The Medium

The Medium pairs a fixed-camera horror presentation with heavy real-time rendering, and the combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G and AMD Radeon RX 7700 produces a wide spread of results depending on resolution and quality preset. The data shows a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming comfortably at medium settings, but struggles to maintain smooth frame rates at 4K with higher presets. This analysis breaks down exactly what those measured numbers mean, how this combo stacks up against other tested configurations, and where the practical limits lie.

FAQ

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

A: 1920x1080 at Medium settings delivers 72 FPS average, with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS. That is the only preset and resolution combination that holds above 60 FPS minimum, making it the most reliable choice for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 76 FPS. At Medium 4K, the average drops to 48 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, while High and Ultra fall to 34 FPS and 27 FPS respectively, which are below playable thresholds for most users.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700G scores 27051 on average benchmarks, placing it 79th percentile among all CPUs. It is 0.2% behind the Intel Core i9-9900K (27097), 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 (26936), 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-14400T (27166), and 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1370P (26900). These are essentially negligible differences.

Q: What GPU performance tier does the RX 7700 occupy?

A: The Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon R9 370X at 15862 (0.1% ahead), while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014 (1% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129 (1.7% ahead). The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails at 15679 (1.1% behind).

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM useful for this game?

A: The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. For The Medium, this capacity is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions, but at 4K Ultra the game still only manages 27 FPS, indicating the GPU's compute throughput, not VRAM size, is the bottleneck.

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

A: This specific CPU and GPU pairing ranks 1307 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. That places it in the upper-middle portion of all configurations, which aligns with the measured FPS results showing solid 1080p performance but weak 4K capability.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process by TSMC with 28,100 million transistors. It has a base clock of 1900 MHz, a boost clock of 2459 MHz, and a game clock of 2041 MHz. Memory runs at 2438 MHz with 19.5 Gbps effective speed, feeding 16 GB of GDDR6 across a 256-bit bus for 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU includes 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, 96 render output units, and 40 ray tracing cores.

For The Medium, the measured results show that the GPU's raw rendering power is the dominant factor. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 115 FPS average, but dropping to 1080p Ultra reduces that to 41 FPS — a 64% performance loss from preset changes alone. This pattern repeats at every resolution: Low always delivers roughly double the frame rate of Ultra. The GPU's compute capability, rated at 25.18 TFLOPS FP32, is sufficient for lower presets but gets overwhelmed by the game's higher-quality effects.

The VRAM configuration deserves attention because 16 GB is generous for a game from 2021. However, the data does not support VRAM as the bottleneck. At 4K Ultra, the system averages 27 FPS, and at 4K High it reaches 34 FPS. If VRAM capacity were the issue, we would expect a more dramatic collapse when moving from 1080p to 4K, but the frame rate scaling is roughly linear with resolution and preset changes, suggesting the GPU's shading and texture units are saturated rather than memory being exhausted.

The RX 7700's pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 393.4 GTexel/s are the specifications that matter for this title. Fixed-camera horror games often render large, detailed environments, and The Medium's dual-reality mechanic likely doubles the scene complexity. The texture rate becomes critical when both worlds are on screen, which explains why higher presets cause such steep frame rate drops. The 96 ROPs handle the final output, but they are not enough to maintain 60 FPS at 4K with high-quality settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Ryzen 7 5700G + Radeon RX 7700 combination sits at rank 1307 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 55th percentile of all configurations — a middle-of-the-pack result that is neither exceptional nor disappointing. The CPU's performance is well-established: its average benchmark score of 27051 puts it at the 79th percentile of all CPUs, and it trades blows with the Intel Core i9-9900K (27097, 0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i5-14400T (27166, 0.4% faster). The AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 (26936) and Intel Core i7-1370P (26900) are 0.4% and 0.6% slower respectively.

On the GPU side, the RX 7700's average score of 15852 places it at the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, scores 15862 (0.1% higher), which is a statistical tie. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014 (1% ahead), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129 (1.7% ahead). The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails at 15679 (1.1% behind). These margins are small enough that in real-world gaming, the differences would be minor.

The combination's rank of 1307 out of 2911 suggests that many other systems outperform it, but also that a substantial number underperform it. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 72 FPS, which is a good experience. At 1440p Medium, it manages 61 FPS, which is still playable. But at 4K Medium, the average drops to 48 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target that many players consider necessary. The rank reflects this versatility — capable at lower resolutions, limited at higher ones.

The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads, based on Zen 3 architecture with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, provide ample processing power for this game. The Medium is not typically CPU-bound, and the 5700G's performance in 3DMark tests (6629 in 16-thread, 899 in single-thread) indicates it can feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck. The GPU's 58th percentile ranking is the more limiting factor, and it shows in the 4K results where the rendering load exceeds what the RX 7700 can handle at higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Starting at 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression across presets. At Low settings, the combo averages 115 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. High settings produce 51 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. This means the jump from Low to Medium costs 43 FPS (a 37% reduction), while the jump from Medium to High costs another 21 FPS (a 29% reduction). The step from High to Ultra costs 10 FPS (a 20% reduction). The Medium preset is the only one at 1080p that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for consistent smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats with lower absolute values. Low settings average 97 FPS, which is still highly playable. Medium drops to 61 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. High averages 43 FPS, and Ultra averages 34 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium at 1440p costs 36 FPS (a 37% reduction), which mirrors the 1080p percentage drop. However, from Medium to High, the loss is 18 FPS (a 30% reduction), and from High to Ultra, it is 9 FPS (a 21% reduction). The Medium preset at 1440p is borderline — the 51 FPS minimum is below 60, so stutter may be noticeable in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the results become marginal for most presets. Low settings average 76 FPS, which is surprisingly strong and suggests the game scales well when visual effects are reduced. Medium averages 48 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS. High drops to 34 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 28 FPS (a 37% reduction), consistent with the other resolutions. The 4K Low result of 76 FPS is notable because it exceeds the 1080p High result of 51 FPS, showing that resolution alone is less punishing than enabling higher-quality effects.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset shows a consistent pattern: 72 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. This linear scaling suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as doubling the pixel count (from 1080p to 4K) reduces performance by about one-third. The Low preset follows a similar trend: 115 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K. High and Ultra presets show steeper drops, with 4K Ultra at 27 FPS being the worst result in the dataset.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals how frame rate scales with resolution for each preset. For Low settings, moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 reduces average FPS from 115 to 97, a drop of 18 FPS (15.7%). Moving from 1440p to 4K reduces it from 97 to 76, a drop of 21 FPS (21.6%). The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 39 FPS (33.9%). For Medium settings, the progression is 72 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 11 FPS (15.3%), and the 1440p-to-4K drop is 13 FPS (21.3%). The total is 24 FPS (33.3%). For High settings, the numbers are 51, 43, and 34 FPS. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 8 FPS (15.7%), and the 1440p-to-4K drop is 9 FPS (20.9%). Total drop is 17 FPS (33.3%). For Ultra, the progression is 41, 34, and 27 FPS. The first step drops 7 FPS (17.1%), the second drops 7 FPS (20.6%), and the total drop is 14 FPS (34.1%).

These percentages are remarkably consistent: every preset loses roughly one-third of its frame rate when going from 1080p to 4K. This linear scaling is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would not drop proportionally with resolution because the CPU workload stays similar regardless of pixel count. The consistent 33-34% loss across all presets indicates the RX 7700's rendering throughput is the bottleneck, not the Ryzen 7 5700G's processing power.

The fact that Low settings at 4K (76 FPS) outperform High settings at 1080p (51 FPS) further confirms this. The GPU can handle the pixel count of 4K, but it cannot handle the combination of high resolution and high-quality effects. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is also telling: at 1080p, Low to Ultra costs 74 FPS (64.3%); at 1440p, it costs 63 FPS (64.9%); at 4K, it costs 49 FPS (64.5%). The consistent percentage loss from preset changes, regardless of resolution, points to the GPU's shading units and texture units being saturated by higher-quality settings.

The CPU's role is subordinate here. With 8 cores and 16 threads running at up to 4.60 GHz, the 5700G has more than enough headroom for The Medium. Its 3DMark 16-thread score of 6629 and single-thread score of 899 indicate solid performance, but the game simply does not demand that much from the processor. The resolution scaling data makes it clear that upgrading the GPU would yield larger frame rate gains than upgrading the CPU, because the system is consistently GPU-limited across all tested configurations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience comes from 1920x1080 at Medium settings. This configuration delivers 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. The minimum frame rate above 60 FPS is crucial for a horror game, where stutter or frame drops can break immersion. The Medium preset at 1440p is the next best option: 61 FPS average with a 51 FPS minimum. This is playable but may exhibit occasional dips below 60 FPS in intense scenes. If a player has a 1440p monitor and can tolerate some variation, this is a reasonable choice.

For players who prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity, 1080p Low at 115 FPS average is the fastest option. The frame rate is more than double the 60 FPS target, providing ample headroom for any demanding sections. However, Low settings will reduce the quality of textures, shadows, and lighting, which affects the atmospheric horror presentation. The Medium preset strikes the best balance between visual quality and performance, offering a 72 FPS average while maintaining higher-quality effects than Low.

At 4K, the only viable preset is Low, which averages 76 FPS. This is a surprising result — the game runs well at 4K when effects are minimized. Medium 4K at 48 FPS average and 40 FPS minimum is borderline, and the dips below 45 FPS may be noticeable in a game that relies on slow, deliberate camera movements. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as 34 FPS and 27 FPS averages respectively fall well below playable thresholds for a title that benefits from smooth motion.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the "sweet spot" for this hardware configuration across all resolutions. At 1080p, it maintains a 61 FPS minimum; at 1440p, it stays near 60 FPS average; and at 4K, it provides a playable 48 FPS average. The consistency of the Medium preset's performance — roughly 33% frame rate loss per resolution step — makes it the most predictable choice. Players with 1080p monitors should use Medium without hesitation. Players with 1440p monitors can use Medium and accept occasional dips. Players with 4K monitors should use Low for the best experience, or Medium if they can tolerate frame rates in the 40s.

The Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer, with average FPS ranging from 41 at 1080p to 27 at 4K. Even at 1080p, Ultra's 41 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target and will feel sluggish in a game that requires precise timing for its puzzle and stealth elements. The visual improvement from High to Ultra does not justify the 20-21% frame rate loss at any resolution. High settings at 1080p (51 FPS) are acceptable but not ideal, and High at higher resolutions is too demanding for smooth play.

In summary, the recommended configuration is 1920x1080 with Medium settings for the best overall experience. For those with stronger GPUs in the future, the same combo would benefit from moving to 1440p Medium, but with the current RX 7700, 1080p Medium is the only preset that guarantees a minimum frame rate above 60 FPS. The system is capable of 4K gameplay at Low settings, which is a useful fallback for players who prioritize resolution over visual effects, but the Medium preset at 1080p offers the most balanced combination of smoothness and graphical quality.