The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both GPU and CPU, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti produces a clear pattern: the game is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the 8-core processor provides ample headroom to avoid bottlenecks. Benchmark results show that the RTX 3070 Ti, which sits at the 75th percentile among all GPUs, is the primary constraint, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it can maintain smooth performance with medium to high settings, while 4K requires significant compromises to achieve playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Ryzen 7 7700 than the Intel Core i9-13905H in average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40081, while the Intel Core i9-13905H has an average score of 40313, making the Intel part 0.6% faster according to the deltaPct value.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 3070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 6800?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29945, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 30095, meaning the RX 6800 is 0.5% ahead of the RTX 3070 Ti based on the nearestRivals data.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 7700 support DDR5 memory?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 supports DDR5 memory, utilizing a dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

Q: What is the boost clock speed of the RTX 3070 Ti?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti has a boost clock of 1770 MHz, which is part of its Ampere architecture design.

Q: At which resolution does the combo achieve its highest frame rate?

A: The highest measured average frame rate for this combo is 129 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, and its characteristics directly dictate the game's performance envelope. The GPU is built on the Ampere architecture with an 8 nm process node and features 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Its memory configuration of 8 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s, which is substantial but becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions in The Medium.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 1575 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz, allow it to reach a peak FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS. This raw compute power is evident in the benchmark scores, where the GPU achieves a Passmark G3D score of 23356 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 119718. However, the data shows that this level of performance is not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K in this specific title.

The RTX 3070 Ti sits at the 75th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% faster). This places it in a competitive mid-to-high tier, but the measured FPS data reveals that The Medium's demanding rendering techniques, likely due to its fixed-camera angles and heavy post-processing, push the GPU to its limits. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor, as the game's high-resolution textures can quickly consume memory, leading to the significant performance drops observed when moving from 1440p to 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions in The Medium reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 3070 Ti is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 81 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 68 FPS, a reduction of 16%. This is a moderate decline, indicating that the GPU is still managing the workload effectively.

The transition to 4K is where the performance cliff becomes apparent. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS plummets to 53, a further 22% drop from 1440p. This steep decline suggests that the GPU is struggling to fill the increased pixel count, and the 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely being saturated. The pattern is consistent across all settings; at High settings, the average FPS drops from 58 at 1080p to 49 at 1440p, and then to 38 at 4K.

This scaling behavior confirms that the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700, is not the limiting factor. The frame rate drops are directly proportional to the pixel count increase, which is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. The data indicates that if the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but this is not the case. Therefore, users seeking higher frame rates must focus on reducing GPU load, either through lower resolutions or less demanding settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 Ti delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 129, providing a very smooth experience. Medium settings reduce the average to 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93, which is still highly playable. High settings bring the average down to 58 FPS, while Ultra settings result in an average of 46 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 64% performance drop, highlighting the significant impact of graphical presets.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more moderate. Low settings yield an average of 109 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings drop to 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 78, offering a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. High settings average 49 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for a horror title. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of 39 FPS, which may feel sluggish in fast-paced scenes.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. Low settings are the only option for a smooth experience, with an average of 85 FPS. Medium settings drop to 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 61, which is playable but not ideal. High settings average 38 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 30 FPS, making them unsuitable for a consistent experience. The data shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires substantial settings reductions to maintain playable frame rates.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is a high-performance desktop processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This processing power is reflected in its benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930. The CPU also achieves a Geekbench multi-core score of 15371 and a single-core score of 2525.

The Ryzen 7 7700 sits at the 87th percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core 5 221E (0.2% slower). The CPU's performance is more than sufficient for The Medium, as the frame rate data shows no signs of CPU bottlenecking. The game's design, which relies heavily on GPU rendering, means that the CPU's job is to feed the GPU with data, and the 8-core, 16-thread configuration provides ample headroom.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s ensures fast data transfer to the GPU. Additionally, its PCIe Gen 5 interface with 24 lanes allows for high-bandwidth communication with the RTX 3070 Ti, which uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. The benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 7 7700 is not the limiting factor in this pairing, as frame rates are consistently tied to GPU load rather than CPU performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1920x1080, Medium settings are the clear choice, delivering an average of 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS. This provides a solid balance of visual quality and performance. High settings at 1080p average 58 FPS, which is close to 60 but may experience occasional dips. Low settings are unnecessary at this resolution, as the GPU has enough headroom.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are again the best option, with an average of 68 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. This keeps the experience above the 60 FPS threshold for most of the game. High settings at 1440p average 49 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a horror game where smooth camera movement is important. Low settings at 1440p deliver 109 FPS, but the visual quality reduction is significant.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more challenging. Low settings are the only way to achieve a high frame rate, with an average of 85 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 53 FPS, which is playable but requires a compromise on visual fidelity. High and Ultra settings are not recommended, as they average 38 and 30 FPS respectively, which will result in a stuttery experience. For 4K gaming, users should prioritize Low or Medium settings to maintain playability.