The Medium

The Medium presents an interesting case study for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by graphical settings and resolution, with performance scaling that points to specific bottlenecks. This analysis examines the FPS data across resolutions to identify where the GPU’s capabilities end and where the CPU’s Zen 3 architecture begins to matter, providing a clear picture of what this combo can deliver in this horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a dramatic shift in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, indicating a clear transition in the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 132.4 FPS, which drops to 123.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 99.1 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the system is not fully GPU-bound, as the frame rate remains relatively high even when pixel count increases by 78% from 1080p to 1440p. The drop from 132.4 FPS to 123.6 FPS is only a 6.6% reduction, which is modest compared to the pixel increase, implying that other components are holding performance back.

However, the scaling becomes more aggressive when moving from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the FPS goes from 54.3 at 1440p to 41.5 at 4K, a 23.6% decrease. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 46.3 to 36.0 FPS, a 22.2% reduction. This steeper decline at higher settings and resolutions indicates that the RTX 4070’s rendering workload becomes the primary constraint. The GPU’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are likely being taxed more heavily at 4K, especially with High and Ultra presets that increase texture detail and effects. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance, which scores 872 in 3dmark_single_thread, may be limiting the frame rate, but as resolution climbs, the GPU’s raw throughput—29.15 TFLOPS of FP32—becomes the deciding factor.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further illustrates this. At 1080p, Low yields 132.4 FPS while Ultra yields 50.7 FPS, a 61.7% reduction. At 4K, Low yields 99.1 FPS and Ultra yields 36.0 FPS, a 63.7% reduction. The consistency of this gap suggests that the settings themselves have a similar relative impact across resolutions, but the absolute numbers show that higher resolutions amplify the GPU’s workload. This indicates that for users targeting 4K, the RTX 4070 will struggle with Ultra presets, while 1080p users have headroom to max out settings without dropping below playable thresholds.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 plays a pivotal role in The Medium’s performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, paired with a 192-bit bus and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, provides ample capacity for the game’s textures and assets. The benchmark results show that at 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 36.0 FPS, suggesting that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are saturated. The GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1920 MHz, combined with 5888 shading units, deliver substantial raw power, but The Medium’s demands at Ultra 4K exceed what this card can handle smoothly.

The data reveals that the RTX 4070’s performance is more consistent at 1440p Medium, where it achieves 78.7 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at this resolution, with enough headroom to maintain fluid motion. The GPU’s 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, while not directly measured in this game’s FPS data, are part of the Ada Lovelace architecture that enables features like ray tracing and DLSS, though the measured rows do not specify whether these are enabled. The passmark_g3d score of 26927 places this GPU in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a high-end performer, but The Medium’s optimization may limit its full potential.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at any resolution shows the GPU’s role in settings-dependent performance. At 1080p Low, the 132.4 FPS suggests the GPU is not the bottleneck, as the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads may be limiting. But at 4K Ultra, the 36.0 FPS indicates the GPU is fully engaged, with the pixel fill rate of 158.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s being pushed to their limits. This implies that users should adjust settings based on resolution: at 1080p, the GPU has headroom, while at 4K, even Medium settings (61.4 FPS) require compromise.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on Zen 3 architecture, has a measurable impact on The Medium’s performance, particularly at lower resolutions. The CPU’s base clock of 3.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz, combined with 16 MB of L3 cache, provide solid processing power for game logic and physics. The benchmark scores, such as cinebench_r23_multicore at 16758 and singlecore at 2365, indicate a capable processor that ranks in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. However, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 132.4 FPS, which is lower than the 1440p Low result of 123.6 FPS only by a small margin, suggesting the CPU may not be fully utilized.

The CPU’s role becomes clearer when comparing 1080p and 1440p results at the same settings. At High settings, 1080p yields 66.4 FPS while 1440p yields 54.3 FPS, a 18.2% drop. At Medium, the drop is from 92.4 to 78.7 FPS, a 14.8% reduction. These differences are smaller than the pixel count increase, implying that the CPU is contributing to the frame rate at 1080p, but the GPU becomes more dominant as resolution rises. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 5451 and 3dmark_8_threads score of 4694 show that the CPU’s multi-threaded performance is strong, but The Medium may not leverage all 12 threads effectively, as the game’s genre often relies on fewer cores.

The nearest rivals to this CPU, such as the Intel Core i7-11600H with a deltaPct of 0.2, show similar average scores, indicating that the 5600G is competitive but not exceptional. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, while lower than the GPU’s, is sufficient for game data. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 872) may be a limiting factor, as the frame rates do not scale as high as the GPU could theoretically deliver. This is particularly evident in the Low preset, where 132.4 FPS at 1080p is only slightly higher than 123.6 FPS at 1440p, suggesting the CPU is holding back the GPU at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 474th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 28% of all configurations. This ranking reflects a balanced system that performs well but is not at the top tier. The combo’s rank is influenced by the CPU’s mid-range positioning (78th percentile) and the GPU’s high-end positioning (81st percentile), creating a slight mismatch where the CPU may bottleneck the GPU in certain scenarios. The data shows that this combo is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with Medium settings, but falls short at 4K Ultra.

Compared to other combos, the RTX 4070’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 with a deltaPct of -0.6, have similar average scores, indicating that the GPU’s performance is competitive but not leading. The CPU’s nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i7-11800H with a deltaPct of -0.2, also show similar performance. This suggests that the combo’s ranking is not due to any single component being exceptional, but rather the synergy between the two. The 474th rank out of 1689 combos means there are 473 configurations that perform better in The Medium, likely with higher-end CPUs or GPUs that can push higher frame rates at 4K.

The combo’s performance in The Medium is hindered by the CPU’s 16 MB of L3 cache and DDR4 memory support, which may not be as fast as newer platforms. The GPU’s 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game, but the combo’s overall ranking suggests that for users seeking the highest frame rates, a more powerful CPU would be beneficial. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve smooth performance with Medium to High settings, but 4K Ultra is not viable without significant compromises.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance, delivering 92.4 FPS, which is smooth for most gamers. High settings yield 66.4 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium provides a higher margin for frame rate stability. Low settings at 1080p achieve 132.4 FPS, but this sacrifices visual quality for minimal gain, as Medium is already above 90 FPS. Ultra settings at 1080p drop to 50.7 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but the 45% reduction from Medium makes it less desirable.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice, with 78.7 FPS providing a good balance between visuals and performance. High settings at 1440p yield 54.3 FPS, which is still playable but with less headroom for demanding scenes. Low settings at 1440p achieve 123.6 FPS, but the visual downgrade is significant, and Medium offers a more immersive experience. Ultra settings at 1440p drop to 46.3 FPS, which may be too low for smooth gameplay, especially in a horror title where frame pacing matters.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the only viable option for smooth performance, delivering 61.4 FPS. High settings at 4K yield 41.5 FPS, which is borderline playable but may suffer in action sequences. Low settings at 4K achieve 99.1 FPS, but the loss of visual detail undermines the purpose of 4K. Ultra settings at 4K are not recommended, as 36.0 FPS is below the threshold for a consistent experience. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot across all resolutions, offering a good compromise between graphical fidelity and frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with Medium settings delivers 78.7 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and performance. 1920x1080 with Medium achieves 92.4 FPS, but 1440p offers higher detail with a still-playable frame rate.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: At 4K, the Medium preset achieves 61.4 FPS, which is playable, but High and Ultra settings drop to 41.5 and 36.0 FPS, respectively. This indicates that 4K is only viable with reduced settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting in this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU appears to be more limiting, as the FPS does not scale as high as the GPU’s capability. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, with Ultra settings yielding only 36.0 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 474th out of 1689 combos, placing it in the top 28%. This indicates a solid mid-to-high-tier performance, but not the best available.

Q: What is the impact of the CPU’s cache size?

A: The CPU has 16 MB of L3 cache, which is moderate for a 6-core processor. This affects game logic and physics processing, but the measured FPS data does not isolate this specific factor.

Q: Does the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM cause any issues?

A: The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for The Medium, as the game does not appear to exceed this capacity based on the FPS results. The GPU’s bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s supports high-resolution textures.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo’s performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 132.4 FPS, Medium reaches 92.4 FPS, High delivers 66.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 50.7 FPS. This shows a clear 61.7% reduction from Low to Ultra, with each settings tier providing a distinct step in performance.

At 2560x1440, the results are 123.6 FPS for Low, 78.7 FPS for Medium, 54.3 FPS for High, and 46.3 FPS for Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 62.5%, slightly higher than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is working harder. At 3840x2160, the Low preset yields 99.1 FPS, Medium reaches 61.4 FPS, High delivers 41.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 36.0 FPS. The reduction from Low to Ultra is 63.7%, the largest of any resolution, confirming that 4K stresses the GPU the most.

This breakdown highlights that the combo is most efficient at 1080p and 1440p, where it can maintain high frame rates with Medium settings. At 4K, only Low and Medium presets are viable, with Ultra being too demanding. The data also shows consistent scaling, with each settings tier reducing FPS by roughly 25-30%, which allows users to predict performance based on their preferences. For a horror game like The Medium, where atmosphere and pacing are crucial, the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the best experience, balancing visual fidelity with the smooth frame rates necessary for immersion.