The Medium

The Medium presents a unique rendering challenge, and the benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination reveals a system that is decisively GPU-bound at higher resolutions. The measured frame rates show a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs, indicating that the RTX 4060’s memory bandwidth and compute throughput are the primary constraints. This pairing sits at rank 917 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack for this title. The data shows a playable experience at 1080p, but the path to 4K requires significant settings compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is not linear; it is a dramatic drop that clearly identifies the GPU as the limiting component. At Medium settings, the system delivers 69.3 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 59.8 FPS at 1440p—a modest 13.7% reduction. However, pushing to 4K at the same settings yields only 48.1 FPS, a further 19.6% decline from the 1440p figure. This pattern intensifies at higher presets. With High settings, the transition from 1080p (50.2 FPS) to 1440p (40.9 FPS) costs 18.5% performance, while the jump to 4K (34.4 FPS) represents another 15.9% loss. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling: 41.7 FPS at 1080p drops to 31 FPS at 1440p (−25.7%), and then to 27.9 FPS at 4K (−10% from 1440p). The shrinking percentage gaps at higher resolutions suggest the system is hitting a hard performance wall, likely due to the RTX 4060's 128-bit memory bus and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth being saturated by the increased pixel count.

The CPU, a Ryzen 5 5600GT with 6 cores and 12 threads, shows no signs of bottlenecking. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17,272 points and single-core score of 2,438 points are ample for this title. The 3DMark multi-thread score of 5,554 further confirms that the processor is not the constraint. The fact that Low settings at 4K achieve 72 FPS—more than double the Ultra 4K result of 27.9 FPS—proves that the GPU is fully capable of rendering the frame once the visual load is reduced. The data indicates that the RTX 4060's raw shading power (15.11 TFLOPS) is sufficient, but its memory subsystem limits performance at high pixel densities. The 4K Low result of 72 FPS versus the 1080p Low result of 108.3 FPS shows a 33.5% drop, which is substantial but still leaves the game playable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process and 18,900 million transistors. Its boost clock of 2460 MHz is the key enabler for its performance, allowing the 3,072 shading units to reach 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. However, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is the defining characteristic for The Medium. This is a horror game with complex lighting and shadow calculations that place a heavy emphasis on memory throughput. The benchmark results show that the GPU's texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s are not the limiting factors; instead, the game's engine appears to be filling the pixel buffer faster than the memory can feed it.

The RTX 4060's 24 RT cores are present for ray-traced effects, but the measured data does not isolate their impact. The GPU's performance percentile of 66 versus all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range part, which aligns with its benchmark scores. In PassMark, it scores 19,545 in G3D and 9,213 in GPU compute, placing it in a competitive position. When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4060 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% faster) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (0.7% faster). The Intel Arc B580 is a touch behind at 0.7%, and the AMD Radeon 760M is 0.8% slower. These tight margins suggest that the RTX 4060's performance profile is well-established, but its specific weakness in The Medium is the memory bandwidth. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity is not exceeded at 1080p, but the higher resolutions demand more memory transactions, which the 128-bit bus cannot deliver efficiently.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Medium settings yields 69.3 FPS, which is a comfortable and fluid experience. At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce 59.8 FPS, which is playable but closer to the threshold of noticeable frame drops. 4K is only viable at Low settings, where 72 FPS is achieved.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to similar GPUs in this game?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the RTX 4060 is 0.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti. It is 0.7% faster than the Intel Arc B580 and 0.8% faster than the AMD Radeon 760M. These are effectively tied performances.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT a bottleneck for the RTX 4060?

A: No. The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17,272, ensures it is not the limiting factor. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, not a CPU limitation.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K smoothly?

A: Only with reduced settings. The 4K Ultra preset yields a poor 27.9 FPS average. Dropping to 4K High improves this to 34.4 FPS, but it remains below 60 FPS. The 4K Low preset is the only way to achieve a smooth experience, with an average of 72 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the difference is significant. Low settings produce 91.2 FPS, while Ultra settings only reach 31 FPS. This represents a 66% reduction in performance, highlighting the heavy cost of the Ultra preset's visual enhancements.

Q: Why does 4K performance drop so sharply compared to 1440p?

A: The data suggests the RTX 4060's memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s is insufficient for the pixel workload at 3840x2160. The GPU's compute capabilities are not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 4K Low result of 72 FPS, but the memory bus cannot sustain high-quality settings at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across four settings presets and three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system delivers a wide range of performance. Lowest settings yield 108.3 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth and well above the 60 FPS target. Medium settings produce 69.3 FPS, still a very playable experience. High settings drop to 50.2 FPS, which is acceptable for a horror game where slower pacing is common. Ultra settings bring the average down to 41.7 FPS, which is playable but may feel less fluid during camera pans.

At 2560x1440, the performance landscape shifts. Low settings still provide a smooth 91.2 FPS, indicating headroom. Medium settings achieve 59.8 FPS, which is very close to the 60 FPS target. High settings dip to 40.9 FPS, requiring a compromise on visual fidelity for smoother motion. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of only 31 FPS, making it the least desirable choice at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings are the clear winner, delivering 72 FPS. Medium settings drop to 48.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings yield just 34.4 FPS, and Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at 27.9 FPS. The progression from 1080p to 4K shows that the RTX 4060 has a limited ability to handle the increased pixel count at higher quality presets. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 44.1 FPS, while at 1080p it is 66.6 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU's performance ceiling is hit more quickly at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data points to a single optimal settings configuration for this hardware combination: the Medium preset at 1920x1080. This configuration provides an average of 69.3 FPS, which is a smooth and responsive experience for the game's fixed-camera angles and slow pacing. It offers a substantial visual upgrade over Low settings while maintaining a frame rate that is 39 FPS higher than the High preset. The Medium preset appears to be the best balance of visual quality and performance for this GPU.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset is also the recommended choice, yielding 59.8 FPS. This is just shy of the 60 FPS target but remains playable. The High preset at 1440p (40.9 FPS) is acceptable for a game like The Medium, where action is not fast-paced, but the Medium preset is preferred for a more consistent experience. The Low preset at 1440p (91.2 FPS) is unnecessary unless the user prioritizes maximum frame rates over visual fidelity.

At 4K, the only sensible recommendation is the Low preset, which achieves 72 FPS. The Medium preset at 48.1 FPS is playable but may exhibit noticeable stutter in scenes with complex lighting. The High and Ultra presets at 4K should be avoided entirely, as their average frame rates of 34.4 FPS and 27.9 FPS respectively fall below the threshold for a comfortable experience. The data shows that the RTX 4060 is simply not capable of handling The Medium's high-quality effects at 4K, and users should accept the Low preset as the maximum playable option. The CPU's performance is not a factor in these recommendations, as its benchmarks indicate it will not bottleneck the GPU at any of these settings.