The Medium Ray Tracing Performance: RX 6000 vs RTX 30 Series
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Test Setup
- Performance Comparison of the Medium
- Single Reality Mode
- Performance with Ray Tracing Disabled
- Performance with Ray Tracing Enabled (DLSS On and Off)
- Dual Reality Mode
- Performance at Different Resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4k)
- Performance with DLSS at Different Settings (Low, Medium, High)
- Recommendations for Playing with Ray Tracing
- Conclusion
🎮 Performance Comparison of "The Medium" with Ray Tracing Enabled
"The Medium" is a highly anticipated Game known for its stunning visuals and innovative gameplay mechanics. In this article, we will be examining the performance of various graphics cards in both single reality and dual reality modes, with a focus on the latest 30 series cards and the 2080 ti. By analyzing the performance at different resolutions and exploring the impact of DLSS, we aim to provide readers with valuable insights into the game's requirements and optimization techniques.
Test Setup
Before delving into the performance analysis, let's take a look at the test setup used in our evaluation. We utilized a high-end configuration consisting of a Ryzen 9 5900X processor, 32GB of DDR4 3600 memory, an X570 motherboard, and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe drive. It's worth noting that the AMD GPUs were tested with Smart Access Memory enabled, as it is a feature soon to be available on Nvidia GPUs.
Single Reality Mode
In single reality mode, "The Medium" showcases impressive performance across the board. With ray tracing disabled, the game runs at incredibly high frame rates, making DLSS unnecessary unless you desire exceptionally high frame rates. However, once ray tracing is enabled, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Nevertheless, the introduction of DLSS helps to maintain respectable frame rates, with even the 3060 ti reaching around 80 FPS, and the 3080 and 3090 surpassing 85-95 FPS at 1440p.
Moving to the Ultra setting, which enables enhanced reflections and transparent reflections, we observe a significant performance drop. DLSS becomes essential for achieving satisfactory performance, with the 3060 ti maintaining over 60 FPS and the 3080 becoming a minimum requirement for running the game without DLSS. The 6800 series from AMD sees a decline in performance, settling around the 60 FPS mark for the 6900xt and lower frame rates for the lower-end models.
Dual Reality Mode
In the dual reality mode, we witness the true challenges of "The Medium." Rendering two game worlds simultaneously leads to an extremely demanding Scenario. At 1080p, DLSS provides minimal benefit due to the game's CPU dependency. The 6800 series struggles to reach 30 FPS with ray tracing on, highlighting the limitations of this demanding mode. Moving to 1440p, similar challenges persist, with the 3060 ti offering better performance than the 6900 xt, especially when DLSS is enabled.
At 4k, the story remains consistent, further emphasizing the necessity of DLSS. To achieve a stable 30 FPS, a minimum of a 3080 with DLSS is required. It's noteworthy that even the 3060 ti with DLSS struggles to maintain this threshold. Lowering the DLSS settings to low, medium, or high does provide performance gains, but at the risk of compromising the game's visuals. We recommend using AMD's FidelityFX CAS in combination with DLSS for optimal performance.
Recommendations for Playing with Ray Tracing
Given the taxing requirements of ray tracing in "The Medium," we offer the following recommendations for a smooth gameplay experience. In single reality mode, enabling ray tracing enhances the game's ambient occlusion and reflections without severely impacting performance. Therefore, we encourage players to keep ray tracing enabled in this mode.
However, in dual reality mode, where the demands skyrocket, we suggest disabling ray tracing to alleviate the immense strain on your system. DLSS should be utilized to maximize performance while maintaining a desirable frame rate. It is crucial to note that "The Medium" can be enjoyed at frame rates above 30, as it is not an action-packed game that requires quick reflexes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "The Medium" is a visually stunning game that pushes the boundaries of graphical fidelity, particularly with its innovative dual reality mechanics. Our performance comparison revealed that high-end graphics cards such as the 30 series and the 2080 ti can handle ray tracing in single reality mode quite well. However, in dual reality mode, even these powerful GPUs struggle to maintain smooth performance.
By carefully selecting your settings and utilizing DLSS, you can strike a balance between visual quality and performance. We hope that this article has provided valuable insights into the performance expectations and optimization techniques for playing "The Medium" with ray tracing enabled. Enjoy your journey into this hauntingly beautiful world!