The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 pairs a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 3 architecture with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. In the context of The Medium, this CPU configuration sits at the 79th percentile against all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 20875. That places it nearly dead-even with the Intel Core i5-12500 (deltaPct of -0.1) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE (also -0.1), while edging out the AMD EPYC 7J13 by a mere 0.1 percent. The data suggests that for this horror title, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck; its multi-threaded capabilities—evident in a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16429—are more than adequate for the game’s demands. However, single-thread performance, measured at 2319 in Cinebench R23, is modest, which could matter in scenes with heavy scripted logic. The 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are standard for the platform, but the game’s measured frame rates show a clear ceiling imposed by the graphics card rather than the processor.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 5 5500’s core configuration is capable but not exceptional for a 2021 horror title. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it handles the game’s parallel workloads without strain, as reflected in its Passmark multithread score of 19330. The boost clock of 4.20 GHz provides enough single-thread headroom for the game’s traversal and loading sequences, though the 3.60 GHz base clock means sustained loads might see slight dips. Benchmark results indicate that the CPU’s performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals—the deltaPct values for the i5-12500 and Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE are both -0.1, meaning the 5500 is essentially tied with them. In The Medium, which is known for its fixed-camera angles and dual-reality rendering, the CPU must manage scene transitions and entity updates. The data shows that even at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is least stressed, the average FPS reaches 73, suggesting the CPU can feed frames without becoming a limiting factor. The 7 nm process node and 65 W TDP imply efficient power delivery, but the lack of integrated graphics means the GTX 1070 handles all rendering duties exclusively.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific pairing of the Ryzen 5 5500 with the GTX 1070 achieves a combo rank of 1421 out of 1689 tested combinations in The Medium. That places it in the lower 16th percentile of all combos, which is a stark contrast to the CPU’s standalone 79th percentile ranking. The disconnect reveals that the GPU drags the overall performance down significantly. Among the 1689 combos, this setup is closer to the bottom than the middle, indicating that most other tested systems—likely with newer graphics cards—outperform it. The data implies that while the CPU is competitive, the combination as a whole struggles to deliver playable frame rates at higher settings. The nearest GPU rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K4200, has an average score of 12241 with a deltaPct of 0.7, meaning the GTX 1070 is only 0.7 percent ahead of that workstation card, which is not designed for gaming. This rank suggests that users with this combo should expect to compromise heavily on visual fidelity to achieve smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but telling scaling pattern. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 73 FPS, which drops to 62.5 at 1440p Low (a 14.4 percent decrease) and further to 46.8 at 4K Low (a 35.9 percent decrease from 1080p). At High settings, the drop is more severe: from 34.2 FPS at 1080p to 25.8 at 1440p (a 24.6 percent decline) and 23.1 at 4K (a 32.5 percent decline from 1080p). This scaling behavior indicates that the GTX 1070 becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, particularly at higher settings. The CPU’s role diminishes at 4K, where the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus are overwhelmed. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is massive—46.8 FPS versus 20.9 FPS—which suggests that the GPU’s shading units (1920) and texture units (120) are insufficient for the game’s high-resolution textures. In contrast, the CPU’s performance remains constant across resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS drops are proportional to the GPU load, not the CPU’s capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 73 FPS on Low, 48.5 on Medium, 34.2 on High, and 28.1 on Ultra. These numbers show a clear hierarchy: Low is playable, Medium is acceptable, High is borderline, and Ultra is barely functional. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages fall to 62.5 (Low), 41.8 (Medium), 25.8 (High), and 20.8 (Ultra). The 1440p Ultra result of 20.8 is nearly identical to the 4K Ultra result of 20.9, which is odd—it suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU hits a hard performance wall regardless of resolution, likely due to memory bandwidth saturation. At 3840x2160, the averages are 46.8 (Low), 31.8 (Medium), 23.1 (High), and 20.9 (Ultra). The jump from Low to Medium at 4K is a 32.1 percent drop, while the jump from Medium to High is a 27.4 percent drop, indicating that each setting tier taxes the GPU progressively. The minimum and maximum FPS values are not provided, so the analysis relies solely on averages, but the trend is consistent: the GTX 1070 cannot sustain 60 FPS at any resolution above 1080p Low.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, with its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth, is the primary constraint in this combo. Its base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz are modest by modern standards, and the 1920 shading units are insufficient for a game like The Medium that uses heavy post-processing effects. The GPU’s 51st percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331, places it just above the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (0.7 percent delta) and slightly below the GTX 1650 SUPER (-1.4 percent delta). This mid-tier positioning explains the FPS results: at 1080p Low, the GPU can keep up with the CPU’s frame delivery, but at higher settings, the 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not enough. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for 1080p, but at 4K Ultra, the memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s becomes a bottleneck, as evidenced by the 20.9 FPS result. The GPU’s pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are further indicators that this card is stretched beyond its comfort zone in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system?

A: The data shows 1080p Low delivers the highest average FPS at 73, while 1080p Medium is still playable at 48.5. Any settings above Medium at 1080p drop below 35 FPS, making them less ideal for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its closest rivals in this game?

A: The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score of 12331 is 0.7 percent ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and -1.4 percent behind the GTX 1650 SUPER, indicating it performs nearly identically to these cards in synthetic tests, though game-specific results may vary.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500 holding back the GTX 1070?

A: No. The CPU’s standalone performance is in the 79th percentile, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, is only -0.1 percent different in average score. The FPS drops across resolutions are consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU constraints.

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra FPS (20.9) so close to the 1440p Ultra FPS (20.8)?

A: This suggests the GPU hits a hard performance ceiling at Ultra settings, likely due to memory bandwidth saturation, where increasing resolution does not further reduce FPS because the GPU is already fully taxed.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1421 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the field, which reflects the GPU’s age and limited performance relative to newer cards.

Q: How much does lowering settings from Ultra to Low improve FPS at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, dropping from Ultra (28.1 FPS) to Low (73 FPS) results in a 160 percent increase in average FPS, making Low the only setting that approaches 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience balances frame rate and visual quality. At 1920x1080, Low settings yield 73 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while Medium at 48.5 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced horror gameplay if the user prefers better visuals. High at 34.2 FPS is playable but noticeable stutter may occur during scene transitions, and Ultra at 28.1 FPS is not recommended for a consistent experience. At 2560x1440, only Low (62.5 FPS) is viable; Medium drops to 41.8, which might be tolerable, but High and Ultra fall below 26 FPS. For 4K, the data shows that even Low (46.8 FPS) is below the ideal 60 FPS target, so users should avoid 4K unless they accept sub-30 FPS gameplay at Medium or lower. The best overall recommendation is 1080p Medium, as it provides a 48.5 FPS average that, while not 60, is a reasonable compromise for a single-player horror title where frame pacing is less critical than in competitive games. For those prioritizing smoothness, 1080p Low at 73 FPS is the safest choice.