The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile delivers a playable but demanding experience in The Medium, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary constraint. The data shows a steep decline in frame rates as resolution increases, with the gap between Low and Ultra settings widening significantly at 4K, indicating that the 8 GB VRAM buffer and the mobile GPU’s architecture are the limiting factors rather than the processor’s substantial 16-core setup.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet severe drop in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K, confirming that The Medium is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 108 FPS on average, but this falls to 91 FPS at 1440p and further to 72 FPS at 4K — a 33% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This pattern suggests that while the GPU can handle the game at lower resolutions with headroom, the pixel count at 4K begins to overwhelm the RTX 4070 Mobile’s capabilities.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. With High settings, the average frame rate drops from 49 FPS at 1080p to 41 FPS at 1440p, and then to 32 FPS at 4K. That represents a 35% loss from 1080p to 4K, which is a steeper decline than the Low settings curve, indicating that the additional visual effects and texture detail at High preset place extra strain on the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading units. The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 68 FPS at 1080p, 57 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K, with the 4K figure falling below the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider smooth.

The Ultra preset is where the combo struggles most visibly. At 1080p, the average FPS is 39, which is already below the 60 FPS target, and this drops to 32 FPS at 1440p and 25 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is a massive 47 FPS (72 vs. 25), demonstrating that the RTX 4070 Mobile simply cannot maintain playable frame rates when both resolution and settings are maximized. The data indicates that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are insufficient for the high-resolution textures and effects that the Ultra preset demands, making the CPU’s performance largely irrelevant in this scenario.

The 1440p results offer a middle ground, with Medium settings hitting 57 FPS and High reaching 41 FPS. These figures show that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo if the user prioritizes visual fidelity over raw frame rate. The 4K Low result of 72 FPS is notable, as it proves the GPU can handle the resolution when settings are minimized, but the visual compromise is severe. Overall, the resolution scaling data clearly indicates that the RTX 4070 Mobile is the bottleneck, with the CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads providing ample processing power that goes underutilized as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the decisive component in this combo’s The Medium performance, and the benchmark results underscore its limitations. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is modest for a modern horror title that often loads large textures and complex lighting. The base clock of 1395 MHz and boost clock of 1695 MHz, combined with 4608 shading units, deliver a theoretical FP32 performance of 15.62 TFLOPS, but the measured FPS suggests that raw compute is not the issue — memory capacity and bandwidth are.

The data shows that the GPU’s performance percentile is 73 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27435. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, scores 27425, a 0% delta, indicating near-identical overall performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 27565, which is 0.5% higher, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is 1.1% lower at 27135. These comparisons place the RTX 4070 Mobile in a competitive mid-range tier, but the 8 GB VRAM is a clear weakness for The Medium at high resolutions.

In practice, the GPU’s role is evident in the 4K Ultra result of 25 FPS, which is unplayable by any standard. The 4K Medium result of 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and maximum of 52 FPS shows that the GPU can maintain a playable range only when settings are moderated. The 1080p Low result of 108 FPS demonstrates the GPU’s ability to deliver high frame rates when the memory footprint is small, but the steep drop to 39 FPS at 1080p Ultra reveals that the RTX 4070 Mobile’s memory subsystem is the primary constraint. The GDDR6 memory at 16 Gbps effective speed is not sufficient to feed the shading units at higher settings, leading to texture thrashing and reduced frame rates.

The GPU’s 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores are present but underutilized in the measured data, as The Medium does not appear to leverage ray tracing in these presets. The 48 ROPs and 144 TMUs provide a texture rate of 244.1 GTexel/s, which is adequate for 1080p but falls short at 4K. The passmark DirectX 12 score of 85 and DirectX 11 score of 179 suggest that the GPU’s driver optimization and feature set are sufficient, but the raw performance is capped by the memory interface. The data indicates that users should expect the GPU to be the limiting factor in all scenarios, with the CPU rarely influencing the outcome.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a high-end mobile processor that provides far more compute capability than The Medium requires, and the measured FPS data confirms that it is not a bottleneck in this pairing. The CPU features 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030, placing it in the 95th percentile against all CPUs.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 76212, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX scores 76155, a 0.1% delta, while the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P scores 76492, a -0.4% delta. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX scores 76513, also -0.4%, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D scores 75779, a 0.6% delta. These figures show that the 8945HX is a top-tier processor, but in The Medium, its 32 threads are largely idle. The game’s performance scaling with resolution indicates that the CPU’s role is minimal, as the FPS drops are nearly identical to what would be expected from GPU-bound behavior.

The CPU’s 64 MB of L3 cache and 1 MB per core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for game data, and the DDR5 memory support with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures that the CPU can feed the GPU without delays. The passmark multi-thread score of 51405 and single-thread score of 3907 further confirm that the CPU is not a limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the CPU achieves 108 FPS, which is likely near the game’s engine limit, but the drop to 49 FPS at 1080p High and 39 FPS at 1080p Ultra is purely GPU-driven.

The data shows that the CPU’s 5.40 GHz boost clock is more than sufficient for the game’s single-threaded tasks, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030. The Radeon 610M integrated graphics are present but unused in this discrete GPU setup, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface provides ample bandwidth. The CPU’s 55 W TDP is low for a 16-core part, but it does not impact gaming performance. In summary, the Ryzen 9 8945HX’s role is to ensure that the GPU is never starved of data, and the benchmark results indicate that it succeeds, with all FPS variations attributable to the RTX 4070 Mobile.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p with Medium settings yields 57 FPS on average, which is the highest playable frame rate above 60 FPS that also maintains visual quality. At 1080p, Medium hits 68 FPS, but the lower resolution is less demanding on the GPU.

*Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which achieves 72 FPS on average. At Medium, the frame rate drops to 45 FPS, and at High it falls to 32 FPS, with Ultra being unplayable at 25 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27435 on average, which is identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (0% delta). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 scores 27565, 0.5% higher, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is 1.1% lower.

Q: Is the CPU powerful enough for this game?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713. The data shows that it is not a bottleneck, as FPS variations align with GPU limitations.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings achieve 108 FPS, while Ultra drops to 39 FPS. This 69 FPS difference is entirely due to the GPU’s inability to handle the increased settings.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 1999 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This is consistent with the GPU’s 73rd percentile performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile combo ranks 1999 out of 3724 tested combinations in The Medium, placing it in the 46th percentile of all tested systems. This rank is lower than what the CPU’s 95th percentile score might suggest, but it is entirely explained by the GPU’s 73rd percentile performance. The combo’s position indicates that it is a mid-tier setup for this game, with the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 8 GB VRAM being the primary weakness.

The rank of 1999 means that roughly half of the tested combos outperform it, and the data shows that this is due to the GPU’s memory limitations rather than any processor deficiency. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, have nearly identical average scores (76155 vs. 76212), but the GPU’s rivals are more telling. The RTX 4070 Mobile is matched by the RX 6700 XT (27425 vs. 27435) and slightly behind the RTX 3090 (27565), which means that combos with higher-tier GPUs would rank higher.

The 4K Ultra result of 25 FPS is the worst-case scenario, and it contributes to the combo’s lower rank. In contrast, the 1080p Low result of 108 FPS shows that the combo can perform well when the GPU is not stressed, but the rank reflects the average across all settings and resolutions. The data indicates that users with this combo should expect to play at 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings to achieve a satisfying experience, as the rank is driven by the GPU’s inability to sustain high frame rates at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo in The Medium are Medium at 1440p, which delivers an average of 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. This configuration provides a smooth experience that balances visual fidelity with performance, and the minimum FPS stays above the 30 FPS threshold that is often considered the lowest playable level. At 1080p, Medium achieves 68 FPS on average, with a minimum of 58 FPS, making it the best choice for users who prioritize frame rate over resolution.

For users who want to maximize visual quality, High settings at 1080p offer 49 FPS, but this falls below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering. High at 1440p drops to 41 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced scenes. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it only achieves 39 FPS at 1080p and 25 FPS at 4K, making it unplayable at all resolutions. Low settings are viable for competitive play or if the user wants to enable 4K, with 4K Low yielding 72 FPS and 1080p Low reaching 108 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant.

The data suggests that the best experience is achieved by staying below the Ultra preset and focusing on Medium or High settings. At 1440p Medium, the combo provides a stable frame rate that is comfortable for a horror game, which often relies on atmospheric tension rather than high-speed action. The minimum FPS of 49 at 1440p Medium ensures that there are no major drops during intense scenes, while the maximum of 66 provides headroom. Users with 1080p displays should use Medium for the best balance, as the 68 FPS average is well above the playable threshold and the minimum of 58 FPS avoids most dips.