The Medium

The Medium presents a unique challenge for the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination, with benchmark results indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck across most settings. The data shows a processor with exceptional multi-threaded capability that goes largely underutilized, while the graphics card’s performance dictates the experience, particularly at higher resolutions and quality presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates substantial headroom for demanding workloads, scoring 30,325 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,281 in single-core. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth further position it as a high-end desktop part.

However, in The Medium, the CPU’s role is secondary. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings show a pattern consistent with GPU limitation. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 131.5 FPS, while dropping to Ultra settings at the same resolution yields 45 FPS. This 86.5 FPS swing is far too large to be attributed to CPU workload; it is a direct consequence of the graphics card’s rendering load. The Ryzen 7 7700X, with its 16 threads, is more than capable of feeding the RTX 3070 Ti in this title, which is a horror game that does not appear to scale heavily with core count beyond eight threads.

The CPU’s benchmark percentile of 89 versus all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 34,313 place it in the upper echelon of processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-13500, scores 34,175, a delta of just 0.4%, indicating near-identical overall compute performance. Yet, in this game, that compute power is not the limiting factor. The data suggests that even a less powerful CPU would produce similar frame rates in The Medium, as the RTX 3070 Ti is the component that determines the final output. The 8-core configuration ensures no frame pacing issues or stutters from CPU bottlenecks, but it does not actively push frame rates higher beyond what the GPU can deliver.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for achieving 60 FPS on this setup?

A: At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 61 FPS, which is the only preset at that resolution to hit the 60 FPS mark. At 1440p, High settings produce 49.8 FPS, and at 4K, High settings drop to 37.3 FPS. Therefore, 1080p High is the optimal choice for a 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 28.8 FPS. This is below the playable threshold for most users, indicating that Ultra settings at 4K are not viable for this GPU in The Medium.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the difference is notable. At 2560x1440, Medium settings yield 67.6 FPS, while High settings yield 49.8 FPS. This represents a 17.8 FPS drop, meaning Medium is the better choice for smoother gameplay at this resolution.

Q: What is the frame rate jump from 1080p to 4K on Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo produces 131.5 FPS. Moving to 4K Low, the frame rate drops to 85.8 FPS. This 45.7 FPS decrease shows a clear GPU scaling pattern, with the CPU maintaining its performance headroom.

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

A: The combo ranks 660 out of 1,689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the upper half of all configurations, indicating a mid-to-high tier performance level for this specific game.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1440p Ultra, and is it better than 4K Medium?

A: At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS is 36.4. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 55.6. This shows that 4K Medium is significantly faster than 1440p Ultra, likely due to the diminishing returns of Ultra settings on the GPU.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for an optimal experience. For users with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 61 FPS is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it is the only preset at this resolution that achieves a playable 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS is playable but sacrifices too much smoothness for marginal visual gains, while Low at 131.5 FPS is overly taxing on visual quality for a horror game that relies on atmosphere.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 67.6 FPS. This is a substantial improvement over High’s 49.8 FPS, and the visual difference between Medium and High in this title is not worth the 17.8 FPS penalty. The Low preset at 106.9 FPS is an option for competitive play, but it undermines the game’s intended mood. Ultra at 36.4 FPS is not recommended due to its sub-40 FPS average.

For 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Medium preset at 55.6 FPS is the only viable option, offering a near-60 FPS experience. High at 37.3 FPS and Ultra at 28.8 FPS are too sluggish for a game that requires precise timing and environmental awareness. Low at 85.8 FPS is possible but again sacrifices the visual horror elements. The data strongly suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, but 4K Medium is acceptable for those prioritizing resolution over frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Ryzen 7 7700X and RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 660 out of 1,689 tested combos in The Medium. This percentile placement, roughly in the 60th percentile of all configurations, indicates a solid mid-range performance level. It is not a top-tier pairing for this game, but it is far from the bottom. The rank suggests that many other combinations, likely with more powerful GPUs or newer architectures, achieve higher frame rates.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i5-13500, have an average benchmark score of 34,175, which is only 0.4% lower than the Ryzen 7 7700X’s 34,313. This means the CPU choice has minimal impact on the overall ranking. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700, has an average score of 31,112, which is 0.8% higher than the RTX 3070 Ti’s 30,849. The ranking is therefore heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance in this specific title. The 660th rank out of 1,689 is a reflection of the RTX 3070 Ti’s position in the market, which is a capable but not flagship card. Users with this combo should expect a playable experience at medium settings, but not a high-end showcase.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data is definitive in identifying the GPU as the limiting factor. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 131.5 FPS at 1080p to 106.9 FPS at 1440p, and then to 85.8 FPS at 4K. This is a linear progression of GPU workload, with the CPU maintaining its output. At Medium settings, the drop is more pronounced: 78.3 FPS at 1080p, 67.6 FPS at 1440p, and 55.6 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is 29%, indicating that the RTX 3070 Ti is being saturated.

At High settings, the drop is even steeper: 61 FPS at 1080p, 49.8 FPS at 1440p, and 37.3 FPS at 4K. This is a 38.9% drop from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the GPU’s struggle with higher pixel counts. The most telling data point is at Ultra settings, where the drop is from 45 FPS at 1080p to 36.4 FPS at 1440p (a 19% drop) and then to 28.8 FPS at 4K (a 36% drop). This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the Ryzen 7 7700X’s 16 threads are not the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rates would remain similar across resolutions, which is not the case here.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 131.5 FPS
• Medium: 78.3 FPS
• High: 61 FPS
• Ultra: 45 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 106.9 FPS
• Medium: 67.6 FPS
• High: 49.8 FPS
• Ultra: 36.4 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 85.8 FPS
• Medium: 55.6 FPS
• High: 37.3 FPS
• Ultra: 28.8 FPS

At 1080p, the gap between Low and Medium is 53.2 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 16 FPS. This suggests that the Low preset is heavily optimized for frame rate, while the Ultra preset introduces costly effects that halve the performance. At 1440p, the pattern is similar, with a 39.3 FPS difference between Low and Medium, and a 13.4 FPS difference between High and Ultra. At 4K, the differences compress: 30.2 FPS between Low and Medium, and 8.5 FPS between High and Ultra. The data shows that the RTX 3070 Ti’s 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Medium settings at all resolutions, but the Ultra preset at 4K is clearly beyond its capabilities.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is an 8 nm Ampere architecture GPU with 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units. It has a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with a memory clock of 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s, which is a key factor in this game’s performance.

The GPU’s benchmark percentile is 74 versus all GPUs, with an average score of 30,849. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700, scores 31,112, which is 0.8% higher. This close margin indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is not a standout performer in its class. In The Medium, the GPU’s role is dominant. The measured frame rates show that the card is the limiting factor at every resolution above 1080p Low. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the textures at Medium settings, but at High and Ultra presets, the card likely hits memory bandwidth or compute limits, leading to the steep FPS drops observed.

The GPU’s 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial, but the game’s demands at 4K Ultra (28.8 FPS) highlight its limitations. The RT and tensor cores are present (48 and 192, respectively), but they do not appear to provide a significant advantage in this title based on the measured data. The GPU’s TDP of 290 W and dual-slot design are standard for this class, but its end-of-life production status suggests that newer cards would offer better performance in this game. The data confirms that the RTX 3070 Ti is a solid mid-range card for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it struggles at 4K, particularly with higher quality presets.