The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER in The Medium presents a specific set of performance characteristics that are heavily dictated by the graphics card. The data indicates a system that is capable of smooth 1080p gameplay at medium settings, but which struggles to maintain playable framerates at higher resolutions and quality presets. This analysis interprets the measured results to provide practical settings guidance and a breakdown of how each component influences the outcome.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows show that the most balanced experience for this combination is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, yielding an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. This is the only preset at this resolution that keeps the average comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold while also maintaining a minimum above 50 FPS, which is crucial for a horror title where frame pacing and smoothness are important for atmosphere. The Low preset at 1080p does push the average to 101 FPS, but the visual compromise is likely too steep for a game that relies heavily on its moody, detailed environments.

Moving down to the High preset at 1080p drops the average to 45 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness target and indicates the GPU is already the limiting factor at this resolution. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at 36 FPS average. Therefore, the Medium preset at 1080p is the clear recommendation for the best balance of visual quality and performance. For players who prioritize a higher framerate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p provides a significant jump to 101 FPS, but this comes with the cost of reduced fidelity. The data suggests that attempting to play at 2560x1440 on High or Ultra is not advisable, as the average framerate falls to 38 FPS and 30 FPS respectively. Even the Medium preset at 1440p, which yields 53 FPS, is less stable than the 1080p Medium setting. The best overall experience, based on the measured rows, is unequivocally the Medium preset at 1920x1080.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture on a 4 nm process. Its base clock is 4.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The processor features a large 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a significant asset for gaming. The CPU's own benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22807 and a single-core score of 2228. Its average benchmark score is 58386, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. This indicates that the CPU has substantial headroom and is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios.

However, the measured FPS in The Medium reveals that the game is heavily GPU-limited for this combination. The fact that the average framerate drops from 101 FPS at 1080p Low to 30 FPS at 4K High, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant, points to the graphics card being the primary constraint. The CPU's high single-thread performance and massive cache are sufficient to feed the RTX 2070 SUPER in most situations. The 8 cores and 16 threads are also ample for the game's threading model, as the data does not show a scenario where the CPU's limits are reached. The CPU's performance is so far ahead of the GPU that it is not a contributing factor to the framerate drops seen at higher resolutions. In other words, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D is providing a stable platform, and the performance ceiling is defined entirely by the GPU. The CPU's high percentile rank (92nd) compared to all other CPUs reinforces that it is a top-tier part that will not hold back any modern graphics card.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the definitive performance bottleneck in this configuration. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1770 MHz. The GPU's benchmark scores are modest, with a Passmark G3D score of 18169, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. This is a mid-range performance tier in the current landscape. The data from The Medium clearly illustrates the GPU's limitations. At 4K, the GPU cannot handle the workload, with the High preset producing only 30 FPS and the Ultra preset dropping to 24 FPS.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is likely a contributing factor to the poor performance at higher resolutions. The Medium's detailed textures and effects can easily exceed 8 GB at 1440p and 4K, forcing the GPU to use slower system memory, which causes stuttering and low framerates. The difference between the Low and High presets at the same resolution shows the GPU's scaling. At 1080p, the average FPS jumps from 45 FPS on High to 101 FPS on Low, which is a massive 56 FPS difference. This indicates that the game's visual settings have a profound impact on the GPU's workload. The GPU's 12 nm Turing architecture, while supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate, is simply not powerful enough for the demands of The Medium at high resolutions and quality settings. The data strongly suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can provide playable framerates with some quality adjustments. The 65th percentile ranking for the GPU, compared to the CPU's 92nd percentile, highlights the imbalance in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the RTX 2070 SUPER ranks at 1648 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 56th percentile (calculated as (2911-1648)/2911 * 100), which is slightly above the median of all tested systems. This ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance. The CPU is capable of much higher performance, as evidenced by its own benchmark scores, but it is held back by the GPU's inability to render frames fast enough.

This rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's 65th percentile overall standing. A more balanced pairing, such as this CPU with a higher-tier GPU, would likely rank significantly higher. The data implies that this specific combo is a mismatch in terms of performance class. The CPU has the power to support a much faster graphics card, but the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting factor. The rank of 1648 indicates that there are 1647 other tested combinations that perform better, and 1263 that perform worse. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum. For a user with this CPU, the data suggests that upgrading the GPU would be the most effective way to improve performance in The Medium, as the CPU is not the bottleneck. The combo's rank reflects the fact that a balanced system is key; a top-tier CPU cannot compensate for a mid-range GPU in a graphically intensive game.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates the GPU's dominance as the limiting factor. At the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 63 FPS at 1080p to 53 FPS at 1440p, and then down to 42 FPS at 4K. This is a 33% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K. For the High preset, the scaling is even more severe: 45 FPS at 1080p, 38 FPS at 1440p, and 30 FPS at 4K, a 33% reduction as well. The Low preset shows a similar trend, with 101 FPS at 1080p dropping to 85 FPS at 1440p and 67 FPS at 4K.

This pattern is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must render grows exponentially. The CPU's workload does not scale nearly as much with resolution, so if the framerate drops are proportional to the resolution increase, the GPU is the limiting factor. The data shows that the framerate does not scale linearly with the pixel count, but the consistent drop across all presets confirms that the RTX 2070 SUPER is working at its maximum capacity. The 4K results are particularly telling: even the Low preset only manages 67 FPS, which shows that the GPU is overwhelmed. The fact that the framerate at 4K Low (67 FPS) is lower than the framerate at 1080p Medium (63 FPS) suggests that the resolution is a more significant stressor than the quality preset. This confirms that for this combo, the resolution should be the first thing to lower for better performance. The large gap between 1080p and 4K performance underscores the GPU's mid-range nature and its inability to handle high pixel counts in The Medium.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings to use for this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?*

A: Based on the measured data, the best experience is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset, which delivers an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS. This is the only preset that keeps the average above 60 FPS while maintaining a playable minimum.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data clearly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU has a high benchmark score (92nd percentile) and its performance is sufficient. The framerate drops significantly with resolution increases, which is a signature of a GPU-limited scenario.

Q: How does this combo's performance compare to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1648 out of 2911 tested combinations for The Medium. This places it in the 56th percentile, which is slightly above average, but it is held back by the GPU's mid-range performance.

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

A: The data shows that 4K gaming is not a smooth experience. On the High preset, the average FPS is only 30, and on the Ultra preset, it drops to 24 FPS. Even the Low preset at 4K only achieves 67 FPS, suggesting that 4K is not a viable target for this GPU.

Q: What is the impact of the 8 GB of VRAM on the RTX 2070 SUPER?

A: While not explicitly measured in the FPS data, the 8 GB VRAM capacity is likely a contributing factor to the poor performance at high resolutions. The game's detailed textures can exceed this capacity at 1440p and 4K, which can cause performance degradation. The data shows a massive performance drop between Low and High presets, which is consistent with VRAM limitations.

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

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 101 FPS, while the High preset averages 45 FPS. This 56 FPS difference shows that the GPU is very sensitive to the game's quality settings, and the Medium preset at 63 FPS offers a good middle ground.