The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a robust 1080p experience in The Medium, with average frame rates ranging from 70 FPS at Ultra settings to 124 FPS at Low. However, the combo’s position in the broader database—ranked 503rd out of 3724 tested combinations—reveals that while the hardware is capable, it does not dominate the game’s leaderboard, with CPU and GPU benchmarks showing only average scores relative to their nearest rivals.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename) using TSMC’s 7 nm process node. Its base clock runs at 3.00 GHz, boosting up to 4.10 GHz, and it is configured for the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a TDP of 105 W. The CPU features a substantial L3 cache of 96 MB shared across all cores, alongside 64 KB of L1 cache and 512 KB of L2 cache per core. This large cache is a hallmark of the X3D series, designed to improve gaming performance by reducing latency when accessing frequently used data.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role varies by resolution and settings, but benchmark results indicate that at 1080p, where the GPU has more headroom, the processor still manages to keep frame rates consistently above 70 FPS even at the highest Ultra settings. The single-thread performance of the 5700X3D, as measured in Cinebench R23 single-core at 3157 points, is modest relative to modern contenders, yet the game’s engine appears to scale well with the 8-core/16-thread configuration, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22366 points. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU is not the limiting factor, with the average frame rate reaching 124 FPS, which is the highest among all tested settings.

The processor’s multi-threaded capabilities are further substantiated by the 3DMark 16-thread score of 6764 and the Passmark multithread score of 26318. These figures place the CPU in the 77th percentile of all processors, and its average benchmark score of 24709 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D (24728, -0.1% difference) and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (24822, -0.5%), indicating that the 5700X3D is well matched to the performance of these rivals. The CPU’s benchmark scores also show a slight edge over the Intel Core i5-12450HX (24576, +0.5%) and the Intel Core i5-11600 (24563, +0.6%). In the context of The Medium, these scores translate to the CPU being able to feed the RTX 5080 adequately at 1080p, where the bottleneck shifts more toward the GPU as resolution increases.

At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 124 FPS down to 70 FPS, a 54 FPS drop. This substantial delta underscores the GPU’s dominance at this resolution, as the CPU is not the limiting factor. However, at 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes further, with the frame rate dropping from 117 FPS at 1080p Low to 108 FPS at 4K Low, a 9 FPS decline. The processor’s 96 MB L3 cache helps maintain consistent performance across a variety of game scenes, but the data shows that in The Medium, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck—the GPU is.

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The 5700X3D has an average benchmark score of 24709, placing it just 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D (24728), and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (24822). It is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i5-12450HX (24576) and 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600 (24563).

Q: What is the frame rate at 4K Ultra settings in The Medium?

A: The measured average frame rate is 47 FPS. The game does not maintain a smooth 60 FPS at this setting, indicating that the RTX 5080, while powerful, struggles with the highest preset at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main limitation at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the main limitation. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 89, while at Low it is 124. The CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates, as seen by the 124 FPS at Low, and the performance drop is due to the GPU handling more graphical workload at higher settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to the Radeon RX 9070 GRE?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083, which is 2.2% above the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (57367). It is also 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S (55757) and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698).

Q: What is the 5700X3D’s single-thread score in Cinebench R23?

A: The single-core score is 3157 points. This is a moderate score, and it suggests that the CPU’s single-thread performance is not a significant bottleneck in this game, which leverages multiple cores.

Q: What is the 1080p Medium FPS with minimum and maximum values?

A: The average is 104 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS. This demonstrates a generally stable performance with occasional dips.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the game runs at an average of 124 FPS on Low, 104 on Medium, 89 on High, and 70 on Ultra. This shows a 54 FPS spread between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p, indicating that the GPU load increases significantly with graphical fidelity.

When moving to 1440p, the frame rates drop. The Low preset yields 117 FPS, Medium 98, High 75, and Ultra 59. This is a drop of 7% from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, and 16% from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra. The trend indicates that the GPU is becoming more stressed, and the CPU’s role is diminishing.

At 4K (3840x2160), the FPS drops further: Low 108, Medium 82, High 59, and Ultra 47. The 1440p to 4K transition shows a 0% change on Low, but a 20% decrease on Ultra, from 59 FPS to 47 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that the RTX 5080 is the limiting component at 4K, especially at Ultra settings where the average frame rate falls below 60 FPS.

The data reveals that at 1080p, the GPU is not the bottleneck at Low settings, as the CPU can deliver 124 FPS. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the frame rate drops. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with 47 FPS. The medium settings at 4K provide a playable 82 FPS, but the game’s performance scaling indicates that for 4K gaming, users must choose between visual fidelity and frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is ranked 503rd out of 3724 total combinations in The Medium. This placement puts it in the top 13.5% of all tested combos, indicating a high-performing setup. However, it is not the absolute top-tier combination, as there are 502 other combos that outperform it.

The combo’s ranking is influenced by both the CPU and GPU performance. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 24709, combined with the GPU’s average of 56083, gives a combined performance that places this combo in the upper quartile. The CPU’s 77th percentile and the GPU’s 87th percentile both contribute to this ranking. The combo is well-balanced, with the GPU being the stronger component in this pairing.

It’s important to note that the ranking is specific to The Medium. In other games, the combo might rank higher or lower. For this title, the ranking indicates that the hardware is capable of running the game well, but there are more powerful combos available.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a high-end graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, with a 5 nm process node. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, with memory clocked at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective). The card has 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster operation pipelines, along with 84 RT cores and 336 Tensor cores.

In The Medium, the RTX 5080’s performance is the primary driver. At 1080p Low, it delivers 124 FPS, indicating that the GPU can handle the game at high frame rates when the settings are lowered. As settings increase, the frame rates drop: 104 FPS at Medium, 89 at High, and 70 at Ultra. This pattern shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher settings, as the CPU is capable of higher frame rates.

The GPU’s performance at 4K is also telling. At 4K Ultra, the average is 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K Medium averages 82 FPS, and 4K Low 108 FPS. The GPU’s VRAM of 16 GB is sufficient for the game’s requirements, as the game does not appear to be memory-limited at these settings. The GPU’s 87th percentile rank and average benchmark score of 56083 place it above the AMD Radeon 8060S (55757) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698) counterparts, but slightly below the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (57367). This indicates that the RTX 5080 is a powerful GPU, but not the absolute fastest in the database.

The GPU’s effect on The Medium is significant. The difference between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra is a drop from 70 FPS to 47 FPS, a 33% reduction. This shows that the GPU is the component that limits performance at 4K, while the CPU becomes less important at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination in The Medium is as follows:

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• High: 59 FPS average
• Low: 108 FPS average
• Medium: 82 FPS average (min 70, max 94)
• Ultra: 47 FPS average

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• High: 75 FPS average
• Low: 117 FPS average
• Medium: 98 FPS average (min 83, max 112)
• Ultra: 59 FPS average

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• High: 89 FPS average
• Low: 124 FPS average
• Medium: 104 FPS average (min 88, max 119)
• Ultra: 70 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: FPS decreases as settings increase and as resolution increases. The most demanding preset (4K Ultra) yields 47 FPS, below the 60 FPS target, while the least demanding (1080p Low) yields 124 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset provides a good balance with 98 FPS average, while 4K Medium offers 82 FPS, which could be suitable for a game like The Medium that focuses on atmosphere rather than fast-paced action.

The frame time data for Medium settings shows stable performance: at 1080p, the 104 FPS average has a min of 88 and a max of 119; at 1440p, the 98 FPS average has a min of 83 and a max of 112; and at 4K, the 82 FPS average has a min of 70 and a max of 94. This indicates a fairly consistent frame rate, which is beneficial for a horror game where smoothness can enhance immersion.

The lowest FPS recorded is 47 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is a demanding setting. The highest is 124 FPS at 1080p Low. The data suggests that the game is playable at all settings, but for a smooth 60 FPS experience, users should avoid 4K Ultra and instead use High or Medium at 4K, or Ultra at 1440p.