The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both GPU and CPU depending on resolution and settings. For this configuration, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain smooth framerates at 4K. The benchmark data shows a clear pattern where the RTX 5060 becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the powerful 24-core processor ensures that CPU limitations rarely surface even at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Medium settings, the average framerate falls from 72 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of approximately 15%. Moving to 4K, the average drops further to 48 FPS, representing a 33% decrease from the 1440p figure and a 33% decrease from 1080p. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5060’s 8 GB GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus become increasingly strained at higher pixel counts, with the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth proving insufficient for the data demands of 4K rendering in this game.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, Low settings produce 116 FPS while Ultra yields 41 FPS, a 75 FPS spread. At 1440p, the spread narrows slightly to 62 FPS (97 FPS Low versus 35 FPS Ultra). At 4K, the spread compresses to 49 FPS (76 FPS Low versus 27 FPS Ultra). This compression suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even reducing settings cannot fully compensate for the raw pixel throughput required, whereas at 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to respond more dramatically to settings changes.

The data also shows that the RTX 5060’s boost clock of 2497 MHz and base clock of 2280 MHz provide a solid foundation, but the 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability is the limiting factor at 4K. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows only a 10 FPS drop (44 to 34 FPS), suggesting that the game’s rendering pipeline at High preset is less resolution-sensitive than at Medium. However, the Ultra preset at 4K falls to 27 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this setting is not viable at this resolution with this GPU.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium settings at 1440p emerge as the optimal configuration from the measured data. The 61 FPS average at 2560x1440 Medium comes with a minimum of 52 FPS and maximum of 70 FPS, providing a consistent experience that stays above the 60 FPS target for most of the frame time. This represents a 28% improvement over High settings at the same resolution (44 FPS) while maintaining a smoother framerate than the 4K Medium option, which drops to 48 FPS.

At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, making this the most robust choice for users who prioritize a locked framerate. The 1080p High preset at 52 FPS is acceptable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes, while Ultra at 41 FPS starts to feel sluggish. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, Low settings at 1080p provide 116 FPS, which is the only configuration in the measured data that approaches 120 FPS territory.

At 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings (76 FPS) provide a truly playable experience, while Medium (48 FPS) is borderline and High (34 FPS) or Ultra (27 FPS) are not recommended for smooth gameplay. The 4K Medium figures show a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 55 FPS, indicating significant frame-time variance that could cause noticeable stuttering in a horror game where atmosphere and pacing are critical.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 plays the dominant role in determining performance in The Medium, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU’s 8 GB GDDR7 memory capacity is a critical factor, as the game’s detailed environments and volumetric effects at 4K require substantial video memory. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, while respectable for the 128-bit bus width, becomes a limiting factor when the rendering resolution increases, as evidenced by the 48 FPS average at 4K Medium versus 72 FPS at 1080p Medium.

The RTX 5060’s clock behavior shows a modest boost to 2497 MHz from a base of 2280 MHz, which helps maintain performance under sustained load. The GPU’s 3840 shading units and 120 tensor cores provide the computational resources needed for the game’s DirectX 12 rendering path, and the 30 RT cores support any ray-traced effects the game may employ. However, the 19.18 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is the key metric for this title, and the data shows that it is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but insufficient for 4K at higher presets.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 26331. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 860M (26401, -0.3% delta) and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (26421, -0.3% delta), which are surprising comparisons given the RTX 5060’s dedicated graphics positioning. The RTX 5060 also sits close to the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26553, -0.8%) and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (26011, +1.2%). These benchmark scores suggest that while the RTX 5060 is a capable mid-range GPU, its performance in The Medium at 4K is constrained by its 8 GB memory capacity and 128-bit bus, rather than raw compute power.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playing The Medium with this hardware?

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 at Medium settings provides 61 FPS average with a 52 FPS minimum, making it the highest resolution with a stable framerate above 60 FPS. At 4K, even Medium settings drop to 48 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold.

Q: Can the RTX 5060 handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produce 76 FPS average. Medium settings at 4K yield 48 FPS (41 min, 55 max), while High and Ultra produce 34 FPS and 27 FPS respectively, which are too low for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5060 scores 26331 on average, placing it 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce MX550, 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary, and 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT.

Q: What is the framerate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 116 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 41 FPS average, a difference of 75 FPS. Medium settings sit at 72 FPS, and High at 52 FPS.

Q: Does the game show different performance scaling between 1440p and 4K?

A: Yes. At Medium settings, moving from 1440p to 4K causes a 13 FPS drop (61 to 48 FPS), while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is only 11 FPS (72 to 61 FPS). This indicates that the GPU becomes more severely bottlenecked at 4K.

Q: What is the minimum framerate recorded for the 4K Medium preset?

A: The minimum FPS for 3840x2160 at Medium settings is 41 FPS, with a maximum of 55 FPS. This 14 FPS variance suggests some scenes place heavy demand on the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus provides ample processing headroom for The Medium, ensuring that the GPU is the primary performance limiter across all measured configurations. With 24 cores and 24 threads, this processor offers substantial parallel processing capability, which is reflected in its benchmark scores: 51731 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 21727 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, and 60860 in Passmark multithread. Its single-core performance is also strong, with 7303 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 4823 in Passmark single-thread, which matters for the game’s main-thread workload.

The CPU’s base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.80 GHz provide high frequency headroom for gaming workloads. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures that data can flow quickly to the GPU. The processor’s 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84003, places it well above the vast majority of processors, and its nearest rivals — the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83807, +0.2%) and AMD EPYC 4584PX (83090, +1.1%) — are all within a narrow performance band.

The data suggests that the CPU does not bottleneck the RTX 5060 at any resolution. At 1080p Low settings, where CPU overhead is typically highest, the system achieves 116 FPS, which is well below the CPU’s theoretical limits. The 24-thread configuration is more than sufficient for a game like The Medium, which may use a handful of threads for gameplay logic and rendering setup. The Passmark physics score of 3315 and data compression score of 698346 further indicate that the processor can handle complex calculations without introducing frame drops.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings produces playable framerates. Low settings deliver 116 FPS average, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. Medium settings provide 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS, offering a smooth experience with some headroom. High settings drop to 52 FPS average, while Ultra settings yield 41 FPS average, which is the lowest at this resolution but still technically playable.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades progressively. Low settings maintain 97 FPS average, which remains smooth for most displays. Medium settings deliver 61 FPS average with a range of 52 to 70 FPS, making this the recommended configuration for 1440p. High settings produce 44 FPS average, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, and Ultra settings fall to 35 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS target and may cause noticeable judder.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5060 struggles to maintain high framerates. Low settings achieve 76 FPS average, which is the only 4K configuration that feels responsive. Medium settings drop to 48 FPS average with a minimum of 41 FPS and maximum of 55 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable frame drops in demanding scenes. High settings produce 34 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 27 FPS average, both of which are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in a horror title that relies on atmosphere and timing.

The overall rank of this combo in The Medium is 1270 out of 2911 combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack for this game. The data confirms that users targeting 4K should stick to Low settings, while 1440p Medium offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. For 1080p, Medium or High settings provide the most consistent experience without sacrificing too much visual quality.