The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built around atmospheric tension, presents a demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination. The benchmark data shows that the optimal experience hinges entirely on balancing resolution against the preset’s graphical load. Across the 12 measured data points, the sweet spot is the Medium preset at 2560x1440, yielding an average of 67.1 FPS. This configuration provides a substantial performance buffer over the High preset’s 48.0 FPS at the same resolution, while maintaining significantly better visual fidelity than the Low preset’s 103.4 FPS, which would strip the game of its intended atmosphere. The data clearly indicates that this pairing is best utilized with a quality-over-ultra approach, particularly given that the Ultra preset at 1440p drops to a playable but less fluid 38.9 FPS average.

Settings Recommendations

For the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and RTX 3070, the benchmark results make a definitive case for the Medium preset as the default recommendation. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 79.0 FPS average, which is a 39.3% improvement over the High preset’s 56.7 FPS. This headroom allows for smoother camera transitions and more responsive input, which are critical in a game where timing and environmental awareness are key. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 22.3 FPS, a significant penalty that is not justified by the incremental visual upgrade, as the data does not suggest any stability or frame-time benefits.

At 2560x1440, the choice becomes even clearer. The Medium preset’s 67.1 FPS average is both smooth and visually rich, placing it comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold that is often considered the baseline for a good PC experience. The High preset at this resolution falls to 48.0 FPS, and the Ultra preset plummets to 38.9 FPS. These lower averages risk introducing noticeable stutter or input lag in a title that relies on precise exploration. Therefore, for users with a 1440p monitor, Medium is not merely a compromise; it is the best-performing setting that preserves the game’s core presentation.

For 4K, the data suggests that Medium is the only viable preset for a consistent experience, though it is far from ideal. At 3840x2160, Medium produces 52.0 FPS, while High drops to 38.2 FPS and Ultra to 31.6 FPS. The Low preset at 4K hits 80.1 FPS, but this comes at the cost of visual quality that would likely undermine the game’s horror atmosphere. Given the RTX 3070’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, the 52 FPS at 4K Medium represents the best balance of resolution and playability. Users should avoid Ultra at any resolution; the data shows it is the least efficient setting, providing the lowest frame rates across all three tested resolutions without a proportional increase in visual fidelity. In summary, the data recommends Medium for the best experience, with High reserved only for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate and are willing to accept averages below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in The Medium?

A: The data indicates the best experience is at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset, achieving an average of 67.1 FPS. This is the highest resolution and quality combination that maintains a frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from Medium to High settings?

A: The performance cost is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 79.0 (Medium) to 56.7 (High), a difference of 22.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the drop is 19.1 FPS, from 67.1 to 48.0. This suggests that the High preset imposes a significant load on the GPU.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using for the visual quality?

A: The benchmark data does not support using Ultra. At 1080p, it only achieves 42.4 FPS, and at 1440p it falls to 38.9 FPS. These averages are far below the performance of the Medium preset, indicating that Ultra is not a playable option for a smooth experience.

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

A: It is possible, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset delivers 52.0 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The High preset at 4K only manages 38.2 FPS, confirming that 4K will stress the RTX 3070 significantly.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance relate to the game’s frame rates?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X has strong single-thread capabilities, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1253 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4570. Given that the frame rates scale inversely with resolution and settings, the CPU is likely not the primary bottleneck, as the GPU’s load increases with higher presets.

Q: What is the performance gap between the Low and Medium presets?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 122.3 FPS, which is 43.3 FPS higher than Medium’s 79.0 FPS. At 2560x1440, the gap is 36.3 FPS (103.4 vs. 67.1). This indicates that the Medium preset is significantly more demanding, but the frame rate difference is acceptable for the visual upgrade.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its performance characteristics, as shown in the data, suggest that it is more than capable of feeding the RTX 3070 in this title. The CPU’s single-thread performance is particularly strong, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1253 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3603. This is crucial for The Medium, which, like many games, has a primary thread that handles the game logic and camera system. A high single-thread score ensures that this thread does not become a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to work at its full potential.

The multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25525 and a Geekbench multicore score of 15182. This headroom indicates that the CPU is not being taxed to its limits in this game, especially when considering the frame rate patterns. The measured FPS shows a clear scaling pattern based on GPU load: as the preset quality increases from Low to Ultra, the frame rate drops by a large margin at each resolution. For instance, at 1440p, the Low preset yields 103.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields only 38.9 FPS. This 64.5 FPS difference is far larger than any CPU-bound scaling would typically produce, confirming that the GPU is the limiting component in most scenarios.

The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth provide ample data throughput for the game’s assets. In practical terms, the data suggests that the Ryzen 5 9600X is a non-factor in performance degradation. The benchmark results show that the system’s performance is governed by the graphics preset and resolution, not by the CPU’s processing power. Even at the lowest settings, where the CPU would have to work harder to push more frames, the system achieves an average of 122.3 FPS at 1080p, which is a high workload, but the CPU’s scores indicate it can handle it. The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs further supports its capability, placing it ahead of rivals like the Intel Core i5-13490F and the AMD Ryzen 5 230, which have similar average benchmark scores. Therefore, the CPU’s role here is to provide stable, high-frequency execution that does not constrain the GPU, which is exactly what the data shows.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds a specific position in The Medium. The data places this combo at rank 741 out of 1689 tested combinations. This ranking puts it in the upper-middle tier of all systems tested, indicating that it is capable of running the game well, but it is not at the top of the performance stack. The 741st position out of 1689 means that roughly 56% of all tested combos perform better, while 44% perform worse. This is a respectable standing, reflecting the RTX 3070’s position as a solid mid-range to high-end GPU, paired with a modern, capable CPU.

The individual components’ rankings provide context for this overall placement. The CPU has a percentile ranking of 85, meaning it outperforms 85% of all CPUs in the database. This is a strong score, showing that the Ryzen 5 9600X is a high-performing processor. In contrast, the GPU has a percentile ranking of 72, which is lower than the CPU. This discrepancy suggests that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing. The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score of 28238 is closely matched by its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT with a score of 27985 and a deltaPct of 0.9%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti with a score of 27956 and a deltaPct of 1%. This shows that the RTX 3070 is performing in line with expectations for its class, but it does not have a significant advantage over older or cheaper cards.

The combo’s rank of 741 is a direct result of this GPU limitation. The data shows that the system’s performance in The Medium is heavily dependent on the GPU’s ability to render at higher resolutions and settings. For example, the frame rate at 4K Ultra is 31.6 FPS, which is a demanding scenario for the RTX 3070. The overall rank suggests that while the CPU is ready to handle more, the GPU holds the system back from achieving higher frame rates. This is not a negative verdict, but rather a clear analysis of the system’s capabilities. For users with this combo, the data supports that it is a competent machine for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it will struggle at the highest settings and resolutions. The ranking reinforces the idea that the RTX 3070 is the component to upgrade first for better performance in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data for The Medium reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance scaling across the three tested resolutions: 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. The frame rate decreases as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop varies depending on the preset. This scaling behavior is a direct indicator of the system’s bottleneck. At the Low preset, the frame rates are relatively high, and the drop from 1080p to 4K is significant. Specifically, the average FPS goes from 122.3 at 1080p to 103.4 at 1440p, and finally to 80.1 at 4K. This is a total decrease of 42.2 FPS from 1080p to 4K, which represents a 34.5% reduction in performance. This pattern suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is being tasked with more work as the pixel count increases.

The Medium preset shows a steeper decline. The average FPS drops from 79.0 at 1080p to 67.1 at 1440p, and then to 52.0 at 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 27.0 FPS, a 34.2% reduction. This is a similar percentage to the Low preset, but the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating that the GPU is working harder. The High preset shows an even more pronounced effect, with frame rates dropping from 56.7 at 1080p to 48.0 at 1440p and 38.2 at 4K. The total drop is 18.5 FPS, which is a 32.6% reduction. The Ultra preset demonstrates the most severe scaling, with frame rates falling from 42.4 at 1080p to 38.9 at 1440p and 31.6 at 4K.

The data shows that the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is generally less severe than the scaling from 1440p to 4K. For instance, moving from 1080p Medium (79.0 FPS) to 1440p Medium (67.1 FPS) is a 11.9 FPS drop, but moving from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (52.0 FPS) is a 15.1 FPS drop. This is a clear sign that the RTX 3070’s memory bandwidth and processing power are being stretched as the resolution increases. The fact that the frame rates do not scale linearly with the number of pixels suggests that the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU’s performance, as evidenced by its high benchmark scores, remains consistent regardless of resolution, so it is not causing these frame rate drops. The conclusion is that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this system for The Medium, especially at higher resolutions. The data strongly supports that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings to avoid the significant performance penalties seen at 4K.