The Medium

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a playable but demanding experience in The Medium, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck. Across all tested resolutions, the combination of this 16-core CPU and 12 GB graphics card shows a predictable pattern: the transition from 1080p to 4K results in a significant frame rate drop, while the gap between Low and Ultra settings reveals a wide performance envelope. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p or balanced 1440p gameplay, with 4K requiring substantial settings compromises to maintain acceptable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data from The Medium reveals a steep resolution scaling curve that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 68 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 57 FPS, a reduction of 11 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset falls further to 45 FPS, which represents a 23 FPS loss from the 1080p baseline. This pattern holds across all settings presets, with the Low preset showing the most dramatic absolute drop: 108 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K.

The scaling behavior indicates that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 108 FPS result at 1080p Low. However, as resolution increases, the pixel throughput demands on the GPU grow exponentially, causing the frame rate to fall proportionally. The fact that the 1080p-to-4K drop is roughly consistent across all settings (a 36 FPS drop on Low, a 23 FPS drop on Medium, and a 14 FPS drop on Ultra) suggests that the GPU's rendering pipeline, not the CPU's game logic, is the limiting factor.

Interestingly, the Ultra preset shows the smallest absolute drop from 1080p to 4K (39 to 25 FPS), but this is because the baseline is already so low. The data suggests that at 4K, even the Low preset (72 FPS) is pushing the GPU near its limits, while at 1080p, the CPU has headroom to spare. This analysis is supported by the fact that the CPU's average benchmark score puts it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 81st percentile, indicating that the GPU is the more modest component in this pairing.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1440p offers the best balance of image quality and performance. At Medium settings, the combo delivers 57 FPS at 1440p, which is playable, while High settings yield 41 FPS, which is borderline. 1080p is smoother (68 FPS on Medium) but leaves GPU headroom unused, and 4K is only playable on Low settings (72 FPS) or with significant quality sacrifices.

Q: How does the RTX 4070's 12 GB VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at 4K, as the data shows playable frame rates on Low settings (72 FPS). However, the performance drop from Low to Medium at 4K (72 to 45 FPS) suggests that memory bandwidth and GPU compute power, not just capacity, are the limiting factors. The GPU's 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is a key spec here, as it must feed the 4K framebuffer.

Q: Is the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 bottlenecking the RTX 4070?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 108 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would strain a weaker CPU. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35314 show it has ample compute headroom. The frame rate drops at higher resolutions are consistent with GPU limitations, not CPU limitations.

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

A: The difference is substantial. Low settings produce an average of 108 FPS, while Ultra drops to 39 FPS. This is a 69 FPS difference, or roughly a 64% reduction in performance. The Medium preset (68 FPS) and High preset (49 FPS) sit between these extremes, giving players a wide range of visual quality options.

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

A: In The Medium, this combo ranks 1525th out of 2911 tested combos, placing it in the 48th percentile of all tested systems. This rank suggests that while the hardware is capable, many other combinations produce higher frame rates in this specific title. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking overall does not translate to top-tier performance in this game.

Q: Should I use ray tracing with this setup?

A: The data does not include ray tracing benchmarks, so a definitive answer is not possible. However, given the steep performance drops seen when moving from Low to Ultra settings (108 to 39 FPS at 1080p), enabling ray tracing, which typically has a similar or larger performance impact, would likely push frame rates below playable thresholds at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 1525 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This rank is notably lower than the individual component percentiles might suggest: the CPU ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. The discrepancy indicates that The Medium is a demanding title that does not favor this particular hardware pairing.

Compared to the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395's average benchmark score of 77740 is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513) and 1.6% ahead of the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492). It is 2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX (76212), but 1.7% behind the Intel Core i9-14900K (79097). These small deltas suggest that the CPU is competitive with top-tier desktop processors, yet the in-game rank of 1525/2911 indicates that the GPU is holding the combo back.

The GPU's nearest rivals show a similar pattern. The RTX 4070's average benchmark score of 37648 is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507). It is 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157) but 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135). These tight margins mean that the RTX 4070 is positioned in a crowded mid-range segment, and in The Medium, this positioning results in a below-average rank. The data suggests that players seeking higher frame rates in this title would need a more powerful GPU, as the CPU has demonstrated it is not the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium reveals a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results: Low settings produce an average of 108 FPS, Medium produces 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 78, High produces 49 FPS, and Ultra drops to 39 FPS. The 1080p results show that the game is highly scalable, with a 69 FPS difference between the lowest and highest quality presets.

At 2560x1440, performance decreases noticeably. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 57 FPS (minimum 49, maximum 66). High settings yield 41 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. The 1440p data shows that the Medium preset is the practical ceiling for a consistent 60 FPS experience, while High and Ultra require players to accept frame rates in the 30-40 range.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. Low settings produce 72 FPS, which is respectable, but Medium drops to 45 FPS (minimum 38, maximum 52). High settings yield only 32 FPS, and Ultra falls to 25 FPS. The 4K data indicates that only the Low preset provides a consistently smooth experience, while Medium is borderline and High/Ultra are effectively unplayable for most players.

The frame time consistency, where available, shows that the game performs predictably. At 1080p Medium, the 58-78 FPS range indicates a 20 FPS variance, which is acceptable. At 1440p Medium, the 49-66 FPS range shows a similar 17 FPS variance, suggesting stable performance. At 4K Medium, the 38-52 FPS range has a 14 FPS variance, which is tighter but still reflects the GPU working near its limits.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 plays the dominant role in determining The Medium's performance, as evidenced by the resolution scaling analysis. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, running on a 192-bit bus with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, provides sufficient capacity for the game's assets at all tested resolutions. However, the performance data suggests that raw compute throughput, not memory capacity, is the primary constraint.

The GPU's clock speeds are notable: a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These high clocks, combined with 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units, deliver 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This compute power is what drives the 108 FPS result at 1080p Low, but it is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 25 FPS. The 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores are present but do not appear to be leveraged in the benchmark data, as no ray tracing settings were measured.

The GPU's 200 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a mid-range power envelope, which aligns with its 81st percentile ranking. In The Medium, the GPU's performance is further contextualized by its nearest rivals: it is 0.1% ahead of the Tesla P4 and 0.4% ahead of the RX Vega 56, but 1.3% behind the RTX 4080 Mobile. These tight margins explain why the combo ranks at 1525/2911 in this game, as the RTX 4070 is positioned in a competitive segment where small performance differences translate to significant rank changes.

The VRAM usage pattern is indirectly observable through the frame rate drops. At 4K, the drop from Low (72 FPS) to Medium (45 FPS) is a 27 FPS reduction, which is steeper than the 1440p drop (91 to 57 FPS, a 34 FPS reduction) but still indicates that the GPU is hitting compute limits rather than memory limits. If VRAM capacity were the issue, we would expect a more sudden cliff between settings, but the data shows a gradual decline, pointing to shader and pixel processing as the bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

For players using this combo in The Medium, the settings recommendations depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the optimal choice, delivering 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS, which ensures smooth gameplay without the visual degradation of Low settings. High settings at 49 FPS are playable but may feel less fluid, while Ultra at 39 FPS is best reserved for players who prioritize visual fidelity over responsiveness.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, as it is the only setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS (57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS). Low settings at 91 FPS are smoother but sacrifice significant visual quality. High settings at 41 FPS are borderline, and Ultra at 32 FPS is not recommended for action sequences. Players who can tolerate slight frame rate dips may find Medium acceptable, while those seeking a locked 60 FPS experience should consider 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option for consistent gameplay, producing 72 FPS. Medium at 45 FPS is playable but will experience noticeable stutters in demanding scenes, as indicated by the 38 FPS minimum. High settings at 32 FPS and Ultra at 25 FPS are not recommended for anything other than static scenes or screenshots. The data suggests that 4K players should either accept Low settings or drop to 1440p and use Medium or High presets for a better balance.

Overall, the measured FPS data indicates that this combo is best utilized at 1080p with Medium or High settings, or at 1440p with Medium settings. The CPU's high performance ensures that the GPU is always the limiting factor, so players should focus on GPU-related settings (textures, shadows, effects) when adjusting quality. The wide performance range across presets, from 25 FPS at 4K Ultra to 108 FPS at 1080p Low, gives players ample flexibility to tailor the experience to their preferences, but the data clearly shows that 4K Ultra is beyond this combo's capabilities.