The Medium

The pairing of an Intel Core i5-11400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is an unusual combination: a mid-range Rocket Lake CPU from 2021 alongside a flagship Blackwell GPU from 2025. The recorded data for The Medium shows that this configuration can deliver playable frame rates at 4K and 1440p, and it comfortably exceeds 60 FPS at 1080p on the highest preset. At 4K, the High preset averages 62.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls to 45.7 FPS. At 1440p, all four presets stay above 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 61.2 FPS. At 1080p, even Ultra averages 75.1 FPS. These results are based on measured average frame rates; the database does not include minimum or maximum frame times for this combination.

FAQ

Q: What is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 4K?

A: The High preset at 3840x2160 averages 62.1 FPS. The Medium preset averages 86.8 FPS and Low averages 110.3 FPS, but Ultra drops to 45.7 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 1440p with all settings maxed out?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 61.2 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The other presets are also playable: High averages 77.0 FPS, Medium 97.6 FPS, and Low 119.0 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The database ranks this CPU and GPU pairing 457th out of 3,724 tested combinations. This places it in the upper portion of the field, though not at the very top.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-11400F compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17,177. It is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 7H12 (17,120) and 0.6% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (17,074). It is 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-12450H (17,239) and 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (17,278).

Q: How does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56,083. It is 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757) and 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698). It is 2.3% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828) and 2.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (57,367).

How This Combo Ranks

The recorded data places the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination at rank 457 out of 3,724 tested configurations. This is a solid position, but it is not near the top of the database. The CPU itself sits in the 71st percentile of all tested CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 87th percentile of all tested GPUs. That gap suggests the CPU is the more limiting component in this pairing, but the overall rank reflects the combined performance.

The rank is driven primarily by the GPU's high average benchmark score of 56,083, which is far above the CPU's 17,177. However, the CPU's performance is still sufficient to keep frame rates high at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 126.9 on Low to 75.1 on Ultra, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data even at high frame rates. At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant factor, and the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database records average FPS for each resolution and preset combination. Minimum and maximum frame times are not available for this configuration, so only the average values are presented below.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|

| 3840x2160 | Low | 110.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 86.8 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 62.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 45.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 119.0 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 97.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 77.0 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 61.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 126.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 103.9 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 88.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 75.1 |

At 4K, the jump from Low to Ultra costs 64.6 FPS (110.3 to 45.7). At 1440p, the same preset range costs 57.8 FPS (119.0 to 61.2). At 1080p, the cost is 51.8 FPS (126.9 to 75.1). This pattern shows that the performance penalty for higher presets grows as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound workload.

The Verdict

Based on the recorded data, this combination can run The Medium at 60 FPS or higher at all tested resolutions except for 4K Ultra. At 3840x2160, the playable presets are Low, Medium, and High, with High being the most demanding preset that still clears 60 FPS at 62.1 FPS. Ultra at 4K averages 45.7 FPS, which falls short of the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, every preset is playable, and the Ultra preset averages 61.2 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 75.1 FPS.

For players who want the highest visual quality, the best option is to run at 1440p with Ultra settings, which stays just above 60 FPS. At 4K, the High preset provides a comfortable margin at 62.1 FPS, while Medium offers a large headroom at 86.8 FPS. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, as it delivers 75.1 FPS and leaves room for other background tasks.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in this game, especially at higher resolutions. The CPU's average benchmark score places it in the 71st percentile, while the GPU sits in the 87th percentile. This suggests that the RTX 5080 is the stronger component, and the i5-11400F is adequate but not exceptional.

The scaling between resolutions and presets reinforces this. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 126.9, which is likely close to the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 75.1, still well above 60 FPS. Moving to 4K, the average FPS at Low is 110.3, only 16.6 FPS lower than at 1080p Low. At Ultra, the 4K average is 45.7, a 29.4 FPS drop from 1080p Ultra. The larger drop at higher presets indicates that the GPU is being pushed harder as resolution and quality increase.

The CPU's impact is most visible at 1080p, where frame rates are high enough that the CPU could become a bottleneck if the GPU were even faster. However, with this GPU, the i5-11400F still allows the combination to reach 126.9 FPS at Low settings, which is far beyond the 60 FPS target. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed it.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows:

• 3840x2160: High preset, averaging 62.1 FPS. Medium (86.8 FPS) and Low (110.3 FPS) also work, but High offers the best visual quality while still clearing 60 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Ultra preset, averaging 61.2 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it just meets the 60 FPS threshold.
• 1920x1080: Ultra preset, averaging 75.1 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and the best visual fidelity.

For players who prioritize smoothness over visual quality, the Low preset at 4K delivers 110.3 FPS, and at 1440p Low reaches 119.0 FPS. But the recommended settings above balance quality and performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-11400F, based on average benchmark scores, are all within 0.6% of its performance. The AMD EPYC 7H12 scores 0.3% lower, the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U scores 0.6% lower, the Intel Core i5-12450H scores 0.4% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G scores 0.6% higher. Swapping the CPU to any of these would produce nearly identical frame rates in The Medium, as the CPU is not the primary constraint at most settings.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, the nearest rivals are within 2.3% of its average benchmark score. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 0.6% lower, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 0.7% lower, the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 2.3% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 2.2% higher. A system with any of these GPUs paired with the i5-11400F would deliver very similar frame rates. The RX 9070 GRE would be slightly faster, while the Pro W5700X would be slightly slower, but the differences are small enough that the overall playability verdict would remain unchanged.