The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 combination produces a very constrained experience in The Medium, with the measured frame rates indicating a system that is fundamentally limited by its graphics card. The data shows a steady decline in performance as resolution increases, but even at the lowest settings and resolution, the results are modest. This pairing is positioned at rank 2817 out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 3% of all configurations for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution climbs, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 44 FPS, which is the highest score recorded across all tested configurations. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 37 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the average falls to 29 FPS. This represents a 34% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, showing that even with minimal graphical load, the GTX 1650 struggles to maintain playable rates at higher resolutions.

The scaling becomes more punishing at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 20 at 1080p to 16 at 1440p, then further to 13 at 4K. That is a 35% loss from 1080p to 4K, but the absolute numbers are already so low that the percentage change masks the severity—13 FPS is essentially a slideshow. At Ultra settings, the situation is worse: 16 FPS at 1080p, 13 FPS at 1440p, and 10 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 28 FPS (44 vs 16), which indicates that the GTX 1650’s rendering capabilities are severely overtaxed by the game’s higher-end visual features.

What does this scaling tell us? The limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. If the Ryzen 5 7400F were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller differences between resolutions, as the CPU load would remain constant while the GPU work changes. Instead, the consistent and substantial FPS drops with each resolution step point to a graphics card that runs out of pixel-pushing capacity very early. Even at 1080p Low, the 44 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer, and the minimum FPS data (where available) shows further instability—at 1080p Medium, the range is 23 to 31 FPS, which means noticeable stutter during intense scenes.

The 4K results are particularly telling. At 4K Ultra, the average is 10 FPS, which is below the threshold for even basic interactivity. The jump from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings (23 to 18 FPS) is a 22% drop, but the absolute loss is only 5 FPS. This suggests that the GTX 1650’s memory bandwidth and fill rate are exhausted, and no amount of resolution reduction can fully compensate for the underlying hardware limits. For practical purposes, this combo is only viable at 1080p, and even then, only with significant graphical compromises.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the dominant factor in this pairing, and the benchmark data confirms its status as a legacy entry-level part. It ships with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. In The Medium, a game known for its fixed-camera angles and detailed environments, this memory configuration is a serious constraint. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (10 FPS) and 4K High (13 FPS) suggests that the card cannot handle the texture and geometry loads required by the game’s higher presets, likely due to both capacity and bandwidth limitations.

Clock speeds for the GTX 1650 are listed at a base of 1485 MHz and a boost of 1665 MHz, with memory running at 2001 MHz (8 Gbps effective). These clocks are modest by modern standards, and the 896 shading units operating through a 128-bit memory interface produce an FP32 throughput of 2.984 TFLOPS. The data shows that this compute capability is insufficient for smooth gameplay in The Medium beyond the most basic settings. At 1080p Low, the card achieves 44 FPS, which is playable but not comfortable, and the lack of minimum FPS data for that setting suggests the average may hide occasional dips.

The GTX 1650’s position relative to its nearest rivals underscores its low-end status. Its average benchmark score is 7472, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8850M and 0.4% higher than the Intel UHD Graphics 750, but 1% lower than the Intel Arc A310. This places it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it performs better than only 40% of the hardware tested. In the context of The Medium, this percentile ranking translates directly into the sub-30 FPS averages seen at 1440p and above. The GPU’s 75 W TDP and lack of external power connectors indicate it is designed for basic OEM systems, not for demanding titles.

The DirectX 12 support (12_1) is present, but the card’s PassMark DirectX 12 score of 35 is very low, reflecting its inability to leverage modern API features effectively. This is why the Ultra preset, which likely uses more advanced rendering techniques, drops to 16 FPS at 1080p—just a 4 FPS improvement over 4K High. The GTX 1650 is simply not equipped to handle the game’s higher-fidelity modes, and the data suggests that any attempt to push beyond Medium settings will result in a degraded experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F provides a stark contrast to the GPU’s limitations, as its benchmark scores indicate a capable mid-range processor that is far ahead of what this game requires. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on Zen 4 architecture, it operates at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21765 and single-core score of 3072 place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 83% of tested processors. This is a strong result for a desktop chip, and it suggests that the Ryzen 5 7400F is not the bottleneck in this combo.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is to manage game logic, AI, and scene transitions, which are typically less demanding than GPU rendering. The measured FPS differences between resolutions at the same settings are almost entirely attributable to the GPU, as the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant. For example, at Low settings, the FPS drops from 44 at 1080p to 37 at 1440p and 29 at 4K—a pattern that would not occur if the CPU were limiting performance, as the CPU load would not scale with resolution. The Ryzen 5 7400F’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support (83.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide ample headroom for feeding the GTX 1650, but the GPU cannot utilize this excess capacity.

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T (0.1% higher average score) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (0.2% lower), which confirms its position as a solid performer. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 25645 and single-thread score of 3689 indicate that it can handle any CPU-bound tasks The Medium might throw at it, but the game’s fixed-camera design likely limits CPU stress. The 65 W TDP and active production status suggest this is a modern, efficient chip that will not cause thermal issues in most systems. For this game, the CPU is a non-factor—it is the GPU that dictates the experience, and the data consistently shows that.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in The Medium?*

A: The highest measured average FPS is 44, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings. No other configuration exceeds this, and the next best result is 37 FPS at 2560x1440 Low.

*Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at very low frame rates. At 4K Low, the average is 29 FPS, which is marginally playable. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 18 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 10 FPS, which is not viable for gameplay.

Q: Which settings provide the most stable experience?

A: The 1080p Medium setting shows a minimum FPS of 23 and a maximum of 31, with an average of 27. This is the only measured configuration with full min/max data that offers a consistent range, though it is still below 30 FPS average.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2817 out of 2911 combos, placing it in the bottom 3% of all tested systems for this game. This indicates that most other hardware combinations deliver better performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the low FPS?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 7400F scores in the 83rd percentile for CPUs, while the GTX 1650 sits in the 40th percentile for GPUs. The FPS drops with resolution changes confirm GPU-bound behavior.

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

A: At 1080p, Low averages 44 FPS while Ultra averages 16 FPS, a difference of 28 FPS. This shows that the GTX 1650 cannot handle the game’s highest preset even at the lowest resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2817 out of 2911 tested combinations places it in the bottom 3% of all configurations for The Medium. This is a poor result, and it reflects the GPU’s severe limitations rather than any fault of the CPU. The Ryzen 5 7400F’s percentile of 83 indicates it is a strong processor, but the GTX 1650’s 40th percentile ranking drags the entire system down. In practical terms, this rank means that almost any other GPU paired with a similar or weaker CPU would likely outperform this setup.

The data shows that the combo’s best-case scenario—1080p Low at 44 FPS—is already below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. At higher settings or resolutions, the FPS falls into the 10-30 range, which is only suitable for slow-paced or turn-based play. The rank also highlights the GPU’s age: the GTX 1650 is end-of-life, and its successor (GeForce 20 series) offers better performance, though no specific numbers for that successor are provided here. For a game like The Medium, which relies on atmosphere and visual detail, this rank indicates that players will have to sacrifice most graphical features to achieve playable frame rates.

Compared to the nearest rival GPUs, the GTX 1650’s performance is middling—it is only 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon HD 8850M and 0.4% faster than the Intel UHD Graphics 750, but 1% slower than the Intel Arc A310. These are all low-end parts, and none of them would be recommended for The Medium. The combo’s rank, therefore, is a direct consequence of the GPU’s position in the market, and the CPU’s high percentile cannot compensate for it.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo are at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This configuration yields an average of 44 FPS, which is the only result that approaches playability. The lack of min/max data for this setting means we cannot confirm stability, but the average is the highest available. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 27 FPS with a range of 23-31 FPS, which is more stable but still below 30 FPS. If a player prioritizes visual consistency over raw FPS, Medium at 1080p is the better choice, as the minimum FPS of 23 is closer to the average than at other settings.

Avoid 1440p and 4K entirely for this game. At 1440p Low, the average is 37 FPS, which seems tempting, but the jump to 1080p Low offers a 7 FPS improvement with no visual penalty at this GPU’s level. At 4K, even Low settings only produce 29 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended at any resolution, as they produce averages below 20 FPS across the board—at 1080p High, the average is 20 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 16 FPS. These are unplayable for a game that requires exploration and puzzle-solving.

For the best experience, set the resolution to 1920x1080 and choose Low settings. This will provide the highest average FPS and minimize the risk of stutter. If the visual quality is too sparse, try Medium at 1080p, but be prepared for occasional dips to 23 FPS. The data does not support any other configuration, as all alternatives result in average FPS below 30, which is the minimum for acceptable playability in a horror title where timing and immersion matter. This combo is best suited for players who prioritize frame rate over fidelity, and even then, it barely meets the standard.