The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT produces a set of results that clearly map out where the system's strengths and weaknesses lie. The data indicates a configuration that can handle the game at playable framerates, but only when settings and resolution are chosen with an understanding of how the workload scales. The measured performance shows a distinct pattern across the three tested resolutions, revealing a system that quickly becomes GPU-bound at higher settings but also has enough headroom at lower presets to deliver a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly points to the GPU as the primary limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 96 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 81 FPS, a reduction of 15 FPS, and then 4K Low falls to 64 FPS. This progression shows that even at the lowest visual preset, the resolution increase has a significant impact on the frame rate, cutting the average by roughly one-third when going from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling is even more pronounced at higher settings. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 43 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p, and then down to 28 at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K here is a 15 FPS loss, a percentage drop that is similar to the Low preset but from a much lower starting point. At Ultra settings, the pattern continues but with the system struggling to maintain playability: 34 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p, and a meager 23 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the Ultra preset is simply too heavy for the RX 7600 XT to handle at any resolution, with the 4K result being effectively unplayable.

The data suggests that the RX 7600 XT's 16 GB of VRAM is not the bottleneck at these resolutions, as the frame time consistency, where measured, remains stable. Instead, the raw compute throughput of the GPU is the limiting factor. The scaling pattern is a textbook example of a mid-range graphics card being overwhelmed by pixel count. The 4K results, even at Low settings, show that the card is working at its limit, and the substantial drop from 1080p to 4K confirms that the CPU rarely has a chance to become the limiting component. The i5-10400F provides enough throughput to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the resolution climbs, the GPU's workload increases disproportionately, and the framerate falls accordingly.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: No. The best 4K result is 64 FPS on Low settings, but the Medium preset drops to 40 FPS and High falls to 28 FPS. To approach 60 FPS at 4K, you must use Low settings, and even then the average is only slightly above the target, with no minimum FPS data to confirm consistency.

Q: What is the most consistent performance at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 51 FPS with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS. This is the only 1440p setting with full min/max data, indicating a stable, if not perfectly smooth, experience. Low settings provide a higher average of 81 FPS but lack the min/max data.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 34 FPS, while High averages 43 FPS. The difference is 9 FPS, which is a significant drop for what is likely a modest visual improvement. The data suggests that the Ultra preset is not worth the performance cost on this hardware.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the low 4K performance?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K. The framerate drops heavily as resolution increases, regardless of settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the pixel workload at 4K overwhelms the RX 7600 XT.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM help at high resolutions?

A: The data does not indicate that VRAM capacity is a limiting factor. The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a compute-bound scenario, not a memory capacity issue. The 16 GB of VRAM is ample for this game at these settings, as there is no evidence of stuttering or frame time spikes that would indicate memory swapping.

Q: What is the best setting for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1080p, Low settings deliver 96 FPS, and Medium delivers exactly 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS. For a guaranteed 60 FPS average, Medium at 1080p is the highest preset that achieves this target. At 1440p, Low settings are required to reach above 60 FPS, averaging 81 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the dominant factor in this game's performance, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for The Medium's data demands at these settings. The card's boost clock of 2755 MHz and game clock of 2470 MHz, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, determine its raw compute capabilityUTE, and the benchmark results show that this capability is strained at higher resolutions and settings.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 17132 places it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, which scores 17208, a delta of -0.7%. This means the RX 7600 XT is slightly slower than an RTX 3070 in general benchmarks, but the specific game results for The Medium show a different story under load. The 4K High result of 28 FPS and the 1440p Ultra result of 29 FPS indicate that the card's 22.57 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is not enough to brute-force this title at high fidelity.

The VRAM size of 16 GB is noteworthy, but it does not translate into a performance advantage in this game, as the frame rate drops are consistent with a compute bottleneck. The card's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are the architectural components that dictate pixel throughput, and the data shows that at 4K, the pixel fill rate is insufficient for smooth gameplay. The measured results show that the GPU is the limiting component in almost all scenarios, with the CPU's role being secondary. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2348 for the GPU aligns with its mid-range positioning, and The Medium's results are in line with that expectation. The card's performance is predictable: it delivers high framerates at 1080p with lower settings, but its capabilities are exhausted as the resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT combination ranks 2362 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the lower third of all configurations, which is a reflection of the GPU's mid-range nature rather than a deficiency in the CPU. The rank indicates that while this combo can play the game, there are a substantial number of other systems that will deliver higher framerates, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

The CPU itself, the i5-10400F, has a percentile rank of 68 against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (deltaPct 0.2%) and the AMD EPYC 7552 (deltaPct 0.5%), showing that the 10th-gen processor is still competitive in synthetic workloads. However, its 6 cores and 12 threads are not a limiting factor in The Medium, as the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The combo rank is therefore determined almost entirely by the GPU's performance.

The RX 7600 XT's percentile rank of 60 against all GPUs, with an average score of 17083, places it just above the 60th percentile. Its nearest rival, the RTX 3070, has an average score of 17208, only 0.7% higher, which suggests that in many games, the performance would be very close. In The Medium, the measured results show that the combo is not able to achieve high framerates at 4K, which contributes to its lower overall rank. The combo rank of 2362 out of 3724 means that roughly 60% of tested systems perform better, which is a direct result of the GPU's limitations in this specific title. The CPU's strong synthetic scores do not boost the rank, as the game's performance is dictated by the graphics card's ability to render the complex scenes.

Settings Recommendations

The best experience with this combo is found at 1080p with Medium settings. This preset yields an average of 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, providing a balanced experience that is smooth enough for the game's slower, atmospheric pacing. The Medium preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low without the substantial performance hit of High or Ultra. High settings at 1080p drop the average to 43 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for a horror game where consistent frame pacing is important for immersion.

For 1440p users, Low settings are the only viable option for a high refresh rate experience, delivering 81 FPS on average. However, if visual fidelity is a priority, Medium at 1440p provides an average of 51 FPS, which may be acceptable for a game like The Medium that does not require fast reaction times. The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combo, as even Low settings only produce 64 FPS, and the Medium and High presets fall below 40 FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely across all resolutions, as it never reaches 40 FPS, and at 4K it drops to 23 FPS, which is unplayable.

The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor, so reducing resolution has a more significant impact than adjusting settings. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 36 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 17 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 9 FPS. This diminishing return on settings indicates that Medium is the best balance of performance and visual quality. For a target of 60 FPS, the Medium preset at 1080p is the highest setting that consistently achieves this average, making it the recommended choice for most users.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results show a clear progression across presets. Low settings deliver an average of 96 FPS, the highest of any configuration tested. Medium settings produce an average of 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, providing a stable 60 FPS experience. High settings drop to an average of 43 FPS, which is a noticeable step down. Ultra settings are the worst at 1080p, with an average of 34 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales as expected. Low settings average 81 FPS, still well above playable thresholds. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS, indicating a consistent but sub-60 FPS experience. High settings drop to 36 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is already being taxed, with the High preset providing less than 40 FPS, which is a marginal experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Low settings average 64 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS, showing a large variation in frame times. High settings average 28 FPS, and Ultra settings average 23 FPS, both of which are unplayable. The 4K data confirms that this combo is not suited for high-resolution gaming, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with lower settings for a playable experience. The min/max data points, where available, show that the Medium preset at any resolution provides the most stable frame pacing, which is crucial for a game like The Medium that relies on atmosphere and tension.