The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses GPU fill rate and raw pixel throughput, and the pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT shows exactly where the limits lie. The measured data reveals a system that can hit playable frame rates only after making significant compromises to visual fidelity, particularly at higher resolutions. The CPU, which sits in the 93rd percentile among all processors tested, is never the bottleneck; instead, the Radeon RX 5700 XT, a GPU from the RDNA 1.0 era, dictates the experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, clearly identifying the GPU as the limiting component. At Low settings, the transition from 1920x1080 (90.2 FPS) to 2560x1440 (77 FPS) represents a 14.6% reduction in frame rate. Moving from 1440p to 3840x2160 (60.9 FPS) cuts performance by another 20.9%. The full jump from 1080p Low to 4K Low results in a 32.5% loss of average FPS, which is a significant hit but still leaves the game playable.

The scaling becomes more punishing at higher quality presets, where the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth are pushed harder. At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p (58.4 FPS) to 1440p (48.5 FPS) is a 17% decrease, and then to 4K (35.8 FPS) another 26.2%. The High preset shows a similar pattern: 37.9 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 33.4 FPS at 1440p, and then falling to 29.1 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most brutal, with performance collapsing from 33.1 FPS at 1080p to 26.3 FPS at 1440p and finally to a slideshow-like 19.5 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the resolution scaling is not linear, with the largest percentage losses occurring between 1440p and 4K. This is characteristic of a GPU running out of pixel fillrate and memory bandwidth. The 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth on the RX 5700 XT is simply insufficient to feed the 8.3 million pixels at 4K, especially when shader complexity increases with higher presets. The 1080p to 1440p gap is smaller, but still severe enough to show that even 1440p is a stretch for this card in this title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the clear performance ceiling for this combo. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, and its 2560 shading units operate at a boost clock of 1905 MHz. These specifications are from the RDNA 1.0 architecture, and the benchmark results show their age when dealing with a modern title like The Medium. The GPU’s percentile rank against all GPUs is 68, and its average benchmark score of 24731 places it in a statistical tie with the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (deltaPct: -0.1) and just 0.3% ahead of the Intel Arc A350M.

The VRAM capacity is adequate for the tested settings, as the data does not show a catastrophic failure at 4K that would indicate memory swapping. Instead, the gradual decline in FPS points to compute and bandwidth limitations. The 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the theoretical peak, but real-world results show that the card cannot sustain high frame rates with complex lighting and post-processing effects. The pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s is the key constraint, as The Medium’s fixed camera angles and heavy use of volumetric effects create a substantial pixel shader workload.

The boost clock of 1905 MHz is a single data point, but the benchmark results suggest that the card is running at its thermal and power limits (225 W TDP) without being able to overcome the workload. The combination of the CPU's high single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1136) and the GPU's mid-range capabilities means that frame times are likely consistent, but the average FPS is low. This is not a case of the CPU holding back the GPU; rather, the GPU is simply not fast enough to render the game at high settings with smooth motion.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 60.9 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 35.8 FPS, and at High it falls to 29.1 FPS. Ultra settings are not playable, with an average of 19.5 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000, place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The measured FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 24731 is effectively identical to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (24763, deltaPct: -0.1%) and the Intel Arc A350M (24647, deltaPct: 0.3%). It is also within 0.9% of the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth experience?

A: For a consistent 60 FPS, 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only option, yielding 90.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low settings provide an average of 77 FPS, which is also smooth. 4K is only viable at Low settings.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 26.3 FPS, while Low settings average 77 FPS. This represents a 65.8% reduction in average frame rate when switching to Ultra.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among tested combinations?

A: No. The combo ranks 1257 out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium, placing it in the bottom quarter of all tested systems.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 1257 out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 74th percentile of performance from the bottom, meaning that roughly three out of four tested systems deliver higher average frame rates. This low ranking is entirely attributable to the GPU; the CPU is a top-tier part, but its performance is squandered by the mid-range graphics card. The data shows that a more balanced system would pair this CPU with a significantly more powerful GPU to achieve higher preset levels.

The ranking reflects the GPU’s 68th percentile standing among all GPUs, but the game’s heavy demands push this combo down further. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700KF (deltaPct: -0.1%) and the AMD EPYC 4364P (deltaPct: 0.3%), would produce nearly identical results when paired with the same RX 5700 XT, confirming that CPU choice is not a factor in this specific game's performance. The rank is a clear warning that this configuration is for 1080p gaming with lowered expectations, not for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution play.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a complete picture across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system produces 90.2 FPS on Low, which is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings drop to 58.4 FPS, High to 37.9 FPS, and Ultra to 33.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is substantial (a 35.3% drop), indicating a heavy cost for the first step up in quality.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 77 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium falls to 48.5 FPS. High settings yield 33.4 FPS, and Ultra is at 26.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 37%, showing that the GPU is already struggling with the increased pixel count. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings costs 17% of the frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly out of its depth except at the lowest preset. Low settings average 60.9 FPS, which is just playable. Medium settings drop to 35.8 FPS, High to 29.1 FPS, and Ultra to 19.5 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium at 4K is a 41.2% reduction, demonstrating that the RX 5700 XT cannot handle the shader complexity of this game at higher presets with 4K resolution. The overall best case for a consistent experience is 1080p Low, and the worst case is 4K Ultra, which is 78.4% slower.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a single viable strategy for this hardware: prioritize Low settings at 1080p for a consistent experience, or accept a lower frame rate for better visuals. For a smooth 60 FPS target, 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that delivers (90.2 FPS). This should be the default for any player who values responsiveness and frame pacing over graphical fidelity. At 2560x1440, Low settings also provide a playable experience at 77 FPS, which is a viable alternative for users with a 1440p monitor who do not mind lowering quality.

For those who insist on Medium settings, 1080p is the maximum resolution, yielding 58.4 FPS. This is close to 60 FPS but not quite there, and frame drops may be noticeable. The High preset is not recommended at any resolution, as the best case is 37.9 FPS at 1080p, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a title with this genre’s atmosphere. Ultra settings should be avoided entirely; the highest average FPS is 33.1 at 1080p, and at 4K it is a slideshow.

The practical advice is to run the game at 1080p with Low settings for a stable experience, or 1440p with Low settings if you prefer a sharper image. The Medium preset at 1080p is a compromise for those who want better shadows and textures but can tolerate a sub-60 FPS average. There is no scenario in the measured data where High or Ultra settings provide an adequate frame rate for a horror game, where smooth camera movement is crucial for immersion. Stick to Low, and the game will be playable; push higher, and you will be fighting the GPU’s limitations.