The Medium

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a split verdict in The Medium, depending entirely on the target resolution. At 1080p and 1440p, the combo provides smooth, playable frame rates at Medium settings, but at 4K, only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a clear pattern: this hardware is capable, but the game’s demanding Ultra preset is too heavy for consistent 60 FPS at any resolution tested.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400F sits at the 73rd percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 19039. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (average score 19047, deltaPct 0), the Intel Core 3 201E (average score 19056, deltaPct -0.1), the Intel Core i5-1335U (average score 18982, deltaPct 0.3), and the AMD EPYC 7773X (average score 18979, deltaPct 0.3). These deltas are negligible—within a fraction of a percent—so a system built around any of these CPUs would behave nearly identically in The Medium from a processing standpoint. The practical takeaway is that the i5-12400F is well-matched with processors above and below it in the database, meaning the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in this game.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3070 ranks in the 61st percentile for all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (average score 17083, deltaPct 0.7), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (average score 17037, deltaPct 1), the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (average score 17019, deltaPct 1.1), and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c (average score 17468, deltaPct -1.5). The small deltas—ranging from 0.7% to 1.5%—indicate that swapping the RTX 3070 for any of these cards would produce nearly identical frame rates in The Medium. For example, the RX 7600 XT is only 0.7% slower on average, so at 1440p Medium (66.4 FPS), the difference would be less than one frame per second. The GTX 690 and HD 7970M are older architectures, but their aggregate scores place them in the same performance band, suggesting they would handle the game’s fixed-camera scenes similarly. The Tesla K40c, despite being a compute-focused card, is 1.5% faster on average, which could nudge the 4K Low preset from 81.5 FPS to roughly 82.7 FPS—still well above the 60 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-12400F and RTX 3070 run The Medium at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: No. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average FPS is 42.4; at 2560x1440 Ultra, it drops to 37.7; and at 3840x2160 Ultra, it falls to 31.3. All three fall short of the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p for this combo?

A: Medium is the best setting that stays at or above 60 FPS, with an average of 66.4 FPS. The High preset averages 47.2 FPS, which is below the threshold, while Low runs at 103.2 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, while the RX 7600 XT scores 17083, a deltaPct of 0.7% in favor of the RTX 3070. This means the two cards perform almost identically, so in The Medium, the FPS difference would be less than one frame per second at any given setting.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 4K?

A: The GPU dominates at 4K. The frame rate varies from 31.3 FPS at Ultra to 81.5 FPS at Low, a swing of over 50 FPS that is driven entirely by GPU load. The CPU’s aggregate score (19039) ranks at the 73rd percentile, and its nearest rivals show no meaningful performance gap, indicating the processor is not the bottleneck at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested hardware combinations in The Medium?

A: The combo ranks 1564 out of 3724 tested combinations. This places it in the upper half of all systems, but not in the top tier—consistent with its inability to handle Ultra presets at any resolution.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, the GPU’s API list includes DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The Medium is a DirectX 12 title, so the card is fully compatible with the game’s rendering requirements.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals a stark shift in component importance across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck. The average FPS drops from 81.5 at Low to 53.9 at Medium, 35.1 at High, and 31.3 at Ultra—a 61% reduction from Low to Ultra. The CPU’s role is minimal here; its performance is sufficient to feed the GPU even at the lowest settings, where the frame rate is limited by pixel throughput. The RTX 3070’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the likely constraints, as the higher presets demand more texture and shader work.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts slightly. The frame rates improve across the board: 103.2 FPS at Low, 66.4 at Medium, 47.2 at High, and 37.7 at Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium narrows to 36.8 FPS, compared to 27.6 FPS at 4K, suggesting that the GPU is still the dominant factor but less severely. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, are sufficient to handle the game’s physics and AI at this resolution, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scales consistently with GPU load.

At 1920x1080, the CPU begins to matter more, though the GPU still leads. The Low preset hits 122.2 FPS, which is high enough that the CPU’s single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 909) could start to limit peak frame rates. However, the Medium preset at 74.5 FPS and High at 55.3 FPS show that the GPU is still the primary constraint. The Ultra preset at 42.4 FPS is only 4.7 FPS higher than the 4K High result, reinforcing that the GPU’s shading units (5888) and texture units (184) are saturated at this setting. Overall, the data indicates that for playable frame rates (60+ FPS), the GPU is the deciding factor at every resolution, but the CPU’s headroom becomes relevant only at 1080p Low, where the system approaches 120 FPS.

The Verdict

The data is clear: this PC can run The Medium, but only at specific resolutions and presets. At 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, which averages 81.5 FPS—comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium at 4K averages 53.9 FPS, High at 35.1 FPS, and Ultra at 31.3 FPS, all below the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the verdict improves: Low (103.2 FPS) and Medium (66.4 FPS) are playable, while High (47.2 FPS) and Ultra (37.7 FPS) are not. At 1920x1080, the same pattern holds: Low (122.2 FPS) and Medium (74.5 FPS) clear 60 FPS, but High (55.3 FPS) and Ultra (42.4 FPS) fall short. The verdictByResolution field confirms these results: playable settings are Low at 4K, Low and Medium at 1440p, and Low and Medium at 1080p. The best playable setting is Low at 4K (81.5 FPS), Medium at 1440p (66.4 FPS), and Medium at 1080p (74.5 FPS). In short, the system is viable for the game, but users seeking High or Ultra quality will need to lower resolution to 1080p or accept frame rates below 60.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the average FPS scales inversely with preset quality. Low runs at 81.5 FPS, Medium at 53.9 FPS, High at 35.1 FPS, and Ultra at 31.3 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 27.6 FPS, a 34% reduction, while the drop from High to Ultra is only 3.8 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the top end. No minimum or maximum FPS values are recorded for any preset at this resolution, so the average is the sole metric.

At 2560x1440, the averages are higher across the board: Low at 103.2 FPS, Medium at 66.4 FPS, High at 47.2 FPS, and Ultra at 37.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 36.8 FPS, larger than at 4K, suggesting the GPU has more headroom at lower pixel counts. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 9.5 FPS, still the smallest step. At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low at 122.2 FPS, Medium at 74.5 FPS, High at 55.3 FPS, and Ultra at 42.4 FPS. The Low-to-Medium drop is 47.7 FPS, the largest of any resolution, while the High-to-Ultra drop is 12.9 FPS. Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset never exceeds 42.4 FPS, and the High preset only reaches 55.3 FPS at 1080p—both below the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 3070 can handle Low and Medium presets at all resolutions, but High and Ultra are only viable if the user accepts sub-60 FPS performance.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1564 out of 3724 total combos. This places it in the 58th percentile of all systems tested, meaning roughly 58% of combinations perform better. The rank reflects the GPU’s mid-tier standing (61st percentile for all GPUs) and the CPU’s solid but not exceptional position (73rd percentile for all CPUs). The combo’s performance is consistent with its aggregate scores: the CPU’s average benchmark score of 19039 and the GPU’s average of 17208 both sit in the upper-middle range. In practical terms, the rank means that many other systems can run The Medium at higher presets or resolutions, but this combo is far from the bottom—it handles the game at playable settings as long as the user is willing to compromise on graphical fidelity. The fact that it ranks in the top half of all combos, despite the game’s demanding Ultra preset, suggests that the hardware is well-balanced for mainstream gaming at 1080p and 1440p.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 81.5 FPS. This is the only playable option at 4K; the next step up, Medium, drops to 53.9 FPS, which is below the threshold. At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, averaging 66.4 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Low (103.2 FPS) while still maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is also Medium, with an average of 74.5 FPS. The High preset at 1080p averages 55.3 FPS, which is just shy of the threshold, so Medium is the recommended maximum for smooth gameplay. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Low at 1080p offers 122.2 FPS, but Medium provides the best balance of quality and performance at each resolution. Notably, the Ultra preset is not playable at any resolution, and High is only playable at none of the tested resolutions, so the recommended settings are Low at 4K and Medium at 1440p and 1080p.