The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, supported by a 125 W TDP and a 36 MB shared L3 cache. In this configuration with the RTX 4090, the CPU's role in The Medium is to feed the GPU with rendered frames; the benchmark results show that at 1080p, the processor is capable of pushing frame rates high enough to avoid bottlenecking the graphics card, but the scaling pattern across resolutions reveals where the balance shifts.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus brings substantial compute resources to the table, with 24 cores and 24 threads. This high core count is a hallmark of the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, and it translates directly into strong multi-threaded synthetic performance: the CPU scores 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 21,727 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. For a horror game like The Medium, which relies on fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds, the workload is not typically as thread-hungry as modern open-world titles, but the sheer headroom ensures that the CPU is never the limiting factor at standard gaming resolutions.

The clock speeds are equally important. With a 5.80 GHz boost clock and a 3.70 GHz base clock, the processor delivers strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7,303 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4,823. In The Medium, single-thread performance matters for game logic and physics updates, and the data suggests this CPU handles those tasks with ease. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 202 FPS, which is a clear indication that the CPU is not holding back the frame rate even at lower graphical loads.

The relationship between CPU and GPU becomes apparent when examining the FPS scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 75, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 50 FPS. This 25 FPS drop is driven by the GPU's workload, not the CPU, as the processor's compute capabilities remain constant regardless of resolution. The CPU's percentile rank of 96 compared to all CPUs reinforces its position as a top-tier processor, sitting just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K in average benchmark score. The nearest rivals include server-class chips like the AMD EPYC 4584PX and EPYC 9135, but those are not gaming-focused parts, and the 290K Plus's gaming relevance is better understood through its measured FPS results in this specific title.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 202, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and RTX 4090 can deliver very high frame rates when graphical demands are minimized.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K's 83,807. It also leads the AMD EPYC 4584PX by 1.1% and the AMD EPYC 9135 by 1.2%, but trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3%.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 1440p High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 80. Given that the CPU can push 202 FPS at 1080p Low, and the GPU's workload increases with resolution, the data indicates the RTX 4090 becomes the primary constraint at 1440p High, as the frame rate is lower than what the CPU could theoretically support.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 140 at Low settings to 50 at Ultra settings, a decrease of 90 FPS. This substantial gap highlights the significant impact of graphical settings on the GPU workload at 4K resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 46th out of 2,911 tested combinations in The Medium, placing it in the top 1.6% of all tested setups. This high ranking suggests the combination of the 290K Plus and RTX 4090 is exceptionally well-suited for this title.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 112 and the maximum is 152. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 95 and the maximum is 128. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 74 and the maximum is 101. These ranges show a consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 202 at 1080p to 178 at 1440p and then to 140 at 4K. This represents a 31% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is relatively modest compared to higher settings. The fact that the 4K Low result (140 FPS) is still very high suggests the CPU is capable of maintaining high frame rates even at lower graphical loads, but the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor at 4K.

At Medium settings, the scaling is steeper: 132 FPS at 1080p, 111 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 45 FPS, or 34%. This trend continues at High settings, where the average FPS is 95 at 1080p, 80 at 1440p, and 63 at 4K. The most dramatic scaling occurs at Ultra settings: 75 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops across settings indicates that the RTX 4090 is the dominant constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions at each setting level, but the data shows a steady decline as pixel count increases. The CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread scores, combined with its ability to achieve 202 FPS at 1080p Low, confirm that it has ample headroom for this game. The 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS is particularly telling, as it shows the GPU struggling to maintain playable frame rates at the highest settings, despite the CPU's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 46 out of 2,911 total combos. This places the setup in the 98.4th percentile of all tested configurations, which is an exceptional result. The rank reflects the combined performance of both components, and the data shows that this is one of the fastest combinations for this specific game.

The rank is particularly notable given the CPU's position among its rivals. The 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is slightly higher than the 285K's 83,807 but lower than the EPYC 7F72's 85,072. However, the GPU's contribution cannot be overstated; the RTX 4090's PassMark G3D score of 38,194 and its 88th percentile rank among all GPUs are key factors in achieving the 46th position. The combo's rank suggests that the balance between the CPU and GPU is well-optimized for The Medium, as the game appears to leverage the GPU's strengths while the CPU provides sufficient support.

When compared to other combos that might use lower-tier CPUs with the same GPU, the 290K Plus's high single-thread performance likely contributes to the strong rank. The 5.80 GHz boost clock and the 7,303 Cinebench R23 single-core score ensure that the CPU can handle the game's logic without introducing frame pacing issues. The rank of 46 out of 2,911 is not the very top, which suggests that a few other configurations—perhaps with even faster CPUs or different GPU pairings—achieve higher frame rates, but this combo remains in the elite tier of performance.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a massive GPU with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. Its Ada Lovelace architecture is built on a 5 nm process, and the chip contains 76,300 million transistors. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz and boosts to 2520 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). These specifications are directly relevant to The Medium's performance, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and capacity become critical.

The 24 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for The Medium, which is a 2021 horror title that does not have extreme VRAM requirements. The game's fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds mean that texture memory usage is manageable, and the RTX 4090's large frame buffer provides ample headroom. The memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s ensures that texture streaming and asset loading do not become bottlenecks, which is reflected in the consistent FPS results across all settings.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 16,384 shading units and 128 RT cores. The FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS is a key indicator of raw throughput, and it supports the high frame rates observed in the benchmark data. At 1080p Low, the GPU is not fully utilized, as the CPU can push 202 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU's workload increases dramatically, and the average FPS drops to 50. This indicates that the RTX 4090 is the limiting factor at the highest settings, which is expected given the pixel count.

The GPU's percentile rank of 88 among all GPUs, combined with its average benchmark score of 60,347, positions it as a high-end part, though not the absolute top. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Arc Pro A60 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, but those are workstation-oriented GPUs with different performance profiles. The RTX 4090's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,223 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 271,631 provide additional context for its gaming performance, which is robust in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for this combo in The Medium covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a comprehensive view of performance.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 202 at Low settings, 132 at Medium, 95 at High, and 75 at Ultra. The Medium settings also include a minimum FPS of 112 and a maximum of 152, showing a stable frame rate range. The gap between Low and Ultra is 127 FPS, which is the largest across all resolutions, indicating that the CPU can deliver very high frame rates when the GPU has less work to do.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 178 at Low, 111 at Medium, 80 at High, and 63 at Ultra. The Medium settings show a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with Low dropping by 24 FPS, Medium by 21 FPS, High by 15 FPS, and Ultra by 12 FPS. This pattern suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as resolution increases, but the frame rates remain high.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 140 at Low, 87 at Medium, 63 at High, and 50 at Ultra. The Medium settings have a minimum FPS of 74 and a maximum of 101. The 4K results show the most significant impact of resolution scaling, with Ultra dipping to 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Low setting still delivers 140 FPS, which is impressive, but the Ultra setting clearly stresses the GPU to its limits.

The data also reveals that the Medium setting at 4K offers a balanced experience, with 87 FPS average and a minimum of 74 FPS, which is playable. The High setting at 4K drops to 63 FPS, which is marginal, and Ultra at 50 FPS may require adjustments for a smoother experience. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown shows that this combo excels at lower resolutions and settings, while 4K Ultra is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS.