The Medium

The Medium with an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is a formidable pairing, sitting at rank 108 out of 1689 tested combos for this title. This places it comfortably in the top 7% of all configurations tested, indicating that this system is built to handle the game’s demands with substantial headroom. The data shows a machine that prioritizes raw throughput, with the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads providing a strong foundation that ensures the GPU is rarely left waiting for instructions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 7900X and the RTX 5070 Ti achieves a combo rank of 108 out of 1689 tested configurations in The Medium. This is a strong result, placing the system well within the top percentile of all tested setups. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is a clear bottleneck at the resolutions tested. The CPU's performance is a key contributor here; its average benchmark score of 50556 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with a multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 43695. The GPU also holds its own, with an average benchmark score of 52086, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. The data indicates that this combo is not just about high peak frame rates, but about consistent delivery across different settings, a trait that is valuable in a game like The Medium where atmospheric tension relies on smooth pacing.

When looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the performance is tightly clustered. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 scores a near-identical average of 50598, a negligible 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT is also close at 50738, just 0.4% behind. Even the Intel Core i9-13980HX, a mobile part, is only 0.8% off the pace. This shows that the 7900X is in a performance tier where the exact frame rate output in a game like The Medium will be dictated more by the GPU and game settings than by minute CPU differences. The GPU's rival situation is similar; the RTX 5070 Ti's average score of 52086 is essentially identical to the RTX 4080's 52085, a 0% delta. This suggests that in this game, the 5070 Ti delivers performance on par with the previous generation's flagship-tier card.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the primary driver of visual output in this configuration, and its memory subsystem is a standout feature. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. This is a critical asset for The Medium, a game that likely uses high-resolution textures to build its eerie environments. The data shows that this memory capacity is sufficient to prevent performance cliffs at 4K, as the average frame rates remain playable even at higher settings. The GPU's boost clock of 2452 MHz, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, enables a pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s. These figures translate directly to the ability to fill the screen with detailed geometry and effects without dropping frames.

The GPU's compute capabilities are also substantial, with 43.94 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This raw compute power is what allows the game's visual effects, such as the dual-reality rendering mechanic, to be processed efficiently. The benchmark results for the GPU show a strong DirectX 12 score of 127 in Passmark, which is relevant given that the game supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. The GPU's percentile ranking of 87th places it above the vast majority of other cards, and its performance parity with the RTX 4080 (a 0% delta in average score) signals that it is more than capable of handling the game's demands at the resolutions in the data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals clear patterns in how the system scales across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 176.7 FPS, which drops to 118.9 FPS at 4K. This 32.7% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings suggests that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases, but the CPU is still providing enough headroom to keep frame rates high. The story changes dramatically at Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 66.1 FPS, but this falls to 41.5 FPS at 4K Ultra. This is a 37.2% drop, indicating that the load is shifting heavily onto the GPU as the visual fidelity increases.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is also informative. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 69.6 FPS at 1440p to 56.8 FPS at 4K, a decrease of 18.4%. At Medium settings, the drop is from 97.4 FPS to 76.3 FPS, a 21.7% reduction. These figures point to a system where the CPU is strong enough to maintain a solid frame rate floor, but the GPU's workload is the deciding factor in final output. The fact that 1080p Low (176.7 FPS) is more than double 4K Ultra (41.5 FPS) shows that the game is highly scalable and that the GPU is the component that feels the pressure of higher resolutions and more complex rendering.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the "High" preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers an average of 84.4 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. At 1440p, it drops slightly to 69.6 FPS, which remains well within the bounds of a great gaming experience for a horror title where precision is less critical than immersion. Even at 4K, the High preset maintains an average of 56.8 FPS, which is acceptable for a game of this genre. This consistency makes High the sweet spot for quality and performance.

The "Ultra" preset, while visually superior, comes with a significant cost. It pushes the system to 66.1 FPS at 1080p and drops to 52.8 FPS at 1440p. At 4K, it falls to 41.5 FPS, which may feel less fluid. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, the "Medium" preset is a better alternative, offering 111.8 FPS at 1080p and 97.4 FPS at 1440p. This preset provides a substantial boost in frame rate over High while still looking good. The data suggests that for the best experience, users should start with High and only move to Ultra if they have a G-SYNC or FreeSync display to smooth out the lower frame rates, or if they prioritize visual fidelity over frame time consistency.

Measured FPS Breakdown

• 1080p: At Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 176.7 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average is 111.8 FPS. At High, the average is 84.4 FPS. The Ultra preset yields an average of 66.1 FPS.
• 1440p: Low settings produce an average of 156.9 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 97.4 FPS. High settings average 69.6 FPS. At Ultra, the system averages 52.8 FPS.
• 4K (2160p): Low settings result in an average of 118.9 FPS. Medium settings drop the average to 76.3 FPS. The High preset averages 56.8 FPS. At Ultra, the average falls to 41.5 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings are for high-refresh-rate displays, Medium provides a solid balance, High is the recommended quality setting, and Ultra is for those who want the best image and can tolerate lower frame rates. The difference between Low and Ultra is substantial, with the 1080p Low result being over 2.6 times higher than the 4K Ultra result.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running The Medium at 4K?

A: Yes, the data shows it is playable. At 4K with High settings, the average frame rate is 56.8 FPS. At Medium settings, it rises to 76.3 FPS, and at Low settings, it reaches 118.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting to use for a 1440p monitor?

A: The High preset offers a strong balance at 1440p, with an average of 69.6 FPS. If you prefer higher frame rates, the Medium preset provides 97.4 FPS, which is excellent for a horror game.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The benchmark data shows they are essentially identical. The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 52086, while the RTX 4080 has a score of 52085, a 0% delta.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 Ti?

A: The data suggests not. The CPU's high multi-threaded performance (43695 in Cinebench R23) ensures it can keep up with the GPU. The combo's rank of 108 out of 1689 indicates a well-balanced system.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 66.1 FPS. This is playable, but for a smoother experience, you might consider High settings, which average 84.4 FPS.

Q: Does the 16 GB of VRAM in the RTX 5070 Ti help at 4K?

A: Yes, the data indicates it is sufficient. The 4K results do not show a catastrophic drop-off that would indicate a memory capacity issue. The 896.0 GB/s bandwidth also helps maintain performance at high resolutions.