The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination delivers a distinctive performance profile in The Medium, a horror title that stresses both processing and rendering subsystems. The data shows this pairing produces a playable experience at lower resolutions but struggles to maintain frame rates at 4K with higher visual fidelity presets. This analysis breaks down the measured results across resolutions and settings, contextualizes the combo's standing among tested configurations, and examines the specific roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping these outcomes.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 over a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and the chip uses the AMD Socket AM5 platform with PCIe Gen 5 (24 lanes from the CPU).

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9700X demonstrates strong single-threaded performance: it scores 1280 in 3DMark single-thread, 346 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 2211 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 3023 in Geekbench single-core. Multi-threaded results are equally robust, with Cinebench R23 multicore scoring 20485 and Geekbench multicore at 17906. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 86, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the Intel Core i9-14901E (deltaPct 0.1), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (deltaPct 0.1), Intel Core 5 211E (deltaPct 0.3), and AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (deltaPct 0.4) — all within a narrow performance band.

For The Medium, a game that often involves fixed camera angles and layered scene rendering, the CPU's high single-thread performance is crucial for maintaining consistent frame pacing. The 9700X's boost clock of 5.50 GHz and strong single-core Cinebench scores suggest it can handle the game's primary game logic and draw call processing without becoming the bottleneck at most settings. However, the measured FPS data reveals that at 4K with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 27 FPS, while at 1080p with Low settings, it reaches 115 FPS. This wide spread indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions — the GPU takes over as the primary constraint. The 9700X's 3DMark 16-thread score of 9824 and max-thread score of 9771 show it can leverage its 16 threads effectively, but The Medium's demands appear to scale more with GPU load than with CPU thread count, especially as resolution increases.

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

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS — this is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 1080p drops to 51 FPS average, which is playable but less fluid, while Ultra falls to 41 FPS and Low jumps to 115 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p produces 61 FPS average (min 51, max 70), which remains acceptable for most players, whereas High at 1440p yields only 43 FPS and Ultra just 34 FPS.

At 4K, the story changes dramatically. Medium at 3840x2160 averages 48 FPS (min 40, max 55), which is borderline playable but may feel inconsistent during intense scenes. High at 4K drops to 34 FPS, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS — both are below the standard 30 FPS minimum for a playable experience. Low at 4K reaches 76 FPS, but this preset likely sacrifices too much visual quality for a game like The Medium that relies on atmospheric detail. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot: it provides the best compromise between visual fidelity and frame rate, with the 1440p Medium result of 61 FPS being the most balanced row in the entire dataset. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low at 1440p (97 FPS) or 1080p (115 FPS) are strong alternatives, but Medium offers a more immersive experience without dropping below 60 FPS at 1080p or 1440p.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which points to the GPU as the dominant bottleneck. At Medium settings, the average frame rate scales from 72 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p (a 15.3% drop) and then to 48 FPS at 4K (a 33.3% drop from 1440p). This non-linear decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering load grows exponentially with pixel count. The RX 7700's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth should theoretically handle 4K textures, but the raw compute throughput — 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 — appears insufficient for The Medium's effects at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 27 FPS.

At Low settings, the scaling is steeper in percentage terms: 115 FPS at 1080p, 97 FPS at 1440p (15.7% drop), and 76 FPS at 4K (21.6% drop from 1440p). This suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU remains the primary limiter, as a CPU-bound scenario would show minimal FPS variation across resolutions. The delta between Low and Medium at each resolution is consistent (about 43 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K), indicating that the GPU's fill-rate and shader resources are being taxed proportionally by the quality preset. The CPU's role is secondary; its high single-thread scores (e.g., 2211 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensure that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has headroom, the processor can feed frames fast enough to hit 115 FPS. The data implies that users should not expect the 9700X to rescue frame rates at 4K — the RX 7700's compute limits cap performance regardless of CPU capability.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1307 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium — placing it in the 44.9th percentile of all configurations in the database. This mid-pack ranking suggests that while the CPU is top-tier (86th percentile vs all CPUs), the GPU's lower standing (58th percentile vs all GPUs) drags the overall combo down. The RX 7700's average benchmark score of 15852 places it near the AMD Radeon R9 370X (deltaPct -0.1), AMD Radeon RX 9060 (deltaPct -1), AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (deltaPct 1.1), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct -1.7). These rivals are all older or lower-tier cards, which contextualizes the RX 7700's performance class.

The combo's rank of 1307 indicates that many configurations with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs outperform it in The Medium. For instance, a system with a mid-range CPU and a higher-tier GPU would likely achieve higher average FPS at 4K, where the GPU bottleneck dominates. Conversely, the 9700X's strong CPU benchmarks (e.g., 37161 in PassMark multithread) do not translate into a higher combo rank because the game's frame rates are so heavily GPU-limited. The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals (0.1 to 0.4%) are negligible, meaning the 9700X is effectively tied with those processors — but the GPU's nearest rivals show a wider spread (-1.7% to 1.1%), reflecting more variance in graphics performance. This combo rank suggests that the RX 7700 is the weaker link, and users seeking better results in The Medium would benefit more from a GPU upgrade than a CPU change.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the Navi 32 chip (RDNA 3.0 architecture) using a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's clocks are a base of 1900 MHz, a boost of 2459 MHz, and a game clock of 2041 MHz, with memory running at 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective). The RX 7700 has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 40 RT cores, delivering 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and a pixel rate of 236.1 GPixel/s.

In The Medium, the RX 7700's 16 GB VRAM is not the limiting factor — even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate of 27 FPS is more likely constrained by compute throughput than memory capacity. The GPU's boost clock of 2459 MHz and game clock of 2041 MHz are moderate for the RDNA 3 generation, and the 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 figure is modest compared to higher-tier cards. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (48 FPS) versus 4K Low (76 FPS) shows a 28 FPS difference, indicating that the GPU's shader units and ROPs are heavily taxed by the Medium preset's effects. The passmark G3D score of 20974 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2865 provide synthetic context, but the real-world results reveal that the RX 7700 struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p Medium (61 FPS is close) and cannot reach 30 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The GPU's 58th percentile vs all GPUs places it in the lower half of the database, and its nearest rivals include the older Radeon R9 370X (deltaPct -0.1) — a card from a previous generation — which underscores that the RX 7700 is not a high-end performer. The RT cores (40) are present but The Medium's measured data does not include ray tracing results, so their impact is unclear from this dataset. The 624.1 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 4K textures, but the compute ceiling limits the GPU's ability to process the game's complex lighting and post-processing effects at higher presets.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Medium settings delivers 72 FPS average (min 61, max 83), making it the most consistent experience. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 61 FPS (min 51, max 70), which is still playable but closer to the edge.

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

A: At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a high frame rate (76 FPS average). Medium at 4K averages 48 FPS (min 40, max 55), which is borderline, while High (34 FPS) and Ultra (27 FPS) are below playable thresholds.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. FPS drops significantly with resolution (e.g., 72 FPS at 1080p Medium to 48 FPS at 4K Medium), which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, while the CPU's high single-thread scores suggest it is not the limiting factor.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1307 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the 44.9th percentile. This mid-pack position reflects the GPU's lower performance class (58th percentile vs all GPUs) relative to the CPU's high standing (86th percentile).

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows 61 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 70 FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings. This is the only 1440p preset that stays above 60 FPS average.

*Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the RX 7700 help in The Medium?*

A: The measured data does not show VRAM capacity as a limiting factor — even at 4K Ultra (27 FPS), the bottleneck appears to be compute throughput rather than memory, given the 624.1 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB capacity are both substantial.

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

1920x1080:

• Low: 115 FPS average
• Medium: 72 FPS average (min 61, max 83)
• High: 51 FPS average
• Ultra: 41 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 97 FPS average
• Medium: 61 FPS average (min 51, max 70)
• High: 43 FPS average
• Ultra: 34 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 76 FPS average
• Medium: 48 FPS average (min 40, max 55)
• High: 34 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern: Low settings always produce playable frame rates across all resolutions, Medium is viable up to 1440p, and High/Ultra are only suitable at 1080p (51 and 41 FPS respectively). The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is the lowest measured value, and the 1080p Low result of 115 FPS is the highest. The Medium preset's min/max values (61-83 FPS at 1080p, 51-70 FPS at 1440p, 40-55 FPS at 4K) show a narrowing range as resolution increases, indicating more frame-time consistency at lower resolutions but also less headroom. These exact numbers define the performance envelope: the combo delivers its best experience at 1080p Medium, with acceptable results at 1440p Medium, and only Low settings at 4K provide smooth gameplay.