The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination delivers a playable, though not flawless, experience in The Medium, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU holds its own at lower settings, making the choice of graphical preset critical for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases, which strongly indicates a GPU-bound system. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 115 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that average to 97 FPS, and at 4K it falls further to 76 FPS. This represents a 34% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, a substantial hit that points to the graphics card struggling to fill the increasing pixel count.

The pattern holds across all settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 72 at 1080p, to 61 at 1440p, and down to 48 at 4K. The High preset shows a similar trend, with averages of 51, 43, and 34 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. Even at the most demanding Ultra preset, the scaling is clear: 41 FPS at 1080p, 34 at 1440p, and 27 at 4K. The consistent drop of roughly 10-20 FPS with each resolution step-up across all presets is a classic sign that the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor, not the CPU's ability to feed it frames.

The implications are clear for a 4K display. The RX 7700 can only manage an average of 34 FPS at High settings and 27 FPS at Ultra, which is not a smooth experience for a horror title that relies on atmosphere. Even the 48 FPS average at Medium is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises in visual fidelity to achieve acceptable frame rates. Conversely, at 1080p, the performance headroom is ample, with even the High preset hitting 51 FPS and Low exceeding 100 FPS, making it the resolution where this combination truly shines.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943, place it in the 77th percentile among all CPUs. This level of performance is more than sufficient for The Medium, which is not a particularly CPU-intensive title compared to other genres.

The CPU's role in this combo is best understood by observing the FPS gap between settings at the same resolution. For instance, at 1080p, the jump from Low (115 FPS) to Ultra (41 FPS) is a massive 74 FPS difference. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a much smaller spread, as the frame rate would be capped by the processor's limits regardless of the graphics settings. The fact that the FPS scales so dramatically with settings confirms that the RX 7700 is doing the heavy lifting and limiting performance.

The Ryzen 5 8400F's multi-threading capabilities, evidenced by its 3DMark max-threads score of 6165 and PassMark multi-thread score of 24389, ensure it can handle the game's background streaming and AI calculations without stuttering. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (0.2% delta) and Intel Core i7-13620H (0.4% delta), show it is a competitive mid-range part. In this specific game, the data indicates the CPU is never the primary constraint, as even at 1080p Low, the high average FPS shows the processor can keep up with the GPU's output.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2459 MHz and 2560 shading units give it a theoretical FP32 performance of 25.18 TFLOPS. Despite these specs, its PassMark G3D score of 20974 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, which is below the CPU's 77th percentile ranking. This disparity in percentile is the central story of this combination's performance in The Medium.

The GPU's memory capacity of 16 GB is a significant asset, ensuring that even at 4K Ultra settings, VRAM is not a limiting factor. The performance drops we see are due to raw compute and fill-rate limits, not memory capacity. The game's engine seems to be particularly demanding on the GPU's pixel processing and shader work, as evidenced by the steep decline in FPS from Medium to Ultra at every resolution. For example, at 1440p, the average FPS drops from 61 at Medium to 34 at Ultra, a 44% reduction in performance for the highest visual quality.

The data suggests the RX 7700 is a solid 1080p and capable 1440p card for this title, but it is out of its depth at 4K. Its nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (1% higher avg score) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (1.7% higher avg score), are similarly positioned, reinforcing that this is a mid-range GPU. The benchmark results indicate that to get a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1440p, the Medium preset is the most demanding setting this card can handle, as the High preset's 43 FPS average falls short of that target.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: The data suggests it is challenging. At 4K, the highest average FPS achieved is 76 at Low settings. At Medium, it drops to 48 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 34 FPS and 27 FPS, respectively. Only the Low preset consistently provides an average above 60 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F or the AMD Radeon RX 7700 the bottleneck in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. This is evidenced by the significant FPS scaling with graphical settings at a fixed resolution. For example, at 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 115 at Low to 41 at Ultra, a spread that would not occur if the CPU were limiting performance.

Q: What is the best resolution and setting combination for a 60 FPS target?

A: To consistently hit 60 FPS, 1080p Medium is the safest option, with an average of 72 FPS and a minimum of 61 FPS. At 1440p, Medium provides an average of 61 FPS but has a minimum of 51 FPS, which may dip below 60 FPS in intense scenes. 4K is not viable for a 60 FPS target at any settings.

*Q: How much VRAM does the RX 7700 have, and is it enough for The Medium?*

A: The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. Based on the performance data, the frame rate drops are more likely due to compute limitations rather than memory capacity, as even at 4K Ultra, the card still produces 27 FPS, indicating it is not running out of memory and failing to render.

Q: How does this combo's performance compare to other tested systems?

A: This specific combination ranks 1307th out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top half of all tested systems, indicating it is a solid mid-range configuration for this game.

Q: Is the CPU's single-core performance sufficient for this game?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2943 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 951. These scores, combined with the high FPS observed at 1080p Low (115 FPS), strongly suggest that the CPU's single-core performance is more than adequate for the game's engine.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1307th out of 2911 combos for The Medium. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems, which is a solid, above-average result. This ranking is consistent with the individual component percentiles, where the CPU sits in the 77th percentile and the GPU in the 58th.

The ranking suggests that this combo outperforms roughly 55% of all other tested systems in this specific game. This is a respectable position, but it also highlights that there is substantial headroom for improvement. The GPU's lower percentile relative to the CPU is the primary reason this combo doesn't rank higher. The data implies that this system is a well-balanced mid-range build, but the GPU is the weaker link in the chain for this particular title. For a player, this means the experience will be good, but not top-tier, and the focus for optimization should be on graphics settings, not CPU-related tweaks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact average FPS measured for this combo in The Medium. The minimum and maximum FPS are only provided for the Medium settings across all resolutions.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS 115
• Medium: Average FPS 72, Minimum FPS 61, Maximum FPS 83
• High: Average FPS 51
• Ultra: Average FPS 41

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS 97
• Medium: Average FPS 61, Minimum FPS 51, Maximum FPS 70
• High: Average FPS 43
• Ultra: Average FPS 34

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS 76
• Medium: Average FPS 48, Minimum FPS 40, Maximum FPS 55
• High: Average FPS 34
• Ultra: Average FPS 27

The Medium settings is the only preset that provides min and max data, which is useful for understanding frame pacing. At 1080p, the 61 FPS minimum ensures a mostly smooth experience. At 1440p, the 51 FPS minimum shows occasional dips below the 60 FPS line. At 4K, the 40 FPS minimum highlights the struggle to maintain a consistent frame rate at that resolution. The data shows a clear linear relationship: each step up in resolution or settings yields a predictable, consistent drop in average FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and the player's preference for smoothness versus visual fidelity. For a 60 FPS target, the data is clear.

At 1080p, the Medium preset is the most balanced choice. It delivers an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, ensuring a consistent and smooth experience that is ideal for a horror game where frame pacing is crucial for atmosphere. The High preset's 51 FPS average is playable but may not be smooth enough for some, while Ultra at 41 FPS is best reserved for players who prioritize graphics over performance. The Low preset, while hitting 115 FPS, sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that relies on its art direction.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is again the strongest recommendation. It provides an average of 61 FPS, but the minimum of 51 FPS indicates that the game will occasionally dip below 60 FPS. This is still the best option for a high refresh rate experience at this resolution, as the High preset's 43 FPS average is noticeably less fluid. Players with a 60Hz monitor might find the Medium preset's occasional dips acceptable, but it is the highest setting this combo can handle without significant compromise.

At 4K, the data shows that no single preset offers a great experience. The Low preset is the only one that hits above 60 FPS on average (76 FPS), making it the only viable option for a smooth frame rate. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is playable but not ideal, and the High and Ultra presets at 34 and 27 FPS, respectively, should be avoided unless the player is willing to accept a cinematic, low-frame-rate experience. The measured results strongly suggest that 4K is not this combo's intended resolution for The Medium, and players would be better served by using a lower resolution and higher settings for a superior visual experience.