The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination delivers a highly playable experience in The Medium, but the data reveals a clear performance hierarchy dictated by both resolution and graphical presets. At 4K Ultra, the system dips to an average of 45 FPS, indicating a significant GPU limitation, while at 1080p Low, it achieves 185 FPS, showcasing the CPU’s exceptional headroom. This pairing is firmly positioned in the top tier of tested configurations, ranking 222nd out of 3724 combos, though the benchmark results show that users must tailor settings to their display to maintain smooth framerates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data demonstrates a classic resolution scaling curve, with performance dropping as pixel count increases. Moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K yields consistent framerate reductions across all settings, highlighting where the bottleneck shifts between the CPU and GPU.

At the High preset, the average framerate falls from 85 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72 FPS at 2560x1440, a 15% decrease, and then further to 56 FPS at 3840x2160, a 22% drop from 1440p. This progressive decline indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth being stressed by the higher pixel workloads.

The Low preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with 185 FPS at 1080p, 160 FPS at 1440p, and 126 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is a modest 14%, but the jump to 4K causes a 21% reduction. This pattern suggests that at lower settings, the CPU’s performance becomes more relevant; the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost of 5.20 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the GPU still becomes the ceiling at higher resolutions.

For the Medium preset, the available data includes minimum and maximum FPS values, providing deeper insight. At 1080p, the average is 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 137, showing a tight 36 FPS range. At 1440p, the average drops to 100 FPS, with min and max at 85 and 115 respectively. At 4K, the average is 79 FPS, with a 67 FPS minimum and 90 FPS maximum. The consistency of these ranges suggests that the combination maintains stable frame pacing even when the GPU is heavily loaded.

The Ultra preset reveals the steepest scaling curve. At 1080p, the average is 68 FPS, which drops to 57 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 45 FPS at 4K. The 33% reduction from 1080p to 4K is the largest of any preset, indicating that Ultra settings place an immense load on the GPU’s 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and its 80 RT cores, which are likely engaged for the game’s horror-themed lighting and shadow effects.

Overall, the scaling data points to a system where the RTX 4080 SUPER is the clear constraint at 4K, particularly on higher presets, while the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s strong single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 1212) prevents CPU-related framerate dips at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 185 FPS shows that the CPU can push well beyond typical display refresh rates, making the GPU the only meaningful performance gate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a rank of 222 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 6% of all configurations. This is a strong result, reflecting the high baseline performance of both components, but the ranking also shows that there is room for improvement with more powerful hardware.

The CPU’s overall benchmark percentile is 87, with an average benchmark score of 39768. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS, which scores 39603 (a 0.4% delta), and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 at 40048 (-0.7% delta). These close margins indicate that the 9800X3D is competitive with other high-end processors, but not dramatically ahead of all alternatives. The Ryzen 7 7700, another direct competitor, scores 40081, which is 0.8% higher, suggesting that in synthetic tests, the 9800X3D’s advantage is not overwhelming.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080 SUPER has a percentile of 86 and an average benchmark score of 54209. Its nearest rival, the standard RTX 4080, scores 54247, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the SUPER variant is effectively tied with its predecessor in average benchmarks. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.7% higher), indicating that the 4080 SUPER is not the fastest GPU in the database, but it is positioned within a tight performance band.

Given these component-level scores, the 222nd rank in The Medium is a logical outcome. The game’s horror genre often relies on complex rendering techniques that benefit from GPU compute power, so the 4080 SUPER’s 45.9 billion transistors and 10240 shading units are likely the primary drivers of its rank. The CPU’s contribution is secondary, as evidenced by the 1080p Low result of 185 FPS, which is high enough to avoid bottlenecking in most scenarios. The 222nd rank suggests that while this combo is excellent, there are roughly 221 other configurations (likely with higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 4090 or newer generation cards) that achieve better average framerates in this specific title.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 on High settings provides a strong balance, with an average of 72 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while 4K High averages 56 FPS, which is playable but less consistent.

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

A: Yes, but only on lower presets. At 4K Low, the average is 126 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 79 FPS. However, 4K Ultra drops to 45 FPS, which may feel choppy for some users.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in this game?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, while the standard RTX 4080 scores 54247, a delta of -0.1%. This means their performance is virtually identical in synthetic tests, so the in-game FPS is likely very similar.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions, as seen by the 185 FPS at 1080p Low. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with the CPU having significant headroom to spare.

Q: What is the framerate range at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured data shows an average of 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS. This provides a stable experience with minimal frame dips.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested combinations?

A: It ranks 222nd out of 3724 combos, putting it in the top percentile. This is a high rank, though it is not the absolute best, suggesting that a few other configurations deliver higher average framerates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four presets. The following breakdown details the exact average framerates for each configuration.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 185 FPS, the High preset averages 85 FPS, the Medium preset averages 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 137, and the Ultra preset averages 68 FPS. This shows a wide range of 117 FPS between the lowest and highest presets, giving users ample flexibility.

Moving to 2560x1440, the framerates decrease across the board. The Low preset averages 160 FPS, the High preset averages 72 FPS, the Medium preset averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 and maximum of 115, and the Ultra preset averages 57 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, ranging from 11% (Low) to 16% (Ultra), indicating that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the main factor.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset still provides a playable average of 126 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 90. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 45 FPS. This resolution shows the largest spread between presets, with a 81 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of 4K.

The data also reveals that the Medium preset is the only one with a full set of min and max values across all resolutions. This suggests that the game’s performance is most stable at this setting, with the 1080p range being 36 FPS, the 1440p range being 30 FPS, and the 4K range being 23 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU’s workload is more consistent, but the overall framerate is lower.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the High preset at 2560x1440 offers the best combination of visual fidelity and performance, with an average of 72 FPS. This is above the standard 60 FPS target and provides a smoother experience than 4K High (56 FPS) while maintaining higher quality than Medium.

For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is viable, averaging 68 FPS. This allows for maximum graphical detail without sacrificing playability. Alternatively, the High preset at 85 FPS offers a 25% framerate increase with a modest visual downgrade, which may be preferable for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 4K resolution, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, averaging 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS. This ensures that framerates rarely dip below 60, making it the best option for a consistent 4K experience. The Low preset at 126 FPS is also viable for users prioritizing performance, but the visual quality loss may be noticeable in a horror game that relies on atmospheric details.

The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K, as the 45 FPS average is below the standard smoothness threshold and may cause noticeable stutter in fast-paced scenes. Similarly, 4K High at 56 FPS is borderline playable but may not be ideal for all users. For the best overall experience, the data points to 1440p High as the sweet spot, balancing image quality and framerate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D plays a supporting role in The Medium, with its 8 cores and 16 threads providing ample processing power for the game’s logic and AI. The CPU’s base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.20 GHz are high for a desktop processor, and its 96 MB of shared L3 cache likely helps with data-heavy scenes common in horror environments.

Benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23230 and a Geekbench multicore score of 18696. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 10081 further confirms its capability in moderately threaded workloads. However, The Medium does not appear to be heavily CPU-bound, as evidenced by the framerate scaling from 1080p to 4K, which is largely linear with GPU load.

The CPU’s single-thread performance is also notable, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 1212 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2080. This ensures that the game’s main thread is not a bottleneck, allowing the RTX 4080 SUPER to operate at its full potential. The 1080p Low result of 185 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can support framerates far beyond what most displays can show, making it a future-proof choice.

The CPU’s 120 W TDP and efficient 4 nm process node (built by TSMC) mean that thermal throttling is unlikely to be an issue in most systems, allowing consistent performance over long gaming sessions. While the CPU’s overall percentile is 87, which is high, its nearest rivals show that it is not dramatically faster than other top-tier chips. In The Medium, the CPU’s role is to provide a stable foundation, while the GPU determines the final framerate, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The 222nd rank of this combo is primarily a reflection of the GPU’s capabilities, with the CPU ensuring that no processing overhead limits the experience.