The Medium

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 presents a stark contrast in component tiers, making the measured performance of The Medium particularly instructive. At 1920x1080, the combination achieves an average of 144 FPS at Low settings, but the most demanding preset still holds above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-bound at lower resolutions, while the CPU's limitations become more apparent as resolution scales. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across all settings, examines component roles, and places the combo within the broader benchmark database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium covers three resolutions and four quality presets, with the most complete data available at Medium settings. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 50 FPS at Ultra to 125 FPS at Low. The Medium preset at 4K delivers an average of 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. High settings at 4K produce a 63 FPS average, which sits just above the 60 FPS playability threshold, while Ultra drops to 50 FPS, indicating a clear step down in playability.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope improves significantly. The Low preset averages 136 FPS, while Medium delivers 111 FPS with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 128 FPS. High settings at 1440p reach 80 FPS on average, and Ultra maintains a 63 FPS average, matching the 4K High result. This suggests that at 1440p, the Ultra preset is still viable for smooth gameplay, but with less headroom than the lower presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its strongest performance. Low settings hit 144 FPS, Medium averages 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS, and High reaches 95 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 75 FPS, which is notably higher than the 4K Ultra result of 50 FPS and the 1440p Ultra result of 63 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4090 has substantial headroom at lower resolutions, but the frame rate gains from reducing resolution diminish as the CPU becomes a more significant factor.

The minimum and maximum FPS data, available only for the Medium preset, shows consistent frame pacing across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the 102 FPS minimum represents a 85% retention of the average, while at 1440p the 95 FPS minimum is an 86% retention, and at 4K the 74 FPS minimum is also an 85% retention. This consistency suggests that the Medium preset does not introduce significant frame time spikes, which is relevant for a horror game where smoothness matters.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 63 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold. The verdict data confirms High is the best playable setting at 4K, with an average of 63 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 63 FPS, making it the most demanding setting that remains playable. The playable settings list for 1440p includes High, Low, Medium, and Ultra, with Ultra achieving the 63 FPS average.

Q: How does the 1080p Ultra preset compare to the 4K Ultra preset?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 75 FPS, while at 3840x2160, Ultra drops to 50 FPS. This represents a 25 FPS difference, or a 50% improvement at the lower resolution, indicating that the RTX 4090 is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

Q: Does lowering settings from Medium to Low provide a large FPS boost at 4K?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 125 FPS compared to Medium's 87 FPS. This is a 38 FPS increase, or approximately 44% higher, showing that the Medium to Low transition offers substantial headroom at 4K.

Q: Is the minimum FPS data available for all presets?

A: No, the dataset only includes minimum and maximum FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p, the minimum is 102 FPS; at 1440p, it is 95 FPS; and at 4K, it is 74 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 232 out of 3724 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.2% of all tested systems for The Medium.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. At 1080p, the system produces 144 FPS at Low and 75 FPS at Ultra, a 69 FPS spread between presets. At 1440p, the same preset range yields 136 FPS to 63 FPS, a 73 FPS spread. At 4K, the spread narrows to 125 FPS to 50 FPS, a 75 FPS range. The widening gap between Low and Ultra as resolution increases suggests that the GPU is being taxed more heavily at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains a more consistent performance floor.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining the resolution scaling at fixed settings. For the Medium preset, the 1080p average is 120 FPS, the 1440p average is 111 FPS, and the 4K average is 87 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is only 9 FPS, or 7.5%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 24 FPS, or 21.6%. This non-linear scaling indicates that the RTX 4090 is not fully utilized at 1080p, and the i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads are capable of feeding the GPU up to a point. The larger drop at 4K suggests the GPU's compute resources become the primary constraint at that resolution.

The CPU benchmark data supports this interpretation. The i3-12100F scores 11860 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1674 in single-core, with a 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The RTX 4090, by contrast, scores 38194 in Passmark G3D and sits in the 88th percentile for all GPUs. This asymmetry—a mid-range CPU paired with a top-tier GPU—means that at lower resolutions, the CPU can keep up with the GPU's frame generation, but at higher resolutions, the GPU's workload scales faster than the CPU's ability to issue draw calls.

The presets also show a component split. At 4K, the difference between High (63 FPS) and Ultra (50 FPS) is 13 FPS, while the difference between Low (125 FPS) and Medium (87 FPS) is 38 FPS. The larger gap at the lower end of the preset range suggests that Low settings reduce GPU load substantially, allowing the CPU to push higher frame rates. At the Ultra end, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's performance ceiling is less relevant.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i3-12100F in the benchmark database include the Intel Core 3 N355, which has an average score of 13492 and a 0% delta, and the Intel Core i5-9500, which scores 13452 with a 0.3% delta. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 with a -0.7% delta, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 with a 1.1% delta. These CPUs would provide a similar level of processor performance in The Medium, meaning that the frame rate differences between these alternatives would be minimal at the same GPU.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the nearest rivals include the Intel Arc Pro A60, which has an average score of 60326 and a 0% delta, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, which scores 60140 with a 0.3% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896 with a -2.5% delta, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657 with a 2.9% delta. These GPUs would produce similar frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same CPU, assuming the game is GPU-bound at the tested settings.

A user considering a different CPU pairing with the RTX 4090 could expect the i5-9500 to deliver nearly identical performance, given the 0.3% delta in average benchmark scores. Similarly, swapping the RTX 4090 for an Arc Pro A60 would result in a negligible performance change, based on the 0% delta. The closest alternatives on both sides of the component spectrum therefore offer a reliable estimate of how this combo would behave with slightly different hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 232 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium, which places it in the top 6.2% of all configurations. This rank reflects the RTX 4090's dominant GPU performance, as the CPU's 68th percentile ranking is well below the GPU's 88th percentile. The rank suggests that while the CPU is not a top-tier part, the GPU's raw power compensates for it in this game.

The rank also indicates that many other combos outperform this pairing, likely those with higher-end CPUs such as Core i5 or i7 parts from the same generation, or newer architectures. The 3724 total combos in the database include a wide range of hardware, and the 232nd position means that 3492 combos score lower. This places the i3-12100F + RTX 4090 in a strong position for The Medium, with the primary limitation being the CPU's 4-core design in a game that may not fully utilize more threads.

The dataIsMeasured flag confirms that these results come from actual testing rather than estimation, which adds weight to the rank. The combo's position in the top percentile aligns with the measured FPS data, which shows 60 FPS or higher at every resolution except 4K Ultra. The rank therefore serves as a summary of the system's overall capability, with the resolution-specific verdicts providing more granular detail.

The Verdict

The verdict data indicates that this PC can run The Medium at 60 FPS or above for most settings and resolutions. At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with High being the best setting at 63 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K falls below the threshold at 50 FPS, so it is not recommended for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 63 FPS and serving as the best setting. At 1920x1080, all presets are also playable, with Ultra reaching 75 FPS.

The 4K verdict is the most restrictive, as it excludes Ultra from the playable list. The 1440p and 1080p verdicts are more permissive, allowing Ultra at both resolutions. This means that users with a 4K display should stick to High settings or lower, while those with 1440p or 1080p displays can use the highest preset without dropping below 60 FPS. The data shows that the system has enough headroom at lower resolutions to handle the most demanding settings.

The playableThresholdFps of 60 FPS is a consistent reference point across all resolutions, and the verdictByResolution field clearly lists which settings clear that bar. The system is therefore fully capable of running The Medium, with the only caveat being the 4K Ultra preset, which falls short by 10 FPS.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 63 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 87 FPS and is also playable, but High is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset at 125 FPS is the highest frame rate option at 4K, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 50 FPS does not meet the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves 63 FPS, making it the best setting for this resolution. This is a notable result, as it allows the full visual experience at 1440p without dropping below 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 111 FPS and High at 80 FPS are also viable, but Ultra provides the highest quality within the playable range.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 75 FPS, which is the best setting for this resolution. This gives users a 15 FPS headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smoother performance during intense scenes. The Medium preset at 120 FPS and High at 95 FPS are also strong options, but Ultra delivers the highest fidelity while remaining comfortably playable. The data shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p and 1440p, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, while at 4K, High is the ceiling.