The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination delivers a performance profile in The Medium that is heavily dictated by the graphics card, with the processor providing ample headroom across all tested resolutions. The data set presents a clear hierarchy where CPU-bound limitations are minimal, and the GPU’s rendering load is the primary determinant of frame rates.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. Its base clock is 4.40 GHz, boosting up to 5.50 GHz, and it carries 128 MB of L3 cache alongside 1 MB of L2 cache per core. This configuration places it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs in the database, indicating strong overall compute capability that comfortably handles modern game logic and scene management.

For The Medium, a title that relies on its dual-reality rendering mechanic, the processor’s multithreaded performance is relevant. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multicore score is 47737, while its single-core score is 6739, suggesting that both lightly threaded game tasks and background processing are well served. In the measured FPS data, the CPU does not appear to be a bottleneck at any resolution. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 180 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire table. This high frame rate at a resolution where CPU overhead is typically most visible indicates that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1269, is more than sufficient to feed the GPU.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the database, the Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762. This is 0.6% below the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (avgScore 55093) and 1.3% above the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (avgScore 54053). The deltaPct values are small, but they contextualize the CPU’s standing. The processor’s 3DMark 16-thread score of 12490 and max-thread score of 13795 further underscore that its multi-core muscle is not the limiting factor in this game. The Medium’s frame pacing at 4K Ultra, which drops to 42 FPS, is a direct consequence of GPU workload, not CPU incapacity, as the CPU’s percentile rank and benchmark scores remain high across all tests.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the clear driver of performance in this pairing. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2452 MHz, and it has 8960 shading units, with 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores. The GPU is built on a 5 nm process and sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

The VRAM capacity is particularly relevant for The Medium, which is a horror title with detailed environments and dual-world rendering. None of the measured FPS rows indicate a memory capacity limit, as the GPU delivers playable frame rates even at the highest settings. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score is 32974, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 6604, both indicating strong rasterization performance. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 42 FPS, while dropping to 4K High yields 53 FPS. This scaling suggests that the GPU’s compute units are fully engaged at higher settings, with the memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s providing sufficient data throughput.

The RTX 5070 Ti’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (avgScore 50951, deltaPct -2) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (avgScore 48477, deltaPct 3.1). The RTX 5070 Ti’s average benchmark score is 49957, which places it slightly below the RX 6900 XT but above the RX 6800 XT. However, in The Medium specifically, the GPU’s performance is measured directly through the FPS data. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 43.94 TFLOPS and texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s are significant, but the observed frame rates at 4K are moderate, indicating that the game’s engine and shader complexity are the primary bottlenecks. The GPU’s pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s contributes to its ability to manage 4K resolutions, yet the Ultra preset still results in sub-60 FPS averages.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Examining the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 113 at 1080p to 95 at 1440p and further to 74 at 4K. This represents a 34.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K. For High settings, the drop is from 81 FPS at 1080p to 68 FPS at 1440p to 53 FPS at 4K, a 34.6% reduction. Low settings show a similar trend: 180 FPS at 1080p, 152 FPS at 1440p, and 119 FPS at 4K, a 33.9% reduction.

The consistency of these percentage drops across settings is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect the 1080p results to plateau at a ceiling unrelated to resolution, with more significant drops occurring only at higher resolutions. Instead, the proportional scaling suggests that each pixel increase adds a roughly equivalent load to the GPU, and the CPU is never saturated. For instance, the 4K Medium average of 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS and maximum of 86 FPS shows variance that is typical of GPU rendering bursts, not CPU stutter. The 1080p Ultra result of 64 FPS compared to the 4K Ultra result of 42 FPS further confirms that the GPU’s fill rate and shader execution are the deciding factors, as the CPU’s performance headroom is ample.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p Medium and 4K Medium?

A: The average FPS at 1080p Medium is 113, while at 4K Medium it is 74. This is a decrease of 39 FPS, or roughly 34.5%, when moving from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D bottleneck the RTX 5070 Ti in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 47737 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1269, place it in the 91st percentile. The FPS scaling across resolutions is consistent, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 81 and the maximum FPS is 109, with an average of 95 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 49957, while the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT has an average score of 50951. This gives a deltaPct of -2, meaning the RTX 5070 Ti is 2% below the RX 6900 XT in that aggregate metric.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this hardware combination?

A: The 4K Ultra preset produces an average FPS of 42, with no recorded minimum or maximum values. This is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth, so it is technically playable but may not provide an ideal experience.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the entire dataset?

A: The highest average FPS is 180, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance is achieved at Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium yields an average of 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 and maximum of 130, providing a smooth experience with room for high refresh rate displays. At 1440p, Medium produces 95 FPS average with a minimum of 81, which is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for most monitors. Even at 4K, Medium settings deliver a 74 FPS average with a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring that frame drops do not dip below the playable range.

The High preset is viable but requires a resolution trade-off. At 1440p, High settings average 68 FPS, which is acceptable, but at 4K, High drops to 53 FPS, which may be borderline for some users. Low settings offer the highest frame rates—180 FPS at 1080p, 152 FPS at 1440p, and 119 FPS at 4K—but they sacrifice the game’s atmospheric lighting and texture details, which are central to the horror experience. Ultra settings are not recommended for this combination, as even at 1080p they only achieve 64 FPS, and at 4K they fall to 42 FPS. Therefore, Medium settings provide the best experience per the measured rows, balancing visual quality with consistent frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo produces an average of 180 FPS on Low, 113 FPS on Medium (min 96, max 130), 81 FPS on High, and 64 FPS on Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 116 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for the highest preset. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 152 FPS on Low, 95 FPS on Medium (min 81, max 109), 68 FPS on High, and 54 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p results show a 98 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. At 3840x2160, the averages are 119 FPS on Low, 74 FPS on Medium (min 63, max 86), 53 FPS on High, and 42 FPS on Ultra. The 4K results have a 77 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

The minimum and maximum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 96 to 130 FPS, a variance of 34 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 81 to 109 FPS, a variance of 28 FPS. At 4K, the range is 63 to 86 FPS, a variance of 23 FPS. This narrowing variance as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is becoming more consistently saturated, with less frame time fluctuation. The data shows that Low settings at 4K (119 FPS) outperform Ultra settings at 1080p (64 FPS), which is a notable observation for users prioritizing frame rate over resolution. Similarly, Medium settings at 1440p (95 FPS) are faster than High settings at 1080p (81 FPS), demonstrating that settings adjustments can have a larger impact than resolution changes in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination ranks 209th out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 7.2% of all configurations in the database. This rank reflects the overall performance across all measured settings and resolutions, not just a single high-score run. The high percentile of the CPU (91st) and GPU (86th) individually contributes to this strong collective showing. However, the rank is not higher because the game’s demands at 4K Ultra and High settings push the GPU to its limits, resulting in average FPS values that are lower than what top-tier combinations achieve.

The combo’s position relative to other tested configurations is driven by the RTX 5070 Ti’s performance tier. While the CPU is a top-tier part, the GPU’s average benchmark score of 49957 sits just below the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50951) and only slightly above the RX 6800 XT (48477). This means that in a benchmark database context, the combo’s overall rank is more heavily weighted by the GPU’s raw rasterization power than the CPU’s compute throughput. The measured FPS in The Medium, particularly at 4K where the GPU is fully stressed, are consistent with this mid-to-high tier position. The 209th rank out of 2911 combos indicates that this system delivers a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p on Medium or High settings, and a playable but not exceptional experience at 4K on Medium settings. The data confirms that for this specific game, the RTX 5070 Ti is the performance ceiling, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D provides sufficient headroom to avoid any CPU-induced frame drops.