The Medium

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination in The Medium shows a clear pattern: performance scales predictably with resolution, and the GPU headroom is substantial at lower resolutions. The benchmark measurements cover three resolutions and four quality presets, with average frame rates captured for each configuration.

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 108.5 FPS, which is the fastest recorded result across the entire test suite. Moving up through the presets, Medium averages 90.3 FPS, High averages 79.7 FPS, and the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains an average of 70 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 38.5 FPS, indicating that the RTX 5080 has enough performance headroom to absorb the additional load from higher quality settings without dropping below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong but show a modest reduction. Low averages 99.2 FPS, Medium averages 81.5 FPS, High averages 73.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 63.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 35.6 FPS, which is slightly less than at 1080p. This suggests that the GPU is beginning to feel the pressure of higher pixel counts, but the combination still keeps every preset comfortably above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. The Low preset averages 93 FPS, which remains very fast. Medium averages 75.5 FPS, still above the playable threshold. However, High drops to 57.7 FPS, and Ultra falls further to 47.1 FPS. These two presets dip below the 60 FPS playable threshold, marking the first point in the test matrix where the RTX 5080 cannot maintain smooth frame rates at the highest quality settings. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 45.9 FPS, the largest spread in the entire dataset.

The data shows no min or max FPS values in the recorded measurements, so the analysis relies entirely on average frame rates. This means the consistency of frame pacing is not directly quantified, but the averages alone provide a clear verdict on playability.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 70 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the test, and it clears the playable threshold with 10 FPS to spare. The combination has enough performance to run the game at maximum quality without compromise at this resolution.

For 2560x1440, Ultra also qualifies as the best playable setting, averaging 63.6 FPS. This is only 3.6 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, which is a smaller margin than at 1080p. The data indicates that Ultra at 1440p is playable, but the headroom is more limited. Players who prefer a larger safety margin could step down to High at 73.2 FPS, but the recorded data confirms that Ultra meets the playability requirement.

For 3840x2160, the best playable preset is Medium, averaging 75.5 FPS. High and Ultra both fall below 60 FPS, with averages of 57.7 FPS and 47.1 FPS respectively. Medium provides a comfortable margin above the threshold while still offering significantly better visual quality than Low, which averages 93 FPS. The verdict data confirms that Low and Medium are the only playable settings at 4K, and Medium is the recommended choice for the best balance of quality and performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 47.1 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable setting at 4K is Medium, which averages 75.5 FPS.

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

A: The fastest average frame rate is 108.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The second fastest is 99.2 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data does not indicate a bottleneck. At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset averages 70 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 108.5 FPS. The CPU appears capable of feeding the GPU adequately at this resolution, as frame rates scale consistently across presets.

Q: Is Ultra settings playable at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 63.6 FPS, which is 3.6 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. High settings average 73.2 FPS for a larger margin.

Q: How does the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 90.3 FPS at 1080p to 81.5 FPS at 1440p, then to 75.5 FPS at 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 14.8 FPS.

Q: Which settings should be avoided at 4K?

A: High and Ultra should be avoided at 3840x2160. High averages 57.7 FPS and Ultra averages 47.1 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold. Stick to Medium or Low for playable performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-10400F are four processors with very similar average benchmark scores. The Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14163, which is 0.2% higher than the i5-10400F's average of 14185. The Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, which is 0.3% lower. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, which is 0.5% higher. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, which is 0.6% lower. In practical terms, these four CPUs would deliver nearly identical performance in The Medium, with differences well within measurement noise. Any of these alternatives would behave essentially the same as the i5-10400F in this game, meaning the GPU would remain the dominant factor in frame rate outcomes.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, the nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 8060S with an average score of 55757, which is 0.6% lower than the RTX 5080's 56083. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 0.7% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 2.3% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367, which is 2.2% higher. These four GPUs sit very close to the RTX 5080 in aggregate benchmark performance. In The Medium, a system using one of these alternatives would produce frame rates within a few percent of the recorded values, assuming the same CPU and settings. The RX 9070 GRE would likely be slightly faster, while the Pro W5700X would likely be slightly slower, but all would remain in the same performance tier.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 767th out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 20.6% of all tested configurations. The percentile data for the individual components supports this position: the CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all tested CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 87th percentile among all tested GPUs. The GPU is clearly the stronger component in this pairing, and the overall combo rank reflects the substantial graphics performance headroom. The rank of 767 out of 3724 indicates that the majority of tested combos are slower, but a significant minority of higher-end pairings do outperform this configuration. Given that the RTX 5080 is a high-end GPU from the GeForce 50-series, the rank is likely limited more by the mid-range i5-10400F than by the graphics card itself, though the recorded frame rates show that this limitation does not prevent playable performance at most settings and resolutions.

The Verdict

This PC can run The Medium, but the playable settings depend heavily on the chosen resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 70 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear the threshold, with Ultra averaging 63.6 FPS. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium are playable, with Medium averaging 75.5 FPS as the best option. High and Ultra at 4K fall short, averaging 57.7 FPS and 47.1 FPS respectively.

The verdict data confirms these findings: 1080p and 1440p both support Ultra settings at playable frame rates, while 4K is limited to Medium as the highest playable preset. The RTX 5080 provides ample graphics performance for this horror title, and the i5-10400F keeps up with the GPU across the tested configurations. Players targeting 4K should plan to use Medium settings for a smooth experience. For 1440p and below, maximum quality is achievable without dropping below 60 FPS. The combination ranks 767th out of 3724 tested combos, placing it comfortably above the median, and the measured data shows that it delivers a solid gaming experience for The Medium across most of the test matrix.