The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivers a highly capable 1440p experience in The Medium, though 4K Ultra remains out of reach for smooth play. This combination ranks in the top 15% of all tested configurations, with the CPU and GPU each contributing distinct strengths to the horror title’s performance profile.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 148.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 140.3 FPS at 2560x1440, a modest 5.3% reduction, but then drops sharply to 116.7 FPS at 3840x2160, a 21.2% decline from the 1080p baseline. This pattern intensifies at higher presets: High settings see a decline from 76.8 FPS at 1080p to 68.5 FPS at 1440p (10.8% loss), then to 49.7 FPS at 4K (35.3% loss from 1080p). The Ultra preset suffers the most, plummeting from 61.1 FPS at 1080p to 53.9 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 40.7 FPS at 4K.

The scaling curve indicates that the RTX 4070 Ti’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth become the limiting factor as pixel count rises. The gap between 1440p and 4K is consistently larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p, suggesting that the memory subsystem and rasterization throughput struggle to feed the higher resolution’s demand. At 1080p, the CPU can keep the GPU fed, but by 4K, the GPU’s 40.09 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 208.8 GPixel/s pixel rate are clearly the bottleneck. For those targeting 4K, only the Low preset (116.7 FPS) delivers high refresh rates, while Medium (73.9 FPS) and High (49.7 FPS) are playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 5800XT’s 8 cores and 16 threads, built on the Zen 3 architecture with a 3.80 GHz base and 4.80 GHz boost clock, provide ample headroom for The Medium’s threading model. The CPU’s 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s ensure that the game’s streaming assets do not starve the GPU. In synthetic tests, the processor scores 23794 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3359 in single-core, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, scores a nearly identical average of 29740 versus the 5800XT’s 29774, a 0.1% difference that is statistically negligible.

The 5800XT’s single-thread performance is particularly relevant for The Medium, a game that relies on frequent scripted sequences and camera transitions. The 3dmark single-thread score of 959 and 2-thread score of 1879 indicate strong per-core efficiency, which prevents frame time spikes during character dialogue and environmental interactions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 148.1 FPS, showing that the CPU can push well beyond 144 Hz when the GPU is not constrained. The 4-thread score of 3603 and 8-thread score of 6141 suggest that the game utilizes multiple cores effectively, as the CPU’s 16 threads never become a bottleneck even at 1080p Medium (108.7 FPS). The 5800XT’s 105 W TDP and 7 nm process node keep thermals manageable, allowing sustained boost clocks during extended play sessions.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 Ti’s Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process with 35,800 million transistors, provides the raw throughput needed for The Medium’s fixed-camera perspectives and volumetric lighting. The GPU’s 7680 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs deliver a texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s, which handles the game’s detailed environments at 1440p with ease. The 12 GB GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus achieves 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, sufficient for 1440p High (68.5 FPS) but strained at 4K Ultra (40.7 FPS). The 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores enable ray-traced effects, though the measured results suggest the game’s traditional rasterization path is the primary workload.

The GPU’s 85th percentile ranking among all GPUs is supported by its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile scores 45152 (0.6% higher), while the Intel Arc A730M scores 45592 (1.5% higher). This places the 4070 Ti in a competitive tier where its 2610 MHz boost clock and 40.09 TFLOPS FP32 performance deliver consistent frame rates. The 208.8 GPixel/s pixel rate explains the 4K Low result of 116.7 FPS, as the GPU can still fill pixels quickly when shading complexity is reduced. However, the 285 W TDP and dual-slot cooler mean the card runs warm under sustained load, and the 1x 16-pin power connector requires a modern PSU. The 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5024 confirms strong DirectX 12 performance, which The Medium leverages through its modern rendering pipeline.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers excellent performance across all presets. Low settings average 148.1 FPS, Medium drops to 108.7 FPS, High to 76.8 FPS, and Ultra to 61.1 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear GPU limit even at this resolution, as the gap between Low and Ultra is 87 FPS, indicating that the game’s high-end effects (likely shadows, reflections, and post-processing) heavily tax the GPU. The 1080p Medium result of 108.7 FPS is the sweet spot for 100 Hz displays, while High at 76.8 FPS suits 75 Hz monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance scales predictably. Low averages 140.3 FPS, Medium 90.8 FPS, High 68.5 FPS, and Ultra 53.9 FPS. The 1440p Medium result of 90.8 FPS is notable, as it remains above 90 FPS despite the higher resolution, suggesting that the 4070 Ti’s memory bandwidth is sufficient for this preset. The 1440p High result of 68.5 FPS is playable but not ideal for competitive play, while Ultra at 53.9 FPS is smooth enough for the horror genre’s slower pacing.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low averages 116.7 FPS, Medium 73.9 FPS, High 49.7 FPS, and Ultra 40.7 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 73.9 FPS is the only preset that combines visual quality with smooth motion, while High at 49.7 FPS is borderline and Ultra at 40.7 FPS is best avoided unless a 40 Hz VRR display is used. The 4K Low result of 116.7 FPS is surprisingly high, showing that the GPU can handle the resolution when shading complexity is minimal.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 221 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the 86.9th percentile of all configurations. This top-15% ranking reflects the balanced pairing of a strong CPU and GPU, though it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup. The CPU’s 86th percentile and GPU’s 85th percentile rankings are closely matched, meaning neither component significantly drags down the other. The 5800XT’s nearest rival, the Ryzen 7 6800HS, scores 0.3% lower in CPU benchmarks, while the 4070 Ti’s nearest rival, the RTX 5090 Mobile, scores 0.6% higher in GPU benchmarks. This near-parity suggests that the combo’s in-game rank is driven more by the game’s specific engine demands than by any single component’s raw score.

The rank of 221 out of 1689 indicates that many higher-end combos (likely with RTX 4080/4090 or RX 7900 XTX GPUs) outperform this pairing at 4K Ultra, but for 1440p gaming, this combo sits in a strong position. The data shows that the combo’s performance is limited by the GPU at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s 16 threads remain underutilized at 4K. For users with 1440p 144 Hz monitors, this rank is highly favorable, as the 90.8 FPS Medium and 68.5 FPS High results are well within the VRR range of most modern displays.

Settings Recommendations

For 1440p displays, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 90.8 FPS, which is the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. This preset maintains high frame rates while preserving the game’s atmospheric lighting and shadow quality, making it the recommended choice for most players. For 1080p users, the High preset at 76.8 FPS is preferable, as it offers better visual detail than Medium while remaining comfortably above 60 FPS. The 1080p Ultra preset at 61.1 FPS is also viable, especially on 60 Hz displays, but the 15.7 FPS gain from dropping to High is significant.

At 4K, the Medium preset at 73.9 FPS is the only sensible option for a quality experience, as High at 49.7 FPS and Ultra at 40.7 FPS fail to maintain smooth motion. The 4K Low preset at 116.7 FPS is available for those prioritizing frame rate over appearance, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it offers a wide range of playable presets. For 4K, users should accept Medium settings or consider a more powerful GPU. The 1080p Medium preset at 108.7 FPS is also a strong choice for competitive play, offering high refresh rates without sacrificing too much visual quality. Overall, the Ryzen 7 5800XT + RTX 4070 Ti combo excels at 1440p Medium/High, providing a smooth and immersive experience in The Medium.