The Medium

The Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B580 combination presents a curious case for The Medium, a horror title known for its dual-world rendering. The benchmark data shows a system that is capable but heavily constrained by graphical settings, with playable performance only achieved at the lowest preset. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers an average of 87.8 FPS, while 1440p Low yields 75.3 FPS. However, any increase in visual fidelity to Medium or High drops frame rates below the 60 FPS threshold across all resolutions, and 4K Ultra is essentially unplayable at 18.4 FPS. The data indicates a GPU-bound scenario where the Arc B580’s raw compute is insufficient for the game’s demanding rendering at higher presets, despite the CPU’s strong multi-threaded capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and setting for a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: The only settings that clear the 60 FPS playable threshold are Low presets. At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 87.8, and at 2560x1440 Low, it is 75.3. No Medium, High, or Ultra preset at any resolution reaches 60 FPS.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves an average of 55.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset drops to 26 FPS, and Ultra falls to 18.4 FPS, making 4K unplayable at any setting.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, placing it at the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, scores 27896, which is a negligible 0.3% difference, indicating near-identical overall CPU performance.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, placing it at the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, scores 23061, a 0.2% difference, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, just 0.7% higher, showing they are all in the same performance tier.

Q: Is the game more demanding on the CPU or GPU?

A: The data shows a clear GPU bottleneck. As resolution increases at the same settings, frame rates drop significantly, e.g., from 38.1 FPS at 1080p High to 36 FPS at 1440p High and 26 FPS at 4K High. This scaling pattern indicates that the Arc B580’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Q: What is the overall rank of this combination among all tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 2850 out of 3724 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of tested systems for this game. This ranking reflects its inability to handle higher presets, despite the CPU’s above-average standing.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data provides a clear picture of what this hardware can achieve. At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 87.8 FPS. The Medium preset falls short at 56.3 FPS, so Low is the only playable option. Moving to 2560x1440, the situation is identical: Low is the only playable preset, delivering 75.3 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 45.6 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS target. The Low preset comes closest with an average of 55.9 FPS, but this is still below the playable threshold. The Medium preset manages 37.1 FPS, High drops to 26 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 18.4 FPS. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1440p and 1080p have "Low" as their best playable setting, while 4K has no playable settings. The data indicates that users must choose between resolution and visual fidelity, with 1080p Low being the smoothest experience at 87.8 FPS, while 1440p Low offers a higher pixel count at 75.3 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a system that is heavily dependent on the GPU. The CPU, Intel Core i5-12600KF, is a strong performer with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302. It ranks at the 79th percentile of all CPUs, suggesting it is not the primary bottleneck. In contrast, the GPU, Intel Arc B580, ranks at the 68th percentile of all GPUs, which is lower, and its performance in The Medium reflects this.

When comparing the same preset across resolutions, the frame rate drops are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. For example, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 38.1 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p and 26 at 4K. This is a 31.7% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop is from 87.8 FPS at 1080p to 75.3 FPS at 1440p and 55.9 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth (456.0 GB/s) are insufficient for the increased pixel count at higher resolutions. The CPU’s role is less critical here, as it maintains high synthetic scores, but the game’s frame rate is dictated by the GPU’s rendering limits. The data suggests that lowering resolution is more effective than lowering preset for this combo, as the GPU struggles more with resolution scaling than with the complexity of the scene at lower settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, with nearest rivals showing negligible performance deltas. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D scores 27896 (-0.3% delta), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U scores 27887 (-0.3%), and the Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872 (-0.3%). This means any of these CPUs would deliver near-identical synthetic performance, though real-world game results could vary slightly due to architectural differences. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712 (+0.3%), also a close match.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23061, -0.2% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, +0.6%), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (23172, -0.7%). The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 (-1%). These GPUs would exhibit similar frame rates in The Medium at the same settings. For instance, a system with an RTX 3080 would likely see identical performance to the Arc B580 in this title, given the 0.7% score difference. This suggests that users upgrading from older GPUs would not see a significant change in this specific game’s playability unless they also adjust settings.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Medium? The answer is conditional. The data shows that it can run the game, but only at the lowest visual preset. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 87.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the Low preset also clears the threshold with 75.3 FPS. However, at 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS; the Low preset only reaches 55.9 FPS, which is playable by a loose definition but fails the strict 60 FPS criterion.

The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1080p and 1440p have "Low" listed as their best playable setting, while 4K has no playable settings. The Medium preset at 1080p is close, at 56.3 FPS, but still below target. This means users who want a smooth 60 FPS experience must accept Low settings, which likely reduces visual quality significantly. The combination of the i5-12600KF and Arc B580 is capable of delivering a playable experience, but only in a narrow configuration. For those with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, setting the game to Low is the only way to ensure consistent performance above 60 FPS. Any desire for higher fidelity would require a GPU upgrade.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested combinations, this pairing of Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2850 out of 3724 combos for The Medium. This places it in the lower quartile of tested systems, which is surprising given the CPU’s strong 79th percentile ranking. The lower overall rank is driven by the GPU’s performance in this specific game. The Arc B580, while at the 68th percentile of all GPUs, struggles with The Medium’s demanding rendering, particularly at higher settings. This rank indicates that despite a capable CPU, the system is held back by the GPU. The data shows that the combo is better suited for other titles or for users who prioritize resolution over visual fidelity, as it can handle 1440p Low at 75.3 FPS. However, for a game like The Medium, which has a horror atmosphere that benefits from higher detail, this rank suggests a compromise. The system is not at the bottom, but it is far from the top, and users should be aware that to achieve higher settings, they would need to look at combos with more powerful GPUs.