The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 580 combination delivers a poor experience in The Medium, ranking in the bottom 9% of tested configurations. The data is unequivocal: at no resolution or preset does this combo achieve a consistently playable frame rate, with the GPU acting as the dominant bottleneck across all tested settings.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a modern 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65W TDP. This is a high-end CPU by any measure, placing in the 94th percentile of all tested processors. Its Passmark multi-thread score of 36,470 and single-thread score of 4,691 are both strong, and the data indicates it is not the limiting factor in The Medium. The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% higher), Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% lower), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% higher), and Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% higher). This places the 9700F in elite company, with performance essentially indistinguishable from those flagship alternatives.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. Given that the RX 580 is a 2017-era Polaris GPU with an end-of-life status, the 9700F is massively overqualified for this pairing. The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario: even at 1080p Low, the combo only manages 49 FPS average. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see frame rates either scale better with lower resolutions or show a performance cliff at higher resolutions due to CPU overhead. Instead, the frame rates drop steadily as resolution increases at every settings level, which is the signature of a graphics card that cannot keep up with the CPU's output. The 9700F, with its 32 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support, has ample bandwidth and compute headroom for this title; the RX 580 simply cannot translate that CPU potential into frames. The data shows the CPU is effectively idle in terms of being a bottleneck, while the GPU is saturated at every measurement point.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 2,654 out of 2,911 tested combos in The Medium. That places it in the bottom 8.8% of all configurations, a stark illustration of how a powerful modern CPU is wasted when paired with an aging, low-tier GPU. The rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability; rather, it is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling. The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12,928 places it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (0.1% higher), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (0.4% higher), AMD Radeon 740M (0.5% lower), and AMD FirePro W5100 (0.6% lower). These are all entry-level or mid-range parts from various eras, and none of them are suited for a demanding horror title like The Medium.

The combo rank of 2,654 is particularly damning when considering the CPU's individual standing. The 9700F alone ranks in the top 6% of all CPUs, yet the pairing drags the entire system down to the bottom 9% of game-specific results. This disconnect highlights a severe imbalance: the system is bottlenecked so heavily by the GPU that the CPU's 94th-percentile performance is entirely irrelevant to the outcome. In practical terms, this combo performs worse than many systems with far weaker CPUs but more balanced mid-range GPUs. The data suggests that any modern GPU from the last five years would dramatically improve this rank, as the CPU is not the constraint. The 2,654 rank is a warning to anyone considering this pairing: the sum is far less than the parts, and the GPU must be upgraded to unlock the CPU's potential.

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

The resolution scaling data in The Medium confirms that the RX 580 is the sole limiting component. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 produces consistent, predictable frame rate drops at every settings level, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound workload. At Low settings, the combo delivers 49 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 32 FPS at 4K. This represents a 16.3% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 34.7% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Medium settings, the numbers are 31 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K, with corresponding drops of 16.1% and 35.5% respectively. High settings show 22 FPS at 1080p, 18 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K, with drops of 18.2% and 36.4%. Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 17 FPS at 1080p, 15 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K.

The consistency of these scaling percentages across all settings is telling. If the CPU were a co-bottleneck, we would expect the gap between 1080p and 1440p to be smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, because at lower resolutions the CPU has to work harder to maintain frame rates. Instead, the drops are nearly linear with pixel count, which means the GPU is completely saturated at all times. At 1080p Low, the 49 FPS average is still below the 60 FPS target, and the GPU is already at its limit. As resolution increases, the GPU simply has to render more pixels, and the frame rate falls proportionally. The CPU, with its 5.50 GHz boost clock and 16 threads, is not even close to being a constraint; it is waiting for the GPU to finish each frame. This analysis is confirmed by the fact that even at 1080p Ultra, the combo only reaches 17 FPS, a performance level that indicates the GPU is overwhelmed by the game's visual demands regardless of resolution.

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

The measured FPS data for The Medium is sparse but clear, with average frame rates and, in some cases, minimum and maximum values. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 49 FPS with no min/max data recorded. Medium settings yield an average of 31 FPS, with a minimum of 26 FPS and a maximum of 35 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 22 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to an average of 17 FPS. None of these are playable for a smooth experience, though 1080p Low is the only setting that approaches a borderline acceptable frame rate for slower-paced horror gameplay. The 26 FPS minimum at Medium settings indicates significant frame time spikes, which would be noticeable as stutter.

At 2560x1440, the situation worsens. Low settings average 41 FPS, Medium settings average 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 FPS and maximum of 30 FPS, High settings average 18 FPS, and Ultra settings average 15 FPS. The 1440p Medium minimum of 22 FPS is particularly problematic, as it dips well below the threshold for smooth motion. The 4K results are the worst: 3840x2160 Low averages 32 FPS, Medium averages 20 FPS with a minimum of 17 FPS and maximum of 23 FPS, High averages 14 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. At 4K, even the lowest settings fail to reach 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset at 11 FPS is essentially a slideshow. The data shows a clear pattern: every increase in resolution or settings quality results in a significant FPS drop, with no setting combination providing a consistently playable experience. The only measured frame times are for Medium settings across all resolutions, and those minimums are all below 30 FPS, confirming that this GPU cannot hold a stable frame rate in The Medium under any conditions.

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

*Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in The Medium?*

A: The highest average FPS is 49, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only measured frame rate above 45 FPS across all tested resolutions and presets.

*Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F the bottleneck in this system for The Medium?*

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 94th percentile of all processors with a multi-thread score of 36,470, while the GPU ranks in the 53rd percentile. The FPS scaling patterns across resolutions indicate the RX 580 is the limiting component, as frame rates drop proportionally with pixel count rather than showing CPU-related stalls.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rival, the GTX 1660 SUPER?

A: In average benchmark score, the RX 580 is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER. This near-identical performance means the RX 580's frame rates in The Medium are representative of what the GTX 1660 SUPER would also deliver.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 11, achieved at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The minimum FPS recorded for any setting is 17, which occurs at 4K Medium settings.

Q: Does lowering settings from Ultra to Low provide a significant FPS boost?

A: Yes. At every resolution, dropping from Ultra to Low roughly doubles the average FPS. For example, at 1080p the average goes from 17 FPS on Ultra to 49 FPS on Low, and at 4K it goes from 11 FPS on Ultra to 32 FPS on Low.

Q: Is this combo ranked well among all tested configurations?

A: No. It ranks 2,654 out of 2,911 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 9% of all systems tested in The Medium. This rank is driven entirely by the GPU's performance, as the CPU alone is in the top 6% of all processors.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable settings for this combo in The Medium are 1080p with Low presets, which deliver an average of 49 FPS. This is the sole configuration that approaches a playable frame rate, though it is still below the 60 FPS target and may suffer from frame pacing issues. The alternative is 1440p Low at 41 FPS, which is a marginal step down in smoothness but offers a higher resolution; however, the 1080p Low setting is the only one that stays above 45 FPS average. All other settings and resolutions fail to reach 33 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable experience in a horror game where smooth camera movement is critical for atmosphere.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, 1080p Medium at 31 FPS is the best compromise, as it provides a minimum FPS of 26 and a maximum of 35, indicating relatively stable performance. However, the 26 FPS minimum suggests occasional stutters that could be jarring. The 4K Medium setting at 20 FPS average is not recommended, as the 17 FPS minimum makes the game feel unresponsive. The Ultra presets at any resolution are effectively unplayable, with the best Ultra result being 17 FPS at 1080p. The data indicates that this combination should be run at 1080p Low for the best chance at a tolerable experience, with 1080p Medium as the maximum quality setting before performance becomes unacceptable. Users should avoid 1440p and 4K entirely unless they are willing to accept sub-30 FPS frame rates, which would significantly detract from the game's horror atmosphere and timing-based gameplay. The RX 580's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory is not the issue here; the raw compute power is simply insufficient for The Medium's demands at higher settings.