The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers playable performance in The Medium at 1080p and 1440p, but the data clearly shows that the Radeon RX 9060 becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is well-balanced at lower resolutions but struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at 4K, particularly with higher graphical presets.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 101 FPS at 1920x1080 to 85 FPS at 2560x1440, a 16 FPS reduction, and then plummets to 67 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 34% decrease from 1080p to 4K, showing that even at the lowest graphical preset, the Radeon RX 9060 cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The scaling pattern becomes more pronounced with higher settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p, and further to 42 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings is 21 FPS, which is a 33% reduction. High settings show a similar trend: 45 FPS at 1080p, 38 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with frame rates falling from 36 FPS at 1080p to 30 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 24 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the Ryzen 7 9700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is not the limiting factor in this game. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20485 and a single-core score of 2211, suggest it has ample processing power. Instead, the GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus appear to be the constraints, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in pixel count. The 4K results at High and Ultra settings, 30 FPS and 24 FPS respectively, are below the threshold for smooth gameplay, confirming that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in The Medium.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data provides clear guidance on which settings offer the best balance between visual quality and playability. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 101 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors. However, the Medium preset at 63 FPS is the recommended choice for most players, as it offers a significant visual improvement over Low while still maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 45 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth, while Ultra at 36 FPS is only suitable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset stands out as the optimal choice, delivering 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS. This provides a playable experience with good visual quality. The Low preset at 85 FPS is ideal for those who prefer higher frame rates, while High at 38 FPS is borderline playable and Ultra at 30 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The 4K resolution presents a challenge, as even the Low preset only achieves 67 FPS. The Medium preset at 42 FPS is the highest setting that remains playable, though it may require some compromise on visual quality. The High and Ultra presets at 30 FPS and 24 FPS respectively are too demanding for this combo at 4K.

The data suggests that Medium settings provide the best experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, the 63 FPS average is smooth, and at 1440p, the 53 FPS average is still playable. At 4K, the 42 FPS average is borderline, but it is the only preset that offers a reasonable balance. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings, 53 at 1080p, 45 at 1440p, and 35 at 4K, indicate that the frame rate remains relatively stable, avoiding severe stutters.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 plays a critical role in determining the overall performance of this combo in The Medium. The GPU's specifications, including a base clock of 1700 MHz, a boost clock of 2990 MHz, and a game clock of 2400 MHz, show that it is designed for high-frequency operation. However, the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, appears to be a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings.

The GPU's benchmark results support this analysis. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3322, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 39476. The Passmark G3D score is 17631, which places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has an average score of 16129, with the RX 9060 being 0.7% slower. This indicates that the RX 9060 is a mid-range GPU that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles with 4K.

The GPU's 28 ray tracing cores and RDNA 4.0 architecture provide modern features, but the memory configuration is the primary constraint. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K with High or Ultra settings, the memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck. The measured FPS data confirms this, as the drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe at higher settings, suggesting that the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth. The GPU's TDP of 132 W and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface are adequate for its performance class, but the 128-bit memory bus is a clear weakness for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1648 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 43rd percentile of all tested combinations, indicating that it is a mid-pack performer. The ranking reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is clearly capable of handling the game's demands.

The CPU itself ranks in the 86th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14901E, which has an average score of 37911 and is 0.1% slower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, which scores 37904 and is also 0.1% slower. This shows that the Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-performance CPU that is not holding back the combo.

The GPU, on the other hand, ranks in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which scores 15852 and is 1% faster, and the AMD Radeon R9 370X, which scores 15862 and is 1% faster. The RX 9060 is also 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. This mid-range GPU performance is the reason why the combo ranks in the middle of the pack, as the CPU is not the limiting factor.

The combo's ranking of 1648 out of 2911 suggests that there are many other combinations that perform better in this game. The data indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, and players who want higher frame rates at 4K would need a more powerful graphics card. However, for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this combo performs adequately, as evidenced by the playable frame rates at Medium settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, with playable frame rates across all settings. At Medium settings, the average FPS is 63, which is smooth. At 2560x1440, Medium settings achieve 53 FPS, which is still playable, but 4K is not recommended for higher settings.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance in this game?

A: No, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is not the limiting factor. Its benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20485 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3023, indicate it has ample processing power. The GPU is the bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions.

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

A: At 4K, the combo achieves 67 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 42 FPS on Medium, 30 FPS on High, and 24 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset is the highest playable option, but the experience may not be smooth for all players.

Q: How does the Radeon RX 9060 compare to its rivals?

A: The RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. It is 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129, and 1% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which scores 15852. It is also 1% faster than the AMD Radeon R9 370X.

Q: What is the ideal settings preset for a balanced experience?

A: The Medium preset offers the best balance across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 63 FPS, at 1440p it delivers 53 FPS, and at 4K it delivers 42 FPS. The minimum FPS values are 53, 45, and 35 respectively, indicating stable performance.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1648 out of 2911 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack. This ranking is primarily due to the GPU's mid-range performance, as the CPU ranks in the 86th percentile of all CPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across all settings is as follows: Low settings achieve 101 FPS, Medium settings achieve 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS, High settings achieve 45 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 36 FPS. The Medium preset provides the most balanced experience, with a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while the Low preset offers the highest performance for players who prioritize smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings achieve 85 FPS, Medium settings achieve 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS, High settings achieve 38 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 30 FPS. The Medium preset remains the best option for a playable experience, as the High and Ultra presets fall below the 40 FPS threshold, which can result in noticeable stuttering.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are significantly lower. Low settings achieve 67 FPS, Medium settings achieve 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS, High settings achieve 30 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 24 FPS. The Low preset is the only option that delivers a smooth experience, while Medium is borderline playable. High and Ultra settings are not recommended, as the frame rates are too low for comfortable gameplay.

The data clearly shows that the combo performs best at 1080p and 1440p with Medium settings. The frame rate drops at 4K are steep, and the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are the limiting factors. The Ryzen 7 9700X provides strong CPU performance, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's constraints at higher resolutions. This combo is a solid choice for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but players who want to play at 4K will need to lower settings to Low or Medium to achieve playable frame rates.