The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that relies on a dual-reality rendering technique that pushes both CPU and GPU heavily. For the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, the measured results show a config that demands careful tuning: at 4K Ultimate the combo averages only 30 FPS, but at 1080p Low it reaches 129 FPS. The data reveals a CPU strong enough to feed the GPU at high resolution, but the GPU ultimately limits frame rates when visuals turn up.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Arrow Lake Refresh family. It runs at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and boosts to 5.80 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. In synthetic tests, its single-core performance is strong — a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7303 and a R23 multicore of 51731 place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs in the database. That multicore number is 0.2% higher than the nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (average score 83807 vs. 84003 for the 290K), and 1.1% above the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090). The CPU’s passmark multithread score of 60860 and physics score of 3315 further illustrate that it can handle complex logic.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is to process the fixed-camera environment and character logic. The parity of 24 cores with 24 threads means no hyperthreading, but that does not appear to be a bottleneck here. At 1080p Low, the average 129 FPS indicates the CPU is not the primary limiter at that resolution. However, as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, frame rates drop by margins consistent with GPU-bound scenarios, suggesting the CPU is not the chief culprit. The PC’s single-core and multi-core performance ensure that the game’s rendering loops are fed, but the GPU is the component that determines the ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

In the game’s database, this combination of CPU and GPU is listed at rank 1304 out of 3724 tested combos. That means it outpaces about 2420 other combinations, placing it in the top 35% of the tested pool. The rank reflects both the CPU’s high single-threaded capability and the GPU’s mid-range position. The RTX 3070 Ti sits in the 75th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29945. Its nearest GPU rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (deltaPct -0.5%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (deltaPct 0.5%). The CPU’s nearest rival is the Core Ultra 9 285K at 0.2% 4003 points higher overall CPU dominance.

The ranking suggests that in a game like The Medium, the CPU+GPU pair does not break the top 35%, which aligns with the actual ─ the GPU is a mid-range card (launch MSRP 599 USD) and not enough to push 4K Ultra above 30 FPS. The CPU is overkill for this game, but that does not harm the ranking; it’s the GPU that sets the frame-rate ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Using the measured FPS tables, the ideal preset depends on resolution and target frame rate.

At 1080p, the Medium preset gives 81 FPS on average with a 69–93 FPS bracket. That is smooth for a default display, while High drops to 58 FPS ( borderline for 60 Hz) and Low jumps to 129 FPS, which is irrelevant if the display is limited to 60 Hz. Ultra only yields 46 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a 144 Hz monitor. Therefore, Medium is the recommended preset at 1080p.

Moving to 1440p, the pattern continues: Medium yields 68 FPS (58–78), High 49, Ultra 39, and Low 109. A 68 FPS average is suitable for 60–75 Hz refresher, though a 120 Hz display would benefit from lowering to Low (109 FPS). High and Ultra do not mantain 60 FPS, so Medium is balanced.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly limited. Medium averages 53 FPS . Low is required for a stable 85 FPS, which exceeds 60 FPS. High is 38 FPS, Ultra 30 FPS. The best experience per the data is Medium with its min frame rate of 45 FPS, which is just under 60 Hz for a typical 60 Hz monitor. However, Low’s 85 FPS average does not hold a 144 Hz, but does hold the 93rd percentile. For a 4K desktop, Low is the only preset that reaches a solid 85 FPS; Medium’s 53 FPS is acceptable but not flawless.

Overall, Medium is the most balanced preset across all resolutions, offering a smooth frame delivery with relatively high visual quality. The variance between the resolutions is regular, and the data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What CPU is used in this combo?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has 24 cores and 24 threads, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-core score affect The Medium?

A: In The Medium, the CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-score of 7303 is in the 96th percentile, which ensure that single-thread tasks do not stall the game’s logic, allowing the GPU to render frames quickly.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s, and a peak memory clock of 19 Gbps effective.

Q: What is the best preset for a 60 Hz 1440p monitor?

A: Medium is the best: it yields 68 FPS on average with min/max of 58/78, matching a 60 Hz refresh while High only gives 49 FPS and Ultra 39 FPS.

Q: Does this combo support modern graphics APIs?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, meaning it is compatible with the latest rendering features used by The Medium.

Q: How does the combo rank against other tested builds?

A: The combined rank in this game is 1304 of 3724 combos, showing that it is quicker than than about two-thirds of the other configurations tested.

Resolution Scaling

From 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the FPS drops are expected, but the magnitude reveals where the system is wired.

At Medium settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p yields 81 FPS to 68 FPS (a 16% reduction), and then to 4K yields 53 FPS (another 22% drop from 1440p). This is because the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low, the same pattern: 129 → 109 → 85, a continuous envelope. The GPU’s raw throughput is being tasked with more pixels, so the average frame rate scales down. The CPU is not throttling; if it were, the 1440p-to-4K gap would be more pronounced, but it remains in proportion.

For example, at High, going from 1080p (58) to 1440p (49) is a 15% decline, while 1440p to 4K (38) is 22%. This indicates that the GPU’s 8 GB memory bus bound, as the pixels increase. The memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s and the 256-bit bus are moderate for a 4K workload, hand the frame rates reflect that.

The biggest issue is that the 4K Ultra preset demands 30 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for many. For a 4K display, it is likely that the game is a resolution that is unplayable without lowering settings, and the user must trade visual detail for playability.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is an Ampere-based card, using the GA104 chip etched on a 8 nm Samsung process. It has 6144 shading units, 48 RT cores, 192 tensor cores, and 8 GB of GDDR6X memory with a 256-bit bus. Its pixel rate is 169.3 GPixel/s and textured rate 339.8 GTexel/s. The GPU runs at 1575 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost, with a memory clock of 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). It is a 290 W board with a dual-connector and a single 12-pin power connector, and it requires a 600 W PSU.

The RTX 3070 Ti’s performance percentile of 75 places it above most GPU products, but it is not a top-tier card. Its nearest rivals are the RTX 5070 Mobile (with 0.1% higher score) and the RX 6800 (0.5% lower), etc. For The Medium, the GPU is the dominant controller of FPS. At 4K Ultra, the card delivers just 30 FPS, showing that its maximum compute is insufficient for the highest preset. However, at 1080p Low, it reaches 129 FPS, demonstrating the card’s capabilities when not constrained.

The 8 GB VRAM is smaller than the medium frame buffer requirements. Though the game’s VRAM consumption is not listed, the performance drop to 4K Ultra suggests that memory bandwidth and capacity become limiting. The GPU does not consist of a strong ray-tracing, but the game is not CPU-bound. The overall conclusion is that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU has huge headroom.

The passmark G3D score of 23356 and 3DMark Steel Nomad Score of 3478 supports its mid-high range. The GPU’s percentile of 75 means it is better than about a quarter of all GPUs, but for a demanding game of 2021, it is sufficient only for 1080p without compromise; at 4K you have to drop down to Poor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p (1920×1080)

| Settings | Avg (FPS) | Min (FPS) | Max (FPS) |

|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|

| Low | 129 | — | — |

| Medium | 81 | 69 | 93 |

| High | 58 | — | — |

| Ultra | 46 | — | — |

At 1080p, the game is entirely GPU-bound at Low, but the Medium preset still achieves 81 FPS. High yields 58 FPS, which is playable but not above 60. Ultra drops to 46 FPS. The data shows that the CPU is not causing a bottleneck; even at 129 FPS the frame time is stable, and the min/max are not given for Low but the average is high.

1440p (2560×1440)

| Settings | Avg (FPS) | Min (FPS) | Max (FPS) |

|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|

| Low | 109 | — | — |

| Medium | 68 | 58 | 78 |

| High | 49 | — | — |

| Ultra | 39 | — | — |

At 1440p, the average FPS drops: Low still hits 109, but that is still 60+ for many. Medium holds 68 FPS for a smooth 60 Hz experience, while High and Ultra fall to 49 and 39, respectively. The 1440p row shows a clear degradation from the 1080p numbers, confirming the GPU’s memory band.

4K (3840×2160)

| Settings | Avg (FPS) | Min (FPS) | Max (FPS) |

|----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|

| Low | 85 | — | — |

| Medium | 53 | 45 | 61 |

| High | 38 | — | — |

| Ultra | 30 | — | — |

At 4K, the GPU is barely able. Low is the only playable preset, delivering 85 FPS, which is excellent for a 60 Hz display. Medium gives 53 FPS with a min of 45 — close to a 60 Hz player but could stutter. High and Ultra are 38 and 30, which are not suitable for 4K without upscaling. The data strongly indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is not a 4K card for this game, and the combination is best used at 1440p or lower.

Looking at the entire measured table, the GPU scales well until 4K, where the VRAM and memory bandwidth become the many. The result is that The Medium is playable at excellent frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K demands Low or Medium to enjoy playability.