The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine, presents a demanding load that scales sharply with resolution and quality settings. This analysis examines the performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, using measured frame rate data to map the combo’s behavior from 1080p to 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 with High settings delivers an average of 60.6 FPS, which is the threshold for a standard 60 Hz display. For a more comfortable margin, 1920x1080 at Medium settings provides 106.8 FPS, while dropping to Low settings at the same resolution yields 165.3 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 9950X3D’s average benchmark score is 71,660. This places it 0.9% ahead of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270, 1.8% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, and 2.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700KF. It trails the Intel Xeon 6517P by -1.9%.

Q: Is the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM a limiting factor in The Medium?

A: The data does not indicate VRAM capacity as a bottleneck. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB GDDR6X memory with a 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient to deliver the measured average FPS across all tested settings, from 39.5 FPS at 4K Ultra to 165.3 FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the performance gap between the lowest and highest quality presets at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 111.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages only 39.5 FPS. This represents a drop of 72 FPS, or roughly 64.6% lower performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for The Medium?

A: The combo ranks 256th out of 1,689 total tested combinations. This places it in the top 15.2% of all combos, indicating a strong, though not top-tier, performance level for this specific game.

Q: Does the CPU’s high core count (16 cores, 32 threads) directly translate to higher FPS?

A: The CPU’s 16 cores and 32 threads provide ample processing headroom. However, the frame rate data shows a clear dependency on GPU settings, with average FPS varying by up to 125.8 FPS between Low and Ultra at 1080p. This indicates the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences in The Medium.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. Its base clock is 4.30 GHz, boosting up to 5.70 GHz. The processor’s large 128 MB of shared L3 cache is a notable feature, likely assisting with data-heavy workloads. Its average benchmark score of 71,660 places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a high-end part. The data shows it is 1.8% faster than the standard Ryzen 9 9950X, though slightly behind the Intel Xeon 6517P by -1.9%.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU. While the processor is exceptionally powerful, the measured FPS scales more with graphics settings than with CPU capability. For instance, at 1920x1080, the average frame rate jumps from 71.9 FPS on High to 165.3 FPS on Low. This indicates that the game’s rendering pipeline, not the CPU’s processing power, is the limiting factor in these tests. The CPU provides a stable foundation, but the game’s visual fidelity is what dictates the final frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the key performance driver here, featuring 7,168 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory. Its 192-bit memory bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is 2475 MHz. With an average benchmark score of 42,576, it sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, and its closest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, is nearly identical, with the RTX 4070 SUPER trailing by -0.2%.

The GPU’s performance directly dictates the measured results in The Medium. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: at 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 137.4 on Low to 49.1 on Ultra. This 88.3 FPS spread shows how sensitive the game is to the GPU’s workload. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s VRAM and bandwidth are sufficient to handle the game at all tested presets, but the computational load at higher settings reduces the frame rate significantly. The GPU is the primary determinant of the experience, with the CPU providing ample support.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a rank of 256 out of 1,689 tested combos for The Medium. This places the pairing in the top 15.2% of all configurations. This rank reflects the overall balance of the system. While the CPU is in the 96th percentile and the GPU in the 84th, the game’s performance is more heavily weighted towards the GPU.

The ranking indicates that while this is a strong setup, there are 255 other combinations that perform better in this specific title. The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck, as its performance class is higher than the GPU’s. The overall rank is therefore limited by the GPU’s capabilities. This is consistent with the FPS data, which shows the GPU is the main factor in determining performance across different settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the combo performs across three resolutions and four quality settings.

At 1920x1080, the combo is highly capable. The Low preset achieves an average of 165.3 FPS. Moving to Medium reduces this to 106.8 FPS. The High preset yields 71.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 58.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 106.4 FPS, showing a large performance scaling range. All presets are playable, with even Ultra maintaining an average above 58 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. The Low preset averages 137.4 FPS, which is a 27.9 FPS drop from 1080p Low. Medium averages 89.1 FPS, while High drops to 60.6 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 49.1 FPS. This resolution is where the High preset just meets the 60 FPS target, while Ultra falls below it. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 88.3 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the load becomes heavy. The Low preset averages 111.5 FPS, a significant 25.9 FPS drop from 1440p Low. Medium averages 69.3 FPS, and High drops to 49.3 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 39.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on most displays. The scaling from Low to Ultra is 72.0 FPS. This resolution is best suited for Low or Medium settings to maintain high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data supports specific choices. At 1920x1080, the High preset (71.9 FPS) and Ultra preset (58.9 FPS) are both viable, but High offers a better balance. At 2560x1440, the High preset (60.6 FPS) is the optimal choice for hitting 60 FPS, while Medium (89.1 FPS) provides a significant performance buffer for higher refresh rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset (69.3 FPS) is the best option for maintaining frame rates above 60 FPS. The High preset (49.3 FPS) is playable but will not achieve a locked 60 FPS. The Ultra preset (39.5 FPS) is not recommended for a smooth experience, as the frame rate drops below 40 FPS. The Low preset offers the highest frame rates at each resolution, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial. The recommended path is to prioritize the Medium or High presets depending on the resolution, as they provide the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.