The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination delivers a highly capable experience in The Medium, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The measured data shows a system that is exceptionally strong at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to strain under the load of 4K Ultra settings, where frame rates dip below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the expected shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 154 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 145 FPS, a modest 5.8% reduction. However, jumping to 4K Low results in 117 FPS, a significant 19.3% decrease from the 1440p figure. This pattern becomes more pronounced as settings increase. For High settings, the progression is 79 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p (a 15.2% drop), and 52 FPS at 4K (a 22.4% drop from 1440p). The Ultra preset shows the steepest curve: 63 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and just 42 FPS at 4K.

These numbers indicate that while the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. The frame rate penalty for moving from 1440p to 4K is consistently larger than the penalty for moving from 1080p to 1440p, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the system is likely partially CPU-limited, but the 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 7400F with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz provides enough performance to keep the GPU well-fed. The data suggests that for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots, while 4K is viable only on lower presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture and code-named Raphael. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.70 GHz, combined with 32 MB of shared L3 cache, provide strong single-thread and multi-thread performance that scales well with this game's requirements.

The benchmark data positions this CPU at the 83rd percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 32750. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T (0.1% faster), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (0.2% slower), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (0.2% slower). This places the 7400F in a very tight competitive cluster, meaning its performance is essentially on par with these alternatives. In multi-core workloads like Cinebench R23, it scores 21765, while its single-core score is 3072. These synthetic results suggest a processor that is more than capable of handling the logical and physics computations The Medium requires.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role appears to be supportive rather than dominant. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows that the GPU is the primary constraint, but the 7400F ensures there is no significant CPU-induced frame pacing issues at lower resolutions. The fact that the CPU is not the bottleneck is evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low (154 FPS), which would be difficult to achieve if the processor were holding the system back. The 65W TDP and 5 nm process node also indicate an efficient chip that won't introduce thermal throttling issues in a standard gaming build. Its Zen 4 architecture ensures compatibility with modern instruction sets, which is beneficial for a game released in 2021 that may utilize newer CPU features.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the undisputed performance driver in this pairing. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD103 chip, it features 8448 shading units, 66 RT cores, and 264 tensor cores. Its memory configuration is particularly notable: 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. This large frame buffer is a significant advantage for a game like The Medium, which uses fixed camera angles and high-resolution textures that can consume substantial VRAM.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its high-end positioning. It achieves a Passmark G3D score of 31811 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5569, placing it at the 76th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA TITAN RTX (1.9% faster) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (1.4% faster), which are themselves older or workstation-oriented cards. This indicates that the 4070 Ti SUPER is comfortably within the upper echelon of consumer graphics hardware.

In practice, the GPU's capabilities are clearly shown in the measured FPS. At 1080p Medium, it produces 110 FPS, and at 1440p Medium, 93 FPS. These are strong results for a visually demanding title. The GPU's clock speeds of 2340 MHz base and 2610 MHz boost, combined with its 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, allow it to handle the game's complex lighting and particle effects. The 4K performance is where its limits are tested, particularly on Ultra settings (42 FPS), which suggests that the game's highest preset is extremely demanding on the GPU's rasterization and compute resources. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is crucial here, as it likely prevents texture pop-in or stuttering that would occur with 8 GB or even 12 GB cards at 4K.

FAQ

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

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 154, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 145 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K with Low settings, it averages 117 FPS, which is excellent. At Medium settings, it drops to 73 FPS, and at High, it reaches 52 FPS. Ultra settings at 4K yield only 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER compare to its closest rival in the database?

A: The GPU's nearest rival is the NVIDIA TITAN RTX, which has an average benchmark score 1.9% higher. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell is 1.4% faster, while the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 is 0.4% slower.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER?

A: Based on the data, no. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a pattern typical of GPU-bound scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 154 FPS, which indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3072 support this conclusion.

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

A: At 2560x1440, High settings produce an average of 67 FPS. Ultra settings reduce this to 53 FPS, a difference of 14 FPS or approximately 20.9%. This is a significant drop for a visual uplift that may be subtle in practice.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the GPU provide a tangible benefit in this game?

A: The measured data suggests it does, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU maintains playable frame rates at 4K Medium (73 FPS) and 4K High (52 FPS), which would be difficult to sustain with a smaller frame buffer given the game's high-resolution textures and fixed-camera rendering style.

Settings Recommendations

The ideal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the data shows that even the Ultra preset yields 63 FPS, which is playable. However, for a smoother experience, the Medium preset at 110 FPS is the recommended balance, as it offers a massive performance increase over Ultra (74.6% faster) while likely retaining most of the visual fidelity. High settings at 79 FPS are also a good choice for those who prefer higher visual quality without the performance hit of Ultra.

At 1440p, the recommendation becomes clearer. The Medium preset delivers 93 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings drop to 67 FPS, which is still acceptable for most players, but the jump to Ultra (53 FPS) is not worth the visual gains for a game that relies on atmosphere over raw graphical detail. The data indicates that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot for a 60+ FPS experience with good visual quality.

For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 117 FPS is the only option that provides a truly smooth experience. Medium at 73 FPS is playable and offers a better visual presentation, but it is the highest setting that maintains playable frame rates. High (52 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept a sub-60 FPS experience or can enable upscaling technology (which is not covered in this data). Ultimately, for 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended compromise between visual quality and performance, while 1440p Medium is the overall best experience for this hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured data for this CPU/GPU combination in The Medium is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 154 FPS average
• Medium: 110 FPS average (94 min, 127 max)
• High: 79 FPS average
• Ultra: 63 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 145 FPS average
• Medium: 93 FPS average (79 min, 107 max)
• High: 67 FPS average
• Ultra: 53 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 117 FPS average
• Medium: 73 FPS average (62 min, 84 max)
• High: 52 FPS average
• Ultra: 42 FPS average

These figures illustrate a clear performance hierarchy. The step from Low to Medium at any resolution incurs a significant penalty, typically around 28-38% fewer frames. The step from Medium to High is also substantial, with a reduction of roughly 28-29%. The final step from High to Ultra is the most punishing, with a drop of approximately 20-24%. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings shows that frame pacing is stable, with the 1% lows staying within a reasonable range of the average. This consistency is a positive indicator for the overall gaming experience, suggesting that the system does not suffer from severe stutters or hitches during intense scenes.