The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding dual-reality rendering workload, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 produces a varied performance profile across resolutions and settings. The measured data reveals a system where the GPU is the primary scaling factor, but the CPU’s substantial core configuration ensures that even at lower resolutions, frame rates remain exceptionally high. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows to interpret what the numbers mean for playability and system balance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and predictable decline in average frame rates as resolution increases, moving from 1920x1080 through 2560x1440 to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 160 at 1080p to 135 at 1440p, a reduction of 15.6%, and then to 106 at 4K, another 21.5% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that at Low settings, the rendering pipeline is heavily influenced by resolution, but the absolute numbers remain high enough to suggest the GPU is still managing the load efficiently without being entirely overwhelmed.

At the Medium preset, the trend continues but with slightly different margins. The average FPS is 100 at 1080p, 84 at 1440p, and 66 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 16%, and from 1440p to 4K is 21.4%. The consistency of these drops across Low and Medium presets suggests a uniform scaling behavior where the increase in pixel count is the dominant factor, rather than any specific setting causing a bottleneck shift.

The High preset shows a more pronounced sensitivity to resolution. At 1080p, the average FPS is 72, which drops to 60 at 1440p and further to 47 at 4K. The relative decreases are 16.7% from 1080p to 1440p, and 21.7% from 1440p to 4K. This pattern indicates that as the visual complexity increases with the High preset, the GPU's workload scales more steeply with resolution, confirming that the limiting component at these settings is the graphics card's fill rate and shading capacity.

The Ultra preset yields the lowest frame rates, with averages of 57 at 1080p, 48 at 1440p, and 38 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 15.8%, and from 1440p to 4K is 20.8%. While the absolute numbers are lower, the scaling pattern remains consistent. The data strongly suggests that the RTX 5070 is the primary limiting component across all resolutions, as the CPU's performance headroom is not being challenged at these frame rates. The consistent percentage drops across all presets indicate a GPU-bound scenario where the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU without becoming a constraint, even at 1080p where CPU load is typically highest.

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 by TSMC. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. This configuration provides substantial multi-threaded throughput, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51,731 and Passmark multi-thread score of 60,860. The CPU's percentile ranking of 96 among all CPUs indicates that it is in the top tier of processors for general compute workloads.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to manage the game's logic, physics, and the rendering of the split-world mechanic, which can be computationally intensive. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p with the Low preset, where the CPU would be most likely to become a bottleneck due to lower GPU load, the average FPS reaches 160. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is not limiting performance at this resolution and settings combination. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth likely contribute to smooth data flow for the game's assets.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals from the benchmark data, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003. It is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (score 83,807), and 1.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4584PX (score 83,090) and 1.2% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9135 (score 82,980). It trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 by 1.3% (score 85,072). These deltas are minimal, suggesting that the CPU's performance is on par with the immediate competition, and any differences would not be perceptible in gaming scenarios where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU's multi-core strength is significant, but its single-core performance, reflected in the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 7,303 and Passmark single-thread score of 4,823, is also robust. For a game like The Medium, which may rely on a few heavily threaded tasks, the 24-core configuration ensures that no single thread becomes a limiting factor. The data shows that the CPU is not the constraint in any of the measured scenarios, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution, a hallmark of GPU-bound performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and built on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). These specifications place it as a capable mid-to-high range card, with a Passmark G3D score of 29,137 and a percentile ranking of 82 among all GPUs.

The GPU's role in The Medium is critical, as the game's horror atmosphere relies on detailed textures, lighting effects, and the rendering of two simultaneous worlds. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting component in all scenarios. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 38, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. This is consistent with the GPU's VRAM capacity of 12 GB, which may be insufficient for the highest texture and detail settings at 4K, leading to performance degradation.

The RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 40,377. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (score 40,318, delta of 0.1%), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (score 40,063, delta of 0.8%), and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (score 39,568, delta of 2%). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% (score 40,870). These comparisons show that the RTX 5070 sits in a competitive position, but its performance in The Medium is more dependent on specific game optimizations and VRAM usage than on raw compute scores.

The GPU's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are relevant for ray tracing and DLSS features, but the measured FPS data does not specify whether these features are enabled. The frame rates at 4K Ultra (38 FPS) and 4K High (47 FPS) suggest that the GPU is heavily taxed by the rendering load. The transition from Medium to High at 4K results in a drop from 66 to 47 FPS, a 28.8% decrease, indicating that the High preset introduces significantly more shading and texture work for the GPU. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 483 out of 2,911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 16.6% of all tested configurations. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, with higher average frame rates resulting in a better rank.

Given the GPU's percentile ranking of 82 and the CPU's percentile ranking of 96, the combo's overall rank of 483 suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in achieving a higher position. The CPU is clearly capable of supporting higher frame rates, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 160 FPS, but the GPU's performance at higher resolutions and settings drags the average down. A comparison with other combos would likely show that systems with a more powerful GPU, even with a slightly weaker CPU, would rank higher due to the GPU-bound nature of the game.

The rank of 483 out of 2,911 is a strong showing, indicating that this combo is well above average for The Medium. However, the data suggests that to improve the rank, a GPU with more VRAM and higher raw throughput would be necessary, particularly for 4K Ultra settings where the current GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The CPU's performance is a non-factor in this ranking, as it is not the bottleneck in any measured scenario.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 160, achieved with the Low preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in The Medium?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor across all resolutions and settings, as frame rates drop consistently with resolution increases, while the CPU's high core count prevents it from becoming a bottleneck.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with the Medium preset?

A: At 3840x2160 with the Medium preset, the average FPS is 66, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 483 out of 2,911 tested combos, placing it in the top 16.6%.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 38, recorded at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset.

Q: Are the frame rates at 1440p High better than at 1080p Ultra?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 60, while at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average is 57.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved with the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average FPS of 100, with a minimum of 85 and a maximum of 115, providing a smooth experience well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 84 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 97, which remains highly playable. Even at 4K, the Medium preset manages an average of 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56, which is acceptable for most players.

The High preset is a viable option for those prioritizing visual fidelity, but it comes with a significant performance cost. At 1080p, the average drops to 72 FPS, which is still playable, but at 1440p, the average falls to 60 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to 47 FPS, which may be too low for smooth gameplay on some displays. The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combo, as it yields average frame rates below 60 FPS at all resolutions, with 57 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K.

The Low preset offers the highest frame rates, with 160 FPS at 1080p, 135 FPS at 1440p, and 106 FPS at 4K, but it sacrifices significant visual quality. For the best experience that balances performance and visuals, the Medium preset is the clear choice. It provides frame rates that are at or above 60 FPS for most resolutions, with only the 4K minimum dipping slightly below. Players with 1080p or 1440p monitors will find the Medium preset to be the sweet spot, while those with 4K displays may need to accept the lower minimum frame rates or consider the Low preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is organized by resolution and settings, providing a comprehensive view of performance.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 160 FPS. The Medium preset averages 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 and a maximum of 115. The High preset averages 72 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 57 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 135 FPS. The Medium preset averages 84 FPS, with a minimum of 71 and a maximum of 97. The High preset averages 60 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 48 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 106 FPS. The Medium preset averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76. The High preset averages 47 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 38 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern where each step up in settings reduces the average FPS by a similar margin, and each increase in resolution also reduces FPS proportionally. The frame rates at 1080p Low (160 FPS) are more than four times higher than at 4K Ultra (38 FPS), highlighting the significant impact of both settings and resolution on the GPU's workload. The minimum FPS values for the Medium preset across all resolutions provide insight into the worst-case scenarios, with 85 FPS at 1080p, 71 FPS at 1440p, and 56 FPS at 4K, ensuring that the experience remains fluid even during demanding scenes.