The Medium

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo at 1080p with High settings in The Medium?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers an average of 66.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings. This suggests a playable experience for most users at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700 has an average benchmark score of 27220, placing it 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i9-9900K (score 27043) and 0.8% ahead of both the Intel Core i7-12700H and Intel Core i7-1370P (scores 27006 and 26991 respectively). The margin is slim but positive.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4070 sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 37283, which is actually 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (score 37507) and 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (score 38008).

Q: What is the best FPS recorded for this combo at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the combo achieves 99.5 FPS average. This is the highest 4K result in the measured data, while Ultra settings drop to 33.8 FPS.

Q: How many cores and threads does the CPU have, and what is its boost clock?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. It is built on the Zen 3 architecture using a 7 nm process.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 468th out of 1689 total tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the field, indicating solid but not top-tier performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the primary driver of visual fidelity in The Medium, a horror title that leans heavily on atmosphere and lighting. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, the card provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that becomes critical when the game shifts between its dual-reality presentation, where two worlds render simultaneously. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz (base 1920 MHz) helps sustain frame rates during these demanding sequences.

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: the GPU's capabilities are stretched significantly as settings increase. At 1080p, the jump from Low (136.7 FPS) to Ultra (52.4 FPS) represents a 61.7% drop in performance. This suggests that the RTX 4070's 5888 shading units and 46 RT cores are being heavily taxed by the game's higher preset levels, particularly Ultra which likely enables more aggressive lighting and shadow effects. The card's 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 compute capacity is substantial, yet The Medium's horror aesthetic with its fixed camera angles and volumetric effects still demands considerable rasterization power.

Interestingly, the GPU's benchmark percentile (81st) and its average score of 37283 place it in the same performance neighborhood as the RX Vega 56 (0.6% slower) and MX570 A (1.9% slower). This is somewhat surprising given the architectural differences — Ada Lovelace's 5 nm process versus older designs — but the measured game data confirms that real-world performance can diverge from synthetic averages. The 200 W TDP and dual-slot cooler suggest the card is well-suited for sustained gaming sessions without thermal throttling, which is relevant for a game like The Medium that can maintain high GPU utilization during exploration sequences.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior reveals a system that is increasingly GPU-bound at higher pixel counts. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 66.3 to 55.3 — a 16.6% reduction. Moving further to 4K High, performance falls to 44.4 FPS, representing a 33.0% decline from the 1440p figure and a 49.6% drop from 1080p. This scaling pattern is typical for a title where the GPU is the limiting factor once resolution increases.

However, the data at Low settings tells a different story. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 136.7 FPS, which drops to 126.5 at 1440p (a 7.5% reduction) and then to 99.5 at 4K (a 21.3% reduction from 1440p). The smaller relative drops at lower settings suggest that at 1080p Low, the CPU may be starting to become a co-limiting factor — the Ryzen 7 5700's 8 cores and 16 threads at 4.60 GHz boost can push frames high enough that the GPU isn't the sole bottleneck. The 3DMark single-thread score of 901 and multi-thread score of 6617 support this interpretation, as the CPU's single-thread performance is adequate but not exceptional.

The 4K Ultra result of 33.8 FPS versus 4K Low at 99.5 FPS shows a 66.0% performance gap purely from settings changes. This wide spread indicates that the game's Ultra preset likely enables features that are disproportionately expensive at high resolutions, possibly related to shadow resolution or screen-space effects that scale with pixel count. For players targeting 4K, the data suggests that Medium settings (60.5 FPS) provide a much better balance than High or Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a wide range of performance depending on settings. Low settings yield 136.7 FPS average, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings reduce this to 91.3 FPS, still comfortably above 60 FPS. High settings drop to 66.3 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra settings are the most taxing at 52.4 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutters during the game's more intense horror sequences.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably. Low settings maintain 126.5 FPS, which is impressive for a 1440p resolution. Medium settings produce 79.5 FPS, a solid experience for most players. High settings at 55.3 FPS are borderline for smooth gameplay, while Ultra drops to 43.2 FPS, which could be problematic for a game that relies on atmospheric tension and smooth camera movement.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits become apparent. Low settings still manage 99.5 FPS, which is remarkable for 4K and indicates the RTX 4070's raw rasterization power. Medium settings drop to 60.5 FPS, right at the threshold of smoothness for many displays. High settings fall to 44.4 FPS, which is below the ideal range for action-heavy sequences. Ultra settings at 33.8 FPS are only suitable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over gameplay fluidity.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the gap between Medium and High is roughly 15-20 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is slightly smaller at 12-13 FPS. This suggests diminishing returns from High to Ultra, making Medium or High the more rational choices for most users.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 468 out of 1689 tested combinations places it in the 72nd percentile of all tested systems in The Medium. This is a respectable position, but not top-tier — there are 467 other combos that perform better. The rank reflects the balance between the Ryzen 7 5700's CPU performance and the RTX 4070's GPU capabilities.

Given that the GPU ranks in the 81st percentile among all GPUs, but the combo ranks in the 72nd percentile of game-specific combos, there is a slight performance offset. This could be attributed to the CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs, which is actually higher than the GPU's percentile. The data suggests that the CPU is not holding back the GPU in most scenarios, but the game's overall performance is still limited by the combination's collective capabilities.

The CPU's nearest rivals — the Intel Core i9-9900K (0.7% slower), Intel Core i7-12700H (0.8% slower), and Intel Core i7-1370P (0.8% slower) — all have similar synthetic scores, indicating that the Ryzen 7 5700 is well-matched against contemporary competitors. This parity in CPU performance likely translates to similar frame rates in The Medium, though the game's specific engine optimizations could shift the balance slightly.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, Medium settings at 91.3 FPS offer the best balance between visual quality and smoothness, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while still delivering the game's horror atmosphere. High settings at 66.3 FPS are acceptable for players who prioritize fidelity, but the drop to 52.4 FPS at Ultra is not recommended for a game that benefits from consistent frame pacing.

For 1440p, Medium settings at 79.5 FPS are the clear choice, as they maintain high frame rates without sacrificing too much visual detail. High settings at 55.3 FPS are playable but may cause occasional dips during effects-heavy scenes. Ultra at 43.2 FPS is too low for a smooth experience and should be avoided unless the player is willing to accept stuttering.

At 4K, the data strongly favors Low settings at 99.5 FPS, which provides a highly playable experience even at this demanding resolution. Medium settings at 60.5 FPS are also viable for players with 60 Hz displays, but High (44.4 FPS) and Ultra (33.8 FPS) should be reserved for players who prioritize visual fidelity over all else. The 4K Medium result of 60.5 FPS is particularly notable, as it demonstrates that the RTX 4070 can handle 4K gaming in this title, just not at maximum settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 plays a supporting role in The Medium's performance, providing 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The CPU's 3DMark scores — 901 single-thread, 3382 for 4 threads, 5585 for 8 threads, and 6617 for max threads — indicate strong multi-threaded scaling that benefits games with complex AI and physics simulations. The 16 MB L3 cache and 7 nm Zen 3 architecture contribute to efficient instruction processing.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most configurations. At 1080p Low, the 136.7 FPS result is high enough that the CPU's single-thread performance (901 in 3DMark) may begin to limit frame rates in certain scenes, but the overall experience remains smooth. The CPU's Cinebench R23 scores — 2916 single-core and 20655 multi-core — place it in a solid position for gaming, though not at the absolute top tier.

The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27220, puts it slightly ahead of the Intel Core i9-9900K (27043) and Intel Core i7-12700H (27006). This performance parity means that in The Medium, the CPU is unlikely to create a significant difference compared to these rivals. The 65 W TDP and 4.60 GHz boost clock provide a good balance of power efficiency and performance, ensuring sustained frame rates during extended gaming sessions without excessive heat generation.