The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding workload for this pairing of an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. The benchmark data reveals a system that is consistently bound by the graphics card, with performance scaling that follows resolution and settings in a predictable, GPU-limited pattern. This analysis walks through the measured frames per second (FPS) to characterize the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 74.9 at 1080p to 64.6 at 1440p, and then sharply to 50.5 at 4K. This is a moderate decline of roughly 14% from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a more significant 22% drop from 1440p to 4K. The pattern indicates that the GTX 1070 is the primary limiting component; the CPU is not holding back performance, as the frame rate responds directly to the pixel count being rendered.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings, which further confirms the GPU bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS moves from 33.0 at 1080p to 30.8 at 1440p, and then down to 23.0 at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is minimal here, suggesting that the graphics card is already saturated by the workload at these settings. The jump to 4K creates a more substantial performance penalty, as the increased pixel throughput overwhelms the card’s capabilities. The data implies that the GTX 1070’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and its 256-bit memory bus are being taxed heavily at the higher resolution.

At Ultra settings, the performance is uniformly poor across all resolutions. The average FPS starts at 26.7 at 1080p, dips to 21.2 at 1440p, and bottoms out at 19.3 at 4K. The difference between 1440p and 4K is surprisingly small, which suggests that the game’s Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly punishing for this GPU, regardless of the resolution. This indicates that the graphics card’s raw compute throughput, measured at 6.463 TFLOPS, is insufficient for the most demanding visual configuration. The data shows that resolution scaling is not linear; it is heavily influenced by the settings preset, with Ultra creating a performance floor that is difficult to escape.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a 5000-series processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, and it can boost up to 4.60 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU performs strongly, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22620 and a single-core score of 3193. Its Passmark multithread score is 26612, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. This level of processing power is more than adequate for a game like The Medium, which does not appear to be CPU-intensive based on the measured FPS data.

The benchmark results show that the frame rates are almost entirely dictated by the GPU and the chosen settings, not the CPU. For example, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 74.9 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 26.7 FPS. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller performance delta between settings, as the CPU would cap the maximum frame rate. The data shows no such cap, indicating that the Ryzen 7 5700X is operating well within its limits. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s are more than sufficient to feed the GPU.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core i9-11900KF, with a deltaPct of 0.1, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, with a deltaPct of -0.2. These scores are essentially identical, meaning that any of these processors would likely deliver similar frame rates in this game. The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 5700X is a capable partner for the GTX 1070, but its performance headroom is not being utilized. The bottleneck is firmly on the graphics side, and the CPU’s role is to provide a stable platform without introducing frame time inconsistencies.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four settings presets. For a playable experience, the Low preset is the only option that consistently delivers high frame rates. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 74.9 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. At 2560x1440, it drops to 64.6 FPS, which is still very playable. Even at 3840x2160, the Low preset manages 50.5 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced horror title.

The Medium preset offers a significant visual upgrade but at a considerable performance cost. At 1080p, the average FPS is 45.9, which is playable but noticeably less smooth than Low. At 1440p, it drops to 39.5 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 29.9 FPS. The High preset is more demanding, with frame rates of 33.0 FPS at 1080p and 30.8 FPS at 1440p, which are borderline for a smooth experience. The Ultra preset is not viable on this hardware, as it produces an average of 26.7 FPS at 1080p and 19.3 FPS at 4K, which is a slideshow.

The data indicates that the best experience is found by prioritizing resolution over settings. For a 1080p monitor, the Medium preset provides a good balance, offering a 45.9 FPS average. For a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the safer choice, as it maintains a 64.6 FPS average, while the Medium preset drops to 39.5 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium at 1440p costs a 39% reduction in frame rate, which is substantial. Given the horror genre’s reliance on atmosphere, the Low preset at a higher resolution may be preferable to Medium at a lower resolution, as the higher pixel count can improve image clarity more than the preset’s effects.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1415 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower 16% of all tested systems, which is consistent with the hardware’s age and performance class. The GTX 1070, a Pascal architecture card from the GeForce 10-series, was released in 2016 and is now end-of-life. Its percentile rank against all GPUs is 51, meaning it sits in the middle of the pack, but its performance in this modern title is clearly insufficient for high-end settings.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA Quadro K4200, with a deltaPct of 0.7, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER, with a deltaPct of -1.4. These cards are in a similar performance tier, but the GTX 1070’s 8 GB of VRAM and 256-bit memory bus give it an edge in some scenarios. However, the low combo rank indicates that this pairing is not well-suited for The Medium’s demands. The rank is a reflection of the GPU’s limitations; a more modern card with higher rasterization performance would score significantly better.

The data shows that this combo is at the edge of playability. While it can run the game, it cannot do so at high settings or high resolutions. The 1415th rank out of 1689 combos underscores that most other tested systems are more capable. This is a legacy configuration that will struggle with new releases, and The Medium is a clear example of that struggle. The performance is adequate for a 1080p Low/Medium experience, but the system is far from a high-performance gaming rig.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal architecture GPU with a chip designation of GP104. It is built on a 16 nm process and has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. Its base clock is 1506 MHz, with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. The card has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. Its raw compute capability is rated at 6.463 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. These specifications point to a mid-range card from its generation, but they are no longer competitive with current hardware.

In The Medium, the GTX 1070 is the clear performance limiter. The measured FPS data shows that the card is overwhelmed by the Ultra preset, which is likely due to its limited memory bandwidth and compute throughput. The card’s pixel rate is 107.7 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 202.0 GTexel/s, but these are insufficient for the game’s high-resolution textures and effects. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 12331, with a Passmark G3D score of 13498, placing it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. This is a middle-of-the-road score, but the game’s demands are too high.

The GTX 1070’s nearest rivals, such as the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER, show a deltaPct of -1.4, indicating they are slightly slower in synthetic tests. However, the real-world performance in The Medium is poor across the board. The card’s 8 GB of VRAM is a potential advantage, but it is not enough to compensate for the lack of raw processing power. The data shows that the GPU is the primary constraint, and it struggles to maintain 30 FPS at 1080p on High settings. This is a card that was designed for 1080p gaming in its era, and it is now relegated to lower settings in modern titles to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest average FPS is 74.9, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only with the Low settings preset, which achieves an average of 50.5 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 29.9 FPS, and the High preset falls to 23.0 FPS at 4K.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5700X compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700X has an average benchmark score of 26214. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-11900KF, has a score of 26196, resulting in a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning they perform nearly identically.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The GTX 1070 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, which provides a memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The memory clock is 2002 MHz, effective 8 Gbps.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth experience at 1440p?

A: The Low preset is recommended, as it achieves an average of 64.6 FPS. The Medium preset is also playable at 39.5 FPS, but the High preset falls to 30.8 FPS, which is less consistent.

Q: What is the overall rank of this combo among tested systems in The Medium?

A: This combo ranks 1415 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 16% of tested systems.