The Medium

The Medium presents a fascinating stress test for the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing. The benchmark data reveals a system that is far more capable at lower resolutions and settings, but which struggles to maintain fluid frame rates when pushed to 4K Ultra. This combination sits in the 949th position out of 1689 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all possible configurations. The data suggests a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance becomes more relevant at lower graphics presets where frame rates climb dramatically.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that drop is highly dependent on the quality preset. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p to 4K results in a significant frame rate reduction, from 105.6 FPS down to 73.4 FPS. This 30% drop indicates that even at the lowest graphical load, the GPU is still the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases, though the Ryzen 5 5600X’s 12 threads provide enough headroom to keep the system from stalling.

Moving to Medium settings, the scaling becomes more severe. The 1080p result of 68 FPS falls to 42.7 FPS at 4K, a reduction of roughly 37%. This steeper decline suggests that the additional graphical complexity of Medium settings—likely involving more advanced lighting and shadow calculations—places a heavier load on the RTX 4060’s 3072 shading units and 24 RT cores. The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly noticeable here, with a drop from 59.7 FPS to 42.7 FPS, indicating that the GPU is quickly exhausting its 272.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

The High and Ultra presets exhibit the most punishing scaling behavior. At High, the 1080p average of 47.6 FPS falls to 33.3 FPS at 4K, while at Ultra, the numbers plummet from 40.5 FPS to just 26.7 FPS. These results paint a clear picture: the RTX 4060, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus, is simply not equipped to handle The Medium’s most demanding visual modes at high resolutions. The data implies that the GPU’s compute capacity, rated at 15.11 TFLOPS, is being saturated, and the frame rate drops are a direct consequence of this limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 949 out of 1689 total tested combinations places this system in the 56th percentile, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of other pairings but is far from the top echelon. This ranking is likely a reflection of the GPU’s mid-range positioning rather than the CPU’s capability. The Ryzen 5 5600X itself holds a strong 78th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20680, putting it in the same league as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT and Intel Core i7-10700, both of which are within 0.3% of its score.

The GPU, however, sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 23181. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, which is 0.6% faster, and the Intel Arc B580, which is 0.7% slower. This suggests the RTX 4060 is a competent mid-tier card, but in The Medium, it is clearly the limiting factor. The data indicates that if this combo were paired with a stronger GPU, the ranking would likely improve substantially, as the CPU’s 3.70 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost clocks provide sufficient processing power for this title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings, where the measured average is 59.7 FPS. At High settings, the average drops to 42.5 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 32.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best 4K performance this system can deliver?

A: The highest 4K average FPS is achieved at Low settings, yielding 73.4 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 42.7 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 33.3 FPS and 26.7 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 20680, which is just 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT’s score of 20740, and also 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i7-10700’s score of 20746.

Q: Is the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Ultra settings?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 40.5, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 26.7. This suggests that while 8 GB might be enough for 1080p, the combination of higher resolution and Ultra settings overwhelms the GPU’s resources.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between 1080p Low and 1080p Ultra?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 105.6 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra, it manages only 40.5 FPS, a reduction of 65.1 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU’s single-thread performance matter for this game?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600X scores 2622 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is strong. The fact that frame rates scale so heavily with resolution suggests the game is GPU-bound, but the CPU’s single-thread capability likely prevents bottlenecking at lower resolutions where FPS exceeds 100.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system’s performance spans a wide range depending on the preset. Low settings produce a smooth 105.6 FPS average, while Medium drops to 68 FPS. High settings yield 47.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 40.5 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the RTX 4060 can handle the game well at lower presets, but even here, Ultra settings push the GPU to its limits, resulting in a frame rate that is below the 60 FPS target for many displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the impact of increased pixel count is evident. Low settings still deliver a playable 90.8 FPS, but Medium falls to 59.7 FPS, which is right at the edge of smoothness. High settings drop to 42.5 FPS, and Ultra reaches only 32.9 FPS, making these presets less desirable for a 1440p monitor. The data shows that 1440p is a viable resolution, but only for users willing to stick with Low or Medium quality settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s limitations become stark. Low settings deliver 73.4 FPS, which is surprisingly playable, but Medium drops to 42.7 FPS, High to 33.3 FPS, and Ultra to a sluggish 26.7 FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 4K represents a 30.7 FPS loss, highlighting the significant cost of enabling more advanced effects at this resolution. The data strongly suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is only feasible at the lowest preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 47.6 FPS offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance, though users seeking smoother gameplay may prefer Medium at 68 FPS. The Ultra preset at 40.5 FPS is difficult to recommend, as the visual gains over High are typically minimal in horror titles while the performance cost is a 7.1 FPS loss.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset at 59.7 FPS is the clear sweet spot, providing nearly 60 FPS while maintaining a reasonable level of graphical detail. The High preset at 42.5 FPS is a compromise for those who prioritize visuals, but the frame rate may feel inconsistent. Low at 90.8 FPS is the choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, but it significantly diminishes the game’s atmospheric lighting and shadow effects.

At 4K, the only sensible recommendation is the Low preset, which delivers 73.4 FPS. Medium at 42.7 FPS is borderline playable, but the drop below 30 FPS at High and Ultra presets makes them unsuitable for a smooth experience. The data indicates that the RTX 4060 is simply not powerful enough for 4K High or Ultra in this game, and users should either lower their resolution or accept the Low preset to maintain playability.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, based on the Zen 3 architecture, provides a solid foundation for this gaming combo. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it offers ample parallelism for modern game engines. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz are respectable figures that contribute to its strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 2622 score in Cinebench R23 single-core and 917 in 3DMark single-thread.

The CPU’s 32 MB of L3 cache is a notable feature that can help reduce memory latency in gaming workloads. Its 4,150 million transistors on a 7 nm process node allow for efficient operation within a 65 W TDP. In The Medium, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution. The data suggests that at 1080p Low, where FPS exceeds 100, the CPU is likely keeping up with the GPU’s demands, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU is the clear bottleneck.

Benchmark results show the 5600X scoring 18578 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 7802 in Cinebench R20 multicore. These figures, combined with its 78th percentile ranking among all CPUs, indicate it is a capable processor for this title. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-10700, has a nearly identical average score, suggesting that either CPU would perform similarly in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the dominant component in this system’s performance profile for The Medium. Its AD107 chip, built on a 5 nm process, contains 18,900 million transistors and offers 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The GPU’s boost clock of 2460 MHz and 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are the key specifications that drive its frame rate output.

The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a potential limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that the GPU’s performance degrades significantly as resolution increases, particularly at higher quality presets, indicating that memory bandwidth and capacity are being taxed. The 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present, but their impact in The Medium is not directly visible in the FPS data.

The GPU’s 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 23181, places it near the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti. Its Passmark G3D score of 19545 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2302 provide context for its overall compute capability. In The Medium, the RTX 4060 shows it can handle 1080p and 1440p at lower settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 26.7 FPS clearly demonstrates its ceiling. The GPU’s end-of-life production status suggests it is being phased out, but for this game, it remains a capable mid-range option for 1080p gaming.