The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 produces a specific set of performance characteristics that are heavily dictated by resolution and graphics presets. The data reveals a system that is capable of delivering smooth frame rates at 1080p, but one that struggles significantly as resolution increases, pointing clearly to the GPU as the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, a classic indicator of GPU-bound rendering. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 74.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 60.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 14.1 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 at Low yields 50.5 FPS, meaning the jump from 1080p to 4K costs 24.0 FPS, or roughly a 32% performance hit. This scaling shows that even at the lowest fidelity, the GTX 1070 is working progressively harder as pixel count increases.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. At Medium, the average drops from 48.8 FPS at 1080p to 37.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 31.4 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K here is 17.4 FPS. At High settings, the numbers are 34.4 FPS, 25.7 FPS, and 21.6 FPS respectively, showing a 12.8 FPS difference between the lowest and highest resolution. The Ultra preset shows the most brutal scaling, with 29.9 FPS at 1080p falling to 25.2 FPS at 1440p and finally to a slideshow-like 17.1 FPS at 4K.

What this scaling tells the builder is that the limiting component is the graphics card, not the processor. The Ryzen 5 5600X is not the constraint here; the GTX 1070’s rendering pipeline is saturated by the increasing pixel workload. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable target for this combo under any settings, while 1440p is only playable at Low settings. The system’s performance envelope is firmly anchored in the 1080p domain.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is built on the Pascal architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The card’s base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. These specifications, while respectable for the card’s generation, are the primary reason for the frame rate collapses at higher resolutions and settings.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and even 1440p in this title, but the data suggests that the GPU’s compute power, rather than memory capacity, is what limits performance. The shift from Low to Ultra at any resolution shows a consistent and significant frame rate penalty. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 44.6 FPS (74.5 to 29.9). At 1440p, the same setting change drops the average from 60.4 to 25.2 FPS, a 35.2 FPS loss. At 4K, the Ultra preset’s 17.1 FPS is only 33.4 FPS behind the Low preset’s 50.5 FPS.

The GTX 1070’s synthetic benchmark scores reflect its mid-range standing. Its Passmark G3D score is 13498, and its average benchmark score is 12331. It sits at the 51st percentile among all GPUs. In the nearest rival comparison, it is 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 but trails the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M by 1.3%, the GTX 1650 SUPER by 1.4%, and the Tesla K20Xm by 1.7%. These small deltaPct values show that this card is firmly in a competitive but not high-end tier, which aligns with the measured FPS results in The Medium.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 32 MB of L3 cache and support for PCIe Gen 4 provide a solid foundation for gaming. In synthetic tests, the CPU shows strong single-thread and multi-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2622 and a multi-core score of 18578.

However, in this specific game, the CPU’s role is secondary. The benchmark results show that the frame rate is almost entirely dependent on the GPU settings and resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation between settings at the same resolution, as the CPU workload would remain constant. Instead, we see that lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 1080p nearly doubles the frame rate from 29.9 to 74.5 FPS. This proves that the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor and that the Ryzen 5 5600X has ample headroom to feed the GPU.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 78 against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20680, places it in a strong position. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT (0.3% slower) and the Intel Core i7-10700 (0.3% slower), showing that it is a top-tier gaming processor. In The Medium, the Ryzen 5 5600X is not the cause of low frame rates; it is the GTX 1070 that needs to be upgraded for higher resolutions or settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates paints a clear picture of what this combo can achieve. At 1920x1080, the system offers a range of experiences. The Low preset delivers an average of 74.5 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS threshold for comfortable play. The Medium preset drops to 48.8 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. High produces 34.4 FPS, and Ultra yields 29.9 FPS, both of which are in the territory where responsiveness suffers.

At 2560x1440, the situation tightens. The Low preset maintains a respectable 60.4 FPS average, which is exactly at the target for many monitors. Medium falls to 37.5 FPS, High to 25.7 FPS, and Ultra to 25.2 FPS. These lower numbers indicate that 1440p gaming is only viable with significant graphical compromises.

At 3840x2160, the system is out of its depth. The Low preset averages 50.5 FPS, which is technically playable but still below the ideal 60 FPS mark. Medium drops to 31.4 FPS, High to 21.6 FPS, and Ultra to 17.1 FPS, which is effectively unplayable. The data shows that 4K is only for those who can tolerate low frame rates or who are willing to play at the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Ryzen 5 5600X and GTX 1070 ranks 1422 out of 1689 combos. This places it in the lower 15% of all tested systems, indicating that the GTX 1070 drags the overall experience down despite the capable CPU. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s performance limitations, as the CPU is well above average in its own right.

The deltaPct comparisons for the CPU show it is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with differences of less than 1%. This means that swapping the Ryzen 5 5600X for an Intel Core i7-10700 or an AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT would not meaningfully change the in-game frame rates, as the GPU would remain the bottleneck. The low combo rank is not a reflection of the CPU but rather a clear signal that the GPU is holding the system back from achieving higher frame rates in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combination is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 74.5 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive gameplay experience that is ideal for a horror title where timing and immersion matter. If a player can tolerate slightly lower frame rates, the Medium preset at 1080p offers 48.8 FPS, which is still playable and provides better visual fidelity.

For those with a 1440p monitor, the only viable option is the Low preset, which averages 60.4 FPS. This hits the 60 FPS target, but it requires sacrificing most graphical quality. Pushing to Medium at 1440p results in 37.5 FPS, which may be acceptable for a slower-paced game like The Medium, but it is not recommended for a consistent experience.

4K resolution should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. The Low preset at 4K produces 50.5 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold, and every other setting is too slow to be enjoyable. The data indicates that the GTX 1070 is simply not equipped for 4K gaming in this title. The practical advice is to stick to 1080p with Low or Medium settings to get the most out of this hardware combination, prioritizing frame rate over visual flair to maintain playability.