The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination ranks at position 2904 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the pairing in the 22nd percentile of all recorded systems, indicating that while it is not a top-tier configuration for this title, it sits comfortably ahead of the bottom quarter of the database. The rank reflects a balance where the CPU’s strong multi-threaded capabilities are constrained by the GPU’s mid-range positioning, a dynamic that becomes evident when examining the frame rate data across resolutions and settings.

The Ryzen 7 5800X itself performs well in synthetic benchmarks, achieving an average score of 29123 and ranking in the 81st percentile against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H with a delta of 0.1 percent, the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 at -0.4 percent, the Intel Core i5-13500HX at -0.5 percent, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT at 0.6 percent. These margins are negligible, meaning the 5800X is effectively tied with those processors in raw compute. However, in The Medium, the graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck, as the data shows the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth limit performance more than the CPU’s 16 threads or 32 MB of L3 cache.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this combo?*

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers the highest average at 84 FPS. For a playable experience at higher visual quality, 2560x1440 with Medium settings yields 44 FPS, while 3840x2160 with Low settings averages 55 FPS, though the latter may suffer from inconsistent frame pacing.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2904 out of 3724 combos, placing it in the lower 22 percent of all configurations tested for The Medium. This suggests that while the hardware is capable, many other pairings deliver higher frame rates in this specific game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting component. The data shows that at 1920x1080, dropping from Ultra to Low increases FPS from 30 to 84, a 180 percent improvement. Meanwhile, the CPU’s synthetic benchmarks show it outperforming rivals like the Intel Core i5-13500HX by only 0.5 percent, indicating it has ample headroom that the RX 6600 cannot utilize at higher settings.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?*

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 20 on Ultra to 55 on Low. Only the Low preset achieves a playable frame rate, and even that is borderline. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are insufficient for consistent 4K performance, as evidenced by the steep drop from 55 FPS at Low to 35 FPS at Medium.

Q: What is the typical frame time variance at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 37 and the maximum is 51, resulting in a 14 FPS spread. This variance indicates noticeable frame pacing fluctuations, which can be distracting in a horror title that relies on atmospheric tension.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 6600 scores an average of 19036 in benchmarks, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 with a delta of 0 percent, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile at -0.1 percent, the NVIDIA Tesla K20m at -0.3 percent, and the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation at 0.4 percent, showing it is statistically tied with these cards.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 serves as the performance ceiling in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for 1080p and modest 1440p gaming but becomes a severe constraint at higher resolutions and quality settings. The GPU’s base clock of 1626 MHz and boost clock of 2491 MHz allow for decent burst performance, yet the 2044 MHz game clock is the more realistic sustained figure during actual gameplay.

The RX 6600’s 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs handle the game’s DirectX 12 Ultimate workload, but the 28 ray tracing cores are underutilized in The Medium, as the title’s fixed camera angles and pre-baked lighting reduce the need for real-time ray tracing. The GPU’s 8.928 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is moderate for 2021 hardware, and the benchmark results reflect this: the card scores 15096 in Passmark G3D and 67623 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it in the 63rd percentile overall.

In The Medium, the GPU’s limitations manifest most clearly at 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is likely exceeded when textures are set to High or Ultra, causing the frame rate to plummet from 55 FPS at Low to 35 FPS at Medium, a 36 percent reduction. This suggests that memory bandwidth, not raw compute, is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU provides a playable experience across all settings, but the 30 FPS average on Ultra indicates that the card is being pushed to its limits. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, scores nearly identically in synthetic tests, but the RX 6600’s modern architecture and driver support give it an edge in actual gaming scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 84 FPS on Low, 52 FPS on Medium, 37 FPS on High, and 30 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 60 FPS, indicating that the game is playable but with occasional dips below 45 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 32 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 15 FPS, and from High to Ultra costs 7 FPS, showing diminishing returns at the higher end.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 71 FPS on Low, 44 FPS on Medium, 32 FPS on High, and 25 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 51 FPS, a 14 FPS spread that suggests frame time inconsistency. The 1440p Low setting retains 71 FPS, which is only 13 FPS lower than 1080p Low, indicating that the GPU is still capable at this resolution with reduced visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the performance collapses. The averages are 55 FPS on Low, 35 FPS on Medium, 25 FPS on High, and 20 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 29 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS, meaning the game can dip below 30 FPS during intense scenes. The difference between 1440p Low (71 FPS) and 4K Low (55 FPS) is 16 FPS, while the difference between 4K Low and 4K Medium is 20 FPS, highlighting the steep cost of resolution scaling combined with quality increases.

The data shows a consistent pattern: Low settings provide the only playable frame rates at 4K, while Medium is the highest playable preset at 1440p, and Ultra is just barely playable at 1080p. The lack of min/max FPS data for most presets means that the average figures may hide significant stuttering, but the available data for Medium settings at all resolutions shows that the game can experience frame drops of 15-20 percent below the average.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU-bound nature of this combo. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 84 at 1080p to 71 at 1440p and 55 at 4K, representing a 15 percent reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 35 percent reduction from 1080p to 4K. This scaling is relatively linear, suggesting that the GPU has enough memory bandwidth to handle the increased pixel count but is limited by its compute units.

At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 52 at 1080p to 44 at 1440p and 35 at 4K. The percentage drops are 15 percent and 33 percent respectively, which is similar to Low settings. However, the absolute frame rates are lower, meaning that the 4K Medium average of 35 FPS is barely playable, while 1080p Medium at 52 FPS is comfortable.

The High and Ultra presets show more dramatic scaling. High goes from 37 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 1440p and 25 FPS at 4K, a 13 percent drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 32 percent drop from 1080p to 4K. Ultra goes from 30 FPS at 1080p to 25 FPS at 1440p and 20 FPS at 4K, a 17 percent and 33 percent reduction respectively. These steeper drops at higher settings indicate that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is being saturated, causing the memory subsystem to become the limiting factor.

The scaling pattern suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not change significantly with pixel count. Instead, the FPS drops consistently, which points to the GPU’s rendering pipeline being the constraint. The Ryzen 7 5800X’s 16 threads and 3.80 GHz base clock provide more than enough processing power for the game’s fixed-camera rendering, as evidenced by its 16-core synthetic scores that rival the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset at 52 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The minimum of 44 FPS ensures that the game rarely drops below a playable threshold, while the maximum of 60 FPS provides smooth moments. High at 37 FPS is acceptable for players who prioritize visuals, but the 15 FPS drop from Medium may not justify the graphical improvements. Ultra at 30 FPS is only recommended for players with adaptive sync displays, as the frame rate will hover at the edge of playability.

At 1440p, Medium is the highest playable preset, averaging 44 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS. This is the recommended setting for a consistent experience, as High at 32 FPS and Ultra at 25 FPS risk becoming stuttery during action sequences. Low at 71 FPS is smooth but sacrifices too much visual detail for a horror game that relies on atmosphere. Players with higher refresh rate monitors may prefer Low for the frame rate, but the graphical compromise is significant.

At 4K, only Low is playable, averaging 55 FPS. This setting still delivers a decent visual experience, though texture details will be noticeably reduced. Medium at 35 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 29 FPS that will cause noticeable hitches during camera transitions. High and Ultra are not recommended, as the 25 FPS and 20 FPS averages respectively fall below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The data suggests that the combo is best suited for 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium gaming. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is adequate for these settings, and the Ryzen 7 5800X ensures that the CPU never becomes a limiting factor. For players who own a 1440p monitor, Medium is the optimal choice, providing a 44 FPS average that maintains the game’s intended atmosphere without sacrificing playability. The RX 6600’s performance in this title is consistent with its 63rd percentile ranking, delivering a mid-range experience that is neither exceptional nor disappointing.