The Medium

The Medium presents an unusually punishing workload for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, even when paired with the capable AMD Ryzen 7 7700. The measured frame rates show a system that is decisively limited by the graphics card at every resolution and settings preset. The data indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER, while competent for many titles, struggles to maintain playable performance in this specific horror title, particularly at higher quality settings where the GPU's 6 GB memory capacity and raw compute power become the primary bottleneck. The combination ranks in the 1477th position out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the lower tier of configurations for this game. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data to understand the scaling behavior, the CPU's contribution, and what users can realistically expect from this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 72.9 FPS, but this drops to 61 FPS at 1440p and further to 50.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 31.3% performance decrease from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, showing that even at the lowest quality preset, the resolution increase heavily taxes the GTX 1660 SUPER. The pattern is consistent across all settings, with the gap between 1080p and 4K widening as the quality preset increases. For instance, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 30.4 FPS at 1080p to 27.2 FPS at 1440p and finally to 19.5 FPS at 4K, a 35.9% drop from the lowest to highest resolution tested.

The scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component is unambiguously the GPU. The Ryzen 7 7700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is not the constraint here. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller frame rate differences between resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain relatively constant. Instead, the data shows a steep decline in performance as pixel count increases, a hallmark of a graphics card that is saturated. The Ultra preset at 4K yields just 14.9 FPS, which is barely a slideshow, while the same preset at 1080p manages 26.6 FPS. The resolution scaling is not linear, and the performance cliff at 4K Ultra suggests that the 6 GB VRAM buffer is being exceeded, causing significant memory pressure and stutter that would not be captured in the average FPS alone.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a high-end desktop processor with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its 8 cores and 16 threads provide substantial processing headroom for modern games. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 29,302 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,136 in single-core, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. This is a processor that is more than capable of feeding a GPU like the GTX 1660 SUPER in most scenarios. However, in The Medium, the benchmark results confirm that the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU's limitations.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor because the frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution and settings. A CPU-bound scenario would show similar FPS across different resolutions, as the CPU would be the bottleneck regardless of the GPU load. Instead, we see that at 1080p Low, the system delivers 72.9 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 14.9 FPS. This 79.6% performance reduction cannot be attributed to the CPU, which maintains consistent processing capability. The Ryzen 7 7700's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (83.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide ample data throughput for the game's logic and asset streaming. The CPU's 5 nm process node and Zen 4 architecture ensure high single-thread performance, which is critical for game engine tasks that are not easily parallelized.

The nearest rivals for the Ryzen 7 7700 include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H with an average score of 40,431 (0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i9-13905H with 40,712 (-0.6% delta). These results show that the 7700 is competitively positioned among high-end CPUs, but its performance advantage is irrelevant when the GPU is the bottleneck. In this game, the CPU is effectively waiting for the GPU to complete its workload, meaning the Ryzen 7 7700's powerful specifications are underutilized. The 65W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate a processor that could handle even more demanding games, but The Medium's heavy reliance on GPU rendering means the CPU's contribution is limited to maintaining a stable frame pacing, which the data suggests it does well given the consistent FPS readings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 7700 and GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1477 out of 1689 total tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 12.5th percentile of all combinations, meaning that 87.5% of tested configurations deliver better performance. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's limited capabilities, as the CPU is a top-tier component. The GTX 1660 SUPER scores in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14,286. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 with an average score of 14,314 (-0.2% delta) and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics with 14,315 (-0.2% delta). These are all integrated or entry-level discrete GPUs, which highlights the GTX 1660 SUPER's position as a budget-oriented part.

In the context of The Medium, this ranking makes sense given the game's demanding rendering requirements. The game was released in early 2021 and features a horror genre with complex lighting and shadow effects that stress GPU resources. The combo's rank of 1477 suggests that most other tested configurations, which likely include more powerful GPUs, will outperform this setup. The data shows that the GTX 1660 SUPER is end-of-life, with a successor in the GeForce 20 series, and its Turing architecture lacks dedicated ray tracing cores. While The Medium does not require ray tracing, its fixed-function rendering pipeline still benefits from newer GPU architectures. The rank is not a reflection of the CPU's quality, but rather a demonstration of how a high-end CPU cannot compensate for a low-end GPU in a GPU-intensive title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p resolution, the data shows a clear hierarchy of performance based on settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 72.9 FPS, which is the only setting that approaches a smooth 60 FPS experience. The Medium preset drops to 42.6 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a horror game that benefits from fluid motion. The High preset manages 30.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 26.6 FPS. These results indicate that at 1080p, users should prioritize Low or Medium settings to maintain a playable experience. The difference between Low and Ultra is 46.3 FPS, a 63.5% performance penalty for the highest quality preset.

Moving to 1440p, the performance degrades further. Low settings yield 61 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium drops to 38.7 FPS, and High falls to 27.2 FPS. Ultra at 1440p delivers just 20.7 FPS, which is below the threshold for a satisfying experience. The 1440p results show a similar pattern to 1080p, with Low being the only viable option for consistent frame rates. At 4K resolution, the situation becomes dire. Low settings manage 50.1 FPS, which is acceptable, but Medium drops to 29 FPS, High to 19.5 FPS, and Ultra to 14.9 FPS. None of these are playable for a game that requires quick reactions and atmospheric tension.

The scaling between settings is consistent across resolutions, with Low always providing the best performance and Ultra the worst. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 35.2 FPS, a 70.3% reduction. This suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB VRAM is a significant limitation at higher settings, as the game likely exceeds this capacity at High and Ultra presets, causing additional performance hits. The measured data does not include minimum FPS values, but the average figures already paint a clear picture of a system that is overmatched by The Medium's demands at most settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in The Medium?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p Low delivers the highest average frame rate at 72.9 FPS, making it the most playable option. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 42.6 FPS, which is still playable but less smooth. For higher resolutions, 1440p Low at 61 FPS is the only viable choice.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No, the data indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The CPU is in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 55th percentile. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution and settings, which is a sign of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1477 out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the lower 12.5% of all configurations. This low rank is primarily due to the GTX 1660 SUPER's limited performance in The Medium, despite the CPU's high-end capabilities.

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

A: At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a playable average of 50.1 FPS. Medium settings drop to 29 FPS, and High/Ultra are not playable at 19.5 and 14.9 FPS, respectively. The 6 GB VRAM is likely insufficient for higher settings at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings average 72.9 FPS, while Ultra settings average 26.6 FPS. This represents a 46.3 FPS difference, meaning Ultra provides 63.5% lower performance than Low.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 14,286, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14,314) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14,315). It is also 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Vega 11 and 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT.