The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, presents a demanding workload that clearly separates CPU and GPU capabilities. In this analysis, the combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER graphics card produces a dataset that highlights the GPU as the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions and quality presets. The measured frames per second (FPS) across various settings provide a clear picture of what this pairing can deliver, ranking in the 2162nd position out of 3724 tested combinations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo if I want to prioritize frame rate?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 offers the highest performance, with an average of 101 FPS at Low settings and 63 FPS at Medium settings. This is significantly higher than the frame rates achievable at 2560x1440 or 3840x2160.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: Based on the average benchmark score of 20282, the RTX 2070 SUPER is 1% slower than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, 1.2% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, 1.3% slower than the Intel Arc B570, and 1.5% slower than the Intel Arc A750. It sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops dramatically from 85 FPS at Low settings to 30 FPS at Ultra settings. This represents a 64.7% reduction in performance, highlighting the significant cost of the Ultra preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU, with a high average benchmark score of 39768 and 87th percentile ranking, is capable of high throughput. However, frame rates drop sharply with resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

Q: Does the game support ray tracing on this GPU?

A: The GPU is based on the Turing architecture and includes 40 RT cores, which indicates it has hardware support for ray tracing. However, no specific ray tracing performance data is present in the measured FPS dataset for The Medium.

Q: What is the frame time variance like at 1080p Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 63, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 72. This indicates a frame time variance of 18 FPS, suggesting a generally stable experience with some potential for stutter in more demanding scenes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the central component in determining this combo's gaming performance. Its specifications include 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. With 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output pipelines, it is a capable 1440p-class card from the GeForce 20-series.

In the context of The Medium, the GPU's role is paramount. The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern: as resolution increases, performance degrades significantly. At 1080p with Low settings, the card delivers an average of 101 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 85 FPS, and at 4K, it is 67 FPS. This scaling indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being stressed by the game's rendering requirements. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is also a factor; at higher resolutions and quality presets, the demand for texture memory can exceed this limit, potentially causing performance hits. The 4K Ultra preset, which produces an average of only 24 FPS, likely represents a scenario where both the GPU's compute throughput and its memory subsystem are overwhelmed. The GPU's average benchmark score is 20282, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, and it trails its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A750, by 1.5% in average score.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER achieves a rank of 2162 out of 3724 total combos. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a direct reflection of the GPU's performance ceiling. The CPU is a high-end part, but the overall gaming experience is capped by the GPU's capabilities.

This ranking is not a measure of failure but rather a definition of the performance tier. The 3724 combos include systems with much more powerful graphics cards that can push higher frame rates at higher resolutions. The 2162nd position indicates that while this combo is functional and can play the game, it will not deliver top-tier performance, particularly at the highest settings. The CPU, which ranks in the 87th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 39768, has the headroom to support a more powerful GPU. However, in this pairing, that headroom is left on the table. The data suggests that for this game, the user's experience will be defined by the RTX 2070 SUPER's limits, not the Ryzen 7 9800X3D's strengths.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs best. With the Low preset, the average frame rate is 101 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. The Medium preset yields an average of 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. The High preset reduces the average to 45 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 36 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. The Low preset still provides a playable average of 85 FPS. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS. The High preset brings the average down to 38 FPS. The Ultra preset is barely playable, with an average of 30 FPS.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU is heavily strained. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a comfortable average, at 67 FPS. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 30 FPS. The Ultra preset is not a viable option for smooth gameplay, as it averages only 24 FPS.

These numbers show that the RTX 2070 SUPER is most comfortable at 1080p, where it can handle High settings for a playable experience and Low settings for high refresh rates. At 1440p, it is a 60 FPS-class card only on Low settings, with Medium being a good compromise for visual quality and performance. At 4K, users will need to stick to Low settings for a consistent frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this system. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 101 FPS at 1080p to 85 FPS at 1440p, a 15.8% decrease. Moving to 4K further reduces the average to 67 FPS, a 33.7% decrease from 1080p. This pattern is consistent across all presets.

For the Medium preset, the average FPS goes from 63 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p, and then to 42 at 4K. The High preset sees averages of 45, 38, and 30 FPS across the three resolutions. The Ultra preset shows the steepest drop, with averages of 36, 30, and 24 FPS. The reduction in frame rate is not linear, and the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K grows with the quality preset. For instance, at Low settings, the 4K frame rate is 66.3% of the 1080p frame rate. At Ultra settings, the 4K frame rate is only 66.7% of the 1080p frame rate.

This scaling behavior is a classic indicator of a GPU limitation. The CPU, which is a high-end Ryzen 7 9800X3D, is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. The data shows a clear and strong inverse relationship between resolution and FPS, confirming that the RTX 2070 SUPER's rendering pipeline is the primary constraint. The game's demands at 4K, especially with higher presets, simply exceed what this GPU can deliver.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Based on the Zen 5 architecture, it features a large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is beneficial for gaming. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 and a single-core score of 2080. Its average benchmark score is 39768, putting it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs.

In The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The game is a horror title with a fixed-camera perspective, which often relies on complex pre-rendered backgrounds and lighting effects that are GPU-intensive. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2964, is more than sufficient to handle the game's logic and physics. The CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration. The performance data shows that the frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution. The CPU's capabilities are not the limiting factor; the RTX 2070 SUPER is. This is further supported by the fact that the CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 7 7700, which is 0.8% faster, and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, which is 0.7% slower, indicating that the CPU is performing as expected for its class.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. The goal is to find a balance between visual fidelity and a smooth, playable experience.

For a 60+ FPS experience, the only viable option is to play at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which averages 101 FPS. This is the only setting that consistently breaks the 60 FPS barrier. Users with high refresh rate monitors will find this the best option for maximum smoothness.

For a stable 60 FPS experience with better visuals, the 1920x1080 Medium preset is the best choice, with an average of 63 FPS. While it dips to 54 FPS at times, it provides a good balance of visual quality and performance. This is the recommended preset for a high-quality 1080p experience.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently smooth frame rate, averaging 85 FPS. The Medium preset is also playable, with an average of 53 FPS, but it may experience some stutter in demanding scenes. For users who prioritize frame rate at 1440p, Low is the safest choice.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is recommended, as it provides a playable average of 67 FPS. The Medium preset is borderline, with an average of 42 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are not recommended for a playable experience. The data shows that this GPU cannot handle high-fidelity settings at 4K. The Ultra preset, which averages 24 FPS, should be avoided entirely. The best experience is to sacrifice visual detail to maintain a functional frame rate, with 1080p Medium being the sweet spot for this hardware combination.