The Medium

The Medium presents an interesting stress test for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and Radeon RX 9070 XT pairing. This combination yields a wide performance envelope depending on your resolution and quality targets. At 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rates, but at 4K, the graphical demands become severe. The benchmark data reveals a configuration that is heavily influenced by settings, with the GPU doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. This analysis will break down the measured FPS across resolutions and presets to help you find the optimal balance for this horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a predictable but steep performance decline as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 130.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 121.3 FPS, a relatively modest reduction of about 7%. However, jumping to 4K at Low settings yields 97.5 FPS, which represents a significant 25% drop from the 1440p figure. This pattern indicates that even at the lowest quality preset, the game becomes increasingly demanding on the GPU as pixel count rises.

The scaling becomes more aggressive at higher quality presets. At High settings, the frame rates are 67.7 FPS (1080p), 57.6 FPS (1440p), and 44.4 FPS (4K). The drop from 1080p to 4K here is a substantial 34%. At Ultra settings, the trend is even more pronounced: 53 FPS at 1080p, 45.9 FPS at 1440p, and 32.9 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half the 1080p Low result, demonstrating that the game’s rendering load scales heavily with both resolution and graphical fidelity.

These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to push high frame rates, but the limiting factor shifts decisively to the GPU as resolution climbs. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, appears capable of feeding the GPU adequately at 1080p Low, given the 130.5 FPS result. However, the 4K Ultra score of 32.9 FPS indicates that the RX 9070 XT is being pushed to its limits, making it the primary bottleneck at that resolution. The data implies that for a smooth experience, you will need to be mindful of both resolution and preset, as the performance cost of each is additive.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Ryzen 5 5500 and RX 9070 XT ranks 476th out of 1689 combos for The Medium. This places it in the upper 28% of all tested systems, which is a solid position for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank suggests that while the GPU is powerful, the CPU prevents the system from reaching the very top tiers of performance.

The CPU’s own benchmark scores provide context for this ranking. The Ryzen 5 5500 scores 20,875 on average, which places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12500, which scores 20,897 (a negligible 0.1% difference), and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, scoring 20,900 (also a 0.1% difference). This indicates that the Ryzen 5 5500 is a very capable processor, but it is not a top-tier part. Its performance is essentially on par with the Intel Core i5-12500, and it sits just above the AMD EPYC 7J13, which scores 20,845 (0.1% slower).

The GPU, on the other hand, is a powerhouse. The RX 9070 XT scores 39,647 on average, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 575 (39,703, a 0.1% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (39,879, a 0.6% difference). The GPU’s much higher average score compared to the CPU’s suggests that in this combo, the CPU is the more likely component to limit performance in less demanding scenarios, while the GPU will dominate in heavy 4K loads. The combo’s rank of 476 reflects this balance, showing that it is a well-matched pair for high-resolution gaming. The data shows that the GPU is clearly the stronger component, and the CPU is sufficient to avoid being a major bottleneck at most settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows offer a clear guide for optimizing the experience. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset provides an average of 90.7 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness. The High preset at 67.7 FPS is also playable, but it sacrifices some fluidity. Given that the jump from Medium to High costs over 23 FPS, Medium is the recommended starting point for 1080p.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 81.1 FPS, which is an excellent result for a higher resolution. This is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 57.6 FPS is playable but may feel less consistent on high refresh rate displays. For a smooth 1440p experience, Medium is the clear recommendation.

The 4K results tell a different story. The Medium preset averages 59.6 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The High preset drops to 44.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32.9 FPS, both of which are less than ideal for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 4K yields 97.5 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. The data indicates that 4K is only viable if you are willing to use the Medium preset, and even then, you will be close to the 60 FPS line. For the best experience, prioritizing 1440p Medium is the most balanced choice, offering high fidelity without the performance penalty of 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows that 1440p with Medium settings provides an average of 81.1 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. 1080p offers higher frame rates, but 4K is only playable at Medium settings with an average of 59.6 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 a bottleneck for the RX 9070 XT in this game?

A: The CPU scores in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU scores in the 82nd percentile. The combo ranks 476th out of 1689. This suggests the CPU is adequate, but the GPU is the more dominant component, especially at higher resolutions where the performance gap widens.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20,875. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, scores 20,897, which is a negligible 0.1% difference. It performs effectively on par with that chip.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39,647. This places it well above the CPU’s 79th percentile ranking.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded in the data is 130.5 FPS, achieved at 1080p with Low settings. The lowest is 32.9 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the Medium preset viable at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at 4K achieves an average of 59.6 FPS. This is just below the 60 FPS target, but it is the only preset that delivers playable frame rates at that resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the undisputed performance leader in this pairing. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s, which is crucial for feeding the high-resolution textures in The Medium. The data shows that the GPU’s performance scales directly with resolution, and its capabilities are the deciding factor for 4K playability.

With a boost clock of 2970 MHz and a game clock of 2400 MHz, the GPU has the raw speed to handle demanding scenes. Its 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs allow it to process the complex lighting and shadow effects present in a horror title like this. The GPU’s 82nd percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 39,647 confirm its high-end status. The benchmark results show that the RX 9070 XT is capable of delivering 97.5 FPS at 4K Low, but at Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 32.9 FPS, indicating that its limits are reached when all visual features are enabled at maximum resolution.

The GPU’s role is clearly to provide the high frame rates at lower resolutions and to make 4K gaming possible, albeit with compromises. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance in this game. Its power is evident in the 1440p Medium result of 81.1 FPS, which is a strong showing for a higher-resolution setting. The data indicates that the RX 9070 XT is a capable card, but even its 16 GB of VRAM and high clock speeds cannot overcome the combined load of 4K and Ultra settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 plays a supporting role in this combo, providing a solid foundation for the powerful GPU. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, it has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. Its 16 MB of L3 cache helps reduce latency, which is important for maintaining consistent frame times in a game that may have streaming-heavy environments.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show it is a capable mid-range part. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16,429 and single-core score of 2,319 are respectable. The data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 130.5 FPS, suggesting that the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s requests. However, in the 4K Ultra test, the CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The CPU’s 79th percentile ranking and its parity with the Intel Core i5-12500 (a 0.1% difference in average score) indicate that it is a well-balanced processor. The data suggests that for this game, the Ryzen 5 5500 provides sufficient processing power to avoid holding back the RX 9070 XT. The main takeaway is that the CPU will not be the reason for low frame rates; instead, the GPU settings and resolution will dictate the final performance. The CPU’s role is to ensure that the GPU is fed with data, and the benchmark results confirm that it does this effectively for most of the tested settings.