The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti presents a stark imbalance in The Medium, a horror title that leans heavily on the GPU. While the CPU is a capable 6-core, 12-thread Zen 2 part, it sits at the 75th percentile among all CPUs, whereas the GPU is an 85th-percentile performer. This dynamic is clear in the data: the RTX 4070 Ti’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are the primary drivers of frame rates, but the processor’s older architecture and PCIe Gen 3 interface create a bottleneck that becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals where the limiting component lies. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 114.1 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 104.2 FPS, a 9.9 FPS reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 97.5 FPS. This scaling pattern — a mere 16.6 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low settings — indicates that the CPU is holding performance back at lower resolutions. The Ryzen 5 4600G, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost of 4.20 GHz, simply cannot feed the RTX 4070 Ti fast enough to fully saturate it when pixel count is low.

The situation inverts at higher graphical presets. With Ultra settings, 1080p yields 64.2 FPS, 1440p drops to 54.6 FPS, and 4K lands at 39 FPS. Here, the 12.3 FPS gap between 1080p and 1440p, and the 15.6 FPS gap between 1440p and 4K, show the GPU becoming the dominant constraint. The RTX 4070 Ti’s 40.09 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being taxed by the game’s heavy rendering load at Ultra, which shifts the bottleneck away from the CPU. The data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the combination hits a wall at 39 FPS, clearly a GPU-bound scenario.

The most telling data point is the Medium preset. At 1080p Medium, the combo produces 91.1 FPS, which drops to 88 FPS at 1440p and 70.4 FPS at 4K. The 20.7 FPS difference between 1440p and 4K at Medium is larger than the 3.1 FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p. This non-linear scaling is typical of a system where the CPU is nearing its limits at 1080p, but the GPU takes over as the resolution climbs. For a builder, this means the 4600G is an adequate partner for the RTX 4070 Ti at 4K, but leaves performance on the table at 1080p.

FAQ

*Q: Is the Ryzen 5 4600G a good match for the RTX 4070 Ti in The Medium?*

A: At 4K, yes — the GPU becomes the main limiter, with Low settings hitting 97.5 FPS and Ultra dropping to 39 FPS. At 1080p, the CPU holds the system back, as evidenced by the small 16.6 FPS gap between 1080p and 4K on Low settings.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this combo?

A: 2560x1440 provides the most balanced experience. Medium settings deliver 88 FPS, which is smooth, while High still achieves 67.4 FPS. 4K is playable but requires dropping to Low (97.5 FPS) or Medium (70.4 FPS) for acceptable frame rates.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance affect Ultra settings?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600G’s single-thread score of 726 in 3dmark and 1919 in Cinebench R23 indicates modest per-core power. At 1080p Ultra, the combo only manages 64.2 FPS, suggesting the CPU limits peak frame rates even when the GPU is under load.

*Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti’s VRAM sufficient for The Medium?*

A: The 12 GB GDDR6X allocation appears adequate. The frame rates at 4K High (54.1 FPS) and 4K Ultra (39 FPS) show the GPU is compute-bound rather than memory-limited, given the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Should I upgrade the CPU if I want higher FPS at 1080p?

A: The data supports that the 4600G is a bottleneck at 1080p. At Low settings, the system only gains 16.6 FPS from 4K to 1080p, which is minimal. A stronger CPU would likely push 1080p Low beyond 114.1 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank overall?

A: It sits at rank 373 out of 1689 tested combinations for this game, placing it in the top 22% of all tested combos. This is respectable, but not top-tier, reflecting the CPU’s limitations.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 Ti dominates the performance picture in The Medium. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective), provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory subsystem is critical for a horror game that likely streams high-resolution textures, and the data confirms it: at 4K High, the combo still manages 54.1 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. The GPU’s 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores are also relevant, as The Medium likely uses ray-traced reflections and shadows, though the fact pack does not specify these settings.

Clock speeds play a supporting role. The base clock of 2310 MHz and boost of 2610 MHz are high for a 40-series card, and the 40.09 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is substantial. When the resolution increases to 4K, the GPU’s raw compute becomes the deciding factor. The jump from Medium (70.4 FPS) to Ultra (39 FPS) at 4K is a 31.4 FPS drop, which shows how quickly the graphics card’s resources are exhausted as settings climb. This is a GPU-bound scenario where the 4600G’s role is reduced to feeding the pipeline.

The GPU’s percentile rank of 85 versus the CPU’s 75 reinforces this imbalance. The RTX 4070 Ti is a top-tier part, while the 4600G is mid-range. In The Medium, this means the GPU will always be the primary component determining frame rates at 1440p and above. At 1080p, however, the CPU’s weaker memory bandwidth (51.2 GB/s for the CPU versus 504.2 GB/s for the GPU) and PCIe Gen 3 interface become more noticeable. The 1080p Low result of 114.1 FPS is respectable, but it is far below what the GPU alone could achieve with a stronger processor.

How This Combo Ranks

Among 1689 tested combinations for The Medium, this pairing holds rank 373. This places it in the 77.9th percentile of all combos, which is solid but not exceptional. The ranking reflects the CPU’s status as a limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 4600G’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (0% delta), Intel Core i5-12450H (0.1% faster), and Intel Core i3-14100T (0.8% slower). These are all budget or mobile parts, indicating that the CPU is not in the same league as the GPU.

The GPU’s nearest rivals tell a different story. The RTX 4070 Ti sits near the RTX 5090 Mobile (0.6% slower) and Intel Arc A730M (1.5% slower), with the AMD Radeon Pro 580 being 1.6% slower. This places the GPU among high-end mobile and workstation parts, confirming its strength. The mismatch between the CPU’s mid-range standing and the GPU’s high-end position is why the combo ranks at 373 rather than higher. A builder would see better overall performance by pairing the RTX 4070 Ti with a stronger CPU, but for 4K gaming specifically, this combo still delivers playable results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its highest frame rates. Low settings yield 114.1 FPS, Medium drops to 91.1 FPS, High achieves 79.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 64.2 FPS. The 49.9 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is significant, but all presets are playable. The data suggests that 1080p is CPU-limited, as the gap between Low and Medium (23 FPS) is larger than the gap between Medium and High (11.2 FPS), indicating diminishing returns as the GPU takes on more load.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. Low hits 104.2 FPS, Medium 88 FPS, High 67.4 FPS, and Ultra 54.6 FPS. The 1080p to 1440p drop at Low is only 9.9 FPS, but at Ultra it is 9.6 FPS, showing that the GPU is becoming more involved. The 1440p results are the most balanced: Medium and High both offer smooth gameplay, with Ultra still playable at 54.6 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully engaged. Low produces 97.5 FPS, Medium 70.4 FPS, High 54.1 FPS, and Ultra 39 FPS. The 4K Low result is surprisingly high, suggesting that the game’s low preset reduces CPU load enough to let the GPU stretch its legs. However, Ultra at 39 FPS is below the standard 60 FPS target. The 4K data shows a clear GPU bottleneck, with the CPU no longer being the primary constraint.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth 60 FPS experience, 1440p Medium is the sweet spot. The 88 FPS average provides headroom for demanding scenes, and the visual quality is acceptable. If you prefer higher fidelity, 1440p High at 67.4 FPS is still above 60 FPS. At 4K, Medium is the best compromise, delivering 70.4 FPS — playable but not silky smooth. High at 4K drops to 54.1 FPS, which is borderline for a horror game where frame pacing matters.

For competitive or fast-paced play, 1080p Low at 114.1 FPS is the best option. This preset minimizes GPU load, allowing the CPU to push maximum frame rates. However, the 4600G’s limitations mean this is only 16.6 FPS higher than 4K Low, so the benefits of dropping to 1080p are minimal. If you have a 1440p monitor, use Medium settings; if you have a 4K display, use Medium and accept the 70.4 FPS average. Avoid Ultra at 4K entirely, as 39 FPS is too low for a game that relies on atmospheric tension. The data indicates that this combo is best used at 1440p, where the GPU’s power is fully utilized without the CPU becoming a severe bottleneck.