The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination. The recorded data shows this pairing can handle the game at 1080p and 1440p with quality settings, but 4K requires a significant reduction in visual fidelity to maintain a playable frame rate. This analysis is based on measured average frame rates across four presets and three resolutions, with a playable threshold set at 60 frames per second.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gaming with this hardware?

A: The highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which produces an average of 66.3 frames per second. The Medium preset runs at 88.8 FPS, and Low runs at 107.4 FPS, but High offers the best visual quality while still clearing the playable threshold.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 1440p?

A: Yes. The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 73.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset runs at 97.5 FPS. The High preset falls short at 56.1 FPS, and Ultra drops to 44.6 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with the RTX 3080 and i5-10400F?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 94.9 FPS. The Medium preset averages 58.3 FPS, just below the playable mark, while High averages 44.6 FPS and Ultra averages 31.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU benchmark against similar processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6756E, scores 14163, which is 0.2 percent lower. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, 0.5 percent lower, while the Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, 0.3 percent higher.

Q: How does the GPU benchmark against similar graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, which is 0.4 percent higher. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 0.3 percent lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also 0.3 percent lower.

Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU and GPU combination for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1258 out of 3724 tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the upper portion of the database, indicating solid performance relative to other tested hardware pairings.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the highest preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is High, with a recorded average of 66.3 FPS. This is the optimal balance point for this resolution, as the Medium preset runs at 88.8 FPS and Low at 107.4 FPS, but High provides the best visual quality among the playable options. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages only 49.4 FPS, falling below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, which produces an average of 73.9 FPS. This preset comfortably clears the 60 FPS threshold and represents the highest visual quality available at this resolution. The Low preset averages 97.5 FPS, but the step up to Medium costs roughly 24 FPS in exchange for improved visuals. The High preset at 56.1 FPS and Ultra at 44.6 FPS are both below the playable mark, so they should be avoided for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold, with an average of 94.9 FPS. This is the only playable option at 4K for this hardware combination. The Medium preset averages 58.3 FPS, which is tantalizingly close to 60 but still below the playable mark. High averages 44.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 31.5 FPS, both significantly below playable levels. Users prioritizing 4K should accept Low settings or consider reducing resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU shifts across resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU has the most headroom, allowing the system to deliver 107.4 FPS on Low and 66.3 FPS on High. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 58 FPS, from 107.4 down to 49.4 FPS, showing that the GPU is the primary driver of performance changes as settings scale.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU workload increases, and the frame rates compress downward. Low averages 97.5 FPS, Medium averages 73.9 FPS, High averages 56.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 44.6 FPS. The scaling pattern remains consistent, with each preset tier costing roughly 15 to 20 FPS. The CPU maintains sufficient throughput to keep the GPU fed, as the i5-10400F's 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost clock are adequate for this title at these settings.

At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. Low averages 94.9 FPS, but Medium drops to 58.3 FPS, High to 44.6 FPS, and Ultra to 31.5 FPS. The steep drop from Low to Medium, a 36.6 FPS difference, indicates that the GPU is heavily taxed by the higher resolution and preset. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K because the rendering load shifts almost entirely to the graphics card. The recorded data shows that the CPU can handle the game's logic and draw calls at all resolutions, but the RTX 3080's limits are exposed as resolution increases.

The CPU's benchmark results support its ability to keep pace. The i5-10400F scores 10283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1451 in single-core, with a PassMark multithread score of 12115. These figures indicate a capable processor for gaming workloads. The GPU, with 8704 shading units and 68 RT cores, provides the raw rendering power, but its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are taxed heavily at 4K Ultra. The scaling from 1080p Ultra at 49.4 FPS to 1440p Ultra at 44.6 FPS to 4K Ultra at 31.5 FPS shows a clear GPU-bound progression.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-10400F sits very close to several other processors in average benchmark score. The Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14163, just 0.2 percent lower than the i5-10400F's 14185. A system using that Xeon would behave nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, 0.5 percent lower, again a negligible difference. On the higher side, the Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, 0.3 percent higher, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, 0.6 percent higher. These four rivals bracket the i5-10400F within a one percent performance band, meaning any of them would deliver essentially the same frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080's average benchmark score of 23172 is closely matched by several alternatives. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 0.3 percent higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also 0.3 percent higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, 0.4 percent higher, while the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, 0.4 percent higher. These four GPUs all fall within a half percent of the RTX 3080's average score. In practical terms, a system with any of these GPUs paired with the i5-10400F would produce frame rates very similar to those recorded for the RTX 3080 in The Medium. The differences of 0.3 to 0.4 percent translate to less than one frame per second in most scenarios.

The similarity in scores means that the measured FPS data for this combo can be generalized to these alternative pairings. A user with an AMD Radeon RX 6600M or a NVIDIA P106-100 should expect nearly identical performance in The Medium at the same resolutions and presets. The same applies to the CPU rivals, though the CPU matters less at higher resolutions where the GPU is the limiting factor.

The Verdict

This PC can run The Medium, but the playable settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on Low, Medium, and High presets. The High preset at 66.3 FPS is the recommended choice, offering the best visual quality while remaining above the playable threshold. The Ultra preset at 49.4 FPS is not playable.

At 2560x1440, the system clears 60 FPS on Low and Medium presets. The Medium preset at 73.9 FPS is the best option, providing a comfortable margin above the threshold. The High preset at 56.1 FPS misses the mark by a small margin, and Ultra at 44.6 FPS is not playable.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset clears 60 FPS, with an average of 94.9 FPS. This is the only playable setting at 4K. The Medium preset at 58.3 FPS is just below the threshold, which may frustrate users seeking higher quality at this resolution. High and Ultra are not viable options at 4K.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p offers the most flexibility with three playable presets, 1440p offers two playable presets with medium quality as the ceiling, and 4K offers only one playable preset at low quality. Users with a 4K display should either accept Low settings or drop to 1440p for a better balance of quality and performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 1258 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the pairing in the top third of the database, which is a strong showing given the game's demanding nature. The rank reflects the combination's ability to deliver playable frame rates across multiple resolutions, even if 4K requires low settings.

The percentile placement of the individual components supports this ranking. The CPU sits in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU also sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Both components are above average, and their combined performance in this title is consistent with their individual benchmark standings. The rank of 1258 out of 3724 means roughly two thirds of tested combos perform worse, while one third perform better. The better-performing combos likely include newer CPUs and GPUs, but this pairing remains a capable option for The Medium at 1080p and 1440p.

The recorded data indicates that the bottleneck in this system shifts from the GPU at lower settings to the GPU even more so at higher resolutions. The CPU's 68th percentile standing is sufficient to avoid becoming a limiting factor in this game. The GPU's 68th percentile standing, combined with its 10 GB memory buffer, is the primary determinant of playable settings. The combo rank of 1258 confirms that this is a mid-to-upper tier pairing for The Medium, capable of delivering smooth gameplay at most settings below 4K Ultra.