The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600. The measured frame rates reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the CPU shows its age at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the performance data for this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 93.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 76.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a 19% reduction, and then further to 63.4 FPS at 3840x2160, a 33% reduction from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern is typical for a game where the Radeon RX 7600's rendering throughput becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The picture changes dramatically when moving to higher quality presets. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 31.6 FPS at 1080p to 26.2 FPS at 1440p, and then to 24.9 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1440p and 4K is a mere 5%, suggesting that the game's computational load at these extreme settings is so heavy that the resolution increase has a diminishing impact on the already low frame rates. This indicates a scenario where the combination of fixed-function hardware and shader complexity saturates the GPU regardless of the output resolution.

The data suggests the limiting component shifts based on settings. At Low, the scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 32% performance drop, which is less severe than the 41% drop seen at High settings between the same resolutions. This implies that at Low settings, the CPU can feed the GPU more effectively, but the GPU still governs the final output. Conversely, at Ultra, the overall frame rates are so low that the limiting factor is almost entirely the GPU's inability to process the game's effects, not the resolution itself.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The benchmark results show that this memory configuration is a significant factor in The Medium's performance. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 24.9 FPS, a figure that suggests the GPU is struggling with both the rendering load and potentially memory capacity or bandwidth limitations. The 8 GB frame buffer is likely a constraint at this resolution with high-detail textures.

The card's clocks are also relevant. With a base clock of 1720 MHz and a boost clock of 2655 MHz, the RX 7600's performance in this title is not purely clock-driven. The data shows that moving from Medium to High settings at 1080p reduces the average FPS from 59.1 to 41.8, a 29% drop. This is a larger relative penalty than the 21% drop seen when moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings. This indicates that the game's High preset introduces a disproportionately heavy load on the GPU's shading units and texture processors, which are clocked to a game frequency of 2250 MHz.

The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 21.75 TFLOPS FP32, are substantial. However, The Medium's fixed camera angles and pre-rendered elements may not fully utilize this raw compute power. The performance data suggests that the card's 64 ROPs and 128 TMUs are more critical for this title, as the frame rate scales poorly when resolution and settings are increased simultaneously. The effective memory speed of 18 Gbps is notable, but the 128-bit bus width limits overall bandwidth, which is a likely contributor to the poor 4K Ultra performance.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 1133 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower third of all configurations, indicating that it is not an optimal pairing for this particular game. The percentile data for the individual components is telling: the CPU sits at the 73rd percentile, while the GPU is at the 63rd percentile. The combo's rank suggests that the pairing underperforms relative to what the individual component scores might imply.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are the AMD EPYC 7552, which is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, which is 0.8% slower. This shows that the i5-10400F's compute performance is in a tight cluster with other processors. However, the GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, is only 0.6% faster in average benchmark score. This proximity in synthetic tests does not translate to a high rank in The Medium, suggesting that the game's specific engine and rendering techniques do not favor this hardware combination.

The rank of 1133 out of 1689 means that 556 combos perform worse, but a substantial 1132 perform better. This is a clear signal that for a smooth experience in The Medium, users should look at other hardware pairings. The data indicates that the i5-10400F's 12 threads and the RX 7600's 8 GB of VRAM are just enough to run the game, but the combination lacks the headroom to handle the game's most demanding scenarios effectively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance varies widely by preset. Low settings yield an average of 93.9 FPS, which is playable. Medium settings drop to 59.1 FPS, and High settings fall to 41.8 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of 31.6 FPS. This shows that for 60 FPS gameplay at 1080p, users must select Medium settings or lower.

Moving to 2560x1440, the impact is significant. Low settings produce 76.4 FPS, but Medium settings fall to 49.6 FPS. High settings drop to 34.9 FPS, and Ultra settings produce just 26.2 FPS. At this resolution, the data shows that only the Low preset provides a frame rate above 60 FPS, indicating a GPU limitation.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal. Low settings average 63.4 FPS, which is just playable. Medium settings drop to 39.9 FPS, and High settings fall to 26 FPS. Ultra settings average 24.9 FPS, which is below the threshold for a smooth experience. The data clearly shows that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming in The Medium, with only the lowest settings approaching acceptable performance.

The disparity between Low and Ultra at each resolution is substantial. At 1080p, the difference is 62.3 FPS; at 1440p, it is 50.2 FPS; and at 4K, it is 38.5 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the absolute frame rates converge to a low baseline regardless of settings when the pixel count is high.

FAQ

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

A: For a consistently playable experience, 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides an average of 59.1 FPS. For a smoother experience, Low settings at 1080p yield 93.9 FPS, but this is the only setting at 1440p that exceeds 60 FPS (76.4 FPS).

Q: Can this hardware run The Medium at 4K?

A: The data indicates it is not viable. At 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate is 63.4 FPS at Low settings. Medium settings drop to 39.9 FPS, and Ultra settings produce only 24.9 FPS, which is not fluid enough for the game's horror atmosphere.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark data shows the GPU is the dominant bottleneck. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent and pronounced, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU only becomes a potential factor at 1080p Low, where the 93.9 FPS result approaches the processor's limits.

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

A: This combination ranks 1133 out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the lower third of all configurations. This rank is lower than what the individual component percentiles (CPU at 73rd, GPU at 63rd) might suggest, indicating a suboptimal pairing for this title.

Q: What is the difference between High and Medium settings?

A: At 1080p, the average frame rate drops from 59.1 FPS at Medium to 41.8 FPS at High, a 29% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is from 49.6 FPS to 34.9 FPS, a 30% reduction. This indicates a significant cost in visual quality for the High preset.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance?

A: The data strongly suggests yes, particularly at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 24.9 FPS, which is likely influenced by the 8 GB memory capacity being exceeded. Even at 1440p Ultra, the 26.2 FPS result points to memory bandwidth and capacity constraints on the 128-bit bus.