The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror game with heavy pre-rendered and real-time visual layering, presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the AMD Radeon 890M. The measured data for this combo shows a system that is strictly limited by its integrated graphics solution, with the CPU’s high multi-core capacity unable to translate into playable frame rates at higher settings or resolutions. The benchmark results indicate a configuration suited for low-detail 1080p gameplay, with the gap between the CPU’s compute potential and the GPU’s rendering throughput defining the entire performance profile.

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

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 3 nm process node. Its base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz give it substantial single-thread headroom, which is reflected in its benchmark scores: a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2200.5 and a multi-core score of 18911. The processor’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample capacity for feeding the GPU with draw calls, but in The Medium, these resources are only relevant insofar as they prevent the CPU from becoming the bottleneck. With a PassMark multithread score of 36811 and a single-thread score of 4280, the processor ranks in the 88th percentile against all CPUs, placing it near the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (which trails by 0.2%) and the Intel Core i9-13950HX (which leads by 0.3%).

In practice, the CPU’s role in this game’s results is passive. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 45 FPS, and at 4K Low, it drops to 30 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that the processor is not the limiting factor; if it were, frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions. The data shows that the X9 388H has more than enough processing power to handle The Medium’s logic, AI, and camera system, as evidenced by the fact that even at the highest CPU stress (low settings, lower resolution), the frame rate is still capped by the GPU. The 5.10 GHz boost clock is particularly relevant for this game’s fixed-camera scenes, which often involve complex lighting calculations that benefit from strong single-core performance, but the 890M’s rendering limits overshadow this advantage. The CPU’s 25 W TDP suggests it can sustain these clocks without thermal throttling in a mobile chassis, but the measured FPS numbers indicate that no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the GPU’s 45th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

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

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated GPU based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, featuring 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. It runs at a base clock of 400 MHz and boosts up to 2900 MHz, with a pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s. The GPU’s memory is system-shared, meaning its bandwidth is system-dependent, which is a critical limitation for a game like The Medium that streams high-resolution textures. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 5.939 TFLOPS places it in the same performance tier as the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (trailing by 0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (trailing by 0.7%), according to the nearestRivals data. Its PassMark G3D score of 8076 and percentile rank of 45 against all GPUs confirm that this is a mid-low-tier graphics solution.

The GPU’s role in The Medium is decisive. The measured FPS data shows that the 890M is the primary constraint at every resolution and settings combination. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 16 FPS, which is unplayable; at 1080p Medium, it produces 28 FPS (with a minimum of 24 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS), which is barely playable. The GPU’s 16 RT cores are largely irrelevant here, as the game’s ray-traced effects are too heavy for this hardware at any settings above Low. The system-shared memory bandwidth is a particular concern; the fact that dropping from High to Low settings at 1080p improves FPS from 20 to 45 (a 125% increase) suggests that the GPU is heavily dependent on texture memory bandwidth, which is shared with the CPU. The boost clock of 2900 MHz helps at lower resolutions, where the GPU can keep up with the CPU’s draw calls, but at 4K, the GPU’s 32 ROPs become a bottleneck, resulting in a 13 FPS average at High settings. The data shows that the 890M is a capable 1080p Low/Medium part, but nothing more.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo are a trade-off between visual fidelity and playability. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 45 FPS, which is the only measured configuration that exceeds the 30 FPS baseline typically considered acceptable for a slow-paced horror game. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 28 FPS (min 24, max 32), which is borderline; the minimum frame rate of 24 FPS could cause noticeable stutter in cutscenes or during camera transitions. The High preset at 1080p drops to 20 FPS, and Ultra falls to 16 FPS, both of which are too low for a game that relies on atmosphere and timing.

At 1440p, the Low preset gives 38 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less smooth than 1080p Low. The Medium preset at 1440p gives 24 FPS (min 20, max 27), which is on the edge of playability. The data suggests that 1080p Low is the sweet spot: it provides a 45 FPS average with no reported minimum FPS, indicating stable performance. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 17 FPS (from 45 to 28), which is a 38% reduction, suggesting that the Medium preset introduces effects that heavily tax the 890M’s texture units. For users who prioritize frame rate stability over visual quality, 1080p Low is the clear recommendation. For those who want some visual improvements, 1080p Medium is the highest playable setting, but the 24 FPS minimum means it is not ideal for a game that requires precise timing during puzzle sequences. The 4K Low preset at 30 FPS is technically playable, but the 4K resolution requires significant GPU scaling, and the frame rate is only 33% lower than 1080p Low, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor rather than the resolution itself. The recommendation is to stay at 1080p Low for the best balance, with 1080p Medium as a second option for users with a tolerance for lower minimum frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo rank for this configuration in The Medium is 2755 out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 5% of all systems tested. This ranking is consistent with the GPU’s 45th percentile performance and the CPU’s 88th percentile performance; the combo is dragged down almost entirely by the integrated GPU. The rank of 2755 means that 155 other combos performed worse, but the vast majority of systems (over 94%) delivered higher frame rates. Given that the CPU alone ranks near the top of the database (88th percentile), the data shows that pairing a high-end processor with a low-end integrated GPU results in a severely unbalanced system for this title. The nearest CPU rivals (AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, Intel Core i9-13950HX, AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, and Intel Core i5-13600) all have similar average CPU scores (within 0.5% of each other), but the combo’s ranking would likely be similar if any of those were paired with the 890M, since the GPU is the bottleneck. The rank of 2755 is a clear indication that this combo is not intended for gaming at playable settings; it is a productivity-focused configuration that happens to include a GPU capable of running older or lighter games. In The Medium, the combo’s performance is at the low end of the spectrum, with only a handful of weaker iGPU or older GPU combos falling below it. The data implies that users with this combo should expect to run the game at the lowest settings and resolution to achieve anything resembling a playable experience.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation. At Low settings, the average FPS scales from 45 at 1080p to 38 at 1440p (a 15.6% drop) and then to 30 at 4K (a 33.3% drop from 1080p). At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 28 at 1080p to 24 at 1440p (a 14.3% drop) and then to 19 at 4K (a 32.1% drop from 1080p). At High settings, the FPS goes from 20 at 1080p to 17 at 1440p (a 15% drop) and then to 13 at 4K (a 35% drop from 1080p). At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 16 at 1080p to 14 at 1440p (a 12.5% drop) and then to 11 at 4K (a 31.3% drop from 1080p).

The pattern is consistent: the drop from 1080p to 1440p is relatively modest (12-16%), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is much steeper (roughly 21-24% additional). This non-linear scaling is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of fill rate and memory bandwidth as pixel count increases. The 4K resolution has four times the pixels of 1080p, but the FPS does not drop to one-quarter; instead, it drops to roughly two-thirds of the 1080p value (e.g., 30 FPS at 4K Low vs. 45 FPS at 1080p Low). This suggests that the GPU is not purely pixel-bound, but it is also limited by the game’s compute shaders and texture fetches, which scale with resolution but not linearly. The fact that the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is larger at Low settings (33%) than at Ultra settings (31%) indicates that at higher settings, the GPU is already saturated, and the additional resolution has a proportionally smaller impact. In all cases, the resolution scaling data points to the GPU as the limiting component; if the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would be nearly identical across resolutions, which is not the case. The 890M’s system-shared memory bandwidth is the likely culprit, as higher resolutions require more texture data to be streamed from shared memory, which the CPU also uses.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in The Medium?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings yields the highest average FPS at 45 FPS, with no reported minimum FPS. This is the only configuration that exceeds 30 FPS, making it the recommended setup for playable frame rates.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: At 4K, the highest average FPS is 30 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 19 FPS on Medium, 13 FPS on High, and 11 FPS on Ultra. While 4K Low is technically playable, the frame rate is borderline, and any quality setting above Low results in sub-20 FPS averages.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has an average benchmark score of 44466, which is within 0.5% of its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D (44573, -0.2%), Intel Core i9-13950HX (44342, +0.3%), AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (44309, +0.4%), and Intel Core i5-13600 (44240, +0.5%).

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9210, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: AMD Radeon Vega 8 (9221, -0.1%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9273, -0.7%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (9294, -0.9%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (9302, -1.0%).

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

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. Evidence from resolution scaling shows that FPS drops significantly as resolution increases (from 45 FPS at 1080p Low to 30 FPS at 4K Low), which would not occur if the CPU were the limiting factor. The CPU’s 88th percentile ranking versus the GPU’s 45th percentile ranking confirms this imbalance.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 24, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. This is below the 30 FPS threshold, so it may result in noticeable stuttering during gameplay.

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

The measured FPS data for The Medium with the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and AMD Radeon 890M is as follows:

3840x2160 (4K):

• High: 13 FPS average
• Low: 30 FPS average
• Medium: 19 FPS average (min 16, max 21)
• Ultra: 11 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• High: 17 FPS average
• Low: 38 FPS average
• Medium: 24 FPS average (min 20, max 27)
• Ultra: 14 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• High: 20 FPS average
• Low: 45 FPS average
• Medium: 28 FPS average (min 24, max 32)
• Ultra: 16 FPS average

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings are the only playable option, and 1080p is the only resolution that provides a consistently playable experience. At 1080p Low, the 45 FPS average is the standout result. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 28 FPS, which is below the ideal 30 FPS line, and the minimum of 24 FPS indicates potential stutter. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p (20 and 16 FPS, respectively) are not suitable for a game that relies on smooth camera movement. At 1440p, even Low settings drop to 38 FPS, and the Medium preset falls to 24 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings (30 FPS) approach playability, but the 19 FPS Medium and 13 FPS High results show that any visual quality increase is impractical. The absence of minimum and maximum FPS values for most configurations suggests that the test methodology captured averages only, but for the Medium preset at all three resolutions, the min/max ranges are provided, showing a consistent 4-5 FPS variance around the average. Overall, the measured data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p Low, with performance degrading rapidly as resolution or quality settings increase.