The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphics presets. The measured data for the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination reveals a system that is capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, but which struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance figures to determine the optimal settings and the role each component plays in the game's output.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. The data shows a clear hierarchy across the four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers excellent performance across the board. The Low preset achieves an average of 141 FPS, while the Medium preset provides 88 FPS. The High preset still offers a solid 63 FPS average. The Ultra preset is the only one that dips below the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 50 FPS. For most players on a standard 60Hz monitor, the High preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, delivering a comfortable frame rate with better visual fidelity than Medium. However, for those with high-refresh-rate displays, the Medium preset at 88 FPS would be the recommended choice to maximize smoothness while retaining a reasonable level of detail.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts down. The Low preset remains fluid at 119 FPS, and the Medium preset maintains a strong 74 FPS average with a minimum of 63 FPS. The High preset at 1440p averages 53 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target but still playable. The Ultra preset drops significantly to 42 FPS. For a 1440p experience, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It provides a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS target, with a minimum of 63 FPS ensuring consistent performance, while the visual upgrade over Low is substantial.

At 3840x2160, the system becomes more constrained. The Low preset manages a playable 93 FPS, but the Medium preset falls to 58 FPS. The High preset drops to 42 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 33 FPS. For 4K, the Low preset is the only option that guarantees a smooth 60+ FPS experience. The Medium preset at 58 FPS is playable, but its minimum of 50 FPS suggests occasional dips. The data indicates that this combination is not well-suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming in The Medium. Players prioritizing resolution should stick to the Low or Medium presets, while those prioritizing visual quality will find the performance at 4K to be insufficient for a consistently smooth experience.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the primary driver of performance in this game, and its capabilities are directly reflected in the measured FPS. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for the textures and assets in The Medium, even at 4K resolution, and it is unlikely to be a bottleneck in the measured results.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a key factor. With a base clock of 1330 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, the RX 9070 has a significant performance headroom. The game clock of 2070 MHz represents the typical sustained frequency during gaming workloads. The data shows a strong correlation between resolution and frame rate, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the average FPS at the High preset drops from 63 to 42, a 33% decrease. This drop indicates that the GPU is working progressively harder to render more pixels, and its computational throughput is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The RX 9070's position relative to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks is noteworthy. Its average benchmark score of 23877 places it slightly below the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (which scores 24063, a delta of -0.8%) and slightly above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (which scores 23736, a delta of 0.6%). This suggests that while the RX 9070 is a competent performer, it is not a top-tier card in the absolute sense, and its real-world performance in The Medium aligns with its mid-range positioning, especially when pushed to higher resolutions and settings.

FAQ

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

A: No. The measured data shows the average FPS at 3840x2160 is 93 on Low, 58 on Medium, 42 on High, and 33 on Ultra. Only the Low preset exceeds the 60 FPS target, with the Medium preset falling just short at 58 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: The Medium preset is the most balanced option at 2560x1440. It achieves an average of 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring a smooth experience. The High preset drops to 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How much of a performance gain is there from the Ultra preset to the Low preset at 1080p?

A: The switch from Ultra to Low at 1920x1080 results in a significant increase. The average FPS rises from 50 on Ultra to 141 on Low, representing a 182% improvement in frame rate.

Q: Is the game more demanding on the CPU or the GPU for this combo?

A: The performance scaling with resolution suggests a strong GPU dependency. For example, at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 42 at 4K, which is a direct result of increased pixel rendering load on the GPU.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS is 33, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Ultra settings preset. The data also shows minimum FPS values of 50 at 4K Medium, 63 at 1440p Medium, and 75 at 1080p Medium.

Q: Does the RX 9070's 16GB of VRAM cause any performance limitations in this game?

A: The measured data does not indicate any VRAM-related stutters or crashes. The 16 GB capacity is adequate for the game's requirements, as the primary performance limiter appears to be the GPU's raw rendering power, not its memory capacity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 is placed at rank 1075 out of 3724 tested combinations for The Medium. This places the system in the top 29% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a solid performer overall. The ranking is a composite measure that reflects the system's ability to handle the game across all tested resolutions and settings.

This rank of 1075 suggests that while this combo performs well, there are a significant number of other configurations that deliver higher frame rates. Given the GPU's synthetic benchmark percentile of 69, which indicates it performs better than 69% of all GPUs, and the CPU's percentile of 89, the system's overall rank is likely held back by the GPU's performance at the highest settings. The high rank of the CPU does not translate into a top-tier gaming rank because the game's frame rate is primarily constrained by the GPU, especially at 4K and with Ultra settings. The combo's position in the middle of the pack is consistent with the GPU's mid-range standing relative to its nearest rivals.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a high-end processor, and its specifications suggest it is more than capable of feeding the RX 9070 in this game. With 16 cores and 24 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded performance. Its boost clock of 5.40 GHz provides excellent single-thread performance, which is typically more important for gaming.

The CPU's benchmark results are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116. Its average benchmark score of 46881 places it nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (which scores 46971, a delta of -0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (which scores 47022, a delta of -0.3%). This indicates that the CPU is a very capable performer.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more consistent across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would not increase as dramatically with pixel count. The fact that the FPS drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU's workload remains relatively stable, confirms that the RX 9070 is the primary determinant of frame rate in this title. The i7-13700K provides enough processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck, but it does not contribute to higher frame rates beyond a certain point.

Measured FPS Breakdown

A detailed look at the measured FPS values reveals the performance envelope of this system.

At 1920x1080, the system is highly capable. The Low preset averages 141 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience. The Medium preset averages 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS, showing good consistency. The High preset averages 63 FPS, which is adequate for a standard monitor. The Ultra preset averages 50 FPS, indicating a performance drop that makes it less desirable for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still respectable. The Low preset averages 119 FPS, maintaining high fluidity. The Medium preset averages 74 FPS, with a range of 63 to 85 FPS, which is a solid performance level. The High preset averages 53 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset averages 42 FPS, which is a significant reduction from the 1080p result.

At 3840x2160, the system is pushed to its limits. The Low preset averages 93 FPS, which is surprisingly playable. The Medium preset averages 58 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS, making it a borderline experience. The High preset averages 42 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 33 FPS, both of which are not ideal for a smooth gaming experience.

The data clearly shows that the step from Medium to High settings has a substantial performance cost at every resolution. For example, at 1440p, the average FPS drops from 74 on Medium to 53 on High, a 28% decrease. This is a larger drop than the transition from Low to Medium, which only goes from 119 to 74 FPS. This suggests that the High preset introduces rendering features that are particularly taxing on the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The impact of resolution on performance is a key indicator of the system's balance. The data shows a clear and consistent trend: as resolution increases, frame rates decrease across all settings.

At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p, a 16% decrease. The drop from 1440p to 4K is even more pronounced, falling from 53 to 42 FPS, a 21% decrease. Overall, moving from 1080p to 4K results in a 33% reduction in average frame rate at the High preset.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern. The average FPS goes from 88 at 1080p to 74 at 1440p (a 16% decrease) and then to 58 at 4K (a 22% decrease from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 34%.

This scaling behavior is consistent with a GPU-bound workload. The number of pixels to be rendered quadruples from 1080p to 4K, and the frame rate drops accordingly, although not linearly. The fact that the frame rate does not drop by a factor of four indicates that other factors, such as memory bandwidth and cache efficiency, help to mitigate the performance loss.

The scaling also reveals the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 4K, as the CPU's work would not change much. Instead, the significant drop in FPS with increasing resolution clearly points to the AMD Radeon RX 9070 as the primary limiting factor. The system is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the GPU's computational limits become the major constraint, preventing high-fidelity gameplay.