The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 presents a fascinating case study in The Medium, a horror title known for its fixed-camera angles and heavy use of volumetric effects. The measured data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet still demonstrates a CPU performance ceiling that becomes apparent only at 1080p. This combination ranks 53rd out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.1% of all configurations, proof of the raw power of the RTX 5090 even when paired with a previous-generation CPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a classic, predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drops reveals where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Medium settings, the system produces 119.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that number drops to 113.5 FPS, a relatively modest decline of roughly 5.3%. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K is far more punishing, with the average FPS falling to 92.3, a substantial 18.7% reduction. This pattern intensifies at the higher preset levels. For instance, at High settings, the drop from 1080p (99.8 FPS) to 1440p (84.8 FPS) is 15%, and then to 4K (67.5 FPS) is an additional 20.4%.

This scaling curve is the signature of a GPU-limited scenario. The RTX 5090, with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, is feeding the render pipeline with immense data throughput. At 1080p, the resolution is low enough that the GPU can process frames faster than the CPU can issue draw calls, creating a potential CPU bottleneck. As resolution climbs, the GPU's fillrate and shading units become the limiting factor, and the FPS drops proportionally to the increase in pixel count. The fact that the 1080p to 1440p drop is smaller than the 1440p to 4K drop suggests that at 1080p, the system is not fully utilizing the GPU’s potential, holding back performance. The data implies that for maximum frame rates, 1080p is the target, but the system truly shines as a 4K powerhouse, where the GPU's immense resources are fully engaged.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, featuring a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23571 and a single-core score of 3327, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. In The Medium, the CPU's role is most evident at the 1080p resolution where the GPU is less burdened. The gap between Low and High settings at 1080p is 47.4 FPS (147.2 vs 99.8), whereas at 4K, the same settings gap is 60.2 FPS (127.7 vs 67.5). This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is more capable of feeding frames, but it still cannot keep pace with the RTX 5090's raw speed.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, as the frame rates scale heavily with resolution. However, the 5800X's performance is sufficient to keep the GPU well-fed, ensuring that the RTX 5090 is not left waiting. The processor’s 32 MB of L3 cache is likely beneficial for the game's streaming of assets, and its 16 threads handle the game's multi-threaded rendering tasks adequately. While the CPU is not the star of the show, its strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 3dmark single-thread score of 943, prevents it from becoming a liability, even when pushing for high frame rates at 1080p. The data shows a balanced partnership where the CPU is capable, but clearly secondary to the GPU's dominance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the undisputed driver of performance in this configuration. Its Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process, contains 21,760 shading units and 170 RT cores. The sheer scale of the GPU, with a die size of 750 mm² and 92,200 million transistors, is reflected in its benchmark scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14411 and a Passmark G3D score of 39650. The GPU’s role in The Medium is to handle the game's demanding visual effects, which are heavy on volumetric lighting and particle systems. The impact of the GPU is most clearly seen in the scaling between presets at a fixed resolution.

At 4K, the difference between Low and Medium settings is a 35.4 FPS jump (92.3 vs 127.7), while the jump from High to Ultra is a 16.6 FPS drop (67.5 vs 50.9). This indicates that the Ultra preset, likely enabling higher-quality reflections and shadows, puts an enormous load on the GPU. The RTX 5090's 32 GB of VRAM is a significant advantage here, ensuring that the game's textures and geometry never exceed the memory capacity, even at 4K with Ultra settings. The GPU's high memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s ensures that data can be moved quickly, preventing stutters. The data clearly shows that the RTX 5090 is the component that defines the experience, and its performance headroom is what allows for high frame rates even at 4K, a resolution where many other GPUs would struggle.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data points to specific choices. At 4K, the High preset is the only viable option that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, delivering an average of 67.5 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 50.9 FPS, which may not be smooth enough for some players. Therefore, for 4K gaming, High settings are the recommended choice to prioritize smoothness over maximum visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the user has more flexibility. The High preset delivers 84.8 FPS, which is excellent, but the Medium preset at 113.5 FPS offers a significant performance boost with a likely minimal visual difference. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Medium preset at 1440p provides the best balance of speed and quality. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best choice, delivering a solid 78.5 FPS. This allows users to max out the game's visuals while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that the Medium preset is a strong "sweet spot" for 1440p, while High is the go-to for 4K, and Ultra is perfectly playable at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 5800X and RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 53 out of 1689 tested combinations. This places it in the top 3.1% of all systems tested, a strong result. This high ranking is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's immense power. The RTX 5090's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the RTX 5090 D (0.1% faster), the RTX 5050 Mobile (0.2% faster), and the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (1.3% faster), showing that the desktop 5090 is at the very top of the performance stack. The CPU, while not a top-tier contender in synthetic benchmarks, does not hold the system back in this game.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (0.3% faster) and the Intel Core i5-12600KF (0.8% faster), show that the 5800X is still a very competitive processor. The data indicates that this combo's ranking is a result of a high-end GPU paired with a solid, if not top-tier, CPU. The system's performance in The Medium is exceptional, but a more modern CPU might push the ranking even higher, especially in scenarios that are more CPU-bound. However, for this specific game, the pairing is extremely effective, as the GPU carries the load at higher resolutions, and the CPU provides enough support to avoid being a significant limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K with High settings?

A: The system achieves an average of 67.5 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 bottlenecked by the Ryzen 7 5800X?

A: The data suggests a mild CPU bottleneck at 1080p, where the frame rate does not scale as much as the GPU would allow. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 113.5 FPS, which is the best balance of high frame rate and visual quality for such a display.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 have?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 comes equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 53rd out of 1689 tested combos.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a playable frame rate at 4K?

A: At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 50.9, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making High a better choice for 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|:--------- |:------- |:------ |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 147.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 119.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 99.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 78.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 138.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 113.5 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 84.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 66.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 127.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 92.3 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 67.5 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 50.9 |