The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a playable but demanding experience in The Medium, with performance that hinges almost entirely on the graphics preset chosen. The data shows a system that can hit smooth frame rates at 1080p only when settings are lowered, while 4K remains out of reach for anything beyond the lowest preset.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, indicating that the RX 6600 is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 84 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 11.3 FPS, and then plummets to 55.1 FPS at 3840x2160. This steep decline at 4K, where the frame rate drops by nearly 30 FPS compared to 1080p, shows the GPU struggling with the pixel count.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At Medium, the average drops from 50.2 FPS at 1080p to 43.7 FPS at 1440p, and then to 33 FPS at 4K. At High, the figures are 36.2 FPS, 32.8 FPS, and 27.4 FPS respectively. The scaling between 1080p and 1440p is relatively modest (a 6.5 FPS drop at Medium), but the jump to 4K always causes a much larger hit, suggesting the GPU's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus are overwhelmed by the higher resolution workloads.

This data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in resolution scaling. The Ryzen 5 4600G's six cores and 12 threads provide enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the pixel count increases, the RX 6600's compute and memory bandwidth become the wall. The fact that Low settings at 4K (55.1 FPS) still outperforms Ultra at 1080p (31.8 FPS) confirms that the GPU's raw throughput, not the CPU, dictates the ceiling for this title.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 4600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, shows adequate strength for The Medium at lower resolutions. The data suggests the CPU is not the primary constraint; the frame rate differences between settings at the same resolution are driven by GPU load, not processor limits. At 1080p Low, the system hits 84 FPS, which is a solid result and indicates the processor can keep up with the GPU's output.

Its Zen 2 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, provides sufficient single-thread performance for this horror title. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13593 and a single-core score of 1919, place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it is a capable mid-range part. However, the game's performance scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p (from 84 FPS down to 31.8 FPS) is far too large to be attributed to CPU limitations; it is the GPU's pixel and shading workload that changes.

The CPU's 8 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are adequate for feeding the GPU. Even at 1440p, where the frame rates drop to 72.7 FPS on Low, the processor still appears to have headroom. The bottleneck only becomes apparent when the GPU is fully saturated at 4K, where the RX 6600's performance collapses. In this configuration, the Ryzen 5 4600G is a sufficient partner, but it is not the star of the show; it simply allows the GPU to perform to its potential without holding it back at 1080p and 1440p.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo can achieve a consistently smooth experience, with 84 FPS on Low and 50.2 FPS on Medium, while 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 require significant compromises.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Medium?*

A: No, not at acceptable quality. At 4K, the average frame rates are 55.1 FPS on Low, 33 FPS on Medium, 27.4 FPS on High, and 23.1 FPS on Ultra. These figures are below the 60 FPS target, and only the Low preset is playable.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 25235 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 890M (25246, deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (25287, deltaPct -0.2). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (25180, deltaPct 0.2) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (25120, deltaPct 0.5).

Q: What is the CPU's performance ranking relative to other processors?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600G sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 17489 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (17482, deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core i5-12450H (17475, deltaPct 0.1), and slightly higher than the Intel Core i3-14100T (17636, deltaPct -0.8).

Q: Which settings preset gives the highest frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Low preset at 2560x1440 yields the highest average frame rate of 72.7 FPS, which is significantly higher than the Medium preset's 43.7 FPS and the High preset's 32.8 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rates drop from 84 FPS on Low to 31.8 FPS on Ultra, a change that is caused by the GPU's rendering workload. The CPU's performance remains consistent, as it is not tasked with more geometry at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance across all three resolutions and four presets.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 84 FPS
• Medium: 50.2 FPS
• High: 36.2 FPS
• Ultra: 31.8 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 72.7 FPS
• Medium: 43.7 FPS
• High: 32.8 FPS
• Ultra: 27.5 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 55.1 FPS
• Medium: 33 FPS
• High: 27.4 FPS
• Ultra: 23.1 FPS

The pattern is consistent: Low settings always provide the highest frame rate, and Ultra always the lowest. The gap between Low and Ultra widens with resolution, from a 52.2 FPS difference at 1080p to a 32 FPS difference at 4K. The High preset at 1080p (36.2 FPS) is barely better than the Ultra preset at 1440p (27.5 FPS), showing that resolution scaling has a more profound impact than the jump from High to Ultra. The data confirms that this game is demanding on the GPU, with no preset at 4K breaking the 60 FPS barrier.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 1344 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower half of the database, indicating that while it is not the weakest configuration, it is far from the top tier. The rank suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver better performance in this specific title.

The ranking reflects the game's heavy reliance on GPU performance. The RX 6600, while a competent 1080p card, is not powerful enough to push high frame rates at higher resolutions or with demanding presets. The CPU's rank in the 75th percentile (compared to all CPUs) is not enough to overcome the GPU's limitations in this game. The combo's position at rank 1344 out of 1689 shows that users with this hardware will need to manage their settings carefully to achieve a playable experience. It is a mid-pack performer that is outclassed by configurations with more powerful graphics cards.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data strongly favors the Low preset at 1920x1080. This configuration yields 84 FPS, which is the only result in the entire dataset that approaches high refresh rate territory. The Medium preset at 1080p also provides a playable 50.2 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced horror game.

At 1440p, the Low preset (72.7 FPS) is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, while Medium (43.7 FPS) is borderline. High and Ultra presets at this resolution should be avoided, as they drop below 33 FPS. At 4K, the Low preset (55.1 FPS) is the only one that offers a playable frame rate, but it requires a significant visual downgrade. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended due to frame rates below 28 FPS.

The data indicates that the visual quality jump from Low to Medium is not worth the performance cost, as it reduces the frame rate by 33.8 FPS at 1080p. Users should prioritize frame rate stability over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer, and it does not provide a playable experience at any resolution. The best strategy is to use Low or Medium at 1080p, or Low at 1440p, to maintain a smooth and responsive game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the decisive component in this system's performance in The Medium. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the GPU has a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. This is sufficient for 1080p gaming but becomes strained at higher resolutions. The GPU's base clock of 1626 MHz and boost clock of 2491 MHz provide the computational power, yet the data shows that the card is overwhelmed by the game's demands at 4K.

The GPU's benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 15096, place it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 890M (deltaPct 0) and slightly better than the RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct 0.5). In this game, the GPU's role is clear: it drives the frame rate, and its limitations are exposed as resolution and settings increase. The 28 RT cores and RDNA 2.0 architecture are not enough to handle The Medium's demanding visuals at high settings.

The GPU's performance collapse at 4K—where even Low settings yield only 55.1 FPS—highlights its 128-bit memory bus as a bottleneck. The frame rate differences between presets are purely a function of the GPU's shader and texture workload. The CPU is not the constraint; the RX 6600 is the limiting factor, and its capabilities define the playable envelope for this title.