The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a wide range of results depending on your resolution and settings. The data shows this combo ranks 1038 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field. The benchmark results indicate that this system is capable of smooth gameplay, but only if you are willing to adjust settings aggressively, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down exactly what to expect from this hardware pairing across the three primary resolutions and four quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured data is how dramatically average frame rates collapse as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system delivers 103.2 FPS, but dropping to 1440p reduces that to 85.5 FPS, and at 4K it falls further to 66.9 FPS. This scaling from 1080p to 4K represents a 35% reduction in performance at the Low preset, which indicates the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises. The RTX 2070 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is clearly being pushed harder at higher resolutions, and the data confirms that the frame rate penalty is consistent across all settings.

The gap between 1080p and 1440p is relatively modest across most presets, but the jump to 4K is punishing. At High settings, the system moves from 45.2 FPS at 1080p to 36.1 FPS at 1440p, then down to 31.7 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 61.7 FPS at 1080p, 54.4 FPS at 1440p, and 39.3 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most extreme, starting at 37.7 FPS at 1080p, falling to 30.5 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 22 FPS at 4K. This scaling behavior suggests that the game’s visual effects at higher resolutions are heavily dependent on the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth, both of which are limited on this card.

The resolution scaling also reveals that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p, as the frame rates there are high enough to suggest headroom. The Ryzen 5 7600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads boosting up to 5.10 GHz, provides ample processing power for this title. The real story is that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a 1080p-class card for this game, and pushing beyond that requires significant settings reductions. Benchmark results indicate that players targeting 1440p or 4K will need to accept lower quality presets to maintain playable frame rates, as the GPU simply cannot keep pace with the increased resolution demands.

GPU Role

The RTX 2070 SUPER is the defining component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the performance ceiling observed in the measured FPS data. Built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process, this GPU features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The core clocks run at a base of 1605 MHz and boost up to 1770 MHz, which translates to a peak FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p but becomes strained at higher resolutions. The GPU’s 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are present, but The Medium’s implementation of ray tracing effects is not the primary driver of the performance numbers here.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22206. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400, which scores 22307, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z, which scores 22006. The delta percentages show the RTX 2070 SUPER is within 0.5% of the RTX A400 and 0.9% ahead of the GTX TITAN Z, indicating that this card sits in a crowded performance tier. The data also shows it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3% and leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5%. These comparisons suggest that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a mid-range performer by modern standards, and its age is reflected in the 4K results where it struggles to maintain even 40 FPS on Medium settings.

The GPU’s memory configuration is particularly relevant to The Medium, as the game’s high-resolution textures and complex scenes require substantial VRAM. At 4K Ultra, the system only manages 22 FPS, which strongly suggests the 8 GB frame buffer is being exhausted, forcing the GPU to swap data and causing severe frame rate drops. The card’s power draw is rated at 215 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, and its dual-slot design with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors indicates it draws a significant amount of power for its performance class. The measured data makes it clear that this GPU is best utilized at 1080p or with aggressive settings reductions at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 provides the processing foundation for this system, and its specifications show it is more than capable of feeding the RTX 2070 SUPER in The Medium. This CPU features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Built on the Zen 4 architecture using a 5 nm process, it has a 65 W TDP and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration, offering a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache, which provides ample fast storage for game data. The CPU’s 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes ensure it does not bottleneck the GPU’s PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.

The CPU’s benchmark results show it performs well above average, sitting in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 26617. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which scores 26574, and the Intel Core i9-12900HK, which scores 26672. The delta percentages are remarkably tight, with the Ryzen 5 7600 being 0.2% ahead of the 5800X3D and 0.2% behind the i9-12900HK. It also leads the AMD EPYC 8024P by 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-11900K by 0.3%. This level of performance means the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system, as the measured FPS data shows frame rates scaling with resolution in a way that points to GPU constraints.

In The Medium specifically, the CPU’s 12 threads are sufficient to handle the game’s background processing and AI workloads, and the high boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures strong single-threaded performance. The 3DMark single-thread score of 999 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3246 confirm that this processor excels at the kind of tasks that games rely on. The multi-threaded scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore result of 22992, indicate that even when the game utilizes multiple threads, the CPU has ample headroom. The data shows that upgrading the CPU would yield minimal gains in this game, as the frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU across all resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance, with the Low preset achieving 103.2 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Medium preset drops to 61.7 FPS, still playable but with noticeable frame pacing changes. High settings yield 45.2 FPS, which is borderline for a horror game where smooth motion is important for atmosphere. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 37.7 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for this genre. At 2560x1440, the Low preset still manages 85.5 FPS, but the Medium preset falls to 54.4 FPS, and High drops to 36.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is barely playable at 30.5 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 1080p result.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes marginal across the board. The Low preset achieves 66.9 FPS, which is surprisingly playable given the resolution, but the Medium preset drops to 39.3 FPS, and High falls to 31.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is effectively unplayable at 22 FPS, as the frame rate dips below what is acceptable for a game that relies on tension and timing. The data shows a clear pattern: the Medium preset at 1080p provides 61.7 FPS, while the same preset at 4K gives 39.3 FPS, representing a 36% reduction. The Low preset at 1080p gives 103.2 FPS, while at 4K it gives 66.9 FPS, a 35% reduction. This consistency across presets indicates that the resolution scaling is uniform and predictable.

The measured FPS data also reveals that the gap between Medium and High settings is substantial. At 1080p, the difference is 16.5 FPS (61.7 vs 45.2), while at 1440p it is 18.3 FPS (54.4 vs 36.1), and at 4K it is 7.6 FPS (39.3 vs 31.7). This suggests that the High preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive on this GPU. The Ultra preset is consistently 20-25% slower than High, making it the least efficient choice for this hardware. The data indicates that players should prioritize Medium or Low settings to achieve playable frame rates, with Low being the only option that provides consistently smooth performance at 1440p and above.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, with the Low preset delivering 103.2 FPS and the Medium preset achieving 61.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset remains smooth at 85.5 FPS, while at 3840x2160, the Low preset drops to 66.9 FPS, which is still playable but less ideal.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, which is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307) and 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3% and leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5%.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7600 a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor. The Ryzen 5 7600 has an average benchmark score of 26617, placing it in the 83rd percentile, and its frame rates scale with resolution in a way that points to GPU constraints. The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, scores 26574, showing they are effectively equal.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset achieves 54.4 FPS, while the High preset drops to 36.1 FPS. This represents an 18.3 FPS reduction, or about 34%, which is a significant penalty for the visual upgrade.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 66.9 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 39.3 FPS and High falls to 31.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is not playable at 22 FPS. The data shows 4K requires Low settings for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compared to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600 scores 22992 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 9656 in Cinebench R20 multicore. Its average benchmark score of 26617 is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i9-12900HK.

Settings Recommendations

For players using this specific hardware combination, the benchmark data provides clear guidance on which settings to choose. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers a balanced experience at 61.7 FPS, which is smooth enough for a horror game that benefits from consistent frame pacing. The Low preset at 103.2 FPS is ideal for players who prioritize maximum responsiveness, but the visual quality reduction may detract from the game’s atmospheric presentation. The High preset at 45.2 FPS is acceptable, but the drop from Medium is substantial, and the Ultra preset at 37.7 FPS is not recommended given the marginal visual improvement over High.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only consistently smooth option at 85.5 FPS, while the Medium preset at 54.4 FPS is borderline but playable for those who accept occasional dips. The High preset at 36.1 FPS is too inconsistent for a game that relies on tension, and the Ultra preset at 30.5 FPS is below the playable threshold. Players at this resolution should stick with Low or Medium, with Low being the safer choice for maintaining a stable experience. The data suggests that the visual difference between Low and Medium at 1440p is less pronounced than the frame rate penalty, making Low the more practical option.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset at 66.9 FPS is the only viable option for a smooth experience, while the Medium preset at 39.3 FPS is barely acceptable for slower-paced sections. The High preset at 31.7 FPS and Ultra at 22 FPS are not recommended, as the frame rates will cause noticeable stutter and detract from the gameplay. The overall recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 1080p for the best balance of visual quality and performance, and to drop to Low settings when moving to higher resolutions. The data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is capable of delivering a solid experience, but only when the settings are tailored to its strengths.