The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in The Medium, though 4K Ultra presents a significant challenge. The data reveals a system where the GPU’s memory bandwidth and raw throughput are the primary drivers of frame rate, while the CPU’s 16 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s fixed-camera horror scenes.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael. It operates on a 5 nm process from TSMC and features a base clock of 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The processor’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support, with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, position it as a high-end desktop part. In synthetic benchmarks, its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29302 and single-core score of 4136 demonstrate strong all-around capability.

For a game like The Medium, which is not known for massive CPU thread utilization, the 7700’s performance is more than sufficient. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 149.8 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The processor’s 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40468, places it just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, per the nearest rivals data. This indicates that while the CPU is potent, its exact position in the hierarchy is closely contested, yet it does not bottleneck the RTX 3080 Ti in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing. Built on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip on an 8 nm Samsung process, it features 10240 shading units, 80 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores. Its memory subsystem is a standout: 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus provides 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock is 1665 MHz, and it delivers 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The benchmark results clearly show the GPU’s influence. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 55.0, while at 1080p Low, it jumps to 149.8. This massive scaling, a 172% increase, points to the game’s settings heavily taxing the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth. The RTX 3080 Ti’s 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 41224, shows it is a strong card, sitting 0.5% behind the RTX 3090 and 1.1% behind the RTX 5070 in the nearest rivals list. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is a relevant factor at 4K, where the High preset yields 43.5 FPS, suggesting that memory capacity is not yet a hard wall, but the GPU’s compute limits are being approached.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, confirming the GPU as the primary bottleneck. At High settings, the progression is 70.1 FPS at 1080p, 58.1 FPS at 1440p, and 43.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a 38% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar for other presets: Low settings go from 149.8 FPS at 1080p to 127.2 FPS at 1440p and 99.8 FPS at 4K, a 33% drop.

The data implies that the CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 149.8 FPS, but at 4K Low, it still delivers 99.8 FPS. The fact that 4K Low is significantly faster than 1080p Ultra (99.8 vs 55.0) shows that the game’s visual effects, not resolution alone, are the main performance drivers. The scaling suggests that for 4K, the RTX 3080 Ti is the limiting component, as the frame rate drops are proportional to the pixel count increase. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom, but the GPU still dominates the frame time.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 7700 and RTX 3080 Ti ranks 379th out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 22% of all configurations. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is severely mismatched. The CPU’s high percentile (91st) and the GPU’s solid percentile (83rd) align to create a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming.

The data shows that this combo is not at the very top tier, likely due to the presence of more modern GPUs like the RTX 5070, which is 1.1% ahead in average benchmark score. However, the 379th rank out of 1689 indicates that this older-generation pairing still competes effectively. The bottleneck analysis from the resolution scaling suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield larger gains than upgrading the CPU, as the GPU is already the limiting factor at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the High preset at 70.1 FPS provides a smooth experience, but the Ultra preset at 55.0 FPS is still playable. The Medium preset at 94.5 FPS offers a significant speed boost over High with likely minor visual differences, making it the best balance for high refresh rate monitors.

For 1440p, the High preset at 58.1 FPS is the sweet spot, providing a near-60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset at 45.0 FPS is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 78.8 FPS is an excellent choice for gamers who prioritize frame rate over maximum visual fidelity. At 4K, the Low preset at 99.8 FPS is surprisingly playable, while the Medium preset at 63.8 FPS is the recommended choice for a good balance of visuals and performance. The High preset at 43.5 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 32.7 FPS is not recommended for a consistent experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows that 1440p High at 58.1 FPS offers a good balance. 1080p High at 70.1 FPS is smoother, but 1440p utilizes the GPU’s capabilities better without the steep performance drop seen at 4K.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The 4K Low preset yields 99.8 FPS and 4K Medium yields 63.8 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is not viable at 32.7 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 149.8 FPS, which is 94.8 FPS higher than the Ultra preset’s 55.0 FPS. This is a 172% increase in performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor. At 4K Low (99.8 FPS) vs 1080p Low (149.8 FPS), the drop is significant, showing the GPU’s workload increases with resolution.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 379th out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the top 22% of all configurations tested for The Medium.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 70.1 at 1080p to 43.5 at 4K, a 38% reduction in performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across all settings and resolutions.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 99.8 FPS
• Medium: 63.8 FPS
• High: 43.5 FPS
• Ultra: 32.7 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 127.2 FPS
• Medium: 78.8 FPS
• High: 58.1 FPS
• Ultra: 45.0 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 149.8 FPS
• Medium: 94.5 FPS
• High: 70.1 FPS
• Ultra: 55.0 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step down in settings provides a substantial FPS increase. The largest absolute jump is from Ultra to High at 4K, where FPS goes from 32.7 to 43.5. The smallest relative gap is between Medium and High at 1080p, with a difference of 24.4 FPS. The 4K Ultra figure of 32.7 FPS is the only result below 40 FPS, highlighting the extreme demands of that preset. The 1080p Low result of 149.8 FPS is the highest recorded, showing the system’s peak capability when the GPU is least stressed.