolution on average frame rates. At 1920x1080, the system delivers a robust 149 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 126 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 99 FPS at 3840x2160. This scaling from 1080p to 4K represents a 33.6% reduction in performance at Low settings, indicating that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the GPU is working progressively harder to fill the additional pixels. The drop is not linear, suggesting a strong dependency on the render resolution.

Moving to Medium settings, the frame rates are 93 FPS at 1080p, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 62 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is 33.3%, nearly identical to the Low preset. This consistency suggests that the rendering pipeline is primarily pixel-bound, with the additional shading and texture work at Medium not significantly altering the scaling curve. The GPU, with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, appears to have sufficient resources to handle the increased memory pressure at higher resolutions, as the primary bottleneck is the raw compute throughput.

The High preset shows a similar trend, with 67 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 16.4%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 21.4%. This indicates that the cost of resolution scaling increases as you approach 4K, a classic sign of the GPU hitting its fillrate and shader limits. At Ultra settings, the system produces 53 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K, with the 4K result being the lowest measured value in the entire dataset.

The data clearly shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and 24 threads, provides ample headroom. The scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the Radeon RX 9070 XT’s compute units are saturated. The jump from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 64.6% performance penalty, which is substantial and points to the game’s heavy use of post-processing and lighting effects that tax the GPU’s shading units and ray accelerators. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra, 35 FPS, is below the 60 FPS threshold often desired for smooth gameplay, indicating that users must adjust settings to achieve playable frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is clearly the dominant component in this pairing for The Medium. Its 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs are responsible for the pixel and texture throughput that dictates the measured frame rates. The GPU’s boost clock of 2970 MHz and game clock of 2400 MHz provide the raw speed, but the data shows that even at these high clocks, the card struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher presets. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is not a bottleneck; the bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s is sufficient to feed the GPU’s compute units at all tested resolutions.

The GPU’s architecture, RDNA 4.0, includes 64 RT cores, which are relevant for The Medium’s use of ray-traced effects, though the measured data does not isolate this variable. The benchmark results show that the card is more capable at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 149 FPS result is excellent, but this is likely due to the CPU being able to feed the GPU quickly enough. At 4K Ultra, the 35 FPS result indicates that the GPU is completely saturated, and any further graphical enhancements would be impossible without a significant frame rate drop.

The GPU’s performance percentile is 55, which is middling, but its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are much older cards like the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, with deltaPct values of 0.1% and 0.2% respectively. This is an anomaly, as the RX 9070 XT’s PassMark G3D score of 26795 is far higher than those legacy parts. The percentile ranking is likely skewed by the inclusion of many integrated and low-end GPUs in the overall database. In the context of this game, the GPU’s role is to be the primary arbiter of performance, with its 304 W TDP reflecting the power required to sustain these clocks under load.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset yields 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS, which provides a smooth experience with room for frame time spikes. At 2560x1440, Medium drops to 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, which is still playable on most displays. At 3840x2160, Medium produces 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, which is borderline for a 60 Hz display but acceptable for a slower-paced horror game where sub-60 dips are less noticeable.

The High preset is not worth the performance cost at higher resolutions. At 4K, High averages 44 FPS, which is 29% lower than Medium, and the visual uplift from Medium to High is typically incremental. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it achieves 53 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, Ultra averages 45 FPS and 35 FPS respectively, which are too low for consistent gameplay. The Low preset, while delivering high frame rates like 149 FPS at 1080p, sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and lighting.

For a 4K display, the Medium preset is the only sensible choice, as it stays above 50 FPS in the minimum measured case. For 1440p, Medium is the recommended default, but High is acceptable if the user prioritizes visuals over a slightly lower frame rate. For 1080p, either Medium or High works, with High providing 67 FPS. The data suggests that the game’s presets have a significant impact on performance, with Ultra being disproportionately demanding compared to High.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 631 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 21.7% of all system configurations in the database. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for the FPS achieved across all tested resolutions and settings. Given that the GPU is the limiting factor, this rank is primarily a reflection of the RX 9070 XT’s performance, with the CPU contributing minimally to the overall score.

The CPU itself is a high-end part, with an average benchmark score of 84003 and a percentile rank of 96 versus all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, has an average score of 83807, a deltaPct of 0.2%, indicating they are nearly identical in compute performance. However, in this game, the CPU’s potential is not fully utilized. The combo rank of 631 suggests that there are many other system configurations that outperform this pairing, likely those with more powerful GPUs that can push higher frame rates at 4K Ultra. The rank is not a condemnation of the hardware, but rather a reflection of the game’s heavy GPU demands and the chosen resolution targets.

The fact that the combo ranks in the top quarter of all tested systems is a positive indicator, but the measured FPS at 4K Ultra shows that it is not a top-tier 4K gaming setup for this title. The rank would likely improve if the analysis focused solely on 1080p performance, where the system excels. The data shows that the CPU’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303, does not translate into a higher combo rank because the game is not CPU-limited.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus plays a supporting role in The Medium, providing the necessary processing power to avoid being a bottleneck. With 24 cores and 24 threads, the CPU has more than enough parallel processing capability for the game’s logic, AI, and physics. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.80 GHz ensure that single-threaded tasks, which are common in game logic, are handled with minimal latency. The CPU’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache is beneficial for keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing memory latency.

However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution or setting. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p Low, the 149 FPS result is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame delivery rate, but it is still higher than what the GPU can produce at higher resolutions. This indicates that the CPU has headroom. The CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 60860 and single-thread score of 4823 paint a picture of a powerful processor, but these scores do not directly influence the game’s FPS when the GPU is saturated.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s, while dual-channel, is sufficient for the game’s data streaming needs. The 24 threads are more than adequate for The Medium, which is not known for heavy multi-threading. The CPU’s role is to ensure that frame times are consistent, preventing stutters that could occur if the CPU were too slow to feed the GPU. The data shows no evidence of CPU-related bottlenecks, as the frame rates are smooth and predictable across all settings. In this pairing, the CPU is a silent partner, enabling the GPU to perform to its full potential without interference.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo at 4K?

A: The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 99 FPS, achieved with the Low settings preset. The Medium preset delivers 62 FPS, while High and Ultra produce 44 FPS and 35 FPS respectively.

Q: Does this system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on High settings?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 2560x1440 on High is 56 FPS. To achieve frame rates above 60 FPS at this resolution, you would need to use the Medium preset, which averages 79 FPS.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 93 FPS, while at 3840x2160 it is 62 FPS. This represents a 50% increase in performance at the lower resolution.

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

A: The data indicates no, as the FPS scales consistently with resolution changes. The CPU, with its high single-thread and multi-thread scores, does not limit performance; the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the primary determinant of frame rate.

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

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 3840x2160 on Medium settings is 53 FPS, with a maximum of 71 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested system configurations for The Medium?

A: The combo ranks 631 out of 2911 tested combinations, placing it in the top 21.7% of all systems in the database for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured average frame rates for this hardware combination in The Medium, organized by resolution and settings preset.

3840x2160:

• Low: 99 FPS
• Medium: 62 FPS (min 53, max 71)
• High: 44 FPS
• Ultra: 35 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 126 FPS
• Medium: 79 FPS (min 67, max 90)
• High: 56 FPS
• Ultra: 45 FPS

1920x1080:

• Low: 149 FPS
• Medium: 93 FPS (min 79, max 107)
• High: 67 FPS
• Ultra: 53 FPS

The pattern is consistent: each step up in resolution reduces the average FPS by a significant margin, and each step up in settings from Low to Ultra also incurs a substantial performance penalty. The Medium preset provides the most balanced experience across all resolutions, with the 4K result of 62 FPS being the only one that dips below 60 FPS at that setting. The High preset is only viable at 1080p, where it produces 67 FPS, while the Ultra preset fails to reach 60 FPS at any resolution, with its best result being 53 FPS at 1080p. The data underscores that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming with medium-to-high settings, while 4K gaming is possible but requires the Medium preset or lower for smooth performance.