The Medium

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a highly unusual combination, pairing a budget-oriented 4-core processor with a flagship-class graphics card. In The Medium, this pairing ranks at #334 out of 3,724 tested combos, placing it in the top ~9% of all configurations tested for this title. This rank reflects the RTX 4080’s immense rendering power, but also reveals the practical ceiling imposed by the Core i3-12100F in some scenarios. The data shows this combo delivers playable performance across all tested resolutions, though the experience at 4K requires careful settings selection. The 60 FPS playability threshold is met at 1080p and 1440p with headroom to spare, while 4K demands a drop to Medium settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination’s overall rank of 334 out of 3,724 puts it in the 91st percentile of tested configurations for The Medium. This is a strong showing, driven almost entirely by the GPU’s capability. The RTX 4080 sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Core i3-12100F sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs. The gap between these two percentiles is telling: the CPU is a mid-pack performer by global standards, but the GPU is near the top. In a game like The Medium, which is a horror title with fixed-camera angles and pre-rendered environments, the GPU workload dominates. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 144 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 68 FPS — a clear sign that the GPU is being pushed harder by higher presets, not that the CPU is becoming a bottleneck early.

When compared to other tested combos, this rank suggests that similar results can be achieved with a slightly less powerful GPU paired with a better CPU, or with this exact GPU paired with a stronger processor. The benchmark scores for the RTX 4080 show an average of 54,247, which is only 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER’s average of 54,209. This means the non-SUPER card is virtually identical in raw compute, and the in-game results here are representative of what the SUPER would deliver as well.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data indicates a strong GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions and presets. At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls from 125 at Low to 45 at Ultra — a drop of 64% from Low to Ultra. This massive scaling is typical of a GPU-limited scenario, where the RTX 4080’s shading units, RT cores, and memory bandwidth are the primary drivers. The CPU’s role is less pronounced because the game’s fixed-camera design reduces the need for complex physics or AI calculations per frame.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues: 136 FPS at Low, 101 FPS at Medium, 72 FPS at High, and 57 FPS at Ultra. The step from High to Ultra is a 21% reduction, again pointing to GPU load. The Core i3-12100F’s 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at these settings, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rates scale smoothly with preset changes rather than hitting a CPU wall.

At 1920x1080, the picture shifts slightly. The combo reaches 144 FPS at Low, 120 FPS at Medium, 86 FPS at High, and 68 FPS at Ultra. The delta between Low and Ultra is 53%, which is smaller than at 4K (64%). This narrowing suggests that at 1080p, the CPU begins to have a more measurable impact, especially at the lowest preset where the GPU has less work to do. However, even at 1080p Ultra, the combo stays above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the i3-12100F is not a severe constraint in this title.

The scaling between resolutions at the same preset is also informative. At High settings, FPS drops from 86 at 1080p to 72 at 1440p to 57 at 4K. This is a 34% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is consistent with the GPU’s pixel throughput. The RTX 4080’s 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth and 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance are the specs that make these numbers possible. The CPU’s single-thread score of 1,674 in Cinebench R23 is respectable but not exceptional, yet it does not bottleneck the GPU in this game.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for each component, there are several paths to similar in-game performance. For the CPU, the Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13,494. Its closest rival is the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores 13,492 — a delta of 0%, meaning they are effectively identical in compute. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452, which is 0.3% lower, so it would behave nearly the same in The Medium. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13,594, which is 0.7% higher, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13,351, which is 1.1% lower. All of these CPUs would deliver essentially the same frame rates as the i3-12100F in this game, assuming the same GPU and settings.

For the GPU, the RTX 4080’s average benchmark score is 54,247. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209, which is 0.1% lower — a negligible difference that would result in identical FPS in The Medium. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54,828, which is 1.1% higher, and would perform within 1-2 FPS of the RTX 4080. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55,698, which is 2.6% higher, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55,757, which is 2.7% higher. These AMD options would provide a slight FPS bump, but the difference is within the margin of error for most gameplay.

If you were to pair the i3-12100F with any of these rival GPUs, the in-game results would be nearly identical to the measured data. Conversely, swapping the CPU to one of its rivals while keeping the RTX 4080 would also produce similar FPS, since the GPU is the dominant factor in this title.

FAQ

Q: Can I play The Medium at 4K with this combo?

A: Yes, but only up to Medium settings. At 3840x2160, Medium delivers an average of 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS. High settings drop to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and Ultra falls to 45 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p?

A: High is the best playable preset at 2560x1440, producing an average of 72 FPS. Ultra drops to 57 FPS, which is not playable per the 60 FPS threshold. Low and Medium are also playable, at 136 FPS and 101 FPS, respectively.

Q: Is the Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The data suggests minimal bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 144 FPS, which is a typical refresh-rate cap. At 1080p Ultra, it still achieves 68 FPS. The FPS scaling between presets is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, indicating the 4-core CPU is sufficient for this title’s fixed-camera design.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 SUPER have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with the SUPER being 0.1% lower (54,209 vs 54,247). In practical terms, you would see the same FPS in The Medium with either card.

Q: What is the highest playable preset at 1080p?

A: Ultra is playable at 1920x1080, with an average of 68 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold, and it is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: Are there any settings where the combo dips below 60 FPS?

A: Yes, at 4K High (57 FPS) and 4K Ultra (45 FPS), as well as 1440p Ultra (57 FPS). All other tested settings at 1080p and 1440p stay at or above 68 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured results are as follows:

• Low: Average 125 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: Average 79 FPS, minimum 67 FPS, maximum 91 FPS.
• High: Average 57 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 45 FPS, no min/max recorded.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: Average 136 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: Average 101 FPS, minimum 86 FPS, maximum 116 FPS.
• High: Average 72 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 57 FPS, no min/max recorded.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: Average 144 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: Average 120 FPS, minimum 102 FPS, maximum 138 FPS.
• High: Average 86 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 68 FPS, no min/max recorded.

The min/max data is only provided for Medium settings at each resolution, which shows a tight frame time distribution: at 4K Medium, the range is 67–91 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 86–116 FPS, and at 1080p Medium it is 102–138 FPS. This indicates stable performance without severe stutters, even when the CPU is feeding a high-end GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

• 3840x2160: The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 79 FPS. Low is also playable at 125 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while remaining comfortably above the threshold.

• 2560x1440: High is the best playable preset, delivering an average of 72 FPS. Ultra falls to 57 FPS, so High is the sweet spot for visual fidelity and smooth gameplay.

• 1920x1080: Ultra is playable, with an average of 68 FPS. This is the highest preset tested, and it stays above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for 1080p users.

The verdict data confirms these picks: at 4K, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium as the best; at 1440p, High, Low, and Medium are playable, with High as the best; at 1080p, all four presets are playable, with Ultra as the best. This combo is unusual in that the CPU is far weaker than the GPU, but for The Medium, it works — the game’s design leans heavily on the GPU, allowing the i3-12100F to keep pace. If you own this pairing, the practical advice is to target Medium at 4K, High at 1440p, and Ultra at 1080p for the best balance of quality and frame rate.