The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror title that stresses the GPU heavily, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers a wide spread of performance across resolutions and presets. Measured data shows this combo ranks 154th out of 3,724 tested combinations, placing it in the top tier of systems for this game. The RTX 5090 D, with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, drives frame rates that range from 54 FPS at 4K Ultra to 142 FPS at 1080p Low, while the Ryzen 7 5700X’s 8 cores and 16 threads provide a stable foundation that never appears to bottleneck the GPU in the measured rows.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all four settings presets, indicating that the limiting component shifts decisively toward the GPU as pixel count rises. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 142 FPS at 1920x1080 to 134 FPS at 2560x1440, a decline of 8 FPS, and then to 124 FPS at 3840x2160, another 10 FPS drop. This represents a total reduction of 18 FPS, or roughly 12.7% from 1080p to 4K, which is relatively modest and suggests that at Low settings the CPU still has headroom to feed the GPU even at 4K.

Moving to Medium settings, the scaling pattern becomes more pronounced. At 1080p Medium, the average is 118 FPS, which drops to 112 FPS at 1440p (a 6 FPS decline) and then to 95 FPS at 4K (a 17 FPS drop from 1440p). The 1440p to 4K transition is where the GPU begins to feel the load, as the pixel count more than doubles. At High settings, the trend accelerates further: 103 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 16 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 19 FPS, showing that each resolution step imposes an increasing penalty.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling, with 82 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 13 FPS, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 15 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the system is clearly GPU-limited, as the RTX 5090 D is pushed to its limits with the game’s highest visual fidelity. The data shows that the RTX 5090 D’s raw compute power, rated at 104.8 TFLOPS FP32, is sufficient for high frame rates at lower resolutions but gets progressively taxed as resolution increases, particularly with the heavier presets.

The min and max FPS values recorded only for Medium settings across all three resolutions provide additional insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the range spans 100 to 136 FPS, a 36 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 95 to 128 FPS, a 33 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range tightens to 81 to 110 FPS, a 29 FPS spread. This narrowing of the variance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes the consistent bottleneck, smoothing out the frame delivery as the CPU’s role diminishes.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a Zen 3 Vermeer chip built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 4,150 million transistors position it as a mid-range desktop processor, and its benchmark results show it performs comparably to the Intel Core i5-12600K, with both scoring 27,578 in the average benchmark score, a 0% delta. The Ryzen 7 5700X also sits within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and 0.3% of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, while trailing the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X by 0.2%.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 142 FPS, which is the highest recorded frame rate across all configurations. This suggests that the Ryzen 7 5700X’s single-thread performance, indicated by its 3DMark single-thread score of 921 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,499, is adequate for the game’s CPU demands at lower resolutions. The 16 threads also help with the game’s background loading and streaming, as evidenced by the 3DMark 16-thread score of 6,858 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 13,184.

However, the CPU’s influence wanes as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 54, which is less than half of the 1080p Low result. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU. The Ryzen 7 5700X’s 65 W TDP and DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5090 D’s demands, as the data shows no abnormal dips or stutters in the min FPS values for Medium settings. The processor’s percentile ranking of 79 versus all CPUs reinforces that it is a capable but not top-tier part, yet in this game, it does not appear to hold back the GPU at any resolution or preset.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 142, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 54, which is the lowest measured result across all configurations.

Q: What are the min and max FPS values for Medium settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 112, with a min FPS of 95 and a max FPS of 128.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck; even at 1080p Low where the CPU is most stressed, the system achieves 142 FPS, and the FPS scaling with resolution follows a GPU-limited pattern.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 5700X scores 27,578 on average, which is identical to the Intel Core i5-12600K, 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, and 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 103 at 1920x1080 to 68 at 3840x2160, a total reduction of 35 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 142 FPS, which is the peak for the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 118 FPS, with a min of 100 FPS and a max of 136 FPS, indicating a 36 FPS variance. High settings drop to 103 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 82 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a total reduction of 60 FPS, with each preset step costing roughly 20 FPS on average.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease uniformly. Low settings average 134 FPS, a 8 FPS drop from 1080p. Medium settings average 112 FPS, with a min of 95 FPS and a max of 128 FPS, a 33 FPS variance. High settings average 87 FPS, and Ultra settings average 69 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 65 FPS, slightly larger than at 1080p, reflecting the increased GPU load.

At 3840x2160, the system’s performance is most constrained. Low settings average 124 FPS, which is still playable but 18 FPS lower than 1080p. Medium settings average 95 FPS, with a min of 81 FPS and a max of 110 FPS, a 29 FPS variance. High settings average 68 FPS, and Ultra settings average 54 FPS. The total spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 70 FPS, the largest of any resolution, underscoring the GPU’s sensitivity to preset changes at high pixel counts.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with min and max FPS data, and they show a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the min FPS drops (100 at 1080p, 95 at 1440p, 81 at 4K) and the max FPS drops (136 at 1080p, 128 at 1440p, 110 at 4K). The variance also shrinks with resolution, from 36 FPS at 1080p to 29 FPS at 4K, suggesting more stable frame delivery at higher resolutions due to the GPU becoming the sole bottleneck.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on TSMC’s 5 nm process, with 92,200 million transistors and a die size of 750 mm². Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for The Medium’s high-resolution textures and fixed-camera scenes that often load large environments. The GPU’s boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz, combined with 21,760 shading units, deliver 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, positioning it as a top-tier part with a 92nd percentile ranking versus all GPUs.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 D achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326 and a Passmark G3D score of 44,065. Its nearest rivals in the average benchmark score include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904, 1.1% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, 1.6% higher), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, 2.1% higher). These comparisons are based on aggregate scores, but in The Medium specifically, the GPU’s performance is dictated by its memory bandwidth and compute throughput.

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 5090 D excels at lower resolutions and settings, but its performance degrades predictably as the workload increases. At 1080p Low, the GPU is underutilized, achieving 142 FPS, which is likely near the game’s engine limit or CPU ceiling. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully taxed, dropping to 54 FPS. The 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as even at 4K Ultra, the data shows no signs of memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in, given the consistent min FPS values at Medium settings.

The GPU’s 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores are relevant for The Medium’s use of ray-traced reflections and shadows, though the measured data does not isolate these effects. The pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s indicate that the GPU can handle the game’s fixed-camera rendering efficiently, but the frame rate drops at 4K Ultra suggest that the shading workload, not memory bandwidth, is the limiting factor at the highest preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, every preset is playable, with Low at 142 FPS, Medium at 118 FPS, High at 103 FPS, and Ultra at 82 FPS. For a 60 FPS target, Ultra is sufficient, but for 100+ FPS, High or Medium provides a better balance, as Medium offers 118 FPS with a min of 100 FPS, ensuring no drops below the refresh rate of most 1080p monitors.

At 2560x1440, the data shows that Low (134 FPS) and Medium (112 FPS) both exceed 100 FPS, while High (87 FPS) and Ultra (69 FPS) fall below that threshold. For a smooth experience on a 1440p high-refresh display, Medium settings are recommended, as they provide 112 FPS average with a min of 95 FPS, keeping frame times consistent. High settings at 87 FPS are also viable for 60 Hz displays, but Ultra at 69 FPS may introduce occasional dips that could be noticeable in slower-paced horror scenes.

At 3840x2160, the choice is more constrained. Low settings deliver 124 FPS, which is excellent for 4K, but the visual quality reduction may be too severe. Medium settings average 95 FPS, with a min of 81 FPS and a max of 110 FPS, making it the best balance for 4K gaming on a 60 Hz or 120 Hz display, as the min FPS stays above 80. High settings at 68 FPS are playable on 60 Hz displays but leave little headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra settings at 54 FPS are the most demanding, and while they are above 30 FPS, the 54 FPS average may not feel smooth on displays with a 60 Hz refresh rate.

For the best overall experience across all resolutions, Medium settings offer the most consistent performance, as this is the only preset with recorded min and max FPS values that show a tight variance. The data indicates that Medium settings at 4K (95 FPS), 1440p (112 FPS), and 1080p (118 FPS) all provide high frame rates with no min FPS below 81, making it the recommended preset for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 154th out of 3,724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 4.1% of all systems. This high ranking is driven primarily by the GPU’s exceptional performance, as the RTX 5090 D’s 92nd percentile ranking versus all GPUs and its 32 GB of VRAM ensure that it can handle the game’s most demanding settings. The CPU’s 79th percentile ranking is less impressive, but the data shows that it does not bottleneck the GPU in this title.

Comparing the combo to its individual components’ nearest rivals, the RTX 5090 D outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT by 1.1% in average benchmark score, while the Ryzen 7 5700X matches the Intel Core i5-12600K with a 0% delta. In The Medium, these synthetic differences translate to the measured FPS results, which show the combo delivering playable frame rates at all resolutions and settings, with the only sub-60 FPS result being 4K Ultra at 54 FPS.

The rank of 154 out of 3,724 means that 153 other combos achieve higher performance in this game, likely featuring more powerful CPUs or GPUs that can push 4K Ultra past the 54 FPS mark. However, the combo’s position in the top 4% of all tested systems indicates that it is a strong choice for The Medium, particularly for users targeting 1440p or 4K at Medium or High settings, where the measured FPS exceeds 68 at all times. The data suggests that the RTX 5090 D’s raw power is the primary driver of this ranking, as the CPU’s contribution is secondary given the game’s GPU-intensive nature.