The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing delivers a compelling but sharply tiered experience in The Medium, where the GPU is the clear performance ceiling at higher resolutions, yet the combination still ranks in the top 4.6% of all tested system configurations. The data shows a system that can comfortably exceed 60 FPS at 4K with the right settings, but which also reveals significant scaling bottlenecks that shift the performance burden depending on the resolution and preset chosen.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions paint a clear picture of where the performance limit lies for this hardware combination. At the Low preset, the system delivers an average of 146 FPS at 1920x1080, which drops to 138 FPS at 2560x1440, and then falls to 128 FPS at 3840x2160. This is a remarkably shallow scaling curve: moving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings costs only 18 FPS, a 12.3% reduction. Such a modest drop indicates that at these lower graphics loads, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is the primary constraint, as the RTX 4090 is not being fully exerted by the relatively simple pixel work.

The situation changes dramatically as the preset quality increases. At the High preset, the measured averages are 95 FPS at 1080p, 80 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 15.8% performance loss, while the jump to 4K from 1080p represents a 33.7% drop. This steeper decline suggests that the GPU is beginning to feel the load, but the RTX 4090’s immense compute resources are still able to maintain high frame rates. The Ultra preset reveals the most pronounced scaling: 75 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. Here, the 4K result is exactly two-thirds of the 1080p figure, a 33.3% reduction that is nearly identical to the High preset’s drop.

The Medium preset offers the most granular data, as it is the only setting with measured minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the average is 122 FPS with a range from 104 to 140. At 1440p, the average falls to 111 FPS, with a range of 95 to 128. At 4K, the average is 87 FPS, with a range of 74 to 101. The scaling here is linear: 1080p to 1440p is a 9.0% loss, and 1440p to 4K is a 21.6% loss. This pattern strongly indicates that the RTX 4090 is the limiting factor at 4K, as the frame rate drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count. The fact that the 1080p Medium average of 122 FPS is still far below the Low preset’s 146 FPS suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is doing significant work, but the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed it without becoming a bottleneck at these frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The dataset places this specific CPU-GPU combination at rank 135 out of 2,911 tested configurations for The Medium, which puts it in the 95.4th percentile of all systems. This is an exceptionally strong showing, indicating that this pairing is among the most capable tested for this horror title. The rank reflects the sum of the CPU’s and GPU’s capabilities, and it is notably while the RTX 4090 is the dominant performer in this combo, the Ryzen 5 7500X3D is no slouch either.

The CPU’s benchmarks show an average score of 44,573, which places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H with an average score of 44,466 (a 0.2% delta), the Intel Core i9-13950HX at 44,342 (0.5% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 at 44,309 (0.6% delta). The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is also ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600, which scores 44,889, by a 0.7% margin. These are extremely tight margins, showing that the CPU is operating in a performance band where only fractional differences separate it from its closest competitors.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60,347, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a score of 60,326 (a 0.0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 at 60,140 (0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 at 58,657 (a 2.9% delta). The RTX 4090 is also ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, which scores 61,896, by a 2.5% margin. While these rival GPUs are not gaming-focused parts, the data confirms that the RTX 4090 is a top-tier performer relative to the broader database.

The combination’s rank of 135 suggests that while the individual components are high performers, there are 134 other combinations that achieve higher average FPS in The Medium. Given the measured FPS data, this is likely because some combinations may employ CPUs with higher single-thread performance or more cores that can push the RTX 4090 even further at lower resolutions. However, the data shows that this combo’s performance is well within the top tier, and the rank is more a reflection of the extreme performance ceiling of the game’s engine rather than any weakness in this specific pairing.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance stability for this combination. The data shows an average of 111 FPS with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 128, providing a smooth experience with no frame rate dips below the 90 FPS threshold, which is often considered the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors. While the Low preset achieves higher averages (138 FPS at the same resolution), the visual quality reduction is likely too severe for a game like The Medium that relies on atmospheric horror and detailed environments.

For those targeting 4K, the Medium preset at 3840x2160 is the recommended choice. The average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 101 is well above the 60 FPS target for a console-like experience, and the minimum of 74 FPS ensures that even the most demanding scenes will remain fluid. The High preset at 4K drops to 63 FPS on average, which is playable but leaves less headroom for sudden frame rate fluctuations. The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided, as the 50 FPS average is below the ideal threshold for a smooth experience, and the lack of measured minimum FPS data suggests potential for stutter in complex scenes.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset again provides the best overall experience, with an average of 122 FPS and a minimum of 104. This is an excellent result for a 144Hz monitor, and the frame time consistency (as evidenced by the 104-140 range) is better than the High preset’s 95 FPS average, which has no measured minimum to confirm stability. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 146 FPS, but this is likely unnecessary for most users, as the Medium preset offers a more detailed image at only a 16.4% performance cost. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 75 FPS, is a viable choice for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, but it represents a 38.5% drop from the Medium preset’s average.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080: The measured data shows a clear progression across presets. At Low settings, the average FPS is 146. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 122 FPS, with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 140. The High preset yields an average of 95 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 75 FPS. This represents a 48.6% drop from the Low preset to the Ultra preset, confirming that the game’s higher settings impose a significant rendering load even at 1080p.

2560x1440: The Low preset at this resolution produces an average of 138 FPS. The Medium preset averages 111 FPS, with a minimum of 95 and a maximum of 128. The High preset averages 80 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 63 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 54.3% reduction in average FPS, indicating that the 1440p resolution amplifies the cost of higher settings. The Medium preset’s minimum of 95 FPS is notably high, suggesting that this is a stable configuration.

3840x2160: The Low preset at 4K averages 128 FPS. The Medium preset averages 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and a maximum of 101. The High preset averages 63 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 50 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is a 60.9% drop, the largest of any resolution, demonstrating that 4K is where the RTX 4090 is truly stressed. The Medium preset’s minimum of 74 FPS is the lowest measured minimum across all resolutions, but it still remains above the 60 FPS target.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 in this combination is a decisive factor in the game’s performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, which is more than sufficient for The Medium’s textures and geometry. The game, released in early 2021, is unlikely to require more than 8-10 GB of VRAM at 4K Ultra, so the 24 GB capacity is effectively headroom that prevents any memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in. The measured FPS data supports this, as the minimum FPS values at Medium settings (74 FPS at 4K) do not indicate any memory bandwidth bottlenecks.

The GPU’s clock speeds are listed as a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz. These are high frequencies that contribute to the card’s raw compute throughput, which is rated at 82.58 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. This immense compute power is what allows the RTX 4090 to maintain 63 FPS at 4K High, a result that would be impossible for a lower-tier GPU. The GPU’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which includes hardware ray tracing and mesh shaders. While the measured FPS data does not specify whether ray tracing is enabled, the fact that the High preset at 4K only drops to 63 FPS suggests that the game’s fixed-function rasterization workload is well within the card’s capabilities.

The RTX 4090’s role becomes more nuanced at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 146, which is likely near the CPU’s limit for frame generation. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has a boost clock of 4.50 GHz and a 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is designed to reduce latency and improve gaming performance. However, the 146 FPS ceiling at 1080p Low indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor, not the GPU. The RTX 4090 is capable of far higher frame rates in less demanding scenes, but the CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads cannot feed it fast enough. This is a classic example of a GPU bottleneck being inverted: the GPU is so powerful that the CPU becomes the constraint at low resolutions and settings.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a 60 FPS target in The Medium?*

A: The data shows that 3840x2160 with Medium settings achieves an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target. The High preset at 4K also meets the target with an average of 63 FPS, but the Medium preset provides more headroom for frame time spikes.

Q: Can this system maintain 100+ FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes. The measured data at 2560x1440 shows the Low preset averaging 138 FPS and the Medium preset averaging 111 FPS. The High preset drops below 100 FPS to 80 FPS on average, so only Low and Medium settings will reliably sustain over 100 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7500X3D compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 44,573. It is 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i9-13950HX, and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385. It trails the Intel Core i5-14600 by 0.7%.

Q: Is the RTX 4090 a bottleneck at 1080p in this game?

A: No, the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p. The data shows the Low preset at 1080p averaging 146 FPS, which is likely the CPU’s frame generation limit. The RTX 4090 is capable of higher FPS, but the Ryzen 5 7500X3D cannot provide instructions fast enough.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 128 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 50 FPS. This is a 60.9% reduction in average FPS, showing that the Ultra preset imposes a significantly heavier load on the GPU.

Q: How does this system rank compared to all tested combos for this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination is ranked 135 out of 2,911 tested configurations, placing it in the top 4.6% of all systems measured for The Medium.