The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and preset. For this combination of an Intel Core i5-11400F and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, the recorded data shows a clear split: at 4K the GPU is the limiting factor, while at 1080p the CPU begins to matter more. This analysis uses only the measured FPS values and benchmark scores from the database.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the average frame rates are as follows. With Low settings, the combo produces 84.2 FPS. Medium settings drop the average to 49.9 FPS. High settings yield 33.8 FPS. Ultra is the most demanding, with an average of 29 FPS. The database records no minimum or maximum frame rates for any resolution, so only averages are available for this analysis. At 4K, the step from Low to Medium is a 34.3 FPS drop, and from Medium to High another 16.1 FPS drop, indicating a steep scaling curve as preset quality increases.

Moving down to 2560x1440, the averages improve across the board. Low settings reach 104.8 FPS. Medium settings hit 64.8 FPS. High settings produce 47.6 FPS. Ultra averages 38.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 40 FPS, which is larger than the 4K difference, but the absolute values are higher because of the lower pixel count. At 1440p, Low and Medium both clear the 60 FPS playable threshold, while High and Ultra fall short.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution in the data, the averages are the highest. Low settings deliver 125.7 FPS. Medium settings achieve 77.7 FPS. High settings average 54.8 FPS. Ultra averages 45.9 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 48 FPS, the largest single-step drop across any resolution in the dataset. The drop from Medium to High is 22.9 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 8.9 FPS. This pattern suggests that at 1080p, the Medium preset represents a significant quality jump that costs more performance than the step from High to Ultra.

Across all resolutions, the data shows that Low settings always provide a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with the smallest margin being 84.2 FPS at 4K. Medium settings only stay above 60 FPS at 1440p and 1080p, with 64.8 FPS and 77.7 FPS respectively. High settings never reach 60 FPS at any resolution, with the best case being 54.8 FPS at 1080p. Ultra settings are the most punishing, with the best case being 45.9 FPS at 1080p and the worst being 29 FPS at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, while the CPU becomes more relevant at lower resolutions. Comparing the same preset across resolutions shows the scaling. For example, at High settings, the average goes from 33.8 FPS at 4K to 47.6 FPS at 1440p to 54.8 FPS at 1080p. That is a 21 FPS improvement when dropping from 4K to 1080p, which is a 62.7% increase relative to the 4K value. This large gain from lowering resolution points to the GPU being heavily loaded at 4K, as the pixel count directly impacts the render workload.

At Low settings, the averages are 84.2 FPS at 4K, 104.8 FPS at 1440p, and 125.7 FPS at 1080p. The jump from 4K to 1080p is 41.5 FPS, a 49.3% increase. This smaller relative gain compared to High settings suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is starting to play a larger role. The render workload is lower, so the frame rate becomes more dependent on how quickly the CPU can feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern. At 4K the average is 49.9 FPS, at 1440p it is 64.8 FPS, and at 1080p it is 77.7 FPS. The gain from 4K to 1080p is 27.8 FPS, a 55.7% improvement. This sits between the Low and High scaling, which is consistent with a balanced workload where both CPU and GPU contribute. The Ultra preset shows the smallest relative gain from resolution scaling: 29 FPS at 4K, 38.6 FPS at 1440p, and 45.9 FPS at 1080p, a 58.3% gain from 4K to 1080p. This still points to GPU dominance, but the CPU is not entirely idle.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for its role. The Intel Core i5-11400F has a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024. Its 3DMark single-thread score is 868, and its 3DMark 16-thread score is 5619. These scores indicate a capable mid-range processor. The database places this CPU at the 71st percentile among all CPUs. In comparison, the RTX 3070 sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs. The GPU is closer to the middle of the pack, which aligns with the observation that it becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the constraint. The difference between Low and Medium at 1080p is 48 FPS, which is larger than the 40 FPS difference at 1440p and the 34.3 FPS difference at 4K. This larger gap suggests that at 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to push higher frame rates when the GPU load is low, but once the preset increases and the GPU work rises, the frame rate drops sharply. The fact that High at 1080p only reaches 54.8 FPS, which is only 7.2 FPS higher than High at 1440p, reinforces that the GPU is still the main driver of performance even at 1080p. The CPU is not the primary bottleneck at any resolution, but its influence is most visible at 1080p Low where the frame rate reaches 125.7 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the database lists several nearest rivals based on average benchmark scores. The AMD EPYC 7H12 has an average score of 17120, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-11400F's average of 17177. The Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17239, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17278, which is 0.6% higher. The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17074, which is 0.6% lower. These deltas are all within 1% of the i5-11400F, meaning any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios. For a game like The Medium, where the CPU is not the main bottleneck at most settings, swapping to any of these rivals would show no meaningful difference in the measured averages.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, the AMD Radeon HD 7970M, and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c. The RX 7600 XT has an average score of 17083, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3070's average of 17208. The GTX 690 scores 17037, which is 1% lower. The HD 7970M scores 17019, which is 1.1% lower. The Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% higher. These deltas are small, so the frame rates for The Medium would be nearly identical with any of these GPUs paired with the same CPU. In practice, the RTX 3070 and the RX 7600 XT would deliver almost the same averages at every resolution and preset, since their benchmark scores differ by less than 1%.

The practical takeaway is that a builder with any of these rival GPUs would see the same playability picture. At 4K, only Low settings would exceed 60 FPS. At 1440p, Low and Medium would be playable. At 1080p, Low and Medium would be playable. The CPU rivals would not change the verdict either, as the frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU in this game.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured average at 3840x2160 with Low settings is 84.2 FPS. Medium settings drop to 49.9 FPS, High to 33.8 FPS, and Ultra to 29 FPS. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, so only Low qualifies.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p?

A: The best preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 64.8 FPS. Low also works at 104.8 FPS, but Medium offers the highest quality while still clearing the threshold. High and Ultra are not playable, with averages of 47.6 FPS and 38.6 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU more important for this game at 1080p?

A: The GPU is still the primary factor, but the CPU has more influence at 1080p than at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average is 125.7 FPS, which is a 49.3% gain over 4K Low. At 1080p High, the average is 54.8 FPS, which is only a 62.7% gain over 4K High. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340, are sufficient, but the GPU's rendering load determines the overall frame rate.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations in the database?

A: The combination ranks 1545 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This puts it in the upper half of all tested systems. The exact percentile is not recorded, but the rank indicates that a large number of other combinations perform worse, while a smaller number perform better.

Q: What settings should I avoid at 4K?

A: Avoid Medium, High, and Ultra at 4K. Medium averages 49.9 FPS, High averages 33.8 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS, all below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only Low settings provide a smooth experience at this resolution.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 have any close GPU alternatives that would perform similarly?

A: Yes. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score that is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3070, so it would produce nearly identical frame rates. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 is 1% lower, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M is 1.1% lower. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is 1.5% higher. None of these differences would change the playable settings at any resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only playable preset is Low. The measured average is 84.2 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold, so Low is the recommended choice for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium. The average is 64.8 FPS. Low also works at 104.8 FPS, but Medium provides better visual quality while still clearing the 60 FPS line. High and Ultra are not playable, with averages of 47.6 FPS and 38.6 FPS respectively.

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is also Medium. The average is 77.7 FPS. Low gives 125.7 FPS, but Medium is the highest quality preset that stays above 60 FPS. High at 54.8 FPS and Ultra at 45.9 FPS are both below the threshold. This means that for a 1080p display, Medium is the sweet spot, offering a good balance of visual fidelity and smoothness.

The pattern across resolutions is consistent: Low is always playable, Medium is playable at 1440p and 1080p, and High and Ultra are never playable with this combination. The exact averages are 84.2 FPS at 4K Low, 64.8 FPS at 1440p Medium, and 77.7 FPS at 1080p Medium. These are the recommended settings for each resolution based on the recorded data.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1545 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the upper half of all configurations in the database. The rank reflects the overall performance across all tested games, not just this one, but for The Medium specifically, the measured FPS values show a clear picture. The combo is capable of playable frame rates at 4K Low and at 1440p and 1080p Medium.

The rank of 1545 means that 2179 other combos perform worse, while 1544 perform better. The exact percentile is not recorded, but the rank suggests that this is a solid mid-to-upper tier configuration. The CPU sits at the 71st percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs. The combination of a slightly above-average CPU and a slightly above-average GPU results in a system that handles The Medium well at lower presets but struggles at higher presets.

For a builder considering this pairing, the data shows that it is a workable combination for this game, provided the settings are managed appropriately. The 4K experience is limited to Low, which may not be ideal for a horror game where visual atmosphere matters. At 1440p and 1080p, Medium settings offer a good experience. The rank of 1545 out of 3724 confirms that many other systems will struggle more, but also that there are many systems that perform better. The practical recommendation is to target 1440p Medium or 1080p Medium for the best balance of quality and performance, and to accept Low at 4K if that resolution is required.