The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a playable but clearly GPU-limited experience in The Medium. The data shows that the most significant performance gains come from lowering resolution or graphics presets, with the combo ranking in the 55th percentile of all tested combinations. This is a system that favors 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can hit smooth frame rates, while 4K remains a challenge at higher settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 115 FPS at 1920x1080 to 97 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 76 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 16% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 22% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 34%, showing that even at the lowest settings, the pixel count heavily influences the frame rate.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern, though the absolute numbers are lower. At 1920x1080, the average is 72 FPS, which falls to 61 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 48 FPS at 3840x2160. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 15%, and from 1440p to 4K is 21%. The High preset follows the same trend: 51 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p, and 34 FPS at 4K. That is a 16% drop and then a 21% drop respectively.

Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates across all resolutions. The average at 1920x1080 is 41 FPS, dropping to 34 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 27 FPS at 3840x2160. The percentage drops are similar to the other presets, with a 17% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 21% reduction from 1440p to 4K.

These scaling patterns indicate that the limiting component is the GPU. The consistent 15-22% performance penalty for each step up in resolution, regardless of the preset, is a classic sign of a system that is bound by the graphics card’s rendering throughput rather than the CPU. If the processor were the bottleneck, the frame rate would be more consistent across resolutions, particularly at lower settings where the GPU load is lighter. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 115 FPS while 4K Ultra manages only 27 FPS shows that the Radeon RX 7700 is working progressively harder as the pixel count increases, with no sign of the CPU holding it back at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the primary driver of performance in this game, and its specifications align with the measured results. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This large memory pool is beneficial for a game like The Medium, which is known for its detailed environments, though the data does not directly quantify VRAM usage. The clock speeds are also relevant: the base clock is 1900 MHz, the game clock is 2041 MHz, and the boost clock reaches 2459 MHz. The memory clock is listed at 2438 MHz, which translates to 19.5 Gbps effective.

The benchmark scores for the GPU place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15852. Its nearest rivals show a tight grouping: the AMD Radeon R9 370X has an average score of 15862, a delta of -0.1%, while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, a delta of -1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, a delta of 1.1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, a delta of -1.7%. These small deltas indicate that the RX 7700 sits in a competitive performance tier, which is consistent with its mid-range positioning.

The GPU’s architecture is RDNA 3.0, built on a 5 nm process with 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. It has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 40 ray accelerators. The compute power is rated at 25.18 TFLOPS for FP32, and the pixel rate is 236.1 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s. These figures explain why the card can handle 1080p and 1440p well but struggles at 4K with higher presets. The 25.18 TFLOPS is sufficient for 60 FPS at 1440p Medium, but the 4K Ultra setting demands more than the card can deliver, resulting in the 27 FPS average.

The memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s is a key factor. At 4K, the higher resolution requires more data to be moved from the memory to the GPU cores, and while 624.1 GB/s is substantial, it is not enough to maintain high frame rates with Ultra settings. The data shows that 4K Low hits 76 FPS, which suggests that the bandwidth is adequate when the texture and shading complexity is reduced. The GPU’s 16 GB VRAM is also a point in its favor, as it prevents any potential memory capacity issues at high resolutions, though the performance data does not indicate any stuttering or min FPS anomalies that would suggest memory swapping.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1307 out of 2911 combos in The Medium. This places it in the 55th percentile, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of all tested systems. This ranking is a direct reflection of the measured FPS data, which shows solid performance at 1080p and 1440p but weaker results at 4K.

The rank is influenced by both components. The CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has a passmark multi-thread score of 19236 and a single-thread score of 2872, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with an average score of 36938 and a delta of 0%, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with a score of 37018 and a delta of -0.2%, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 with a score of 37093 and a delta of -0.4%, and the Intel Core i9-12900T with a score of 37112 and a delta of -0.5%. These close scores confirm that the 5600F is a strong mid-range processor.

The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 58th percentile, which is slightly lower than the CPU’s standing. This imbalance suggests that the combo’s overall rank is dragged down slightly by the GPU’s mid-tier performance. In a game like The Medium, where the visual load is significant, the GPU’s limitations at 4K are more impactful than the CPU’s capabilities. The combo rank of 1307 out of 2911 is thus a reasonable outcome, reflecting a system that is well-balanced for 1080p gaming but not optimized for 4K.

The data indicates that this combo is a solid choice for gamers targeting 1080p or 1440p. At 1080p Medium, the average is 72 FPS, which is smooth, and at 1440p Medium it is 61 FPS, which is still playable. The ranking would likely be higher if the game were less GPU-intensive or if the resolution cap were lower. The 55th percentile is a fair assessment, as it places this combo in the upper half of all tested systems, but not among the top performers that would be needed for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. For a standard 60 FPS experience, the Medium preset is the best choice at 1920x1080, where it delivers an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, ensuring consistent gameplay without noticeable drops. The Low preset at 1080p hits 115 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of visual quality and performance.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again is the sweet spot, achieving an average of 61 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. The minimum of 51 FPS is close to the 60 FPS target, but the average is sufficient for a smooth experience. The High preset at 1440p drops to 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stuttering in a horror game where smooth motion is important. The Low preset at 1440p hits 97 FPS, which is very smooth, but the visual reduction may be too significant for some players.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset achieves 76 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset falls to 48 FPS, and High drops to 34 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only option that provides a smooth frame rate, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS, indicating that the frame rate can dip below 45 FPS, which is not ideal for a game that relies on atmosphere and immersion. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution, as even at 1080p the average is 41 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

The data suggests that the best experience is achieved with the Medium preset at 1440p. This provides a 61 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is a good balance of performance and visual quality. At 1080p, the Medium preset is also excellent, offering a 72 FPS average. For players who prioritize frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 1440p is a strong alternative, delivering 97 FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided, as it does not provide a playable frame rate at any resolution, with the highest average being 41 FPS at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings, providing a comprehensive view of this combo’s performance.

At 1920x1080, the Low setting delivers an average of 115 FPS. The Medium setting reduces this to 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. The High setting averages 51 FPS, and the Ultra setting averages 41 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 37%, from Medium to High is 29%, and from High to Ultra is 20%. This shows that the Medium to High transition is the most significant performance hit, while the High to Ultra step is less severe.

At 2560x1440, the Low setting averages 97 FPS. The Medium setting averages 61 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. The High setting averages 43 FPS, and the Ultra setting averages 34 FPS. The percentage drops are consistent: Low to Medium is 37%, Medium to High is 30%, and High to Ultra is 21%. The 1440p results are roughly 16-20% lower than the 1080p results at each setting, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis.

At 3840x2160, the Low setting averages 76 FPS. The Medium setting averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS. The High setting averages 34 FPS, and the Ultra setting averages 27 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 37%, from Medium to High is 29%, and from High to Ultra is 21%. The 4K results are significantly lower than the 1440p results, with the Low setting being 22% lower, Medium being 21% lower, High being 21% lower, and Ultra being 21% lower.

The Medium setting is the only one that provides min and max FPS data, which is useful for understanding frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 61 to 83 FPS, a spread of 22 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 51 to 70 FPS, a spread of 19 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 40 to 55 FPS, a spread of 15 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is more consistently loaded, but the lower average frame rates make this less relevant for gameplay smoothness.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the fastest configuration at 115 FPS, while 4K Ultra is the slowest at 27 FPS. The difference between these two extremes is 77%. The Medium preset, which is likely the most commonly used, ranges from 72 FPS at 1080p to 48 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction. This indicates that the combo can handle 1080p and 1440p Medium without issues, but 4K Medium is a compromise.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F plays a supporting role in The Medium, and the data suggests that it is not the primary bottleneck. The CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. It is based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, and built on a 7 nm process with 4,150 million transistors. The cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a capable processor for gaming, as evidenced by its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

The benchmark scores for the 5600F show strong multi-threaded performance. The passmark multi-thread score is 19236, and the single-thread score is 2872. The floating point math score is 34548, and the integer math score is 59339. These scores indicate that the CPU can handle the game’s logic and physics without issue. In The Medium, which is a linear horror game with limited on-screen characters, the CPU load is likely moderate, and the 5600F’s 6 cores are sufficient.

The nearest rivals for the CPU all have average scores within a narrow range. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average score of 36938, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093, and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112. The deltas are all less than 1%, which means that the 5600F is effectively comparable to these processors in general benchmarks. This reinforces the idea that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this combo.

The memory support for the 5600F includes DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. This is adequate for the game, and the 32 MB of L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. The CPU also supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, which allows the GPU to run at full bandwidth. The combination of a strong single-thread score and a high multi-thread score ensures that the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data to maintain the frame rates seen in the measurements.

The measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is 115 FPS, which is high and suggests that the CPU can handle the game’s processing demands. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would be similar across all resolutions at a given preset, but the data shows a clear resolution-dependent drop. The fact that 4K Low (76 FPS) is lower than 1080p Low (115 FPS) indicates that the GPU is the constraint, not the CPU. The 5600F’s performance is more than sufficient for this game, and the combo’s overall ranking of 1307 out of 2911 is largely determined by the GPU’s capabilities.