The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile delivers a playable but demanding experience in The Medium, with performance that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The data indicates that this combination is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures consistent frame pacing at lower settings. Across all measured configurations, the combo achieves a rank of 2285 out of 3724 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, a position that reflects its 1080p medium ceiling rather than any high-refresh-rate capability.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a clear GPU bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 97 at 1920x1080 to 81 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 16 frames, and then further to 64 at 3840x2160. This represents a 34% decrease from 1080p to 4K at Low, which is substantial but not catastrophic, indicating that the RTX 4060 Mobile still has enough headroom to push playable frame rates even at the highest resolution when settings are minimized. The scaling at Medium settings shows a similar pattern, with averages of 60 at 1080p, 51 at 1440p, and 40 at 4K, a drop of one-third from the lowest to the highest resolution.

However, the scaling becomes more punishing at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 43 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p and then to 29 at 4K, a cumulative decrease of 33% from 1080p to 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with averages of 34 at 1080p, 29 at 1440p, and 23 at 4K. That 23 FPS average at 4K Ultra is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the data suggests that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the game’s high-resolution textures and effects. The pattern across all presets confirms that the RTX 4060 Mobile is the limiting component; the CPU’s impact on frame rates diminishes as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the sole constraint.

The delta between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the delta between 1440p and 4K at every preset, which is typical for a GPU with a 128-bit memory bus. For instance, at Low settings, the 1080p to 1440p drop is 16 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 17 FPS, nearly identical. This suggests that the memory bandwidth ceiling is being approached at 1440p, and further resolution increases yield diminishing returns in terms of playability. Benchmark results indicate that users targeting 4K should stick to Low settings, as the 64 FPS average is the only 4K configuration that approaches a smooth experience, while Medium and High at 4K fall into the 29-40 FPS range, which is only suitable for slower-paced horror gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, featuring 3072 shading units and 24 RT cores. Its clocks are listed at a base of 1545 MHz and a boost of 1890 MHz, with memory running at 2000 MHz effective 16 Gbps. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a moderate figure for a mobile GPU in this class. In The Medium, a game that relies heavily on fixed-camera angles and detailed environments, this bandwidth becomes a critical factor at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s passmark_g3d score of 17469 places it at the 67th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the desktop NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, which has an average score of 22895 and a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the RTX 4060 Mobile is essentially on par with that older desktop card. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT scores 22549 with a deltaPct of 0.8, again a near tie, while the Intel Arc B580 is 1.3% ahead and the RTX 5060 Mobile is 1.3% behind. This positions the RTX 4060 Mobile as a solid mid-range performer, but The Medium’s measured FPS reveals that it struggles with the game’s most demanding presets.

The 8 GB VRAM is likely a constraint at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 23. The game’s high-resolution textures and lighting effects can exceed this capacity, causing performance to plummet. At 1080p and 1440p, the VRAM is less of an issue, and the GPU’s raw compute power comes to the forefront. The FP32 performance of 11.61 TFLOPS and the pixel rate of 90.72 GPixel/s are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows that the GPU’s memory subsystem, not its core clocks, is the primary limiter at 4K. The 115 W TDP indicates this is a full-power mobile implementation, yet it cannot overcome the memory bandwidth wall imposed by the 128-bit bus.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile ranks 2285 out of 3724 total combos. This places it in the 61st percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 39% of combinations perform worse. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s limitations; the CPU is a much stronger component, with its avgBenchmarkScore of 44466 placing it at the 88th percentile among all CPUs. The discrepancy between the CPU’s high percentile and the combo’s mid-tier rank underscores the GPU bottleneck.

The combo’s rank is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows that it cannot achieve high frame rates at 1440p or 4K with medium or higher settings. A rank in the lower-middle of the pack suggests that many other combinations, likely those with desktop-class GPUs or higher-end mobile parts, deliver superior performance in this specific title. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D with an avgScore of 44573 and a deltaPct of -0.2, or the Intel Core i9-13950HX with a deltaPct of 0.3, show that the processor is not the weak link; swapping the CPU would yield negligible gains. However, upgrading the GPU would dramatically improve the combo’s rank, as the RTX 4060 Mobile’s performance is the limiting factor.

The rank of 2285 also reflects the game’s demanding nature. The Medium is not a lightweight title, and the data shows that even at 1080p Low, the combo only achieves 97 FPS, which is respectable but not exceptional. The combination’s position in the database is a warning to users that this is a 1080p-oriented setup for this game, with 1440p only viable at Low settings. The 4K performance is marginal at best, with only the Low preset providing a playable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 97 at Low to 34 at Ultra. The Medium preset at 1080p yields an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69, indicating a stable experience with minor frame dips. The High preset at 1080p drops to 43 FPS average, which is still playable but less smooth, while Ultra at 34 FPS is borderline for a horror game that benefits from consistent frame pacing.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages decrease across the board. Low settings produce 81 FPS, which is still very smooth, but Medium drops to 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 and a maximum of 59. High at 1440p averages 36 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is 30 FPS, which is significant and suggests that the Medium preset introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU. The minimum FPS of 43 at 1440p Medium indicates that the experience can have noticeable stutters, particularly in scenes with complex lighting or particle effects.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more challenging. Low settings still manage an average of 64 FPS, which is surprising given the GPU’s specifications, and this is the only 4K preset that is comfortably playable. Medium at 4K averages 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46, which is a significant drop from Low and shows that the Medium preset’s additional shading and texture detail overwhelms the 8 GB VRAM. High at 4K averages 29 FPS, and Ultra at 4K averages 23 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a game that relies on atmospheric tension. The data clearly shows that the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p Medium or 1440p Low, with 4K reserved for Low settings only.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration delivers an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69, providing a stable and smooth frame rate that suits The Medium’s deliberate pacing. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p is only a 37 FPS difference, but the visual improvement from Medium settings is substantial, as it likely enables higher-quality textures and ambient occlusion effects that are important for the game’s horror atmosphere. The 60 FPS average is exactly at the standard monitor refresh rate, ensuring a tear-free experience with V-Sync enabled.

For users with 1440p displays, the Low preset is the recommended choice, offering an average of 81 FPS. This is a significant drop from the 1080p Medium result, but it remains well above the playable threshold and provides a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 51 FPS, which is playable but the minimum of 43 FPS may be noticeable in busy scenes. Given that the Low preset at 1440p provides a 30 FPS advantage over Medium, the visual trade-off is likely worth the performance gain for a game that emphasizes mood over graphical fidelity.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 64 FPS. This is a surprisingly strong result and suggests that the game’s Low settings are well-optimized for lower-end hardware. However, the Medium preset at 4K drops to 40 FPS, and the Ultra preset at 23 FPS is unplayable. The data indicates that users should avoid High and Ultra settings at any resolution above 1080p, as the frame rates fall below 36 FPS, which is not conducive to a horror game where quick reactions may be needed. The Ultra preset at 1080p, with an average of 34 FPS, is also not recommended, as the visual gains over Medium do not justify the 26 FPS loss.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 3, based on the Panther Lake architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. Its base clock is 2.10 GHz with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, and it features 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores are impressive, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 18911 and a single-core score of 2200.5, indicating strong performance for both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. The passmark_single_thread score of 4280 and passmark_multithread score of 36811 further confirm its capability.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 97 FPS, which is likely close to the CPU’s frame rate limit for this game. The single-thread performance is crucial here, as the game’s fixed-camera angles and scripted events often rely on a single primary thread. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz is a key asset, allowing the CPU to handle the game’s logic and AI without becoming a bottleneck. The 16 cores and 16 threads ensure that background tasks and the game’s streaming systems do not cause frame drops.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in the database, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D with a deltaPct of -0.2 and the Intel Core i9-13950HX with a deltaPct of 0.3, show that the X9 388H is essentially tied with these parts in overall benchmark scores. However, in a GPU-bound scenario like The Medium at higher resolutions, the CPU’s performance headroom is irrelevant. The data shows that the CPU is never the limiting factor; even at 1080p High, where the GPU is already struggling with a 43 FPS average, the CPU has ample capacity to deliver frames. The 25 W TDP is low for a processor with this many cores, but the 3 nm process node ensures efficient operation, allowing the CPU to maintain high boost clocks without thermal throttling, which is beneficial for sustained gaming sessions.