The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination delivers a highly variable experience in The Medium, with performance dictated almost entirely by the graphics preset selected. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and playability, with the system’s 8-core, 16-thread CPU providing ample headroom across all tested configurations.

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

The Ryzen 7 9700X is built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) and operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. This processor includes 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory via a dual-channel interface. Its benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 31588 and a Geekbench multicore score of 17002. Single-thread performance is equally robust, as shown by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4459 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4654.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU’s role appears to be primarily that of a stable foundation rather than a bottleneck. Across all measured resolutions and settings, the frame rates scale predictably with GPU load, which suggests the processor is never limiting performance. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1280 and the 16-thread score of 9824 indicate that the CPU can handle both the game’s logic and any background tasks without issue. The processor’s 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms that it is a high-end part, though its nearest rivals — including the Intel Core i5-14500HX (0.2% ahead) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (0.4% behind) — show that it is not an outlier in raw compute. For this game, the CPU’s headroom means that the measured FPS differences between presets are attributable to the GPU and graphics settings, not processing power.

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

The measured FPS data presents a clear hierarchy. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 96 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Medium follows at 61.9 FPS, High at 41.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 34.5 FPS. The Low preset is the only setting that consistently exceeds 60 FPS at this resolution, making it the most fluid option for fast-paced gameplay. However, Medium at 61.9 FPS is nearly identical in smoothness and likely offers a substantial visual upgrade over Low, given that the delta is only a few frames per second.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low yields 79 FPS, which remains comfortably above 60 FPS. Medium drops to 51.1 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a horror title where reaction time matters. High and Ultra fall to 36.3 FPS and 29.1 FPS, respectively. For 1440p, the Low preset is the only one that maintains a high refresh rate experience; Medium is a compromise for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate. At 3840x2160, the situation becomes more demanding. Low produces 65.4 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS, but Medium falls to 38.6 FPS, High to 26.5 FPS, and Ultra to 24.2 FPS. Only Low is viable for 4K gaming with this combo.

The data suggests that the best experience balances the Medium preset at 1080p or the Low preset at 1440p, depending on the user’s display. At 4K, Low is the only playable option. The Ultra preset is consistently below 35 FPS across all resolutions, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?*

A: The highest recorded average is 96 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 60 FPS in 4K?*

A: Yes, but only with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 65.4 FPS at 3840x2160. Medium drops to 38.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the Ultra preset perform at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 29.1 FPS, which is below playable standards for most users.

Q: Is there a significant difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is 7.1 FPS, with High at 41.6 FPS and Ultra at 34.5 FPS. Both are below 60 FPS, but High is noticeably smoother.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate no bottleneck. The CPU’s high multi-threaded and single-threaded scores (Cinebench R23 multicore 31588, single-core 4459) provide sufficient headroom, as frame rates scale consistently with GPU load across all settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT ranks 1070 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, which is consistent with the GPU’s positioning rather than the CPU’s. The processor itself ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, but the graphics card only reaches the 63rd percentile. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 20146 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 460 (0.3% ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.6% behind), indicating that it is a mid-range part. The CPU, by contrast, sits close to the Intel Core i5-14500HX (0.2% ahead) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (0.4% behind), both of which are high-end mobile or desktop parts.

The ranking of 1070 out of 1689 suggests that while the CPU is capable, the GPU limits the overall gaming experience in this title. The data shows that the combo’s performance is more dependent on the graphics card than the processor, as the frame rates at higher settings and resolutions drop sharply, reflecting the GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. This rank is not a reflection of poor engineering but rather a match of a strong CPU with a mid-range GPU, resulting in a system that excels at lower settings but struggles with maxed-out visuals.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture (Navi 33) and features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1980 MHz, with a boost clock of 2755 MHz and a game clock of 2470 MHz. The GPU includes 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units, alongside 32 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 performance is rated at 22.57 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6.

In The Medium, the GPU’s role is decisive. The measured FPS data shows that the RX 7600 XT is capable of high frame rates at Low settings across all resolutions, but it struggles with higher presets. At 1080p, the jump from Low (96 FPS) to Medium (61.9 FPS) is a 35.5% drop, and further drops to High (41.6 FPS) and Ultra (34.5 FPS) indicate that the card’s compute resources are quickly exhausted. The 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor at these settings, as the game’s requirements are likely well within this capacity, but the GPU’s raw throughput (22.57 TFLOPS) is insufficient for maintaining 60 FPS at High or Ultra. The GPU’s 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with rivals like the RTX 2060 SUPER (1.9% ahead) and the RTX 3070 Mobile (1.9% behind), confirms its mid-range status. The data indicates that the RX 7600 XT is best utilized with lower graphical presets to achieve playable frame rates.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 96 FPS, which is the highest for this combo. Medium delivers 61.9 FPS, High 41.6 FPS, and Ultra 34.5 FPS. The progression shows a steep decline from Low to Medium, but the differences between High and Ultra are smaller, with only a 7.1 FPS gap.

At 2560x1440, Low produces 79 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. Medium drops to 51.1 FPS, High to 36.3 FPS, and Ultra to 29.1 FPS. The 1440p results show that only Low is suitable for smooth gameplay, while Medium is borderline and High/Ultra are not recommended.

At 3840x2160, Low yields 65.4 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target. Medium falls to 38.6 FPS, High to 26.5 FPS, and Ultra to 24.2 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that this combo is only viable at the lowest settings, with a dramatic performance drop as settings increase.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Low offers the only consistently playable experience, Medium is marginal at 1080p and 1440p, and High/Ultra are unsuitable for anything above 1080p. The data shows that the RX 7600 XT’s performance is the limiting factor, as the CPU’s capabilities are never fully stressed.