The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a playable but demanding experience in The Medium, with performance heavily dictated by GPU load at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear trend: this pairing is capable of exceeding 60 FPS at 1440p, but 4K Ultra pushes the system to its limits, resulting in an average of 42.7 FPS. The system ranks 98th out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the top 6% of all configurations, a strong result that underscores the balance of the Zen 4 processor and Ada Lovelace GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 160.4 FPS, but this drops to 124.7 FPS at 4K Low, a 22% reduction. This relatively modest decline at the lowest settings suggests that the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU frames even at 4K, though the GPU is clearly the primary bottleneck.

The scaling becomes more pronounced as settings increase. Moving from 1080p High (87.6 FPS) to 4K High (55.8 FPS) represents a 36% performance loss. The most extreme drop occurs at Ultra settings, where the 1080p average of 65.6 FPS falls to 42.7 FPS at 4K, a 35% reduction. This pattern indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER's compute and memory resources are being saturated by the game's higher-fidelity effects, with the 16 GB GDDR6X frame buffer and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth becoming critical factors.

Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K across all settings. For instance, at Medium settings, the 1080p result is 120 FPS, dropping to 100.3 FPS at 1440p (16% loss), and then to 77.8 FPS at 4K (another 22% loss). This non-linear scaling suggests that The Medium's rendering pipeline becomes increasingly demanding as pixel count rises, likely due to the fixed-cost nature of certain post-processing effects that impact higher resolutions more severely. The data confirms that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, while 4K requires significant settings compromises to maintain high refresh rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: The data shows that 1440p with High settings yields 73.6 FPS, while 1080p with High settings achieves 87.6 FPS. At 4K, only the Low preset (124.7 FPS) and Medium preset (77.8 FPS) exceed 60 FPS, making 1440p High the most balanced choice for visual fidelity and smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance impact frame rates?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500F has a high single-thread score of 3218 in Cinebench R23 and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This strong single-core performance helps maintain high minimum frame rates in CPU-limited scenarios, which is evident in the 1080p Low result of 160.4 FPS, where the GPU is less stressed.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra result of 42.7 FPS suggests the GPU is compute-limited rather than VRAM-limited, as the 16 GB frame buffer is ample for most titles. However, the large drop from 4K Medium (77.8 FPS) to 4K Ultra (42.7 FPS) indicates that Ultra settings impose a heavy shading and ray tracing load that the GPU cannot sustain at playable rates.

Q: What settings preset offers the highest FPS at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1080p produces 160.4 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the dataset. This is followed by Medium at 120 FPS and High at 87.6 FPS, showing a clear trade-off between visual quality and frame rate.

Q: How does this combo compare to the CPU's nearest rivals in overall performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500F's average benchmark score of 24993 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-11850H (24974, 0.1% faster) and AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (25057, 0.3% slower). This indicates that the CPU's contribution to the combo's ranking is competitive, though not dominant.

Q: Can this system hit 60 FPS at 4K with any settings?

A: Yes, but only with reduced quality. The 4K Medium preset averages 77.8 FPS, and the Low preset averages 124.7 FPS. The High preset (55.8 FPS) and Ultra preset (42.7 FPS) both fall below 60 FPS, requiring a settings reduction for a smooth experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and the measured FPS data underscores its importance. Its boost clock of 2550 MHz and 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance provide the raw compute needed for The Medium's heavy visual effects. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, paired with a 256-bit bus and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth, ensures that high-resolution textures and geometry are fed efficiently, preventing memory-related stutters.

The benchmark results show that the GPU's performance scales predictably with settings. At 1080p Low, the card is underutilized, producing 160.4 FPS, but as settings rise to Ultra, the frame rate drops to 65.6 FPS, reflecting the increased demand on the 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores. The 4K Ultra result of 42.7 FPS indicates that the GPU is fully saturated, with the pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s being pushed to their limits.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 88th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610, places it just ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (53489, 0.2% faster) and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (53414, 0.4% faster). This competitive positioning suggests that the RTX 4080 SUPER is a top-tier choice for this game, though the 4K Ultra results indicate that even this powerful card cannot overcome the game's most demanding settings without compromise.

Settings Recommendations

For the optimal balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1440p is the recommended configuration, delivering 100.3 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-refresh experience while maintaining a reasonable level of graphical fidelity. If the user prefers 4K, the Medium preset at 77.8 FPS is the best option, as it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1080p, the High preset at 87.6 FPS is a strong choice for users with high-refresh monitors, as it offers improved visuals over Medium (120 FPS) without sacrificing too much smoothness. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 65.6 FPS, which is playable but may feel less responsive on 120 Hz or higher displays. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play or when maximizing frame rates, as it produces 160.4 FPS at 1080p and 151.2 FPS at 1440p, though the visual downgrade is significant.

The data indicates that Ultra settings are not viable at 4K, with a 42.7 FPS average that falls below the playable threshold. Users seeking the highest visual quality at 4K should stick with Medium, which offers a 45% performance improvement over Ultra while still delivering a detailed image. The High preset at 4K (55.8 FPS) is a borderline option, but the Medium preset provides a more consistent experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 160.4 FPS, Medium reaches 120 FPS, High produces 87.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 65.6 FPS. These results show a clear linear progression, with each settings tier costing roughly 15-20% performance.

At 1440p, the frame rates scale down proportionally: Low hits 151.2 FPS, Medium averages 100.3 FPS, High delivers 73.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 58.8 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is notably close to the 60 FPS target, suggesting that a slightly overclocked GPU or a less demanding scene could push it over. The 1440p High result of 73.6 FPS is the lowest comfortable option for 60 Hz displays.

At 4K, the performance drops are more severe. The Low preset still manages 124.7 FPS, but Medium falls to 77.8 FPS, High to 55.8 FPS, and Ultra to 42.7 FPS. The gap between 4K Medium and 4K High is 22 FPS, while the gap between 4K High and 4K Ultra is 13.1 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the highest settings. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured value below 50 FPS, making it the only configuration that is not consistently smooth.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F plays a supporting role in this combo, but its performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4080 SUPER. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU leverages its Zen 4 architecture and 5.00 GHz boost clock to handle the game's threading demands. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (83.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide low-latency access to frequently used data.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22799 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 12686. This is reflected in the game's performance at 1080p Low, where the CPU can feed the GPU enough frames to reach 160.4 FPS. The single-thread performance, measured at 3218 in Cinebench R23, is equally important for The Medium's main game logic, ensuring that scene transitions and AI calculations do not cause frame hitches.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 24993 places it at the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, with rivals like the Intel Core i7-11850H (24974, 0.1% faster) and AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (25057, 0.3% slower) showing near-identical performance. This indicates that the 7500F is a well-balanced processor for gaming, providing enough compute headroom to support the GPU without becoming a limiting factor at 1440p or 4K. However, at 1080p with the Low preset, the CPU's 65W TDP and 6-core design may cap the maximum frame rate, as evidenced by the 160.4 FPS result.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 98th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 5.8% of all configurations. This high ranking is driven primarily by the GPU's exceptional performance, as the RTX 4080 SUPER's 88th percentile ranking among GPUs significantly boosts the combo's standing. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking is respectable, but it does not detract from the overall result.

The combo's ranking suggests that it outperforms the vast majority of systems tested, including those with older or less powerful components. The data shows that the GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (0.2% faster) and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (0.4% faster), do not offer a meaningful advantage, cementing the RTX 4080 SUPER's position as a top-tier choice. The CPU's close rivalry with the Intel Core i7-11850H and AMD Ryzen 7 2700X further confirms that the 7500F is a competitive partner.

Given the measured FPS data, this combo is best suited for high-refresh 1440p gaming, where it consistently exceeds 70 FPS on High settings. It can also handle 4K gaming with settings adjustments, but the Ultra preset remains out of reach. The 98th rank out of 1689 combos is a strong endorsement of this pairing's overall capability in The Medium, making it a reliable choice for gamers seeking a high-performance experience.