The Medium

The Medium pairs a modern 6-core/12-thread AMD Ryzen 5 7500F with an older 8 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. The benchmark data shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card, yet the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance prevents it from becoming a bottleneck even at lower settings. This combination ranks 1416th out of 1689 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database, which aligns with the GTX 1070’s 51st percentile ranking among all GPUs.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, boosting up to 5.00 GHz. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (83.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide a solid foundation for gaming. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 974 in 3DMark single-thread and 6376 in 3DMark 16-thread, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22799 and single-core of 3218. Its overall average benchmark score of 24993 places it at the 82nd percentile among all CPUs.

Looking at the measured FPS in The Medium, the CPU appears to have ample headroom. At 1080p Low, the system delivers 74.6 FPS, while at 4K Low it still manages 51.9 FPS. The gap between these two resolutions suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter; a CPU-bound scenario would show less FPS variation across resolutions. The 7500F’s nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i7-11850H (0.1% higher average score), AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (0.3% lower), AMD Ryzen 5 8400F (0.3% lower), and AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (0.4% higher). These tiny deltas indicate that the 7500F’s computational power is competitive with these other processors, meaning the CPU is not the reason for low frame rates here.

The data implies that the Ryzen 5 7500F is more than capable of feeding the GTX 1070 in this title. Even at 1080p Low, where CPU load is typically highest, the system achieves a playable 74.6 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect this figure to be much lower relative to higher resolutions. Instead, the FPS scales down as resolution increases, which is a classic signature of GPU limitation. The CPU’s 5.00 GHz boost clock and high IPC from Zen 4 ensure that even the most demanding single-threaded game logic does not hold back the frame rate.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture card with 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It runs at a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 107.7 GPixel/s pixel rate are modest by modern standards. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 12331, placing it at the 51st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (0.7% higher), GeForce GTX 880M (1.3% lower), GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER (1.4% lower), and Tesla K20Xm (1.7% lower).

In The Medium, the GTX 1070’s limitations are stark. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages only 29 FPS, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 18.1 FPS. Even at 1080p High, the average is 32 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target most gamers prefer. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a factor at higher settings, as The Medium is known for its detailed textures and dual-reality rendering. The GPU’s 256.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 2002 MHz memory clock are insufficient to maintain smooth performance when the game demands higher detail levels.

The data shows a clear pattern: the GTX 1070 is the limiting component across all settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 74.6 FPS, but increasing the settings to Medium drops it to 47.1 FPS, and High dips to 32 FPS. This steep decline with each settings tier indicates that the GPU’s compute and memory resources are quickly exhausted. The card’s 51st percentile ranking underscores that it is an average performer, and the measured FPS in The Medium reflects that reality. For a game released in January 2021, the GTX 1070 struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher presets, even at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 32 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting the GTX 1070 is overwhelmed by the game’s high-detail rendering.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-11850H?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F scores 24993 on average, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-11850H’s 24974. This negligible difference means the two CPUs perform nearly identically in synthetic benchmarks, so the choice between them would not significantly affect game FPS.

Q: Is the system capable of 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the system averages 51.9 FPS, which is playable. However, at Medium it drops to 33.5 FPS, High to 20.7 FPS, and Ultra to 18.1 FPS. Higher settings at 4K are not viable for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is at the 51st percentile, meaning it performs better than roughly half of all GPUs in the database. This mid-tier position is consistent with its measured performance in this game.

Q: How much faster is the system at 1080p Low compared to 4K Ultra?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 74.6, while at 4K Ultra it is 18.1. This represents a 75.7% reduction in frame rate, highlighting the severe impact of resolution and settings on the GTX 1070.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any tested setting?

A: The data suggests no CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 74.6 FPS, and the FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor across all settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combination performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 74.6 FPS on Low, 47.1 FPS on Medium, 32 FPS on High, and 29 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium is a 27.5 FPS drop, while the transition from High to Ultra is a mere 3 FPS difference. This suggests that the Ultra preset adds little visual benefit for a significant performance cost relative to High.

At 2560x1440, the numbers decline further: Low yields 62.2 FPS, Medium 37.4 FPS, High 29.2 FPS, and Ultra 23.2 FPS. The 1440p Low result is still above 60 FPS, but Medium and above fall below smooth playability. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is 24.8 FPS, showing that the Medium preset is particularly demanding on this GPU.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings approach playability, with 51.9 FPS. Medium drops to 33.5 FPS, High to 20.7 FPS, and Ultra to 18.1 FPS. The 4K Low result is a stark contrast to the 1080p Low result, showing a 22.7 FPS decrease from the resolution scaling alone. The data indicates that the GTX 1070 can handle 1080p Low and 1440p Low comfortably, but anything above that requires significant compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1416th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 16% of all tested systems, which is a sobering statistic for a CPU that ranks in the 82nd percentile. The discrepancy between the CPU’s high percentile and the combo’s low rank underscores the GPU’s dominant role in determining game performance. The GTX 1070, with its 51st percentile ranking, drags the overall combo down despite the capable processor.

The combo rank suggests that most other tested systems, even those with older or slower CPUs, outperform this pairing in this specific game. This is likely because The Medium is a graphically intensive title that relies heavily on GPU compute and memory bandwidth. The Ryzen 5 7500F’s strong single-threaded performance (974 in 3DMark single-thread) does not translate to higher FPS when the GPU is the bottleneck. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield significantly better results in this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, Low settings provide the best experience, with 74.6 FPS. This is the only 1080p preset that exceeds 60 FPS, making it the clear choice for smooth gameplay. Medium at 47.1 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, while High and Ultra are too demanding for consistent performance.

At 1440p, Low settings are again the only option for a 60+ FPS experience, delivering 62.2 FPS. Medium at 37.4 FPS is borderline playable for slower games, but the frame rate dips make it less desirable. High and Ultra at 29.2 and 23.2 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a responsive experience. For 4K, only Low settings are viable, with 51.9 FPS. This is playable but not ideal, and any higher setting results in unplayable frame rates.

The best experience across all resolutions is achieved with Low settings, as it provides the highest FPS and the most consistent performance. The data shows that the GTX 1070 cannot handle Medium or higher presets without significant frame rate drops. Players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate might accept Medium at 1080p (47.1 FPS), but the trade-off is substantial. For most users, Low settings are the sweet spot, offering a balance of playability and visual quality.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the system’s limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 74.6 at 1080p to 62.2 at 1440p and 51.9 at 4K. This is a 30.4% decrease from 1080p to 4K, which is a relatively modest drop compared to higher settings. At High settings, the FPS goes from 32 at 1080p to 29.2 at 1440p and 20.7 at 4K, a 35.3% decrease. At Ultra, the drop is from 29 at 1080p to 23.2 at 1440p and 18.1 at 4K, a 37.6% decrease.

The pattern shows that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more stressed, and the FPS falls accordingly. The CPU’s performance remains constant across resolutions, so the scaling is entirely attributable to the GPU. The fact that the FPS does not halve when going from 1080p to 4K (which would be expected if the GPU were perfectly scaling) suggests that the GPU is already heavily loaded even at 1080p. The GTX 1070’s 256.3 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.463 TFLOPS are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions, confirming that it is the primary bottleneck. The data implies that upgrading the GPU would yield the most significant FPS gains, while the Ryzen 5 7500F would continue to provide adequate CPU performance.