The Medium

The Medium presents a unique challenge for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination, with benchmark results revealing a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions. The data shows a clear narrative: this is a 1080p-oriented pairing that struggles to maintain playable frame rates as resolution increases, yet demonstrates surprising headroom when settings are lowered. The measured FPS across twelve different configurations paints a picture of a balance tilted firmly towards the CPU, which has ample processing power for this horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a compelling story about which component is the limiting factor. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 39.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 30.9 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 8.7 FPS, and then plummets further to 25.6 FPS at 3840x2160. This steady decline indicates that the GPU is being progressively overwhelmed by the increasing pixel count, a classic sign of a graphics-bound workload. The scaling is not linear; the jump from 1440p to 4K results in a smaller absolute drop (5.3 FPS) compared to the 1080p to 1440p transition (8.7 FPS), suggesting that the RTX 2060 is already struggling significantly at the lower resolution.

The pattern becomes even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the average FPS starts at a meager 31.1 at 1080p, drops to 25.2 at 1440p, and finally bottoms out at 21.1 at 4K. This is a clear indicator that the game's most demanding visual preset is simply beyond the capabilities of this GPU at any resolution above 1080p. In contrast, the CPU's role appears secondary, as the frame rate differences between resolutions are far larger than any variance that could be attributed to processor load. The data implies that the Ryzen 7 5700G, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is waiting idly for the GPU to deliver frames, a conclusion supported by the fact that even at Low settings, where the CPU would theoretically be more involved, the 4K result of 52.3 FPS is still 33 FPS lower than the 1080p result of 85.3 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G is a formidable processor on its own merits, with a multi-threaded benchmark score that places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture, provide substantial processing power, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20755. However, the game's engine appears to be more reliant on single-thread performance, where the CPU still performs admirably, with a Passmark single-thread score of 3283. This suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration, as its capabilities far exceed what The Medium appears to demand from it.

The benchmark results confirm this hypothesis. The fact that the CPU is capable of achieving an average of 85.3 FPS at 1080p Low settings shows that it can feed the GPU with enough data to reach high frame rates. Yet, at 4K Low, the frame rate drops to 52.3, a decline that cannot be attributed to the CPU, which is performing the same logical operations regardless of resolution. The limiting factor is unequivocally the GPU's ability to render the increased pixel count. The Ryzen 7 5700G's 16 MB of L3 cache and high boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensure that it will not be the cause of any frame hitches, even in the game's most complex scenes. The data suggests that for this specific title, the CPU is a silent partner, providing a stable foundation while the GPU determines the final performance ceiling.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the highest average frame rate achieved was 52.3 FPS on Low settings. At Medium, High, and Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 32.6, 25.6, and 21.1 respectively. This indicates that only the Low preset at 4K approaches a playable level, and it is still below the 60 FPS target many players prefer.

Q: What is the biggest performance bottleneck for this combination?

A: The benchmark results clearly indicate that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate scales predictably with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU, with its high multi-threaded score of 24419 in Passmark, has ample headroom and is not the cause of the performance drops.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700G has an average benchmark score of 25626. It is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, which is only 0.3% faster. It also edges out the Intel Xeon D-2752TER by 0.4% and the Intel Core 5 210H by 0.5%. This shows strong, consistent performance against its direct competitors.

Q: Is there a significant difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the performance cost is substantial. At 2560x1440, the average frame rate on Medium settings is 42.8 FPS. Moving to High settings reduces the average to 30.9 FPS, a drop of 11.9 FPS. This suggests that High settings impose a heavy load on the GPU, making Medium a more viable option for smoother gameplay at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS experience?

A: The only configuration that achieves an average above 60 FPS is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, producing 85.3 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 53.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Therefore, a stable 60 FPS is only attainable at 1080p with the lowest visual preset.

Q: How does the GPU's performance rank against other graphics cards?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. It is slightly faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S by 0.5%, but slower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 by 1.7%. This indicates it is a mid-range performer in the current landscape.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 shows its best results, but the experience is inconsistent across presets. The Low preset delivers a smooth 85.3 FPS average, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset to exceed 60 FPS. Medium settings are more demanding, yielding a 53.6 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings further reduce performance to 39.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset brings the average down to 31.1 FPS. This demonstrates a steep performance curve at the most common resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU's limitations become more apparent. The Low preset manages a respectable 71.7 FPS average, suggesting that the game is still playable if visual fidelity is sacrificed. Medium settings drop to 42.8 FPS, which is a significant step down. High settings yield a 30.9 FPS average, and Ultra settings plummet to 25.2 FPS, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive. The data indicates that 1440p is only viable with the Low or Medium presets for a decent experience.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 is clearly out of its depth. The Low preset produces a 52.3 FPS average, which is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings fall to 32.6 FPS, High settings to 25.6 FPS, and Ultra settings to a nearly unplayable 21.1 FPS. The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is severe, with a 32.7 FPS drop on Low settings and a 10 FPS drop on Ultra settings. This confirms that 4K gaming is not a realistic target for this hardware combination in The Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks at 1363 out of 1689 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 20% of all systems, indicating that it is a lower-tier performer for this specific game. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range standing, as the CPU's percentile rank of 83 is far higher than the GPU's 58. This disparity highlights that the system's overall performance is dragged down by its graphics card.

The data suggests that many other combinations, likely those with more powerful GPUs, will deliver significantly better frame rates. The combo's rank of 1363 is a clear signal that while the CPU is a strong component, it is not enough to overcome the GPU's limitations in a graphically intensive title like The Medium. The system is not at the very bottom of the list, but its position indicates that users should expect suboptimal performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. This ranking serves as a quantitative measure of the system's overall capability in this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 85.3 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a smooth, high-frame-rate experience. For players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 53.6 FPS, is a viable alternative that offers a more detailed image while remaining mostly playable. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p are not recommended, as they drop below 40 FPS, which can impact the game's horror atmosphere and responsiveness.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only sensible choice, producing a 71.7 FPS average. The Medium preset at 42.8 FPS is borderline, but the drop below 60 FPS may be noticeable. The High and Ultra presets at this resolution should be avoided due to their sub-30 FPS averages. For 4K resolution, the Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, with a 52.3 FPS average, but it is still not ideal. The data strongly suggests that to get the best balance of performance and visual quality, users should stick to 1080p and adjust the preset from Low to Medium based on their tolerance for lower frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the definitive limiting factor in this configuration. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus provide a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p but becomes a constraint at higher resolutions. The GPU's compute capabilities, with 1920 shading units and a boost clock of 1680 MHz, are simply not powerful enough to handle the rendering demands of The Medium at 1440p and 4K. The data shows that the GPU's performance scales almost perfectly with resolution, a classic indicator of a pixel-bound workload.

The benchmarks for the GPU, such as a Passmark G3D score of 14111, place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. This mid-range positioning is reflected in its in-game performance. The RTX 2060's 30 RT cores are of little help here, as the primary bottleneck is raw rasterization performance. The data indicates that the GPU's 6 GB of VRAM is not the main issue, as the performance drops are consistent across settings, suggesting a compute or fill-rate limitation rather than a memory capacity problem. The GPU is the component that dictates the overall experience, and its capabilities define the boundaries of what is playable in this game.