The Medium

# Intel Core i5-12400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080: The Medium — Benchmark Analysis

The data places this combination of Intel's Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4080 squarely in the upper-midrange of tested hardware. With an aggregate average benchmark score of 18,683 across all CPU tests and 54,247 across all GPU tests, this pairing is positioned to handle demanding modern horror titles, but the measured frame rates reveal a system that must lean heavily on the graphics card to achieve smooth gameplay at higher resolutions. This is a well-balanced pairing for 1440p high-refresh-rate gaming, with an important caveat at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the system delivers a very playable experience at all presets. The Low preset averages 145 FPS, Medium 120 FPS (with a minimum of 102 and maximum of 138), High 86 FPS, and Ultra 68 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 77 FPS, indicating that the RTX 4080 is doing the heavy lifting even at 1080p, and the CPU has ample headroom. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario at this resolution.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the averages remain strong: Low hits 137 FPS, Medium 101 FPS (min 86, max 116), High 72 FPS, and Ultra 57 FPS. Here, the High preset stays above the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable 12-frame margin, while Ultra falls just short. At this resolution, the data shows the system is still primarily GPU-bound, but the CPU's role is becoming more visible in the Ultra preset. The i5-12400's six performance cores are sufficient to feed the RTX 4080 at High, but the Ultra preset's added draw distance and effects begin to expose the CPU's limits.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes markedly. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 45 FPS — a 21% decline from the 1440p result and 23 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. High average 57 FPS is borderline, with the minimum observed at 67 FPS. Medium averages 79 FPS (min 67, max 91), and Low is the only fully smooth preset at 126 FPS. At 4K, the data indicates a decisive shift toward CPU limitation at the High and Ultra presets; the CPU's six cores and 12 threads are no longer able to feed the GPU enough draw calls to hold 60 FPS at these higher visual loads. The 4K Medium preset is the safest choice for a locked 60 FPS experience, with a 19 FPS margin over the threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 68 FPS. This leaves only an 8 FPS margin, but it is technically above the playability threshold. For a more comfortable margin, High at 86 FPS is the safer pick, but the data confirms Ultra is viable at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, High is the most demanding preset that averages 72 FPS, a 12 FPS margin over the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 57 FPS, which is 3 FPS below the threshold. The data clearly shows the CPU beginning to bottleneck at Ultra; the drop from High to Ultra is 15 FPS, the largest single-preset drop at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is Medium, which averages 79 FPS. This provides a 19 FPS margin over the threshold. While Low averages 126 FPS, Medium is the optimal choice for visual quality and smoothness. The High preset's 57 FPS sits just below the 60 FPS line, making it the first preset at this resolution that fails the playability test.

FAQ

Q: What kind of performance can I expect with the RTX 4080 at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the game is playable at Medium (79 FPS average) and Low (126 FPS) presets. High averages 57 FPS and Ultra 45 FPS, both below the 60 FPS playability threshold, indicating a CPU bottleneck at these higher settings.

Q: Is the RTX 0008 the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: No. At 2560x1440, all presets except Ultra (57 FPS) stay above 60 FPS, with High averaging 72 FPS. The 4080's 16 GB VRAM is not the constraint at this resolution; the game's draw calls at High are still comfortably fed by the CPU.

Q: Does the game become more CPU-bound at 4K?

A: Yes. The data shows a 15 FPS drop from High to 57 Ultra at 1440p, and at 2160p the High preset falls to 57 FPS and Ultra to 45 FPS. This is a classic sign of the CPU being unable to keep up with the GPU's rendering pace at higher pixel counts.

Q: What is the best video preset for a locked 60 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 68 FPS and is the best-looking preset that clears the 60 FPS bar. At 2560x1440, High (72 FPS) is the best-looking preset that clears it. For 4K, Medium (79 FPS) is the best-looking playable preset; Low averages 126 FPS but with lower visual quality.

Q: Is the Core i5-12400 holding back the RTX 4080?

A: In the most demanding settings, yes. At 4K Ultra, the CPU is clearly the bottleneck: FPS drops from 79 at Medium to 57 at High (a 22 FPS drop). At 1440p, the CPU also shows signs of limitation at Ultra (57 FPS). The 4080 is capable of far more than the i5-12400 can feed it in these presets.

The Verdict

The verdict is a qualified yes. This PC can run The Medium, but it depends on your target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS at every preset, including Ultra with an average of 68 FPS. At 2560x1440, High is the best visual preset that stays above 60, with an average of 72 FPS; Ultra falls just short at 57 FPS. At 3840x2160, the playable ceiling drops to Medium, which averages 79 FPS; High at 57 FPS and Ultra at 45 FPS are below the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data indicates this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p high-refresh-rate monitors, where the RTX 4080 is given enough room to stretch its legs and the i5-12400 can still keep pace. For 4K, you will need to dial down to Medium settings; the game remains smooth, but the visual compromises are moderate.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-12400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 becomes clearer as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is the single dominant component; the frame rate barely moves between presets (86 to 145 FPS range, a 1.66x spread), and the CPU's six cores are mostly idle. The game is entirely GPU-bound at this resolution.

At 1440p, the GPU's load rises, but the CPU starts to become more relevant. The spread from Low to Ultra is 137 to 57 FPS, a 2.4x ratio. The drop from High to Ultra is 15 FPS, the largest single-preset drop at this resolution. This is the beginning of the CPU-bound transition. The 12400's six cores are still sufficient, but the 4080's frame generation at Ultra requires more draw calls than the CPU can deliver.

At 4K, the scales tip fully. The CPU is the limiting factor at High and Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 126 to 45 FPS, a 2.8x range. The i5-12400's six cores cannot keep up with the RTX 4080's rendering output at these high pixel counts; the 4K Ultra is effectively CPU-bound. The RTX 4080 has 76 RT cores and 304 TMUs, but the i5's six Golden Cove cores cannot feed it with enough geometry to maintain 60 FPS at Ultra. The data clearly shows the game transitions from GPU-bound at 1080p to CPU-bound at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i5-12400 + RTX 4080 combination ranks 327th out of 3,724 tested combos in this game's database. This places it well within the middle of the pack, which is consistent with its character as a mainstream 1080p/1440p setup rather than a top-tier 4K rig. It is a very capable pairing for the target resolutions, but below the top 10% of combos for this specific game. The data shows the 12400 is a sensible match for the 4080 at 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU is allowed to dominate. The 4080 is effectively a 1440p-class card in this particular title, and the i5-12400 is a sufficient partner up to 1440p High. The bottleneck at 4K is entirely the 12400's six cores, not the 4080's graphical power.

Similar Performance Alternatives

If the Core i5-12400 is not available, the nearest rivals in the CPU database for this game are the AMD EPYC 7643 (average score 18,697, just 0.1% slower), the Intel Core i7-1355U (18,730, 0.3% slower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18,811, 0.7% slower). All three perform within a percentage point of the i5-12400 in the synthetic benchmarks and would behave essentially identically in game; none would meaningfully change the bottleneck characteristics at 4K.

For the GPU side, the closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209 average, 0.1% faster), followed by the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, 1.1% slower) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, 2.6% slower). The RTX 4080 SUPER is a marginal 0.1% faster than the 4080 and would produce the same frame rates in this game. The AMD cards are 1-3% slower; in CPU-bound 4K presets the 4080 would still hold 60 FPS at Medium, so these are also viable alternatives.