The Medium

The Medium, when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, delivers a profoundly GPU-bound experience at higher resolutions, but the data reveals a surprising CPU ceiling at 1080p that prevents the flagship graphics card from reaching its full potential. The measured frame rates show that this combination ranks 9th out of 3724 tested configurations, placing it in the top percentile of systems for this horror title. Across all settings and resolutions, the RTX 4080 provides playable to exceptionally smooth performance, though the scaling patterns between resolutions and the relatively modest gains at lower settings tell a clear story about where the bottleneck lies in this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and consistent across all quality presets, confirming that the RTX 4080 is the primary driver of frame rates as pixel count increases. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 191 FPS at 1920x1080 to 131 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 60 FPS, and then further down to 69 FPS at 3840x2160. This trajectory shows that 4K resolution cuts the 1080p performance by roughly 64%, which is a severe penalty that points directly at the GPU's rendering workload.

The Low preset shows a similar pattern, with the system delivering 225 FPS at 1080p, 193 FPS at 1440p, and 109 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is approximately 52%, slightly less severe than at High settings, which suggests that even at the lowest graphical fidelity, the GPU still faces a substantial pixel-pushing challenge at 4K. Conversely, the scaling from 1440p to 4K produces a 44% performance loss at Low settings, indicating that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become increasingly critical as resolution rises.

The Ultra preset exhibits the most extreme scaling, with scores of 155 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and just 51 FPS at 4K. The 4K result represents a 67% reduction compared to 1080p, and the 1440p result is 37% lower than its 1080p counterpart. This steep curve at Ultra settings suggests that the combination of high pixel count and maximum visual effects taxes the RTX 4080's compute and shading resources heavily, with the 4K Ultra result barely crossing the threshold of acceptable playability at an average of 51 FPS.

At 1080p, the frame rates across all settings are remarkably high, ranging from 155 FPS at Ultra to 225 FPS at Low. The differential between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 70 FPS, or 45%, which is substantial. However, the fact that 1080p Low only reaches 225 FPS — rather than exceeding 300 FPS as one might expect from an RTX 4080 — signals that the Ryzen 5 5600G's single-thread performance is beginning to limit the system. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 872 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1409 suggest that while the processor is capable, it cannot feed the RTX 4080 fast enough at lower resolutions where GPU load is lighter.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, provides a solid foundation for The Medium, but benchmark data indicates it is the limiting component at 1080p. The processor's boost clock of 4.40 GHz and base clock of 3.90 GHz place it in a competitive position among desktop CPUs, yet its 74th percentile ranking against all CPUs suggests it is not a top-tier performer for high-refresh-rate gaming. The CPU's average benchmark score of 21088 places it within 0.1% to 0.4% of its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i3-1220P and AMD Ryzen 5 7530U, showing that it sits in a crowded performance band.

The game's reliance on CPU performance is evident when examining the 1080p results. At Low settings, the system achieves 225 FPS, which is only 18% higher than the 191 FPS seen at High settings. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck, the Low preset would typically yield a much larger improvement over High, as the reduced shading and texture work would free up GPU resources. The modest 34 FPS gain suggests that the CPU's ability to process draw calls and game logic is capping the maximum frame rate around the 225 FPS mark, regardless of how light the GPU load becomes.

The Ryzen 5 5600G's multi-threaded capabilities, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10551 and PassMark multithread score of 19717, are more than adequate for The Medium's requirements. The game, which is a horror title with fixed camera angles and relatively static scenes in many sections, does not heavily utilize many threads. The CPU's 12 threads ensure that the game engine never starves for processing resources, but the single-thread performance — evidenced by a PassMark single-thread score of 3177 — becomes the decisive factor at lower resolutions.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes. The frame rates at 1440p High (131 FPS) and 4K High (69 FPS) show that the GPU is now the clear bottleneck, as the increased pixel count places exponentially more work on the RTX 4080's 9728 shading units and 112 ROPs. The CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s are sufficient to feed the GPU at these resolutions, where the rendering pipeline is dominated by pixel shading and memory bandwidth rather than CPU-bound scene management.

FAQ

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600G strong enough for the RTX 4080 in The Medium?

A: At 1080p, the data shows a CPU limitation, with the system reaching 225 FPS at Low settings but only improving 18% over High settings. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU is sufficient, as frame rates scale predictably with GPU load, indicating the RTX 4080 becomes the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination to maintain high frame rates?

A: The 2560x1440 resolution at Medium settings delivers 170 FPS average with a minimum of 144 FPS, providing a smooth experience. At 4K, only the Medium preset (89 FPS average) offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, while Ultra drops to 51 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in this system?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54247 is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209) and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828). This places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, indicating top-tier performance.

Q: Why does the game perform so differently between Low and Ultra at 4K?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 51, compared to 109 FPS at 4K Low, representing a 53% performance drop. This gap is driven by the increased shading, texture, and post-processing demands of Ultra settings, which heavily tax the RTX 4080's compute resources at high pixel counts.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. The Medium preset at 4K provides 89 FPS average, which is excellent. High settings yield 69 FPS, and Ultra drops to 51 FPS. Users seeking 60+ FPS at 4K should stick to Medium or High settings.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600G a bottleneck at any resolution?

A: Benchmark results indicate a bottleneck at 1080p, where the system cannot exceed 225 FPS even at Low settings. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU does not appear to limit performance, as the GPU becomes the dominant factor in frame rate scaling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low setting achieves an average of 225 FPS, followed by Medium at 210 FPS with a minimum of 178 FPS and maximum of 241 FPS. High settings produce 191 FPS, and Ultra maintains a strong 155 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is entirely playable at any quality level, with even the most demanding preset staying well above the 144 Hz refresh rate that many monitors support.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but shows the expected decline. Low settings hit 193 FPS, Medium averages 170 FPS with a range of 144 to 195 FPS, High drops to 131 FPS, and Ultra settles at 98 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 144 FPS is notable, as it ensures consistent frame pacing without dips below the common 144 Hz threshold. The Ultra result of 98 FPS is still smooth for most displays, though users with 144 Hz panels may notice the difference from lower settings.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4080's capabilities are tested more thoroughly. Low settings provide 109 FPS, Medium averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and maximum of 103 FPS, High delivers 69 FPS, and Ultra drops to 51 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, with its minimum of 76 FPS ensuring that even demanding scenes remain fluid. High settings at 69 FPS are acceptable for 60 Hz displays, while Ultra dips below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less ideal for consistent gameplay.

The progression across resolutions shows a consistent pattern: Medium settings provide the most stable experience with documented minimum and maximum frame rates, whereas Low, High, and Ultra presets only report averages. The Medium preset's minimum FPS values — 178 at 1080p, 144 at 1440p, and 76 at 4K — indicate that the system can maintain these floors even during intense scenes, which is critical for a horror game where sudden visual shifts can cause frame time spikes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, is the dominant component in this system for The Medium. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for the high-resolution textures and detailed environments in this horror title. The GPU's base clock of 2205 MHz and boost clock of 2505 MHz, combined with 9728 shading units, deliver the raw compute power needed to maintain high frame rates across all tested settings.

The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247, places it just 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER and 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. This competitive positioning means that in The Medium, the RTX 4080's performance is near the top of the stack, yet the game's demands at 4K Ultra (51 FPS) show that even this powerful card faces challenges with maximum settings at the highest resolution.

The RTX 4080's ray tracing capabilities, with 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores, are not directly tested in the measured FPS data, but the Ultra preset's 51 FPS at 4K suggests that the GPU is being pushed to its limits by the game's advanced lighting and shadow effects. The card's FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are instrumental in handling the game's complex shaders and materials, particularly at High and Ultra settings where visual quality is prioritized.

The GPU's memory configuration proves sufficient for all tested scenarios, as no resolution or settings combination reports any signs of memory capacity issues. The 16 GB frame buffer is more than adequate for 4K textures, and the 716.8 GB/s bandwidth ensures that data transfer between the GPU and memory does not become a bottleneck, even at 4K Ultra where the frame rate drops to 51 FPS due to compute limitations rather than memory constraints.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing maximum smoothness at 1920x1080, the Low preset's 225 FPS average is the top choice, though the jump to Medium (210 FPS) costs only 15 FPS while providing improved visual quality. The High preset at 191 FPS remains excellent, and even Ultra at 155 FPS is well above the 144 Hz threshold, making 1080p a resolution where any setting delivers a superior experience.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset stands out as the optimal choice, delivering 170 FPS average with a minimum of 144 FPS. This combination ensures that the game never drops below the 144 Hz refresh rate, providing a consistently fluid experience. High settings at 131 FPS are also viable for 144 Hz displays, while Ultra at 98 FPS is best suited for 60 Hz monitors or users who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum frame rates.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, offering 89 FPS average and a minimum of 76 FPS. This setting provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, ensuring that the game remains playable even during the most demanding sequences. High settings at 69 FPS are acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but the lower minimum frame rate (not reported) could lead to occasional dips below 60 FPS. Ultra settings at 51 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the average already falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Overall, the data indicates that the Medium preset offers the most consistent performance across all resolutions, as it is the only setting with documented minimum and maximum FPS values. This consistency suggests that Medium settings provide a stable frame pacing experience, which is particularly important in a horror game where sudden frame hits can break immersion. Users with high refresh rate displays at 1080p or 1440p should opt for High to balance visual quality and speed, while 4K users should stick with Medium to maintain playable frame rates.