The Medium

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows 108 FPS average on Low settings and 68 FPS average on Medium settings. Both clear the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Medium being the highest playable preset at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the strongest choice. At 2560x1440, only Low settings reach 91 FPS average, while Medium falls to 57 FPS average, just below the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable at 72 FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU compare to similar processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F scores 17,177 in the database's average benchmark, placing it in the 71st percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, scores 17,120, a difference of only 0.3 percent. The Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17,239, just 0.4 percent higher.

Q: How does the GPU compare to similar graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 scores 17,639 in average benchmark performance, sitting in the 61st percentile among all GPUs. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17,666, a negligible 0.2 percent difference. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17,588, which is 0.3 percent lower.

Q: What settings should I use for a smooth experience?

A: At 1920x1080, use Medium settings for 68 FPS average with a minimum of 58 FPS. At 2560x1440, drop to Low settings for 91 FPS average. At 3840x2160, Low settings are required, delivering 72 FPS average.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 a strong performer in this game?

A: The GPU data shows it is mid-pack relative to all GPUs, sitting at the 61st percentile. The benchmark results indicate it handles The Medium well at 1080p and 1440p on lower presets, but struggles with higher settings at larger resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded measurements for The Medium reveal a clear pattern: the GPU is the dominant factor at every resolution, but the CPU still matters for maintaining frame rates at lower settings.

At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Medium settings is substantial. The Low preset delivers 108 FPS average, while Medium drops to 68 FPS average. This 40 FPS gap shows how much the GPU workload increases with each preset tier. The CPU, a 6-core, 12-thread Rocket Lake processor with a 4.40 GHz boost clock, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at these settings. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,340 and single-core score of 2,024 suggest it can keep up with the RTX 4060's demands at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU becomes even more critical. Low settings produce 91 FPS average, but Medium falls to 57 FPS average, below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The 34 FPS drop from Low to Medium at this resolution is steeper than the 40 FPS drop at 1080p when considered as a percentage. The GPU's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth appear to be the limiting factor here, not the CPU.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Ultra settings yield only 25 FPS average, and High settings manage just 32 FPS average. Medium reaches 45 FPS average, and only Low hits the playable mark at 72 FPS average. The RTX 4060's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient for high-fidelity rendering at 4K in this title. The CPU's role diminishes further at this resolution, as the GPU is saturated regardless of the preset.

The scaling data indicates that the RTX 4060 is the component that determines playability. At every resolution, the jump from Low to Medium to High to Ultra produces significant FPS drops, while the CPU maintains consistent performance across all settings. The 71st percentile CPU ranking versus the 61st percentile GPU ranking further supports this conclusion: the CPU has more relative headroom than the GPU in this pairing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-11400F provide context for what other CPUs would deliver similar results in The Medium. The AMD EPYC 7H12 scores 17,120, just 0.3 percent lower than the i5-11400F's 17,177. Despite being a server-class chip, its average benchmark score is nearly identical, meaning in-game performance would be effectively the same. The Intel Core i5-12450H scores 17,239, only 0.4 percent higher, so laptop users with that chip would see comparable frame rates. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 17,278, 0.6 percent above the i5-11400F, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 17,074, 0.6 percent lower. All four alternatives fall within a narrow band of roughly 1 percent, so any of them would behave nearly identically in this game.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, the nearest rivals are all AMD products, which is notable. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17,666, just 0.2 percent above the RTX 4060's 17,639. This is an older card, but the benchmark data suggests its performance profile is remarkably close. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17,588, 0.3 percent lower, making it a near-match for integrated graphics users. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17,551, 0.5 percent lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17,509, 0.7 percent lower. These mobile and workstation GPUs would all produce similar frame rates in The Medium, though their driver optimization and thermal behavior may differ from the desktop RTX 4060.

The practical takeaway is that if you own any of these alternative components, the measured FPS data for the i5-11400F and RTX 4060 should closely approximate your experience. The delta percentages are all under 1 percent, which is within run-to-run variance for most games.

The Verdict

The verdict is clear: this PC can run The Medium, but the playable settings depend heavily on your target resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on both Low and Medium settings. Medium is the best playable preset, delivering 68 FPS average with a minimum of 58 FPS. This is the resolution where the hardware is most comfortable, and players can enjoy a solid experience without compromising too much on visual quality.

At 2560x1440, only Low settings are playable, producing 91 FPS average. Medium falls to 57 FPS average, just short of the 60 FPS target. The data shows a 34 FPS gap between Low and Medium at this resolution, so players must choose between smooth performance and visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, Low settings are the sole playable option at 72 FPS average. Medium drops to 45 FPS, High to 32 FPS, and Ultra to 25 FPS. The RTX 4060 lacks the raw compute power for 4K gaming at higher presets in this title.

The combo ranks 1,999 out of 3,724 combinations tested, placing it in the lower-middle range of all hardware pairings for this game. The CPU's 71st percentile ranking is stronger than the GPU's 61st percentile, indicating the graphics card is the limiting factor in most scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows a wide spread across presets. Low settings deliver 108 FPS average. Medium settings produce 68 FPS average with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. High settings drop to 49 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 39 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra is 69 FPS, demonstrating the GPU's sensitivity to quality settings at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Low settings achieve 91 FPS average. Medium settings reach 57 FPS average with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS. High settings manage 41 FPS average. Ultra settings produce 32 FPS average. The drop from Low to Ultra is 59 FPS, slightly less severe than at 1080p but still substantial.

At 3840x2160, Low settings deliver 72 FPS average. Medium settings produce 45 FPS average with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. High settings reach 32 FPS average. Ultra settings fall to 25 FPS average. The 47 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is the smallest of the three resolutions, suggesting the GPU is already near its limits even at Low settings.

The minimum FPS data, where available, shows that Medium settings at 1080p stay close to the 60 FPS target with a 58 FPS floor. At 1440p, the Medium preset dips to 49 FPS minimum, which would cause noticeable stutter. At 4K, Medium bottoms out at 38 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Medium, which delivers 68 FPS average with a 58 FPS minimum. This is the highest quality setting that consistently stays at or above the 60 FPS threshold. Players who prioritize smoothness over visuals can use Low for 108 FPS average, but Medium provides a balanced experience with the minimum frame rate only 2 FPS below the target.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Low, producing 91 FPS average. Medium is not viable, as its 57 FPS average and 49 FPS minimum fall below the playable threshold. The 34 FPS gap between Low and Medium at this resolution is significant, so there is no middle ground that maintains 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the best playable preset is Low, delivering 72 FPS average. This is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold at 4K. Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS, all well below playable levels.

The data indicates that this hardware configuration is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p possible only on Low settings and 4K requiring minimal visual quality. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for lower presets but become limiting factors as texture quality and resolution increase. Players targeting higher visual fidelity should consider a more powerful GPU, while those satisfied with 1080p Medium settings will find this system adequate for The Medium.