The Medium

The Medium, a horror title built around fixed-camera angles and heavy environmental storytelling, presents a unique load profile that combines demanding visual effects with the need for consistent frame delivery. This analysis examines the performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, using measured frame rate data to determine how this combination handles the game’s dual-reality rendering. The data shows a system that is capable of high refresh rates at lower resolutions but is decidedly constrained by the graphics card at 4K, where the game’s visual fidelity demands more than the GPU can comfortably deliver.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern, with frame rates dropping significantly as pixel count increases. At 1080p High, the combo produces an average of 80.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 66.9 FPS, a reduction of 13.2 FPS. The step to 4K High is far more severe, with the average falling to 54.1 FPS. This 26 FPS drop from 1080p to 4K represents a 32.5% decrease in performance, indicating that the rendering load is scaling heavily with resolution.

This scaling behavior tells a clear story about the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau or drop only slightly as resolution increases, because the CPU would be doing the same amount of work regardless of pixel output. Instead, the consistent and substantial drops at each higher resolution point directly to the GPU as the primary constraint. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is being pushed to its limits by the game’s pixel shaders and memory bandwidth requirements at higher resolutions.

The data also shows that the gap between settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 113.4 FPS (173.9 vs 60.5). At 4K, that difference shrinks to 80.4 FPS (120 vs 39.6). While the absolute numbers are lower, the percentage difference remains large, confirming that the GPU is the sole performance arbiter in this scenario. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at all tested resolutions, as evidenced by the high frame rates at Low settings where the CPU load is relatively higher.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s role in this configuration is central, as the benchmark results indicate the frame rate is almost entirely dependent on its capabilities. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory subsystem is likely a significant factor in maintaining playable frame rates at 4K, where texture data and geometry require substantial bandwidth. The card’s 8448 shading units and 264 texture mapping units are the workhorses for the game’s visual effects, and their performance directly dictates the measured averages.

The GPU’s clock speeds, with a base of 2340 MHz and a boost of 2610 MHz, are typical for the Ada Lovelace architecture. These clocks, combined with the 66 RT cores and 264 tensor cores, enable the game’s advanced lighting and upscaling features, though the measured data does not isolate their individual impact. The 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a raw measure of the card’s compute power, and it aligns with the observed scaling patterns. When the settings are dropped from Ultra to Low, the GPU has less work to do, and the average frame rate more than doubles at every resolution.

The fact that the GPU is the limiting factor is also supported by its overall benchmark position. It sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48704. This is a high-performing card, but it is not at the absolute top tier, which explains why 4K Ultra settings result in an average of just 39.6 FPS. The data suggests that for this specific game, the GPU is the component that will determine the user experience, and its performance headroom is exhausted at higher quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 150th out of 1689 total combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 8.9% of all tested systems, indicating a very strong overall performance level. The rank is a holistic measure of the combo’s ability to run the game, and given the GPU-bound nature of the workload, it primarily reflects the graphics card’s tier.

The CPU’s contribution to this rank is indirect but important. The Ryzen 9 7900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is a high-end processor that does not bottleneck the GPU. Its average benchmark score of 50556 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT, have average scores within 0.8% of this chip. This ensures that the GPU is fed with a consistent stream of frames, allowing it to perform to its full potential.

However, the game’s performance is not a reflection of the CPU’s processing power. The data shows that the frame rates are dictated by the GPU. The combo’s rank of 150 is a statement about the GPU’s tier, not the CPU’s. A weaker CPU paired with this same GPU might see a slightly lower rank in CPU-bound scenarios, but for The Medium, the graphics card is the star. The high rank confirms that this is a capable system for 1440p and even 4K gaming, but it does not mean it can max out every game at the highest resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rate data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data shows that the Medium preset is the best choice at 4K, delivering an average of 72.3 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold and allows for more visual fidelity than the Low preset, which averages 120 FPS. The High preset at 4K, averaging 54.1 FPS, is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stutter in a horror game where smooth motion is critical for immersion.

At 1440p, the situation is more flexible. The High preset averages 66.9 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset at 92.3 FPS offers a much smoother experience with only a modest visual sacrifice. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 146.6 FPS is the only option that can push beyond 144 FPS, but it does so at the cost of significant visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 54.6 FPS, is not recommended due to its sub-60 FPS average.

For 1080p, the High preset at 80.1 FPS is a strong balance of quality and performance. The Medium preset at 111.6 FPS is also excellent for high refresh rate displays, while the Low preset at 173.9 FPS is reserved for competitive play. The Ultra preset at 1080p, averaging 60.5 FPS, is playable but does not offer a substantial visual improvement over High to justify the frame rate penalty. In summary, the data suggests that Medium settings provide the best experience for 4K, while High or Medium are ideal for 1440p and 1080p, depending on the user’s preference for visual fidelity versus frame smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data presents the exact average frame rates recorded for each resolution and settings combination.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 173.9 FPS
• Medium: 111.6 FPS
• High: 80.1 FPS
• Ultra: 60.5 FPS

At 1080p, the combo shows its full potential. The Low preset achieves a blistering 173.9 FPS, demonstrating that the CPU is not a limiting factor. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with Ultra still maintaining a playable 60.5 FPS. This resolution is where the system has the most headroom, allowing for high frame rates even at the most demanding preset.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 146.6 FPS
• Medium: 92.3 FPS
• High: 66.9 FPS
• Ultra: 54.6 FPS

The 1440p results show a more pronounced impact of the GPU’s workload. The Low preset still delivers a very high 146.6 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 92.3 FPS. The High preset at 66.9 FPS is a solid result, but the Ultra preset falls below the 60 FPS mark at 54.6 FPS. This resolution is a good middle ground, offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while still maintaining high frame rates on lower presets.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 120 FPS
• Medium: 72.3 FPS
• High: 54.1 FPS
• Ultra: 39.6 FPS

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The Low preset still manages an impressive 120 FPS, showing the raw power of the card. However, the Medium preset drops to 72.3 FPS, and the High preset falls to 54.1 FPS. The Ultra preset produces an average of just 39.6 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a game that relies on atmospheric tension. These numbers indicate that for a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, the Medium preset is the maximum viable option.