The Medium

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a strong, but not flawless, 4K experience in The Medium. At 3840x2160, the combo manages an average of 59 FPS on High settings, which sits just one frame below the 60 FPS playability threshold. Dropping to Medium settings provides a comfortable cushion, yielding an average of 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS. The data shows that 4K Ultra is the only unplayable preset at this resolution, averaging 47 FPS. Stepping down to 2560x1440 unlocks more headroom, with High settings averaging 75 FPS and Medium at 104 FPS (min 89, max 120). At 1920x1080, the system is entirely unconstrained, pushing Ultra settings to an average of 70 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured performance data for this combination spans three resolutions and four quality presets, offering a clear picture of scaling. At 3840x2160, the most demanding resolution tested, the average frame rates are 126 FPS (Low), 82 FPS (Medium), 59 FPS (High), and 47 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset is the only 4K configuration with full min/max data, showing a range between 70 and 94 FPS, indicating a stable experience. The jump from High to Ultra at 4K represents a significant 12 FPS drop, suggesting that the Ultra preset's extra effects are particularly taxing on the GPU at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance ceiling rises considerably. The average frame rates are 137 FPS (Low), 104 FPS (Medium), 75 FPS (High), and 59 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset again provides the most detailed data, with a recorded spread of 89 FPS minimum and 120 FPS maximum. Notably, the 1440p Ultra preset averages exactly 59 FPS, which is just one frame shy of the 60 FPS playable threshold, mirroring the situation seen at 4K High. The scaling between 4K and 1440p is consistent, with each lower resolution tier providing roughly a 25-30% average FPS uplift across similar settings.

At 1920x1080, the combination of the i5-12400 and RTX 5080 becomes overwhelmingly powerful. The average frame rates are 145 FPS (Low), 121 FPS (Medium), 89 FPS (High), and 70 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a very tight range with a minimum of 103 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS, demonstrating excellent frame pacing. Even at the highest Ultra preset, the system maintains an average of 70 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target. This resolution profile shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor, as the GPU is able to push frame rates to very high levels without being constrained by the processor's 6-core, 12-thread configuration.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 4K resolution?*

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The data shows that 4K Ultra is unplayable at 47 FPS, but 4K High averages 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold. The recommended playable 4K setting is Medium, which averages 82 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The verdict data indicates that High is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, achieving an average of 75 FPS. While Ultra is technically selectable, its average of 59 FPS falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: The RTX 5080's average benchmark score is 56083. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which has a score of 57367, making it 2.2% faster. The AMD Radeon 8060S and RX 6750 GRE 12 GB are 0.6% and 0.7% slower, respectively.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5080?

A: Benchmark results show the CPU has an average score of 18683, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, is only 0.1% slower. At 1080p, the system achieves 70 FPS on Ultra, indicating the GPU is still the primary driver of performance rather than the CPU.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system delivers an average of 89 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold, providing a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 support modern graphics APIs for this game?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. These API versions are fully compatible with the requirements of The Medium, which launched in 2021.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 places it near several other processors. The AMD EPYC 7643 has an average score of 18697, which is effectively identical with a delta of -0.1%. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730, also a negligible 0.3% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is 0.7% faster with a score of 18811, while the Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% slower at 18519. These minor deltas mean that swapping the i5-12400 for any of these alternatives would result in virtually indistinguishable performance in The Medium, as the game's frame rates are far more dependent on the GPU.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. The closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which is 2.2% faster with a score of 57367. The AMD Radeon 8060S is nearly identical at 55757 (0.6% slower), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is also very close at 55698 (0.7% slower). The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by 2.3% with a score of 54828. For The Medium, choosing any of these GPUs would produce frame rates within a small margin of the RTX 5080, meaning the playability verdicts at each resolution would remain unchanged—the 4K Ultra preset would still be the only unplayable option, and 1080p Ultra would still comfortably exceed 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks at position 277 out of 3724 tested combos. This places the system in the top 7.4% of all configurations, indicating that it is a high-performance pairing. The ranking reflects the strength of the RTX 5080, which is the dominant component in this setup. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking is respectable but not top-tier, yet it does not hinder the overall combo's position because the game's performance is largely GPU-bound. The data suggests that many other combos with faster CPUs but slower GPUs will rank lower, as the RTX 5080's raw rasterization power is the key factor in achieving high frame rates in this title.

The Verdict

This PC can run The Medium with playable performance across all tested resolutions, but the maximum settings vary. At 3840x2160, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on Low (126 FPS) and Medium (82 FPS) presets, but High (59 FPS) and Ultra (47 FPS) fall short. At 2560x1440, the playable settings are High (75 FPS), Low (137 FPS), and Medium (104 FPS), while Ultra again misses the mark at 59 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, with Ultra achieving 70 FPS, High at 89 FPS, Medium at 121 FPS, and Low at 145 FPS. The verdict data confirms that the system is fully capable of a smooth experience at 1080p with maximum settings, and at 1440p with High settings. For 4K, users must compromise on visual fidelity and select Medium to ensure a stable frame rate.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is Medium, which delivers an average of 82 FPS. This setting provides a substantial performance buffer over the 60 FPS target while still offering improved visual quality over the Low preset.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is High, achieving an average of 75 FPS. This allows for a high level of detail while remaining comfortably above the playability threshold. The Ultra preset is not recommended at this resolution due to its 59 FPS average.

For 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, which averages 70 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available in the game and is fully playable at this resolution. The system has enough headroom that even the most demanding settings do not push it below the 60 FPS line.