The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title with a dual-reality rendering trick, presents a unique load profile that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily. This analysis examines the performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, using measured data to determine how this combination handles the game’s demands across resolutions and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is well-balanced but progressively becomes GPU-bound at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average framerate drops from 86 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 14 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average falls further to 57 FPS. This linear descent shows that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K High, as the 5800X3D’s 8-core, 16-thread configuration has enough headroom to keep feeding the RTX 4080 until the pixel-pushing workload becomes overwhelming.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The average framerate at 1080p Ultra is 68 FPS, which drops to 57 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 45 FPS at 4K. The 23 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Ultra demonstrates that the game’s most demanding preset places a massive burden on the graphics card, with the resolution increase directly translating into a near-proportional loss of performance. This indicates that at Ultra settings, the RTX 4080’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated, making the GPU the definitive limiting component.

Interestingly, the Low preset shows the least relative impact from resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 135 FPS, which only drops to 128 FPS at 1440p and 118 FPS at 4K. This relatively modest decline suggests that at Low settings, the game is less dependent on the GPU’s rendering capabilities and more reliant on the CPU’s ability to process the game’s logic and camera transitions. The 5800X3D’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain consistent framerates here, as the game’s dual-world rendering often requires rapid access to large datasets.

The Medium preset offers the most consistent experience across resolutions, with averages of 113 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K. The 34 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Medium is substantial, but the absolute numbers remain playable at every resolution. This suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, balancing the GPU’s workload with the CPU’s capabilities to avoid severe bottlenecks in either direction.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a 7 nm Zen 3 part with 8 cores and 16 threads, featuring a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its defining characteristic is the 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is critical for The Medium’s rendering engine. The game frequently switches between two simultaneous realities, requiring the CPU to manage large amounts of scene data. The 5800X3D’s large cache reduces latency when accessing this data, allowing for smoother framerates even when the GPU is under heavy load.

In benchmark tests, the 5800X3D scores 14,317 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,452 in single-core. Its PassMark multithread score is 28,309, with a single-thread score of 3,234. These numbers place it in the 80th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall performance. Compared to its nearest rivals, the 5800X3D essentially matches the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (0% delta) and the Intel Core i9-10900K (0.1% delta), while slightly trailing the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 (-0.1%) and leading the Intel Core i5-12600KF by 0.3%. For a game like The Medium, the 5800X3D’s advantage lies not in raw multi-core throughput but in its cache hierarchy, which directly benefits the game’s data-heavy workloads.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the system hits 135 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s practical limit for this game, as the GPU has plenty of headroom at this resolution and settings level. The fact that the framerate only drops to 118 FPS at 4K Low (a 13% reduction) suggests that the CPU maintains a high minimum level of performance, and the GPU is not fully utilized until higher settings are applied. The 5800X3D’s 16 threads ensure that background processes do not starve the main game thread, which is crucial for maintaining stable minimum framerates, as seen in the Medium preset’s min FPS of 96 at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 441st out of 3,724 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 12% of all tested configurations, which is a strong result given the game’s demanding nature. The ranking reflects the balanced pairing of a high-end CPU with a high-end GPU, though it also indicates that there are more powerful combinations available for those seeking absolute maximum framerates.

The 5800X3D’s average benchmark score is 27,896, placing it just below the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (27,887) and Intel Core i9-10900K (27,872), while being slightly above the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 (27,932) and Intel Core i5-12600KF (27,799). The RTX 4080’s average benchmark score is 54,247, which is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, 0.1% delta) and ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, -1.1% delta). This combo’s rank of 441 suggests that the 5800X3D does not fully bottleneck the RTX 4080 in this game, but it also does not extract every last frame from the GPU. Users with newer, higher-clocked CPUs might see slightly better results, but the 5800X3D’s cache advantage keeps it competitive.

Given that the data is measured, this rank is a reliable indicator of real-world performance. The combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, making it a viable choice for playing The Medium at high settings with smooth gameplay. However, the rank also implies that for 4K Ultra gaming, this combo will struggle to maintain 60 FPS, as the measured average is only 45 FPS. Users targeting that specific scenario may need to adjust settings or consider a more powerful GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest framerates. Low settings produce an average of 135 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings reduce the average to 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and maximum of 130 FPS, indicating a stable experience with no severe drops. High settings yield 86 FPS, which is still smooth but shows a significant performance cost from the higher-quality textures and effects. Ultra settings bring the average down to 68 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive or highly responsive play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 128 FPS, maintaining a high level of fluidity. Medium settings average 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and maximum of 116 FPS, showing good consistency. High settings drop to 72 FPS, which is a noticeable reduction from 1080p but still acceptable for a cinematic horror game. Ultra settings average 57 FPS, which is right at the edge of smoothness for many players, though the lack of a reported minimum FPS suggests it may dip lower during intense scenes.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 118 FPS, which is surprisingly high and indicates that the 5800X3D can still feed the RTX 4080 even at this resolution when the graphical load is light. Medium settings average 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and maximum of 91 FPS, providing a playable experience with occasional dips. High settings average 57 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings average 45 FPS, which is a significant drop and would likely feel stuttery in action sequences.

The Medium preset’s data is the most informative, as it is the only one with full min/max values. At 1080p, the 96 FPS minimum ensures no noticeable hitches. At 1440p, the 86 FPS minimum is still solid. At 4K, the 67 FPS minimum is acceptable but indicates that the system is working hard. This preset appears to offer the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a powerhouse built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines. Its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for The Medium’s high-resolution textures and dual-reality rendering. The GPU’s boost clock of 2505 MHz and FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS make it capable of handling the game’s most demanding effects.

In benchmark tests, the RTX 4080 scores 34,457 in PassMark G3D and 20,671 in GPU compute. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 6,567. These results place it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its high-end status. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is essentially tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% delta) and significantly ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (-1.1% delta), AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (-2.6% delta), and AMD Radeon 8060S (-2.7% delta). The RTX 4080’s performance is sufficient for The Medium, but the data shows that at Ultra settings and 4K resolution, it is pushed to its limits.

The GPU’s role is most evident in the scaling from High to Ultra settings. At 1080p, the difference between High (86 FPS) and Ultra (68 FPS) is 18 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is 12 FPS (57 to 45 FPS). This indicates that Ultra settings introduce additional effects that are particularly taxing on the GPU’s shading and memory subsystems. The 16 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for the game, as the minimum FPS values do not suggest memory-related stuttering, but the raw compute power is challenged by the game’s rendering complexity.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It offers the most balanced performance across all resolutions, with averages of 113 FPS at 1080p, 101 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K. The minimum framerates of 96, 86, and 67 FPS respectively ensure that gameplay remains smooth without jarring drops. This preset provides a significant visual upgrade over Low settings while maintaining framerates that are well above playable thresholds.

If you prioritize visual fidelity over raw performance, the High preset is viable at 1080p and 1440p, where it averages 86 FPS and 72 FPS respectively. At 4K, High settings average 57 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target but may dip below during intense scenes. For those with a 1440p high-refresh-rate monitor, the High preset is a good choice, as it offers a 14 FPS improvement over the next resolution tier down while still looking excellent.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for 4K gaming, as the 45 FPS average is too low for a smooth experience. At 1080p, Ultra delivers 68 FPS, which is playable but not as fluid as Medium or High. The performance cost of Ultra settings does not justify the visual gains, especially when the Medium preset provides a 45 FPS improvement at 1080p (113 vs 68 FPS) with only a modest reduction in graphical quality.

For the absolute highest framerates, the Low preset at 1080p achieves 135 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or if you have a 144Hz monitor. However, the visual downgrade is substantial, and the game’s horror atmosphere relies heavily on lighting and texture detail. The Low preset at 4K still averages 118 FPS, which is impressive, but it defeats the purpose of using a high-end GPU. Ultimately, the Medium preset at 1440p (101 FPS) or 4K (79 FPS) offers the best combination of smoothness and visual quality for this hardware configuration.