The Medium

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti pairing delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in The Medium at 1080p and 1440p, but the game's demanding Ultra preset and 4K resolution expose the GPU as the primary bottleneck. The measured framerates show a system that excels at Low and Medium settings, where the CPU's massive thread count and high boost clocks keep frame pacing consistent, while the GPU's 16 GB VRAM and Blackwell architecture handle the horror title's rendering loads without issue.

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

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D brings 16 cores and 32 threads, built on the Zen 5 architecture at a 4 nm process node. Its base clock of 4.30 GHz and boost clock of 5.70 GHz provide substantial single-thread headroom, which is crucial for The Medium's fixed-camera scenes that rely on draw calls and CPU-side logic. Benchmark scores from the FACT PACK reinforce this: the 3dmark_single_thread score of 1292 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 8430 indicate strong per-core performance, while the Geekbench multicore score of 22515 shows the chip scales well with the game's multi-threaded loading and streaming systems.

The L3 cache of 128 MB shared is a defining feature of the 3D V-Cache lineup, and while the FACT PACK does not list a vCache3d figure for this specific CPU, the architecture's design points toward reduced memory latency in gaming workloads. In The Medium, where the game alternates between the real world and the spirit world, the CPU must manage two simultaneous scene states. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 185.1 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz threshold for most monitors. Even at 1080p High, the 83.3 FPS average suggests the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the framerate scales more with GPU load than CPU load across the preset ladder.

The CPU's percentile rank of 96 against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 71660, places it squarely in the top tier. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, scores 70420 with a deltaPct of 1.8, meaning the X3D variant is 1.8% faster on average. The Intel Core i7-14700KF trails at 70104 with a 2.2% delta, while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 is nearly identical at 71056 with a 0.9% delta. These margins are small in synthetic tests, but in a game like The Medium, the X3D's cache advantage can manifest as more stable frame times, particularly in the game's dual-reality sequences that demand rapid asset streaming.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB203 chip at a 5 nm process. It carries 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory capacity is significant for The Medium, a game that renders two overlapping worlds with high-resolution textures; the 16 GB allocation ensures the GPU does not spill to system memory even at Ultra settings. The memory clock operates at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed, and the base clock of 2295 MHz with a boost of 2452 MHz provides the raw throughput needed for the game's lighting and post-processing effects.

The GPU's 8960 shading units and 70 RT cores are relevant to The Medium's use of ray-traced reflections and ambient occlusion, though the measured FPS data shows the card handles these features without collapsing. At 1080p Low, the GPU produces 185.1 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, the framerate drops to 65.9 FPS, a 64.4% reduction. This is a clear sign that the Ultra preset's additional effects—likely higher shadow resolution, volumetric fog, and ray tracing—are GPU-bound. The RTX 5070 Ti's Passmark G3D score of 32974 and Geekbench Vulkan score of 227554 place it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 52086.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the RTX 5070 Ti matches the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 exactly with a deltaPct of 0, meaning the two cards are statistically identical in aggregate performance. The AMD Radeon RX 7700S is 0.8% faster with a score of 52505, though that is a mobile-oriented chip, and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% faster at 53414, which is a workstation card. In The Medium, the RTX 5070 Ti's 16 GB VRAM is a distinct advantage over older 8 GB cards, as the game's high-resolution textures at 4K can easily exceed 8 GB, but the measured data does not show any stutter or frame drops attributable to VRAM overflow.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling curve. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 185.1 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 153.8 FPS (a 16.9% reduction); and at 4K Low, it falls to 123 FPS (a 33.6% reduction from 1080p). This pattern continues across all presets. For High settings, the progression is 83.3 FPS at 1080p, 69.1 FPS at 1440p, and 51.6 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset follows the same trend: 65.9 FPS at 1080p, 56.1 FPS at 1440p, and 41.6 FPS at 4K.

The framerate drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings is roughly proportional to the pixel count increase—4K has 4 times the pixels of 1080p, but the FPS does not drop to a quarter. At Low settings, the 4K framerate of 123 FPS is 66.4% of the 1080p figure, which indicates the GPU is not fully saturated at lower settings, leaving headroom for the CPU to maintain high frame pacing. However, at Ultra settings, the 4K framerate of 41.6 FPS is 63.1% of the 1080p figure, showing that the GPU is heavily loaded and the CPU's role diminishes.

This scaling behavior points to the RTX 5070 Ti as the limiting component at 4K Ultra, where the game's full visual feature set is simply too demanding. The CPU, with its 16 cores and high boost clock, has no trouble keeping up; the data shows that even at 4K Low with 123 FPS, the framerate is not CPU-bound, as the CPU can deliver far higher frame rates in lighter scenes. For a 60 FPS target, the system can achieve it at 4K High with 51.6 FPS (just below), but at 4K Medium with 74.7 FPS, it clears the threshold comfortably. At 1440p, the system is well-suited for high-refresh monitors, with High settings delivering 69.1 FPS and Medium delivering 98.6 FPS.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 116.7 FPS, which is an excellent balance for a 120 Hz display, while the High preset at 83.3 FPS is more appropriate for a 75 Hz or 100 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 65.9 FPS is playable but does not justify the visual uplift over High for most users, given the 21% framerate penalty. At 1440p, the Medium preset at 98.6 FPS is the standout choice, offering a smooth experience on 100 Hz panels with most visual features intact. The High preset at 69.1 FPS is a solid alternative for 60 Hz displays, but the Medium preset provides a 42.7% framerate advantage over High, which is a more tangible benefit than the modest visual differences in The Medium's dark, atmospheric scenes.

At 4K, the choices narrow significantly. The Ultra preset at 41.6 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and will feel stuttery on standard displays. The High preset at 51.6 FPS is closer but still misses the mark. The Medium preset at 74.7 FPS is the only 4K setting that delivers a consistently smooth experience, and it does so without sacrificing the game's core visual identity, as the Medium preset retains most of the lighting and texture fidelity that define the horror atmosphere. The Low preset at 123 FPS is unnecessary at 4K, as the visual quality drops are too severe for the framerate gain.

The data suggests that the best overall experience is 1440p Medium, which offers 98.6 FPS and a high degree of visual fidelity. For users with 4K displays, 4K Medium is the recommended preset, as it is the only 4K configuration that maintains a framerate above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset is best avoided entirely, as its framerate penalty is disproportionate to its visual gains across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 97th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 5.7% of all systems tested, which is an impressive result given the game's release date of 2021-01-27 and the fact that the hardware is from a later generation. The rank of 97 means there are 96 combos that achieve higher average framerates across the measured settings, but those are likely to feature higher-end GPUs such as the RTX 5090 or RTX 4090, which are not in the FACT PACK for direct comparison.

The combo's rank is a function of its balanced performance. The CPU's 96th percentile rank and the GPU's 87th percentile rank combine to produce a system that excels in CPU-light, GPU-heavy scenarios like The Medium at high resolutions. The fact that the combo ranks 97th overall, rather than lower, suggests that the 9950X3D's superior single-thread performance helps in the game's CPU-bound moments, preventing the system from falling behind combos with weaker CPUs but similar GPUs.

Relative to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 5070 Ti pairs well with this CPU. The RTX 4080, which is a 0% deltaPct from the 5070 Ti in aggregate benchmarks, would likely produce nearly identical results in The Medium, but the 9950X3D's cache and clock advantages over the 9950X (1.8% faster) could give this combo a slight edge in the game's most demanding sequences. The combo rank of 97 out of 1689 is a strong indicator that this hardware pairing is well-matched for The Medium, with no single component dragging the other down.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with a stable 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings. The measured data shows 74.7 FPS at 4K Medium, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K High, the average drops to 51.6 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 41.6 FPS, both below 60 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D a bottleneck for the RTX 5070 Ti in this game?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1292 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 59712, indicate it has ample headroom. The framerate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows the GPU is the limiting factor, as the framerate drops consistently with increasing resolution.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p for high refresh rates?

A: The Medium preset is the best choice, delivering 98.6 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS standard and suitable for 100 Hz monitors. The High preset at 69.1 FPS is also viable, but the Medium preset offers a 42.7% framerate advantage.

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

A: The aggregate benchmark scores are nearly identical, with a deltaPct of 0. In The Medium, the measured FPS data for the 5070 Ti shows it is well-suited to the game's demands, and the 4080 would likely produce similar results given the same CPU.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM on the RTX 5070 Ti matter for this game?

A: Yes. The Medium renders two overlapping worlds with high-resolution textures, and the 16 GB GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This prevents VRAM overflow at 4K Ultra, which could cause stuttering on lower-capacity cards.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using on this system?

A: No. At 1080p Ultra, the framerate is 65.9 FPS, which is a 43.5% reduction from Medium's 116.7 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the framerate is 56.1 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 41.6 FPS. The visual gains do not justify the performance cost.