The Medium

The Medium with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a pairing that lands in the 70th percentile of all tested CPU/GPU combos for this game, ranking 1184th out of 1689 combinations. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher settings, yet surprisingly capable at lower presets, making it a flexible option for horror fans who prioritize atmosphere over raw pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic shift in performance as resolution climbs from 1080p to 4K, and the pattern strongly indicates the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 94 FPS, but dropping to 1440p Low yields 78.5 FPS, and 4K Low still manages a respectable 63 FPS. This scaling is nearly linear, suggesting the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting even at the lowest preset.

However, the picture changes completely when settings are raised. At High settings, the frame rate falls from 42.1 FPS at 1080p to 32.7 FPS at 1440p, then to 25 FPS at 4K. That 4K High result is barely playable, and the Ultra preset at 4K bottoms out at 23.8 FPS. The gap between Low and High at 4K is enormous—63 FPS versus 25 FPS—which tells you that the rendering load from The Medium's fixed camera angles and volumetric effects scales aggressively with both resolution and quality.

The interesting nuance is that 1080p High (42.1 FPS) outperforms 1440p Medium (45.4 FPS) by only 3.3 FPS, while 1440p High (32.7 FPS) is closer to 4K Medium (41.2 FPS) than it is to 1080p High. This suggests the game's engine responds more to raw pixel count than to preset level, so users should prioritize resolution scaling before tweaking quality sliders. The 4K Low result of 63 FPS is particularly notable, as it shows the RTX 2060 SUPER can handle 4K if you strip away most of the visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 5600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Zen 3 architecture with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores show strong single-thread performance for a 5000-series chip, with a Cinebench R23 single-core result of 2365 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 872. The multicore numbers are equally solid, with Cinebench R23 multicore reaching 16758 and PassMark multithread scoring 19717, placing this CPU in the 78th percentile of all processors.

In The Medium, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, but it is not irrelevant. The game's horror genre relies on complex scene transitions and fixed-camera perspectives, which can create sudden CPU load spikes. The 5600G's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide enough headroom to keep the RTX 2060 SUPER fed at 1080p. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 94 FPS, which is high enough that the CPU could become a limiting factor if the GPU were faster, but with this GPU, the processor is rarely the constraint.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 5600G sits within 0.3% of the Intel Core i7-11600H and the AMD EPYC 7713P in average benchmark scores, and it is 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-11800H. This means the CPU is neither a standout nor a weak link—it is a dependable mid-range part that will not hold back the RTX 2060 SUPER in this title, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU is clearly the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 1184 out of 1689 tested combinations, this pairing falls in the lower third of the database for The Medium. That might sound disappointing, but context matters. The RTX 2060 SUPER itself ranks in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, and the Ryzen 5 5600G ranks in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, so the combo rank reflects the fact that neither component is top-tier for 2021-era horror games.

The ranking suggests that most of the 505 combinations ahead of this one pair stronger GPUs with comparable or better CPUs. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo is not a poor performer—it is simply outclassed by more expensive hardware. At 1080p Medium, it produces 58.8 FPS, which is playable, and at 1440p Low, it hits 78.5 FPS, which is smooth. The rank of 1184 should be interpreted as "mid-pack with clear compromises," not as a failure.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals are telling: the RTX 2060 SUPER is only 0.3% ahead of the GTX TITAN and 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2070, but 1.3% behind the Tesla K40m. This tight clustering means the GPU is performing exactly as expected for its class, and the combo's rank is more a function of The Medium's demanding engine than any hardware deficiency.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset provides a clear picture of what to expect at each resolution and preset. At 1080p, the combo delivers 94 FPS on Low, 58.8 FPS on Medium, 42.1 FPS on High, and 30.2 FPS on Ultra. This is a usable range, with Low and Medium being smooth, High being borderline, and Ultra being too choppy for most players.

Moving to 1440p, the numbers drop to 78.5 FPS on Low, 45.4 FPS on Medium, 32.7 FPS on High, and 24.6 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for quality-conscious users, as it stays above 45 FPS while looking noticeably better than Low. The High and Ultra results at this resolution are not recommended for action sequences, as The Medium's fixed camera can still produce sudden frame hitches.

At 4K, the data shows 63 FPS on Low, 41.2 FPS on Medium, 25 FPS on High, and 23.8 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K costs 21.8 FPS, which is a massive penalty for moderate visual gains. The 4K Low result is the only truly playable option at this resolution, and even that requires accepting significant graphical compromises.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost of 1650 MHz, and it features 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU also includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, which are relevant for The Medium's use of ray-traced reflections and DLSS support, though the latter is not reflected in the measured data.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a PassMark G3D result of 16462 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2011, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the RTX 2070, is only 0.5% slower on average, which confirms that the 2060 SUPER is a well-binned part that punches slightly above its class. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming in The Medium, but at 4K with High or Ultra settings, the memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor, as evidenced by the 25 FPS and 23.8 FPS results.

The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant constraint in this combo. At 1080p Low, the CPU could likely push higher frame rates if paired with a stronger GPU, but the 2060 SUPER caps the output at 94 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed by the pixel count, regardless of preset, which is why the Low setting at 63 FPS is the only viable 4K option.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience comes from balancing resolution and preset to maintain at least 45 FPS while preserving visual quality. At 1080p, Medium settings at 58.8 FPS is the clear winner, as it offers smooth gameplay with acceptable fidelity. High at 42.1 FPS is playable but risks dropping below 30 FPS during intense scenes, so it is only recommended for slower exploration sections.

For 1440p users, Medium at 45.4 FPS is the optimal choice, as it stays above the 30 FPS floor and looks significantly better than Low at 78.5 FPS. The High preset at 32.7 FPS is borderline, but if you are willing to tolerate occasional stutter, it is acceptable for a horror game where tension matters more than fluidity. Ultra at 1440p is not recommended, as 24.6 FPS is too low for any gameplay.

At 4K, the only sensible option is Low at 63 FPS, which is smooth but visually sparse. Medium at 41.2 FPS is playable but will feel sluggish, and High and Ultra are effectively unplayable. For most users, the best overall experience is 1440p Medium, which delivers 45.4 FPS with decent detail, or 1080p Medium at 58.8 FPS if you prioritize smoothness over resolution. The data shows no benefit to pushing Ultra on any resolution, as the frame rate penalties are severe and the visual gains are marginal for this engine.