The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing in The Medium delivers a top-tier experience, but the data reveals that the GPU is the dominant force, with CPU performance providing ample headroom. The combination ranks 63rd out of 1,689 tested configurations, placing it in the top 3.7% of all systems. Benchmark results indicate that this setup is capable of high refresh rates at 1440p and solid 4K performance, though the most demanding preset will challenge even this flagship hardware.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. With a 32 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support, this CPU provides substantial compute resources. Its synthetic benchmark scores are strong: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23,571 and a single-core score of 3,327, alongside a Geekbench multi-core score of 10,220.

In The Medium, this CPU's role is largely to feed the GPU efficiently without becoming a bottleneck. The game’s measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 146.7 FPS average, which is the highest recorded for this combo. This suggests that even at lower resolutions where CPU load is relatively higher, the 5800X maintains sufficient performance. The processor's 16 threads are more than adequate for a horror title that does not heavily stress multi-threading, as evidenced by the fact that FPS scales primarily with resolution and GPU settings rather than CPU-bound scenarios.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the 5800X sits in a tight performance band. It is 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE and Intel Core i7-13700H. This marginal difference means that in gaming, the choice between these CPUs would yield negligible FPS variance. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all processors further confirms that it is a high-end part, but not the absolute fastest, leaving the RTX 4090 to dictate the final frame rates.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. It features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. Its Ada Lovelace architecture includes 16,384 shading units and 128 RT cores, with boost clocks reaching 2,520 MHz. The GPU’s compute capabilities are immense, with an FP32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS and a Passmark G3D score of 38,194, placing it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs.

The RTX 4090’s influence on The Medium is clear from the FPS scaling across settings. At 4K Ultra, the system drops to 51.1 FPS average, showing that the game’s highest preset is GPU-intensive. Conversely, at 4K Low, the average jumps to 129 FPS, demonstrating the GPU’s raw power when graphical load is reduced. The 24 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this title, as even at 4K Ultra, memory capacity is unlikely to be a limiting factor; the performance drop is instead due to shading and rasterization demands.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are professional cards rather than gaming-focused ones. It is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA Tesla T4 and 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P40. This indicates that in raw compute, the RTX 4090 is comparable to workstation parts, but its gaming-specific features and drivers make it far more effective in titles like The Medium.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 146.7 at 1080p to 136.8 at 1440p and then to 129 at 4K. This represents a 12.1% decrease from 1080p to 4K, which is relatively modest and shows that at Low settings, the RTX 4090 still has headroom, with the CPU able to keep up.

At Medium settings, the scaling is steeper: 121.4 FPS at 1080p, 111.9 at 1440p, and 89.8 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 26%, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as settings increase. For High settings, the averages are 93.8, 78.1, and 63 FPS respectively, a 32.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Ultra settings show the most significant scaling, with 76.9 FPS at 1080p dropping to 60.4 at 1440p and 51.1 at 4K – a 33.5% loss at 4K.

This pattern confirms that the limiting component is the GPU at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains consistent performance. The 5800X’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3,327 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures that it does not bottleneck even at 1080p Low where frame rates exceed 140 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 4090 scales predictably with resolution, and users targeting 4K will need to adjust settings accordingly.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, the Medium preset at 1440p is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 111.9 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while still offering improved visuals over Low. At 4K, Medium provides 89.8 FPS, which is highly playable and a better option than High or Ultra for maintaining high refresh rates.

High settings at 1440p yield 78.1 FPS, which is acceptable for most players, but the jump to Ultra at 1440p drops to 60.4 FPS. Given that Medium is 51.5% faster than Ultra at 1440p, the visual gains from Ultra may not justify the performance cost. At 1080p, Medium at 121.4 FPS is the sweet spot for competitive play, though Low at 146.7 FPS offers the highest possible frame rate for those prioritizing smoothness above all else.

For 4K users, the data suggests that Medium is the highest preset that maintains a comfortable frame rate above 60 FPS. High at 63 FPS is borderline, while Ultra at 51.1 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold. Therefore, the measured rows indicate that Medium is the recommended preset for a 60+ FPS experience at 4K, and High at 1440p is a solid alternative for higher fidelity.

FAQ

*Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in The Medium?*

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 146.7, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K Ultra above 60 FPS?*

A: No, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 51.1, which is below 60.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800X compare to its closest rival, the Ryzen 7 5800?

A: The 5800X has an average benchmark score 0.3% higher than the Ryzen 7 5800, making the performance difference negligible.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 136.8 FPS, while Ultra produces 60.4 FPS, a difference of 76.4 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, the data shows no indication of VRAM limitations; performance scales with settings and resolution as expected from GPU compute load.

Q: What percentile does the RTX 4090 rank among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 4090 ranks in the 91st percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 146.7 FPS on Low, 121.4 on Medium, 93.8 on High, and 76.9 on Ultra. These numbers show a clear progression where each settings tier reduces performance by roughly 15-25%.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 136.8 FPS on Low, 111.9 on Medium, 78.1 on High, and 60.4 on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 76.4 FPS, indicating that Ultra is nearly 56% slower than Low.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 129 FPS on Low, 89.8 on Medium, 63 on High, and 51.1 on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest recorded, and the gap between Low and Ultra is 77.9 FPS. Across all resolutions, the scaling from Low to Ultra is consistent, with Ultra typically halving the frame rate compared to Low, except at 1080p where the difference is 69.8 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 63rd out of 1,689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 3.7% of all systems tested, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of configurations. The high ranking is primarily driven by the RTX 4090’s exceptional GPU performance, as the CPU’s 84th percentile ranking is good but not elite.

Given that the RTX 4090 sits in the 91st percentile of GPUs, the combo’s 63rd rank out of 1,689 suggests that the CPU is not holding the GPU back significantly. In fact, the data shows that this pairing is well-balanced for this title, with the CPU providing sufficient single-thread performance to avoid bottlenecks at high frame rates. The rank also implies that there are 62 other combos that perform better, likely featuring even faster CPUs or more optimized pairings, but for practical purposes, this system delivers excellent results across all measured resolutions and settings. The measured FPS figures confirm that this is a high-end setup capable of handling The Medium with ease, except for the most extreme 4K Ultra scenario.