The Medium

The Medium presents an interesting stress profile for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 pairing. The data shows this is a configuration where the GPU often leads the performance curve, but the CPU’s capabilities set the stage for the higher refresh rate results. This analysis examines the benchmark data to understand how each component contributes to the final frame rates.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a Zen 2 (Matisse) architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.40 GHz, which provides a solid foundation for gaming workloads. The CPU’s 32 MB of L3 cache is notable, as it helps reduce memory latency in scenarios where the game engine needs to quickly access data. The processor’s average benchmark score of 28631 places it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, indicating it is a capable performer for its generation.

Looking at the nearest rivals, the 3700X sits remarkably close to the Intel Core i5-12600, with a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning the two are effectively tied in average performance. It is also within 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-12600H and 0.2% of the AMD EPYC 7203P. This tight clustering suggests that for this game, the 3700X’s 8-core/16-thread configuration is sufficient to avoid becoming a major bottleneck, especially when compared to the slightly newer rivals.

In the context of The Medium’s results, the CPU’s role becomes clearer at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 113 FPS, which is the highest recorded result across all tests. This suggests that the CPU is able to feed the GPU adequately at this level. However, the fact that the 3700X is not the absolute top performer in its class means that it might limit the RTX 4070’s maximum potential in less demanding scenes. The data implies a balanced partnership: the CPU provides enough throughput to keep the GPU busy, but it is not so powerful that it overshadows the graphics card’s workload.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, offering a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2475 MHz, which helps drive the 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The GPU’s 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs are key to its rasterization capabilities. With an average benchmark score of 37283, the RTX 4070 sits in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, showing it is a strong performer, though not at the very top tier.

The GPU’s nearest rivals show an interesting trend. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is only 0.6% behind, while the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A is 1.9% behind, and the RTX 4080 Mobile is 2.2% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 5300M is 2.5% ahead. This indicates that the RTX 4070’s performance is well-matched with these other cards in synthetic benchmarks, but its real value in The Medium comes from its VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth. The 12 GB of VRAM is likely a decisive factor in handling the game’s high-resolution textures and effects without stuttering or texture pop-in.

The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates in this game. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 35 FPS, which is a significant strain on the graphics card. Conversely, at 1080p Low, it reaches 113 FPS. This wide range of performance suggests that the RTX 4070’s architecture scales well with the game’s settings, but it also means that the card’s capabilities are the limiting factor at higher resolutions and quality presets.

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

Examining the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a clear pattern. At High settings, the average frame rate starts at 64.4 FPS at 1080p, drops to 54 FPS at 1440p, and further decreases to 47 FPS at 4K. This represents a drop of 16% from 1080p to 1440p, and a 27% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is relatively linear, which suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck here, as the CPU’s workload does not increase significantly with resolution.

The Low settings preset shows a similar trend but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 113 FPS, which falls to 105.1 FPS at 1440p and 96.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are smaller: 7% from 1080p to 1440p, and 8% from 1440p to 4K. This indicates that at lower settings, the CPU begins to play a more significant role, as the GPU is not as heavily taxed. The smaller frame rate drops at Low settings imply that the CPU is able to keep up, but the GPU is still the primary limiter.

At Medium settings, the frame rates are 95.6 FPS at 1080p, 78.4 FPS at 1440p, and 64.1 FPS at 4K. This shows a more pronounced drop from 1080p to 1440p (18%) and from 1440p to 4K (18% as well). This suggests that the GPU is increasingly stressed as resolution increases, but the CPU is still capable of maintaining a stable minimum frame rate. The Ultra preset tells a different story: 52.5 FPS at 1080p, 46.5 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The drops are 11% and 25% respectively, highlighting that Ultra settings at 4K push the GPU to its limits.

The overall data indicates that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to avoid major bottlenecks, but the GPU’s raw power determines the final frame rates.

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

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a strong balance between visual quality and performance, achieving 95.6 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the High preset’s 64.4 FPS at the same resolution, and it is only slightly lower than the Low preset’s 113 FPS. For players seeking a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity, 1080p Medium is the sweet spot.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 78.4 FPS, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset falls to 54 FPS, which might be acceptable for some, but the Medium preset provides a more consistent experience. At 4K, the Medium preset yields 64.1 FPS, which is playable, while the High preset drops to 47 FPS, which is borderline. The Low preset at 4K achieves 96.7 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant for a horror game that relies on atmosphere.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it drops below 60 FPS even at 1080p (52.5 FPS). The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best experience across all resolutions, providing a balanced trade-off between visual quality and frame rate. The High preset is a viable alternative for those who prioritize graphics, but the performance hit is substantial.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 541st out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 32% of all configurations tested. The rank is a comprehensive measure that considers all the measured FPS data across the various resolutions and settings.

Given that the CPU is in the 85th percentile and the GPU is in the 81st percentile, the combo’s rank of 541 seems slightly lower than what the individual components might suggest. This could be due to the game’s specific optimization for other hardware combinations, or it might indicate that the pairing is not perfectly balanced for this particular title. The data shows that while the RTX 4070 is a strong GPU, the 3700X’s older architecture might not fully leverage the card’s potential in all scenarios.

The rank indicates that there are many other combos that perform better, but it also shows that this setup is far from the bottom. For a system built around a 2019 CPU and a 2023 GPU, the ranking suggests that the CPU is not a major hindrance, but it does not allow the GPU to reach its absolute peak performance either.

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

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset.

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves the highest frame rates. The Low preset yields 113 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 95.6 FPS, the High preset reaches 64.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 52.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 60.5 FPS, showing a large performance range.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease. The Low preset achieves 105.1 FPS, the Medium preset hits 78.4 FPS, the High preset reaches 54 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 46.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 58.6 FPS, which is slightly smaller than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are the lowest. The Low preset yields 96.7 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 64.1 FPS, the High preset reaches 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 35 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 61.7 FPS, which is the largest spread across all resolutions.

The data shows that the Low preset is the most consistent across resolutions, with only a 16.3 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K. The Medium preset has a 31.5 FPS difference, the High preset has a 17.4 FPS difference, and the Ultra preset has a 17.5 FPS difference. This suggests that the Low preset is less dependent on resolution, while the Medium and Ultra presets are more sensitive to the resolution change.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a stable 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 4K yields 64.1 FPS, so this is the highest resolution where the combo can maintain a frame rate above 60 FPS. At 1440p, the Medium preset achieves 78.4 FPS, and at 1080p, it reaches 95.6 FPS.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600?

A: The 3700X has an average benchmark score of 28631, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-12600’s score of 28654. This places the two processors in a statistical tie, indicating that the 3700X is still competitive with that newer Intel chip.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 a significant upgrade over the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56?

A: The RTX 4070’s average benchmark score is 37283, while the RX Vega 56 scores 37507, which is 0.6% higher. This indicates that the RX Vega 56 is actually slightly ahead in synthetic benchmarks, suggesting that the RTX 4070’s advantage lies in its features and memory, not raw compute.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 113 FPS, while the Ultra preset reaches 52.5 FPS. This represents a 60.5 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset is much more demanding on the GPU.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K. The frame rate drops from 96.7 FPS at Low to 35 FPS at Ultra, while the CPU’s workload does not increase with resolution. This indicates that the RTX 4070’s rendering capacity is the bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 541st out of 1689 tested configurations, placing it in the top 32% of all systems. This indicates that it is a solid performer, but there are many other combos that achieve higher frame rates in The Medium.