The Medium

The Medium with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a pairing that puts a modern six-core CPU with a legacy 10-series GPU. The benchmark data shows a system that is firmly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but which can still deliver playable frame rates when settings and resolution are managed correctly. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and presets, examines the CPU's role, and provides practical settings guidance based on the data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate behavior across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K clearly indicates that the GTX 1070 is the primary performance limiter in this configuration. The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, average FPS drops substantially across all settings presets.

At Low settings, the scaling is steep. The system achieves 75 FPS at 1920x1080, which drops to 63 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 50 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 33% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K result is only 50 FPS suggests that the GPU's raw throughput, not the CPU, is what caps performance here.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend but with lower absolute numbers. At 1080p, the average is 47 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 40 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 31 FPS. The minimum FPS values are also recorded for this preset: 40 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. This means that even the 1% lows at 1080p are above 40 FPS, but at 4K, the minimum dips to 26 FPS, which would be noticeable in a horror title where smoothness matters.

With High settings, the numbers are lower across the board. The average FPS is 34 at 1080p, 28 at 1440p, and 22 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 6 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is another 6 FPS. This linear scaling pattern is typical of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing capability, rather than a CPU bottleneck that would show more erratic scaling.

Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates, with averages of 27 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. At this preset, the game becomes marginal even at 1080p, and the 4K result of 18 FPS is essentially unplayable for a game that requires timing and awareness.

The pattern here is unambiguous: the GTX 1070's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s, are being saturated as resolution increases. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the limiting factor at these resolutions. The data shows that the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the pixel count increase, which is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. The Ryzen 5 5600F, with its Zen 3 architecture and 32 MB of shared L3 cache, has more than enough headroom to feed this GPU at any of the tested resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: Only at Low settings. The data shows an average of 75 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Medium, the average drops to 47 FPS, which is below 60 FPS. High and Ultra settings yield 34 FPS and 27 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can achieve a 75 FPS average, which occurs at Low settings. At 2560x1440, the best average is 63 FPS at Low. At 3840x2160, the best average is 50 FPS at Low. For a smoother experience, 1080p is the most viable option.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in this game?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F has 6 cores and 12 threads. The benchmark results show that the frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU, not the CPU. Even at 1080p Low where the FPS is highest, the CPU does not appear to be a constraint, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings changes.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The data includes minimum and maximum FPS for Medium settings. At 1080p, the average is 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. At 1440p, the average is 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. At 4K, the average is 31 FPS with a minimum of 26 FPS and a maximum of 36 FPS. This shows a relatively tight band, suggesting stable frame pacing.

Q: Is the GTX 1070 a bottleneck for the Ryzen 5 5600F?

A: The data strongly suggests yes. The GPU's average benchmark score places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. The FPS scaling across resolutions indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as reducing resolution does not proportionally increase frame rates, pointing to a GPU-side constraint.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming at all?

A: Technically yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 50 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 31 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 22 FPS and 18 FPS respectively. The 4K experience is playable only at the lowest preset.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets. The goal is to find the best balance between visual quality and frame rate, and the numbers suggest a specific sweet spot.

For a target of 60 FPS, the only option at any resolution is Low settings. At 1080p, this yields 75 FPS, which is excellent. At 1440p, Low gives 63 FPS, which is still above 60. At 4K, Low provides 50 FPS, which is close but not quite there.

If you want to play at Medium settings, which likely offers a more visually appealing experience, the data shows that 1080p is the only resolution where you can expect a playable frame rate. The 47 FPS average at 1080p Medium is above the 40 FPS minimum, which is a decent baseline for a horror game. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 40 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it falls to 31 FPS. These lower numbers may be acceptable for a slower-paced horror title, but they are not ideal.

The High preset is not recommended for any resolution. The best result is 34 FPS at 1080p, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is even worse, with a maximum average of 27 FPS at 1080p.

The most practical recommendation is to use Medium settings at 1920x1080. This gives a measured average of 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, which is a playable experience. The frame time data shows a range from 40 to 54 FPS, indicating stable performance. If you prioritize frame rate over visuals, dropping to Low at 1080p will give you 75 FPS, which is a significant improvement. At 1440p, the choice is between Low at 63 FPS and Medium at 40 FPS. Given the genre, the higher frame rate of Low might be preferable. The data does not support using this combo at 4K with any preset except Low, and even then, the 50 FPS average is on the edge.

How This Combo Ranks

The performance of this specific CPU-GPU combination in The Medium is quantified by its rank among other tested combos. The data places this pairing at rank 2400 out of 2911 total combinations. This means that roughly 82% of tested setups perform better in this game.

This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's age and performance tier. The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780, which puts it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, are the AMD FirePro W5000 with a score of 9803 (0.2% higher) and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M with a score of 9832 (0.5% higher). These are not gaming-focused parts, which highlights that the GTX 1070 is positioned near the lower-middle tier of the performance spectrum.

The CPU, in contrast, is a much stronger component. The Ryzen 5 5600F has an average benchmark score of 36945, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with a score of 36938 (0% difference), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with a score of 37018 (0.2% lower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 with a score of 37093 (0.4% lower). This CPU is clearly not the reason for the low rank.

The rank of 2400 is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's limitations. The data shows that the combo is GPU-bound, and the GTX 1070's performance is insufficient to push The Medium into higher FPS ranges at higher resolutions. The rank reflects that this is a lower-performing combination, but the data also shows that with the right settings, it can still deliver a playable experience, especially at 1080p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on a base clock of 3.00 GHz and can boost up to 4.00 GHz. It has a 32 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode, with a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. The CPU is built on a 7 nm process by TSMC and has a TDP of 65 W.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. The evidence for this is the scaling of FPS with resolution. When the resolution increases, the GPU has to render more pixels, which takes more time, and the FPS drops. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to stay relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU would be the limiting factor regardless of pixel count.

The fact that FPS drops consistently from 1080p to 4K across all settings presets shows that the GPU is the limiting component. For example, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 75 at 1080p to 63 at 1440p to 50 at 4K. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks further supports this. Its multithreaded score is 19236, and its single-thread score is 2872. These are strong numbers for a desktop CPU. The nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, has a nearly identical average score, indicating that the 5600F is a well-balanced performer. Even with 12 threads, the game does not appear to leverage the CPU's full potential, as the FPS is capped by the GPU's output.

The 65 W TDP and 7 nm process also suggest that the CPU is efficient and unlikely to cause thermal throttling that could lead to performance degradation in longer gaming sessions. The data shows that the CPU has ample headroom, and the performance in The Medium is dictated by the GTX 1070.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a complete breakdown of the measured average frame rates for The Medium, organized by resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080:

• Low: 75 FPS
• Medium: 47 FPS (min 40 FPS, max 54 FPS)
• High: 34 FPS
• Ultra: 27 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 63 FPS
• Medium: 40 FPS (min 34 FPS, max 45 FPS)
• High: 28 FPS
• Ultra: 22 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 50 FPS
• Medium: 31 FPS (min 26 FPS, max 36 FPS)
• High: 22 FPS
• Ultra: 18 FPS

The data shows that the only preset to achieve a 60 FPS or higher average is Low at 1080p. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, which provides a picture of frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 40 to 54 FPS, which is a 14 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 34 to 45 FPS, an 11 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 26 to 36 FPS, a 10 FPS spread. This tightening of the range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is working harder and frame times are becoming more consistent, albeit at lower FPS.

The gap between Low and Medium settings is significant. At 1080p, the difference is 28 FPS (75 vs 47). At 1440p, the difference is 23 FPS (63 vs 40). At 4K, the difference is 19 FPS (50 vs 31). This indicates that the Medium preset adds a substantial load to the GPU. The gap between High and Ultra is smaller. At 1080p, the difference is 7 FPS (34 vs 27). At 1440p, it is 6 FPS (28 vs 22). At 4K, it is 4 FPS (22 vs 18). This suggests that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns in visual quality for a relatively small FPS cost compared to High.

For a practical summary: the system is capable of 75 FPS at 1080p Low, 63 FPS at 1440p Low, and 50 FPS at 4K Low. For a more balanced visual experience, 47 FPS at 1080p Medium is the most viable option. The data does not support using High or Ultra settings at any resolution for a comfortable gaming experience, as all results are below 35 FPS.