The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in The Medium, with performance scaling predictably as resolution increases. The benchmark data shows a strong combination that maintains playable frame rates even under the heaviest 4K Ultra settings, though the scaling pattern reveals where the bottleneck shifts between the CPU and GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is the expected behavior for a graphically intensive horror title. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 157 FPS at 1920x1080 to 149 FPS at 2560x1440, a modest 5.1% reduction, and then to 137 FPS at 3840x2160, an additional 8.1% drop from the 1440p figure. This relatively gentle decline at Low settings suggests the CPU is still contributing significantly to the frame rate ceiling, even at 4K.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at Medium settings. The transition from 1080p to 1440p sees the average drop from 131 FPS to 122 FPS, a 6.9% decrease, while moving from 1440p to 4K reduces performance further to 95 FPS, a 22.1% drop. This steeper decline at 4K Medium indicates the GPU is beginning to take on a more dominant role as the limiting factor.

High settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling curve. From 103 FPS at 1080p, the average drops to 87 FPS at 1440p (a 15.5% reduction), and then to 68 FPS at 4K, which represents a 21.8% decline from the 1440p result. The pattern here shows that the GPU workload is scaling significantly with pixel count, and the RTX 5090 D's immense compute resources are being increasingly taxed as resolution climbs.

Ultra settings show the steepest absolute declines. The 1080p average of 82 FPS falls to 69 FPS at 1440p, a 15.9% drop, and then to 54 FPS at 4K, a further 21.7% reduction from 1440p. The 4K Ultra result of 54 FPS is the lowest measured figure in the entire dataset, indicating that this setting combination pushes the hardware to its limits. The scaling pattern across all settings reveals that the RTX 5090 D is the primary bottleneck at 4K, particularly at higher quality presets, while the Ryzen 7 7800X3D maintains sufficient headroom to keep frame rates high at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the performance characteristics observed in The Medium. The GPU features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This substantial memory subsystem is well-suited for the game's high-resolution textures and complex scenes, ensuring that memory capacity is never a limiting factor even at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 2017 MHz with a boost of 2407 MHz, and the memory operates at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective throughput. These clocks, combined with the Blackwell 2.0 architecture's 21760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units, deliver the raw compute power necessary to drive the frame rates seen in the benchmark data. The 176 ROPs ensure efficient pixel output, which is critical for the resolution scaling observed.

The RTX 5090 D's performance percentile of 92 against all GPUs places it in the upper echelon of graphics hardware. Its average benchmark score of 77712 is closely matched by its nearest rivals: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76904 with a delta of 1.1%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78940 with a delta of -1.6%. This tight grouping in benchmark scores suggests that despite the RTX 5090 D's high absolute performance, it sits in a competitive segment where small percentage differences separate top-tier cards.

In The Medium, the GPU role becomes increasingly critical as resolution and settings increase. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial: 137 FPS versus 54 FPS, a 153.7% difference. This wide spread indicates that the GPU's workload scales heavily with the quality preset, and the RTX 5090 D's architecture is well-equipped to handle the additional shading, texture, and post-processing demands of the higher presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 64th out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 2.2% of all configurations evaluated. This high ranking reflects the synergistic pairing of a strong multi-threaded CPU with a top-tier GPU, and the measured frame rates confirm that this combo delivers exceptional performance in this title.

The ranking is particularly impressive given the competitive field. The combo's position at 64 out of 2911 means it outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, with only 63 combinations achieving higher average frame rates. The data suggests that the CPU-GPU balance is well-matched for this game, as the Ryzen 7 7800X3D provides enough processing power to keep the RTX 5090 D fed with data across all resolution and settings combinations.

The percentile placement indicates that this combo is near the top of the performance hierarchy for The Medium, and the measured FPS values across all test points confirm this status. The lowest recorded average of 54 FPS at 4K Ultra is still playable, while the highest average of 157 FPS at 1080p Low demonstrates the combo's ability to push well beyond standard refresh rate targets.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?*

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 Medium provides the best balance, with an average FPS of 122 and a minimum of 103 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay while maintaining visual quality. At 4K, the Medium preset still delivers 95 FPS average, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate 4K displays.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 54 FPS. This is the lowest measured performance in the dataset, but it remains within playable range for a horror title where atmosphere and pacing are more important than competitive frame rates.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the scaling between Low (157 FPS) and Ultra (82 FPS) suggests the GPU is still the primary limiting factor, with the CPU maintaining consistently high throughput. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 959, ensures the GPU is not starved of data.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium?

A: The 2560x1440 Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 103, with an average of 122 FPS and a maximum of 140 FPS. This narrow range indicates stable frame pacing, which is crucial for maintaining immersion in a horror game.

Q: How many cores does the CPU have?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a distinguishing feature that contributes to gaming performance.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RTX 5090 D is equipped with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This configuration ensures ample memory capacity for The Medium's highest quality textures at 4K resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 157 FPS, representing the peak performance of the dataset. Medium settings yield 131 FPS with a minimum of 112 and maximum of 151 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery. High settings average 103 FPS, while Ultra drops to 82 FPS, showing a 47.7% reduction from Low to Ultra at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. Low settings average 149 FPS, a modest decrease from 1080p. Medium delivers 122 FPS with a minimum of 103 and maximum of 140 FPS, maintaining smooth gameplay. High settings average 87 FPS, and Ultra reaches 69 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 53.7%, showing that the higher presets exact a greater toll as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates reflect the GPU's workload. Low settings still manage an average of 137 FPS, demonstrating the RTX 5090 D's capability even at 4K. Medium settings average 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 and maximum of 110 FPS, providing a solid experience. High settings drop to 68 FPS, and Ultra falls to 54 FPS. The full range at 4K spans from 137 FPS at Low to 54 FPS at Ultra, a 153.7% spread that highlights the significant impact of quality presets at this resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D plays a supporting but essential role in this combo's performance. With 8 cores and 16 threads, the CPU provides sufficient multi-threading capability for The Medium's engine, which benefits from the architecture's Zen 4 design and 5 nm process node. The base clock of 4.20 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensure responsive single-thread performance, critical for maintaining consistent frame times.

The CPU's benchmark results confirm its strength. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16817 and single-core score of 1713 indicate balanced performance across both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. The Geekbench scores of 15610 multicore and 2426 single-core further validate this profile. The CPU's percentile ranking of 83 against all CPUs places it well above average, and its average benchmark score of 33079 is virtually identical to its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 7 8700G and Intel Core i7-13650HX both score 33089 with a delta of 0%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H scores 33201 with a delta of -0.4%.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings, where the frame rates are highest. At 1080p Low, the 157 FPS average indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls and game logic updates to sustain high performance. The 96 MB of shared L3 cache is particularly beneficial for gaming, as it reduces memory latency and improves data locality for frequently accessed game assets.

The CPU's 120 W TDP and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth provide adequate memory throughput for the game's requirements. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 24 lanes ensures fast data transfer between the CPU and GPU, minimizing any potential bottleneck in data exchange during intense scenes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the most balanced experience for this combo in The Medium. The average of 122 FPS with a minimum of 103 FPS ensures smooth gameplay without dips below 100 FPS, which is particularly important in a horror game where frame hitches can break immersion. The maximum of 140 FPS provides headroom for variable refresh rate displays.

For users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, the 4K Medium preset is the recommended choice. The 95 FPS average with a minimum of 81 FPS maintains playability while delivering the higher resolution's clarity. This setting combination leverages the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth effectively, ensuring that texture streaming and scene complexity are handled without stutter.

At 1080p, the High preset at 103 FPS average is the optimal selection for users with standard refresh rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 82 FPS is also viable, but the 20.4% performance reduction from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains for most players. The Low preset at 157 FPS is excessive for most displays but demonstrates the combo's raw capability at this resolution.

For users with 4K displays who demand the highest settings, the Ultra preset at 54 FPS is playable but may require enabling upscaling technologies to achieve smoother performance. The data indicates that the Medium preset at 4K provides the best compromise between visual quality and frame rate, with the 95 FPS average leaving ample room for consistent frame delivery.