The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing produces a highly variable experience in The Medium, one that is almost entirely dictated by the graphics preset rather than the resolution. The data shows a system capable of smooth performance at Low settings across all resolutions, but one that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at the highest visual fidelity, particularly at 4K. This combination ranks in the 42nd percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a mid-pack performer that is better suited to high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming than to pushing maximum settings at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X provides a solid foundation for this gaming workload, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 2 architecture. With a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, this processor offers sufficient computational headroom for The Medium's horror gameplay. The CPU's performance profile is well-established, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19087 and a single-core score of 2694, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs tested.

Benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 7 3700X sits in a competitive position relative to its immediate rivals. The data shows it performs within 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-12600, with a deltaPct of -0.1, and is similarly matched against the Intel Core i5-12600H. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT is essentially tied with a deltaPct of 0.1, while the AMD EPYC 7203P trails by a mere 0.2%. This suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this system, as its processing power is comparable to other mid-range options.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and scene management. The 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate data throughput. The fact that the CPU maintains near-parity with its rivals across synthetic benchmarks indicates that frame rate differences observed in the measured FPS data are more likely attributable to the GPU and graphics settings rather than CPU limitations. The processor's 65W TDP also suggests efficient operation, though this is a power characteristic rather than a performance metric.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is a critical factor in The Medium's performance. The GPU's boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz, combined with 3072 shading units, deliver the raw compute power necessary for rendering. The RTX 4060's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 and PassMark G3D score of 19545 place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals show a tight competitive cluster. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M is 0.6% ahead, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti leads by 0.7%. The Intel Arc B580 trails by 0.7%, and the AMD Radeon 760M is 0.8% behind. These narrow margins in synthetic benchmarks suggest that the RTX 4060 is a well-positioned mid-range GPU, but the measured FPS data reveals a more nuanced story in actual gaming workloads.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely the limiting factor at higher settings. The data shows dramatic performance drops when moving from Low to Medium settings, and further still to High and Ultra. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS falls to 24.2, suggesting that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and demanding graphical features. The RTX 4060's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is respectable, but the memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s appears insufficient for the highest quality presets at 4K resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 978th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This position places it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with significant compromises at higher settings. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-pack performance percentile of 66 and the CPU's stronger 85th percentile standing.

The data indicates that this combo is better suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming than 4K. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 106.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, at 4K with Ultra settings, the average drops to 24.2 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS minimum for acceptable playability. This wide performance spread suggests that the combo's ranking is heavily influenced by the settings chosen, with the system performing much better relative to other combos at lower settings than at higher ones.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 106.6 FPS on Low settings, 65.3 FPS on Medium, 46.4 FPS on High, and 41.7 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming is viable across all settings, with Low providing a high-refresh-rate experience and Ultra still maintaining playable frame rates above 40 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are noticeable but manageable. Low settings yield an average of 90.7 FPS, Medium produces 56.5 FPS, High reaches 41.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 34.2 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system can handle Medium settings comfortably, but High and Ultra push the average below 45 FPS, which may be acceptable for a horror game but not ideal for smooth action sequences.

At 3840x2160, the performance declines sharply. Low settings still manage an average of 74.9 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K. However, Medium drops to 42.4 FPS, High falls to 29.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 24.2 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K gaming is only viable with Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not consistently high enough for competitive play.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important information about the limiting component. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 106.6 FPS at 1080p to 90.7 FPS at 1440p (a 15% reduction) and then to 74.9 FPS at 4K (a 30% reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to handle the increased resolution demands.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 4K is from 65.3 FPS to 42.4 FPS, a 35% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 46.4 FPS to 29.7 FPS, a 36% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 41.7 FPS to 24.2 FPS, a 42% reduction. The increasing percentage drops at higher settings indicate that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are being saturated as both resolution and graphical complexity increase.

The data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting factor in this system, particularly at 4K resolution with High or Ultra settings. The CPU's performance remains consistent across resolutions, as evidenced by its stable benchmark scores, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot keep pace with the demands of 4K rendering at maximum quality.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the most consistent performance, with all settings presets achieving at least 41.7 FPS. For 1440p, Low settings deliver 90.7 FPS, but Ultra drops to 34.2 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings are playable at 74.9 FPS.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which produce an average of 74.9 FPS. Medium settings drop to 42.4 FPS, High falls to 29.7 FPS, and Ultra is not playable at 24.2 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060 is within 0.8% of its nearest competitors. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M is 0.6% faster, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti is 0.7% faster, while the Intel Arc B580 and AMD Radeon 760M are 0.7% and 0.8% slower, respectively.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game's performance?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's performance is consistent across all tested resolutions, while the GPU's frame rates drop sharply at higher settings and resolutions, particularly at 4K with Ultra settings.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 978th out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations tested in The Medium.

Q: What settings should be used for a balance of quality and performance?

A: At 1080p, Medium settings at 65.3 FPS offer a good balance. At 1440p, Low settings at 90.7 FPS are recommended for smooth gameplay. At 4K, only Low settings at 74.9 FPS are viable.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings based on resolution. At 1920x1080, Medium settings deliver 65.3 FPS, which offers a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. High settings at 46.4 FPS are also playable, but the frame rate drops below the 60 FPS threshold. For players prioritizing frame rate, Low settings at 106.6 FPS provide an excellent high-refresh-rate experience.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to Low settings at 90.7 FPS for the best experience, as Medium settings at 56.5 FPS are borderline and High settings at 41.1 FPS may feel sluggish. The 1440p resolution with Low settings provides the best combination of visual clarity and performance for this combo.

For 3840x2160, Low settings at 74.9 FPS are the only viable option, as Medium at 42.4 FPS and High at 29.7 FPS are below acceptable thresholds for most players. The data clearly indicates that this system is not designed for 4K gaming at high settings, and players should either lower their resolution or accept the visual compromises of Low settings.

The overall recommendation is to play at 1080p with Medium settings for the best balance of quality and performance, or to use Low settings at 1440p for higher resolution without sacrificing smoothness. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution, as the frame rates drop to 41.7 FPS at 1080p, 34.2 FPS at 1440p, and 24.2 FPS at 4K.