The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a wide performance envelope in The Medium, ranging from a marginal 50.9 FPS at 4K Ultra to a fluid 163.2 FPS at 1080p Low. The benchmark data, measured across three resolutions and four quality presets, shows this combination is overwhelmingly capable of exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold, with only a single configuration falling short. The following analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, identifies the optimal settings per resolution, and contextualizes the hardware’s standing against similar components.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this pairing shows a consistent scaling pattern as resolution and settings increase. At 1920x1080, the RTX 5090 is rarely challenged, with even the most demanding preset staying well above 60 FPS. The Low preset delivers an average of 163.2 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 134.4 FPS, a reduction of 28.8 FPS from Low. High settings at 1080p produce 95.7 FPS, while Ultra remains comfortably playable at 75.5 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 38.7 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs 20.2 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset carries a significant but manageable performance penalty.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts downward but remains robust. The Low preset averages 155.9 FPS, which is only 7.3 FPS slower than the same preset at 1080p, showing that the CPU and GPU combination handles the resolution increase with minimal impact at lower settings. Medium at 1440p averages 113.9 FPS, a 20.5 FPS drop from Low. High settings produce 85.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 69.1 FPS. The delta between Medium and High at this resolution is 28.7 FPS, similar to the 1080p gap. The transition from High to Ultra costs 16.1 FPS, which is less severe than at 1080p, suggesting that at higher resolutions the GPU workload becomes more consistent across presets.

The 3840x2160 results reveal the only sub-60 FPS configuration in the dataset. Ultra at 4K averages 50.9 FPS, which falls 9.1 FPS below the playable threshold. High at 4K averages 67.5 FPS, clearing 60 FPS by a margin of 7.5 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 92.3 FPS, and Low averages 139.9 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium at 4K shows a 47.6 FPS drop, while Medium to High costs 24.8 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 16.6 FPS. This pattern indicates that the Ultra preset at 4K is the sole bottleneck, while all other settings at this resolution are playable.

Across all resolutions, the min and max FPS values are not provided in the benchmark data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The data shows a clear trend: the RTX 5090 provides diminishing returns as resolution increases, but the Ryzen 5 7600 maintains sufficient throughput at lower resolutions to avoid becoming a limiting factor. The largest single performance gap in the dataset is between 4K Low (139.9 FPS) and 4K Ultra (50.9 FPS), a difference of 89.0 FPS, which underscores the substantial cost of the Ultra preset at high resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 75.5 FPS. This configuration clears the playable threshold by 15.5 FPS, providing a comfortable margin for frame-time variance. Since all presets at this resolution are playable, Ultra is the recommended choice for maximum visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains viable, averaging 69.1 FPS. This is 9.1 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the best settings choice for this resolution. The data shows that 1440p Ultra offers a better frame rate than 4K High (67.5 FPS), which is notable given the higher pixel count of the latter.

For 3840x2160, the best playable settings are High, which averages 67.5 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset fails to meet the 60 FPS requirement, so High represents the optimal balance of quality and performance. The margin above the threshold is 7.5 FPS, which is adequate but less substantial than at lower resolutions. Medium at 4K averages 92.3 FPS and Low averages 139.9 FPS, both of which are playable, but High offers the best visual quality without dropping below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 50.9 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is High, which averages 67.5 FPS.

Q: What is the highest frame rate achievable with this combination?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 163.2 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At 2560x1440 Low, the average is 155.9 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low it is 139.9 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7600 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600 has an average benchmark score of 26324, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (26274), 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i9-11900KF (26212), and 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U (26187). It is 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS (26402).

Q: What is the performance gap between the RTX 5090 and its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842. It is 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605), 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396), and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% ahead with a score of 80959.

Q: Which resolution shows the smallest performance drop when moving from Low to Medium?

A: At 2560x1440, the drop from Low (155.9 FPS) to Medium (113.9 FPS) is 42.0 FPS. At 1920x1080, the drop is 28.8 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it is 47.6 FPS. The 1080p resolution shows the smallest absolute drop.

Q: Is the Ultra preset at 1440p faster than High at 4K?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS for 2560x1440 Ultra is 69.1 FPS, while 3840x2160 High averages 67.5 FPS. The 1440p Ultra configuration is 1.6 FPS faster despite using a higher quality preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX with a delta of 0.2%, the AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS with a delta of -0.3%, the Intel Core i9-11900KF with a delta of 0.4%, and the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U with a delta of 0.5%. In practical terms for The Medium, these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates at the tested resolutions, as the differences in synthetic scores are under 1%. The Ryzen 5 7600’s percentile of 78 among all CPUs indicates it outperforms the majority of processors, but the nearest rivals are statistically indistinguishable in performance.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% slower), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% slower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% slower), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (1.4% faster). These deltas are minimal, meaning that swapping the RTX 5090 for any of these GPUs would result in a change of only a few FPS in The Medium. For instance, a 1.1% slower GPU would reduce the 1080p Low average from 163.2 FPS to approximately 161.4 FPS, while a 1.4% faster GPU would increase the 4K Ultra average from 50.9 FPS to approximately 51.6 FPS. None of these alternatives would change the playability verdict at any resolution, as the performance differences are too small to cross the 60 FPS threshold except at 4K Ultra, where the RTX 5090 already falls short.

The combo rank of 94 out of 3724 tested combinations places this pairing in the top 2.5% of all systems tested for The Medium. This ranking reflects the high absolute performance of both components, even though the CPU is a mid-range desktop part. The nearest CPU rivals are a mix of laptop and desktop chips, indicating that the Ryzen 5 7600’s single-thread and multi-thread scores are competitive with a broad range of hardware.

The Verdict

The data shows that this PC can run The Medium at 60 FPS or above in most configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 75.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 69.1 FPS, also clearing the threshold. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the best playable option at 67.5 FPS, while Ultra falls short at 50.9 FPS. The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p and 1440p allow maximum settings, while 4K requires dropping from Ultra to High to maintain smooth gameplay. The single sub-60 FPS result at 4K Ultra is the only caveat, and it is a minor one given that High still provides a solid 67.5 FPS average. For users prioritizing visual quality at 4K, the Ultra preset is not viable, but the High preset offers a substantial improvement over Medium while remaining above the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 94th out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 97.5th percentile of all systems tested, meaning it outperforms approximately 97% of configurations. The ranking reflects the dominance of the RTX 5090, which is a top-tier GPU, while the Ryzen 5 7600 provides adequate support without bottlenecking at the tested resolutions. The combo’s rank is consistent with its measured performance: it achieves playable frame rates at all resolutions except 4K Ultra, and even that failure is marginal (50.9 FPS vs. 60 FPS). In the context of all tested combos, this system is positioned for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, and for smooth 4K gaming with a slight settings reduction.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals distinct roles for the CPU and GPU in The Medium. At 1920x1080, the GPU is not fully utilized, as evidenced by the high frame rates (163.2 FPS at Low) and the relatively small drop when moving to Medium (134.4 FPS). The Ryzen 5 7600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is sufficient to feed the RTX 5090 at this resolution, and the CPU’s single-thread score of 999 in 3DMark is adequate for the game’s logic and draw calls. The 1080p results show a 28.8 FPS drop from Low to Medium, which is primarily driven by increased GPU load, while the CPU remains a minor factor.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on more responsibility. The Low preset averages 155.9 FPS, only 7.3 FPS lower than at 1080p, indicating that the CPU is still not a bottleneck. However, the Ultra preset at 1440p averages 69.1 FPS, which is 6.4 FPS lower than 1080p Ultra (75.5 FPS). This 8.5% reduction is consistent with the increased pixel count, suggesting that the GPU is now the primary limiter. The CPU’s role diminishes further at 3840x2160, where the GPU workload dominates. The 4K Low preset averages 139.9 FPS, which is 15.3 FPS lower than 1080p Low, showing a more significant GPU impact. The 4K Ultra preset drops to 50.9 FPS, a 24.6 FPS reduction from 1440p Ultra, confirming that the GPU is the sole reason for the sub-60 FPS result at this setting.

The scaling between presets also highlights the GPU’s dominance. From Low to Ultra, the average FPS drops by 87.7 FPS at 1080p (163.2 to 75.5), by 86.8 FPS at 1440p (155.9 to 69.1), and by 89.0 FPS at 4K (139.9 to 50.9). These similar absolute drops across resolutions indicate that the GPU is the bottleneck at all settings, while the CPU maintains consistent performance regardless of resolution. The Ryzen 5 7600’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12735 and a single-core score of 1852, are more than sufficient for The Medium, which is not a CPU-intensive title based on this data. In summary, the RTX 5090 dictates the frame rates at every resolution and preset, while the Ryzen 5 7600 provides stable support without introducing any measurable limitation.