The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a highly capable 4K experience in The Medium, though the game’s demanding Ultra preset requires compromises. At 1440p, this pairing provides a wide range of framerates, from 59.4 FPS at Ultra to 132.3 FPS at Low, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. The 1080p results are robust, with every preset except Ultra exceeding 85 FPS. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU contributions, settings recommendations, and performance rankings based on measured data.

FAQ

*Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in The Medium?*

A: This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 137th out of 1689 tested combos for this game.

Q: What is the best 4K preset for this hardware?

A: The High preset at 3840x2160 yields an average of 59.1 FPS, which is the most balanced option for a smooth 4K experience. Ultra drops to 44.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 132.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 59.4 FPS. This represents a performance advantage of over 2.2x for the Low preset.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 SUPER's VRAM capacity matter for this game?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the game runs, albeit at 44.3 FPS, indicating that the VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's demands at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700X scores 921 in 3dmark_single_thread and 6858 in 3dmark_16_threads. The multi-thread score is substantially higher, reflecting its 8-core and 16-thread design.

Q: What is the ideal resolution for 60+ FPS on High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo achieves 72.2 FPS. At 3840x2160 with High settings, it achieves 59.1 FPS, so 1440p is the safest choice for a guaranteed 60+ FPS experience on High.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a Zen 3 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that provides ample parallel processing power for modern games. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, boosting up to 4.60 GHz, which allows for strong single-thread performance when needed. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 921 in 3dmark_single_thread and 6858 in 3dmark_16_threads, showing a strong scaling from single to multi-threaded workloads.

In the context of The Medium, a game that relies on a mix of rendering and simulation, this CPU is not likely to be the primary bottleneck at most settings. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 145.1 FPS, a high framerate that indicates the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently at lower graphical loads. However, as resolution increases to 4K, the workload shifts heavily onto the GPU, and the CPU's role becomes less critical. The processor's 65 W TDP and AM4 socket compatibility make it a practical choice for a wide range of builds.

The Ryzen 7 5700X's benchmark scores place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a strong performer. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-11900KF, has an average score of 26196, which is only 0.1% different from the 5700X's average of 26214. This suggests that for gaming, the 5700X provides competitive performance against a high-end Intel offering from the same era. The CPU's 16 threads are a significant advantage for games that can utilize them, and the data for The Medium shows it can sustain high framerates, particularly at 1080p and 1440p resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the settings presets affect performance. At 1920x1080, the jump from High to Ultra is punishing, dropping from 85.9 FPS to 66.7 FPS. For a smoother experience, the Medium preset at 119.1 FPS is the recommended choice, as it offers a significant boost over High while still providing a quality visual experience. The Low preset at 145.1 FPS is optimal for competitive play or very high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the best balance, delivering 72.2 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset offers an even higher framerate at 100.4 FPS, making it a great option for users with 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 59.4 FPS is playable but just below the ideal 60 FPS threshold, so users may prefer High for a more consistent experience. The Low preset at 132.3 FPS is the top choice for maximum performance.

For 4K gaming at 3840x2160, the High preset is the recommended setting, achieving 59.1 FPS. This is the only preset that comes close to hitting 60 FPS, making it the best option for a smooth 4K experience. The Medium preset at 75.8 FPS is also viable and offers a more stable margin above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K, as it drops to 44.3 FPS, which can result in noticeable stuttering. The Low preset at 121.1 FPS is an option for users who prioritize framerate over visual fidelity, but it is not necessary on this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a rank of 137 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 8% of all tested systems, indicating a very high level of performance. The rank is a composite measure that reflects the system's ability to run the game across all tested resolutions and settings. A higher rank means the combo outperforms a significant majority of other hardware pairings.

To contextualize this rank, consider the individual components. The CPU's average benchmark score is 26214, placing it in the 83rd percentile. The GPU's average benchmark score is 53610, placing it in the 88th percentile. This pairing of two high-percentile components results in a system that is well-balanced and capable of delivering high framerates. The GPU's performance is particularly notable, with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scoring 53489, a difference of only 0.2%. This indicates the RTX 4080 SUPER is a top-tier graphics card.

The combo's rank of 137 suggests that while it is not the absolute fastest configuration possible, it is a very strong performer. The 4K results, where it achieves 59.1 FPS on High, are a signal of its power. The 1440p results are exceptional, with all presets except Ultra exceeding 72 FPS. This ranking confirms that the Ryzen 7 5700X does not bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER in this title, allowing the GPU to perform to its full potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for The Medium. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, it has a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, which is crucial for handling high-resolution textures and data-heavy scenes. The GPU's boost clock is 2550 MHz, and it features 10240 shading units, providing immense computational power for pixel and vertex processing. Its 80 RT cores are dedicated to ray tracing, although the measured data does not specify if this feature was enabled.

The GPU's performance is clearly the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 44.3 FPS, showing the immense load placed on the GPU. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear, with the 4K High preset (59.1 FPS) being significantly slower than the 1080p High preset (85.9 FPS). This indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is being pushed to its limits at 4K, but it still delivers playable framerates on the High preset.

The GPU's benchmarks show it is a top-tier card, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and an average benchmark score of 53610, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489, a difference of only 0.2%. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for The Medium, as there are no signs of texture pop-in or performance degradation that would indicate memory saturation. Its 320 W TDP is a consideration for power supply requirements, but the performance it delivers in this game justifies its power draw.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance scales predictably with settings. The Low preset delivers 145.1 FPS, which is the highest framerate recorded. The Medium preset achieves 119.1 FPS, offering a 26 FPS advantage over High. The High preset runs at 85.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops significantly to 66.7 FPS. This shows a 54% performance penalty for moving from Medium to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the framerates are still high. The Low preset delivers 132.3 FPS. The Medium preset provides a substantial boost to 100.4 FPS, which is a great result for 1440p. The High preset is playable at 72.2 FPS, and the Ultra preset is just below the 60 FPS mark at 59.4 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is 12.8 FPS, which may be noticeable to some users.

At 3840x2160, the demands on the GPU are clear. The Low preset achieves 121.1 FPS, showing the game scales well even at 4K with lower settings. The Medium preset is a strong option at 75.8 FPS. The High preset is the most balanced for 4K, hitting 59.1 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in 44.3 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER can handle 4K, but users must be selective with settings to maintain a smooth experience.