The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a wide spread of performance in The Medium, with average frame rates ranging from 38 FPS at 4K Ultra to 160 FPS at 1080p Low. The data reveals a system that is firmly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows enough headroom at 1080p to suggest the CPU is keeping pace without becoming a bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a predictable, steep decline as resolution increases, which is classic behavior for a GPU-limited scenario. At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 100 FPS at 1920x1080 to 84 FPS at 2560x1440, and then further to 66 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 16% performance hit when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 34% reduction from 1440p to 4K, or 66% overall from 1080p to 4K.

High settings tell a similar story with an even more pronounced cliff. The average FPS goes from 72 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p, a 17% drop, and then plummets to 47 at 4K, which is a 22% reduction from 1440p and a 35% decline from 1080p. The scaling between Low and Ultra presets at the same resolution is also revealing. At 4K, Low settings yield 106 FPS, while Ultra produces just 38 FPS—a 64% reduction in performance due to settings alone, highlighting the massive GPU workload difference.

The frame time data for Medium settings reinforces the GPU-bound nature. At 4K, the minimum FPS is 56 and the maximum is 76, a spread of 20 FPS around the 66 average. At 1440p, the spread narrows to 26 FPS (71 min, 97 max) around an 84 average, and at 1080p, the spread is 30 FPS (85 min, 115 max) around a 100 average. As resolution drops, the variance increases, suggesting that the CPU is beginning to introduce frame pacing inconsistencies that were previously masked by the GPU's workload.

The data suggests that the limiting component is overwhelmingly the GPU. The RTX 5070 is being pushed to its limits by The Medium's rendering demands, especially at 4K and with higher quality presets. The CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the GPU's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra (38 FPS) indicates that resolution scaling is strictly a graphics card constraint.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the primary driver of performance in this configuration, and its specifications align with the observed results. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of bandwidth for a game like The Medium, which is known for its detailed environments and dual-reality rendering mechanic that can be memory-intensive.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 2325 MHz and a boost of 2512 MHz. The boost clock is the operational ceiling under load, and the benchmark results indicate that the card is sustaining high utilization across all tested scenarios. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture are present, but their specific impact on The Medium's frame rates cannot be isolated from the data provided.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity appears sufficient for the tested settings, as there are no anomalies in the data that would suggest memory swapping or capacity-related stutters. The minimum FPS values at Medium settings (56 at 4K, 71 at 1440p, 85 at 1080p) are consistent with a GPU that has adequate memory resources, as a capacity shortfall would typically result in more erratic frame times and lower minimums.

The GPU's performance percentile is 82, meaning it outperforms 82% of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 40377 places it in close competition with the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318, 0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870, -1.2% delta). These rivals are workstation-class cards, which contextualizes the RTX 5070's position as a high-end consumer part. In The Medium, this translates to playable frame rates at most settings, but the 38 FPS average at 4K Ultra shows the card is nearing its limits in the most demanding scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance the RTX 5070 can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 160 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This indicates that the GPU can deliver very high refresh rates when graphical fidelity is reduced.

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

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K with Medium settings, the average FPS is 66, which is smooth. However, at High settings, it drops to 47 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 38 FPS, which may not be ideal for action-heavy sequences.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996. This puts it 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875), 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70163), 0.7% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515), and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K (69355).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the GPU is still the primary limiter, but the CPU's role grows. At 1080p Low, the GPU produces 160 FPS. The scaling to 1440p Low (135 FPS) and 4K Low (106 FPS) shows a 16% and 34% drop respectively, which is less severe than at higher settings, hinting that the CPU is starting to influence the ceiling at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at different resolutions?

A: The data for Medium settings shows that frame time variance increases as resolution decreases. At 4K, the spread between min and max FPS is 20 FPS (56-76). At 1440p, it is 26 FPS (71-97). At 1080p, it is 30 FPS (85-115), indicating less consistent frame pacing at lower resolutions.

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

A: This specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 483rd out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 17% of all configurations in the database.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves a rank of 483 out of 2911 total combos. This places the system in the 84th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a high-performing setup that outperforms the vast majority of alternatives.

The ranking reflects the synergy between the CPU and GPU. The Ryzen 7 9700F, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, provides a solid foundation that does not hold back the RTX 5070 in most scenarios. The CPU's single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Passmark score of 4691, is strong enough to handle the game's logic and physics, while its multithreaded score of 36470 ensures background tasks do not interfere with frame delivery.

However, the rank is not higher due to the GPU's limitations at extreme settings. The combo's 4K Ultra score of 38 FPS is a weak point that prevents it from climbing into the top echelons. Combos with more powerful GPUs would achieve higher ranks, but for a single-GPU consumer setup, this position is respectable. The data shows that this is a balanced pairing where neither component is dramatically over- or under-powered relative to the other, resulting in a rank that reflects its capability as a high-end 1440p and capable 4K gaming system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following results were measured for The Medium with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070.

At 3840x2160 (4K):

• Low settings: Average FPS of 106.
• Medium settings: Average FPS of 66, with a minimum of 56 and maximum of 76.
• High settings: Average FPS of 47.
• Ultra settings: Average FPS of 38.

At 2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low settings: Average FPS of 135.
• Medium settings: Average FPS of 84, with a minimum of 71 and maximum of 97.
• High settings: Average FPS of 60.
• Ultra settings: Average FPS of 48.

At 1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low settings: Average FPS of 160.
• Medium settings: Average FPS of 100, with a minimum of 85 and maximum of 115.
• High settings: Average FPS of 72.
• Ultra settings: Average FPS of 57.

The progression across resolutions shows a consistent pattern. For any given setting, the average FPS decreases as resolution increases. The most significant relative drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings, where the average falls from 60 to 47 FPS, a 22% reduction. The smallest relative drop is seen at Low settings from 1080p to 1440p, a 16% reduction from 160 to 135 FPS.

The settings also have a dramatic impact. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average FPS by 37.5% (160 to 100). Moving from Medium to High reduces it by 28% (100 to 72), and from High to Ultra by 21% (72 to 57). This non-linear scaling suggests that the Medium preset provides a significant visual uplift over Low without the disproportionate performance cost seen in the higher presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience. The 66 FPS average is fluid and the minimum of 56 FPS ensures that there are no major hitches during gameplay. The High preset at 47 FPS is borderline playable but risks dipping into the low 40s during intense scenes, which can be jarring in a horror game where smooth camera movement is critical. The Ultra preset at 38 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the frame rate is below the threshold for a comfortable experience. Low settings at 4K produce 106 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss is substantial and likely detracts from the game's atmospheric presentation.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again offers the best balance, with an 84 FPS average and a minimum of 71 FPS. This provides a high-refresh-rate experience with good visual quality. The High preset at 60 FPS is also viable for those prioritizing image quality, as it maintains a locked 60 FPS standard. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS is playable but not ideal, while Low at 135 FPS is excessively fast and sacrifices too much visual detail for the extra speed.

At 1080p, the Medium preset (100 FPS) is the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it provides a significant boost over High (72 FPS) while retaining decent graphical fidelity. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is a solid choice for those with a 60 Hz display who want maximum visual quality, as it stays above the 50 FPS threshold. Low at 160 FPS is best for competitive play or for users with 165 Hz+ monitors, but the visual downgrade is severe.

Overall, the data indicates that Medium settings are the recommended default for this hardware combination across all resolutions. It offers the most balanced experience, delivering frame rates that are substantially higher than High or Ultra while maintaining a level of visual detail that does not compromise the game's intended atmosphere. Users with 60 Hz displays at 1080p can consider Ultra, while those with high refresh rate panels at 1440p or 4K should stick with Medium to fully utilize their display's capabilities.