The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within The Medium. The data shows a system where the CPU’s immense computational headroom is consistently restrained by the GPU’s more modest capabilities, particularly as resolution increases. This combination yields playable frame rates at lower settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at the highest visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Medium preset, which is the only setting with complete average, minimum, and maximum FPS data, the progression is linear and steep. The system delivers an average of 68 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 57 FPS at 1440p, and further declines to 45 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33.8% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load is scaling significantly with pixel count.

The pattern across other settings reinforces this trend. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 49 at 1080p to 41 at 1440p, and finally to 32 at 4K. The Low preset shows a similar trajectory, with averages of 108 FPS at 1080p, 91 at 1440p, and 72 at 4K. The Ultra preset, while delivering the lowest overall numbers, follows the same downward slope: 39 FPS at 1080p, 32 at 1440p, and 25 at 4K.

This consistent scaling behavior suggests that the primary limiting component is the GPU. The RTX 4060, with its 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, faces an increasing workload as resolution climbs. The CPU, a 24-core, 24-thread powerhouse with a 5.80 GHz boost clock, is unlikely to be the constraint at these resolutions. The data indicates that the frame rate is heavily dependent on the GPU's ability to process pixels, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The 1080p results, particularly at Low settings with 108 FPS, show the CPU can feed the GPU adequately, but the GPU cannot sustain high frame rates when the pixel count quadruples at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved at the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 68 FPS, which is 19 FPS higher than High and 29 FPS higher than Ultra. The minimum FPS of 58 at this setting ensures a relatively stable experience, avoiding the significant dips that would likely occur at higher presets. While Low offers a much higher 108 FPS average, the visual fidelity trade-off is substantial, and the system has enough headroom at Medium to provide a more immersive experience without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset remains the most viable option, producing an average of 57 FPS with a minimum of 49. This is close to the 60 FPS target and should provide a generally smooth experience. The High preset at 41 FPS average is borderline, and Ultra at 32 FPS is not recommended for consistent play. For 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging. The Medium preset yields 45 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced sequences. The Low preset at 72 FPS is the only setting that provides a comfortably smooth frame rate at 4K, but it requires a significant reduction in graphical detail. For users prioritizing frame rate at 4K, Low is the recommended preset, while those who value visual fidelity may tolerate the Medium preset's 45 FPS average.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 1525 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 47.6th percentile of all combinations, meaning it performs better than slightly less than half of the tested systems. This mid-pack ranking is a direct consequence of the pairing: the top-tier CPU is held back by the mid-range GPU.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks show it is a high-end part. It scores 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7,303 in single-core, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which is 0.2% behind, and the AMD EPYC 4584PX, which is 1.1% behind. This indicates the processor is among the fastest available. Conversely, the GPU's Passmark G3D score of 19,545 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, being 0.2% faster. This stark contrast in relative performance between the CPU and GPU explains the overall ranking. The combo's position in the middle of the pack suggests that many other systems, likely with more balanced pairings, achieve better results in this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination. For the Medium preset, minimum and maximum FPS values are also provided.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: Average 108 FPS
• Medium: Average 68 FPS (Minimum 58, Maximum 78)
• High: Average 49 FPS
• Ultra: Average 39 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: Average 91 FPS
• Medium: Average 57 FPS (Minimum 49, Maximum 66)
• High: Average 41 FPS
• Ultra: Average 32 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: Average 72 FPS
• Medium: Average 45 FPS (Minimum 38, Maximum 52)
• High: Average 32 FPS
• Ultra: Average 25 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low always provides the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, High, and then Ultra. The gap between Medium and High is noticeable at all resolutions, averaging around 19 FPS at 1080p, 16 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K. The jump from Low to Medium is also significant, with a 40 FPS difference at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset consistently delivers the lowest performance, often dipping to levels that are not suitable for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset achieves a 68 FPS average, and the Low preset achieves 108 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 91 FPS. No preset at 3840x2160 reaches a 60 FPS average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in The Medium?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's high benchmark scores, such as a 96th percentile ranking, suggest it has ample headroom that is not being utilized at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the RTX 4060's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 4060 has a Passmark G3D score of 19,545. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, has an average score that is 0.2% higher. Other close rivals include the AMD Radeon 780M, which is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560, which is 0.5% slower.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset yields an average of 41 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 32 FPS. This is a difference of 9 FPS, or approximately 22% fewer frames on Ultra.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top half of all tested systems?

A: No. The combo ranks 1525 out of 2911 combinations, placing it just below the midpoint. This is due to the significant performance disparity between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 38, with a maximum of 52 and an average of 45.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and can boost up to 5.80 GHz. This configuration provides exceptional multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 scores of 51,731 and 7,303, respectively. The processor's data compression score of 698,346 in Passmark further highlights its computational prowess.

In The Medium, this CPU provides more than enough processing power to handle the game's logic and physics. The frame rate data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system can achieve 108 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. The fact that performance drops consistently with resolution, regardless of the CPU's capabilities, confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data, and it does so effectively, but the GPU's rendering throughput is what ultimately determines the frame rate. The 96th percentile ranking versus all CPUs indicates that this processor is at the top of its class, ensuring that it will not bottleneck any current GPU in this title. The large L3 cache of 36 MB shared also helps in maintaining high performance in games that benefit from large data sets, though the data suggests this is not the limiting factor here.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. It has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz. The GPU includes 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, along with 24 ray tracing cores. Its Passmark G3D score is 19,545, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's memory configuration is a key factor in its performance in The Medium. The 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit memory bus are modest by modern standards, and the data suggests they limit performance at higher resolutions and settings. The frame rate drops from 108 FPS at 1080p Low to 72 FPS at 4K Low, a 33% reduction, which is consistent with the increased memory bandwidth and fill-rate demands of higher resolutions. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution, from a 69 FPS difference at 1080p to a 47 FPS difference at 4K, indicating that the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are strained by the Ultra preset's increased visual complexity. The RTX 4060's performance is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming at medium settings, but it is not sufficient for a smooth 4K experience. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, is virtually identical in performance, which shows that the 4060 is positioned in the mid-range segment of the GPU market.