The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher fidelity settings. The measured FPS shows a clear pattern where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance ensures the system never becomes CPU-limited. This analysis explores the measured results, contextualizes the hardware’s standing against its nearest rivals, and provides a clear picture of what settings and resolutions this combo can handle.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a playable frame rate?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 92 FPS, and at Medium settings it averages 57 FPS. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, it averages 77 FPS, but at Medium settings, it drops to 48 FPS. For a consistently smooth experience, 1920x1080 is the most reliable resolution, with 2560x1440 being viable only on lower presets.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER perform against its closest competitors?

A: Based on the average benchmark score of 18093, the RTX 2060 SUPER is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, which has a score of 18159, a difference of -0.4%. It also sits within 1.5% of the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 and 1.6% of the Intel Arc A770M, indicating very similar raw compute performance among these four GPUs.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5800X a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 SUPER?

A: No, the CPU appears to be more than capable. The Ryzen 7 5800X has a high average benchmark score of 29123 and sits in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. Given that FPS drops significantly with higher resolutions and settings (from 92 FPS at 1080p Low to 27 FPS at 4K High), the limiting factor is clearly the GPU, not the 8-core, 16-thread processor.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The gap is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average FPS at Low settings is 92, while at Ultra settings, it falls to 33 FPS. This represents a 59 FPS drop, or roughly a 64% reduction in performance, showing the massive cost of the highest fidelity settings on this GPU.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Only at the lowest settings. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 61 FPS. However, at Medium settings, it drops to 38 FPS, and at High settings, it falls to 27 FPS. This indicates that 4K is only playable with significant graphical compromises.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800X compare to its nearest CPU rivals in terms of average score?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800X’s average score of 29123 is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (29093) and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28940). It is 0.4% below the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 (29245) and 0.5% below the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270), placing it in a very tight performance cluster.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds the rank of 2606 out of 3724 combos. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, it does not deliver top-tier performance relative to other configurations. The rank suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings are capable of higher frame rates, likely due to more powerful graphics cards being paired with similar or better processors.

The CPU itself is not the reason for this mid-to-low ranking. The Ryzen 7 5800X’s high percentile rank (81st) and robust multi-threaded scores, such as 15476 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, show it is a powerful processor. The performance bottleneck is almost certainly the RTX 2060 SUPER, which sits in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. This is a classic case where a strong CPU is paired with a mid-range GPU, and the game’s demands on the GPU limit the overall combo’s standing. The data implies that upgrading the graphics card would yield a far more significant improvement in this game than any CPU change.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the decisive component in this configuration for The Medium. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is a critical resource for a game with complex textures and environments. The GPU’s base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz determine its processing speed, and with 2176 shading units, it is a capable mid-range part. Its performance percentile of 62 indicates it is an average-to-above-average GPU, but not a high-end one.

The measured FPS data clearly shows the GPU’s limitations. As settings increase from Low to Ultra at any resolution, the frame rate drops dramatically. For instance, at 2560x1440, the average FPS falls from 77 on Low to 27 on Ultra. This steep decline is a direct result of the GPU being overwhelmed by the increased shading, texture, and post-processing workloads. The GPU is also the reason 4K is largely unplayable, with only the Low preset achieving an average above 60 FPS. The RTX 2060 SUPER is simply not powerful enough to maintain high frame rates with high-fidelity visuals in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the configuration shows its strength. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 92 FPS, which is very smooth. Medium settings drop to an average of 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 and a maximum of 66 FPS, still a playable experience. High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 33 FPS, which is less fluid but remains technically playable for some.

Moving to 2560x1440, the strain on the GPU becomes more apparent. Low settings still produce a good average of 77 FPS. Medium settings average 48 FPS, with a range of 41 to 55 FPS. The High preset drops to 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS, making these settings less desirable for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the resolution is too demanding for this GPU in most scenarios. The Low preset manages an average of 61 FPS, which is just about playable. Medium settings drop to an average of 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43 FPS. High settings average 27 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 21 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: the RTX 2060 SUPER can handle 1080p and 1440p at lower settings, but it struggles at 4K beyond the minimum preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience for this combo is found at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset yields an average of 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS, ensuring a mostly stable and responsive experience. The jump from Low to Medium is a significant visual upgrade, and the frame rate remains in a comfortable range for a horror game where atmosphere is key.

For players who prioritize smoothness above all else, 1920x1080 with Low settings is the superior choice, offering an average of 92 FPS. This is ideal for fast-paced segments or for those sensitive to frame drops. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only sensible option, as it is the only one that consistently stays above 60 FPS with an average of 77 FPS. While 1440p Medium is playable at 48 FPS, the trade-off in smoothness may not be worth the visual upgrade. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended at any resolution, as their average frame rates (41 FPS and below) would likely feel sluggish and detract from the game's intended experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, provides a very solid foundation for gaming. Its 3.80 GHz base clock and 4.70 GHz boost clock, combined with a 32 MB L3 cache, give it excellent single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. This is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15476 and a single-core score of 1574.5, alongside a Geekbench single-core score of 2032.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and streaming. The data indicates that it does so without becoming a limiting factor. For example, at 1080p, the frame rate scales dramatically with GPU load: 92 FPS on Low versus 33 FPS on Ultra. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see the frame rate plateau or be much closer between these settings, as the CPU’s workload would cap the performance. The fact that the FPS scales so heavily with resolution and settings points to the GPU being the sole constraint. The Ryzen 7 5800X’s high multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Passmark multithread score of 27732, ensures it can feed the GPU with data without stuttering or causing frame pacing issues, even in complex scenes.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 92 at 1920x1080, to 77 at 2560x1440, and finally to 61 at 3840x2160. This is a relatively gentle decline, showing that even at 4K, the GPU can manage on the lowest preset. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 34%, which is less severe than at higher settings, suggesting that at Low, the workload is not saturating the GPU’s memory bandwidth or compute units completely.

At Medium settings, the scaling is more punishing. The average FPS falls from 57 at 1080p, to 48 at 1440p, and down to 38 at 4K. This is a 33% drop from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the decline is even steeper, with averages of 41, 35, and 27 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively, representing a 34% drop from 1080p to 4K. This pattern is typical of a GPU that is running out of pixel processing power and fill rate. The fact that the drops are proportionally similar across settings indicates that the bottleneck is consistent: it is the GPU’s raw compute and memory bandwidth that are being exhausted. The CPU’s performance is not the limiting factor, as it would show a more dramatic FPS drop at lower resolutions if it were. This analysis confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary component governing performance in The Medium.