The Medium

The Medium presents a uniquely demanding workload for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB combination. This pairing, ranked 2552 out of 2911 tested combos in this game, places it in the lower third of the database, indicating that this title is particularly heavy on the graphics subsystem. The data reveals a system that can handle the game’s atmosphere at lower presets but struggles to maintain fluid motion at higher visual fidelity, with the 4 GB VRAM buffer of the RTX 3050 acting as a significant constraint. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, explores the roles of the CPU and GPU, and offers practical guidance based solely on the benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in The Medium, and at what settings?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 65 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that surpasses the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the combination produces an average of 15 FPS. This is the lowest average frame rate measured across all tested configurations, indicating a slideshow-like experience.

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

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 34 FPS, while the High preset drops to an average of 24 FPS. This represents a roughly 29% decrease in average frame rate when moving from Medium to High.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The dataset includes minimum FPS values only for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 34 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 29 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 23 FPS. These minimums are all below their respective averages, indicating some frame pacing variability.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996. This places it statistically even with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which scores 69875 (a 0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which scores 70163 (a -0.2% delta). It is also slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and Intel Core i7-14700K.

Q: What is the memory configuration of the RTX 3050 4 GB, and does it appear to be a limiting factor?

A: The GPU features 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s. The benchmark data suggests this is a limitation, as the frame rate drops precipitously when moving from Low to Medium settings at the same resolution, likely due to increased memory pressure.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is the primary determinant of this combo's performance in The Medium. Its specifications are modest by modern standards: a GA107 chip on an 8 nm process with 2048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GPU’s boost clock is listed at 1740 MHz, and its FP32 compute is rated at 7.127 TFLOPS. The 4 GB VRAM, paired with a 128-bit memory bus and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the most likely culprit for the severe performance scaling seen across presets.

The data shows a clear pattern: at every resolution, the leap from Low to Medium settings incurs a massive performance hit. At 1920x1080, average FPS falls from 65 on Low to 40 on Medium, a 38% reduction. At 2560x1440, the drop is from 54 to 34 FPS (37%), and at 3840x2160, from 43 to 27 FPS (37%). This consistent ~37% penalty suggests the game is exceeding the GPU's memory capacity or its raw fillrate capabilities when medium-quality textures and effects are enabled. The RTX 3050's 32 ROPs and 55.68 GPixel/s pixel rate are likely overwhelmed by the game’s rendering techniques at higher settings.

The GPU's percentile ranking is 50, meaning it sits exactly in the middle of all GPUs in the database. This aligns with the observed performance: it is capable of delivering playable frame rates at low settings, but its limitations become immediately apparent as visual demands increase. The end-of-life production status of the GPU further contextualizes its performance ceiling in this 2021 title.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo reveals a system where the GPU is almost always the bottleneck, though the CPU’s role cannot be entirely dismissed. Examining the Low preset, which minimizes GPU load, provides the clearest view of scaling. From 1920x1080 (65 FPS) to 2560x1440 (54 FPS), the average frame rate drops by 17%. Moving from 1440p to 3840x2160 (43 FPS) shows a further 20% reduction. This scaling is roughly in line with the increase in pixel count, indicating that even on Low, the GPU is the primary limiter.

However, when looking at the Medium preset, the scaling becomes more erratic. From 1080p (40 FPS) to 1440p (34 FPS), the drop is 15%. But from 1440p to 4K (27 FPS), the drop is 21%. The High preset shows a different pattern: 1080p (29 FPS) to 1440p (24 FPS) is a 17% drop, and 1440p to 4K (19 FPS) is a 21% drop. The Ultra preset follows suit with 23 FPS at 1080p, 19 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K.

The consistent ~20% penalty from 1440p to 4K across all presets suggests that the GPU's raw processing power is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 4 GB VRAM is likely saturated even at 1080p Medium, so the additional pixel workload at higher resolutions further stresses the core GPU. The result is a combination that cannot maintain playable frame rates at 1440p or 4K on any preset above Low, as the average FPS falls below the 30 FPS threshold at 1440p High (24 FPS) and 4K Medium (27 FPS).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves an average of 65 FPS on Low, 40 FPS on Medium, 29 FPS on High, and 23 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset includes minimum and maximum values of 34 and 46 FPS, respectively. This resolution is the only one where the Low preset crosses the 60 FPS mark, offering a smooth experience for those willing to sacrifice visual quality.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates are 54 FPS on Low, 34 FPS on Medium, 24 FPS on High, and 19 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum and maximum are recorded at 29 and 39 FPS. None of these configurations reach the 60 FPS target, and even the Low preset, while playable, shows a significant drop from its 1080p counterpart.

At 3840x2160, the performance is severely constrained. The averages are 43 FPS on Low, 27 FPS on Medium, 19 FPS on High, and 15 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 31 FPS. The 4K Low preset is the only one approaching playability, but it still falls short of a consistent 60 FPS. The 4K Ultra average of 15 FPS is effectively unplayable by any standard.

The data also highlights the steep penalty for enabling higher settings. Across all resolutions, the transition from Low to Medium costs roughly 37% of the average frame rate. The transition from Medium to High costs another 27-29%, and from High to Ultra costs another 20-21%. This compounding effect means that each step up in visual fidelity carries a disproportionate performance cost, a hallmark of a GPU that is outmatched by the game’s requirements.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal configuration for this combo is the Low preset at 1920x1080, which delivers an average of 65 FPS. This is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay in this horror title. The jump to Medium at 1080p yields 40 FPS, which is a significant reduction of 25 FPS, and the minimum FPS of 34 suggests potential stutters during intense scenes.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p is the highest playable option, with an average of 40 FPS. The minimum of 34 FPS is just above the 30 FPS playability floor, but it is a risky trade-off. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only viable option, offering 54 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset at 1440p (34 FPS) is borderline, and its minimum of 29 FPS indicates that frame pacing will suffer.

At 3840x2160, no preset is truly recommended for a consistent experience. The Low preset’s 43 FPS is the best-case scenario, but the game will likely feel inconsistent due to the high pixel workload. The Medium preset at 4K (27 FPS) is below the playability threshold, and High and Ultra are rendered moot by their 19 and 15 FPS averages. The data suggests that users should either accept 1080p Low for optimal smoothness or 1080p Medium for a balanced experience, as higher resolutions or settings do not provide a playable trade-off.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a powerful processor by any measure, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of feeding the RTX 3050 in this title. The CPU features 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its 32 MB of shared L3 cache, combined with 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core, provides ample on-die storage for game data. The CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 36470 and single-thread score of 4691 place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier processing power.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, include the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, +0.2%), Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163, -0.2%), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, +0.7%), and Intel Core i7-14700K (69355, +0.9%). These deltas are minuscule, suggesting that the Ryzen 7 9700F is not a bottleneck in this context. The game’s performance, as shown in the measured FPS, is almost entirely dictated by the GPU’s capabilities.

The 65W TDP of the CPU, while low, does not appear to hinder its performance in this benchmark. The fact that the combo ranks at 2552 out of 2911, with the GPU’s 50th percentile ranking, strongly implies that the graphics card is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see more consistent frame rates across different resolutions, but the data shows a clear and steep decline as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB combination holds a comboRankInGame of 2552 out of 2911 tested configurations in The Medium. This places it in the 12th percentile of all combos, meaning that roughly 88% of other tested systems perform better in this specific game. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-range standing (50th percentile) being paired with a top-tier CPU (94th percentile) in a game that is heavily GPU-bound.

The disparity between the CPU’s high ranking and the combo’s low ranking is striking. The Ryzen 7 9700F’s benchmark score of 69996 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515) and Intel Core i7-14700K (69355), yet the overall experience in The Medium is dominated by the RTX 3050’s limitations. This suggests that any CPU upgrade would not yield meaningful improvements in this game, as the GPU is the sole barrier to higher frame rates.

The data indicates that this combo is best suited for older or less demanding titles, or for playing The Medium at 1080p with the Low preset. At higher settings or resolutions, the system falls behind the vast majority of tested configurations. The 4 GB VRAM is a particular liability, as it forces the game to use lower-quality assets or causes memory thrashing, leading to the severe frame rate drops observed when moving from Low to Medium settings. For a horror game that relies on atmosphere and immersion, the inability to run at higher presets without significant performance loss is a critical drawback. This ranking serves as a clear warning that the RTX 3050 4 GB is not suited for modern AAA titles at high fidelity, regardless of the CPU’s capabilities.