The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT shows a clear performance curve across resolutions. The data indicates this is a combo that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming with high frame rates, but 4K pushes the GPU hard. The measured FPS reveals a system where the graphics card is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the processor has ample headroom.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 141.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 117.8 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 89.6 FPS. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario; the Ryzen 7 7700 with its 8 cores and 16 threads is not the limiting factor at these settings.

The gap widens dramatically as settings increase. At High settings, the frame rate goes from 63.1 FPS at 1080p to 51.2 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 42 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33.5% drop from 1080p to 4K at High. The trend is even more pronounced at Ultra, where the combo delivers 50.9 FPS at 1080p, 42.8 FPS at 1440p, and only 31.2 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is a 38.7% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score.

The data shows that the RX 6800 XT, with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, is working hard at 4K. The 31.2 FPS at 4K Ultra is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this resolution and preset combination is too demanding. The scaling from Medium to High at 4K is also notable: 54.8 FPS down to 42 FPS, a 23.4% penalty. This suggests that the jump from Medium to High has a significant impact on the GPU's workload.

At 1080p, the system is likely not fully utilizing the CPU. The Ryzen 7 7700's single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4136, is more than sufficient. The frame rates at 1080p Low (141.1 FPS) and Medium (90.1 FPS) are high enough that the CPU is not the primary constraint. The bottleneck is firmly on the graphics card, especially as resolution and settings increase.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, the data points to Medium settings as the sweet spot for this combo. At 1440p Medium, the system delivers 72.8 FPS, which is comfortably playable. At 1080p Medium, the 90.1 FPS result is excellent for a horror title, providing a responsive feel. These scores show that Medium offers a substantial performance uplift over High, with only a modest visual compromise.

At 4K, the situation is more complex. The 4K Medium result of 54.8 FPS is borderline, but the 4K High result of 42 FPS is likely too choppy for most players. The 4K Low result of 89.6 FPS is surprisingly strong, indicating that the game's engine can scale well when the load is reduced. If 4K is the target resolution, the data suggests using Low settings to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this pairing. The 50.9 FPS at 1080p Ultra is the lowest result at that resolution, and the 31.2 FPS at 4K Ultra is unplayable. The jump from High to Ultra incurs a significant performance cost; at 1440p it drops from 51.2 FPS to 42.8 FPS, a 16.4% decrease. This is a heavy price for the extra visual fidelity.

Benchmark results indicate that High settings at 1080p (63.1 FPS) are playable, but Medium provides a much larger margin. The 43% increase in frame rate from High to Medium at 1080p (63.1 to 90.1 FPS) makes Medium the practical choice for most users. At 1440p, Medium is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold, making it the definitive recommendation for that resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the defining component in this build's gaming performance. Its 16 GB of VRAM is a key asset for a game like The Medium, which uses heavy texture streaming and high-resolution assets. The 256-bit memory bus and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth provide the throughput needed to feed the GPU's 4608 shading units at high resolutions.

The clock speeds tell a story of a card that is pushed hard. The base clock is 1825 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is hitting these high clocks, but the workload at 4K Ultra is too much. The 31.2 FPS result at 4K Ultra suggests the card is rendering at its limits, and the 72 ray accelerators are being taxed by the game's lighting effects.

The GPU's benchmark scores put it in a strong position. Its Passmark G3D score of 24980 places it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is 2.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER (which has an average score of 48704) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M. This shows the RX 6800 XT is a capable card, but the game's demands at 4K Ultra are beyond its comfortable range.

The 300 W TDP and dual 8-pin power connectors indicate a power-hungry card, and the suggested 700 W PSU is necessary for stable operation. The card's 267 mm length and dual-slot design make it a standard fit for most cases. The data shows that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates in this title, with the CPU rarely becoming the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Ryzen 7 7700 and RX 6800 XT ranks 556th out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top third of all configurations tested, which is a respectable position given the game's demanding nature. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU's solid, but not top-tier, rasterization power.

The CPU's individual standing is high. The Ryzen 7 7700 sits in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40468. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, is only 0.1% ahead, showing that the 7700 is competitively positioned. The GPU, while in the 87th percentile, faces stiffer competition. The data shows that the combo's rank is more influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling than the CPU's capabilities.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals are telling. The NVIDIA CMP 50HX is 1.9% ahead, and the Intel Arc A550M is 0.5% ahead. However, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is 2.6% behind. This suggests that the RX 6800 XT is a mid-to-high tier card that can trade blows with newer offerings, but it is not at the top of the stack. The 556th rank out of 1689 combos is a direct result of this GPU positioning.

For a game like The Medium, which can stress both CPU and GPU, this combo's rank indicates it is a solid mid-range to high-end option. The CPU's 16 threads and high clock speeds ensure that it won't hold the GPU back at lower resolutions, but the GPU's limits become apparent at 4K. The rank of 556 is a fair assessment of the combo's overall capability in this specific title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low, it achieves 89.6 FPS, and at 4K Medium it hits 54.8 FPS. However, 4K High (42 FPS) and 4K Ultra (31.2 FPS) are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: The data suggests 1440p is the ideal resolution. At Medium settings, it delivers 72.8 FPS, which is a good balance of visual quality and performance. At 1080p, it can hit 90.1 FPS on Medium, but 1440p offers a more immersive experience.

Q: How does the RX 6800 XT compare to its rivals in this game?

A: The GPU is 2.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in average benchmark scores. It is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M but 1.9% behind the NVIDIA CMP 50HX. These differences are small and may not translate to large FPS gaps.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 7700 a bottleneck for the RX 6800 XT?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 141.1 FPS, which shows the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior as resolution increases.

Q: What settings should I use to get above 60 FPS?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings (72.8 FPS) will get you above 60 FPS. At 1080p, both Medium (90.1 FPS) and High (63.1 FPS) achieve this. At 4K, you would need to use Low settings (89.6 FPS) to stay above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo's rank reflect its performance?

A: The combo ranks 556th out of 1689 tested configurations. This top-third placement is a strong result, reflecting the balanced performance of the CPU and GPU. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking helps, but the GPU's 87th percentile limits the overall position.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of the combo's performance across all settings and resolutions.

1920x1080:

• Low: 141.1 FPS
• Medium: 90.1 FPS
• High: 63.1 FPS
• Ultra: 50.9 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 117.8 FPS
• Medium: 72.8 FPS
• High: 51.2 FPS
• Ultra: 42.8 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 89.6 FPS
• Medium: 54.8 FPS
• High: 42 FPS
• Ultra: 31.2 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern. At each resolution, the frame rate drops as settings increase. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial at 1080p (141.1 to 90.1 FPS), but narrows at 4K (89.6 to 54.8 FPS). The drop from High to Ultra is significant at all resolutions, with a 19.3% reduction at 1440p (51.2 to 42.8 FPS) and a 25.7% reduction at 4K (42 to 31.2 FPS). These numbers indicate that the Ultra preset is poorly optimized for this hardware, offering marginal visual gains for a large performance hit. The 4K Ultra result of 31.2 FPS is the worst-case scenario and should be avoided for any serious gameplay session.