The Medium

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 presents a mid-range desktop combination for playing The Medium, a horror title from 2021. The measured data shows this system is capable of delivering 60 frames per second at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles at 4K with higher presets. This analysis breaks down the FPS results, compares the hardware to its nearest performance rivals, and explores which component dictates the gaming experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 25292 places it at the 77th percentile of all processors, indicating strong multi-threaded performance for its class. The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-13400F are incredibly close in aggregate score. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS scores 25284, which is a 0% delta, making it a direct equivalent in overall processing power. The Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D both score slightly higher at 25362 and 25365 respectively, showing a -0.3% delta from the i5-13400F’s score. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, a +0.4% delta, meaning the i5-13400F is marginally faster. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in The Medium, as the game’s engine is unlikely to distinguish a 0.3% difference in processing throughput.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, sitting at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are a mixed bag. The AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 show a -0.3% delta with scores of 26401 and 26421, respectively, implying they are essentially equal to the RTX 5060 in synthetic tests. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is slightly ahead with a score of 26553, a -0.8% delta. Conversely, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT trails with a score of 26011, indicating the RTX 5060 holds a 1.2% advantage. In the context of The Medium, these rival GPUs should produce within a few frames per second of the RTX 5060 at the same settings, though the RTX 5060’s specific driver optimizations and architectural features could lead to minor deviations not captured by the aggregate benchmark.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern where the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as resolution and preset quality increase. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 118.1 FPS. Lifting the preset to Medium drops the frame rate to 69.9 FPS, and High yields 51.9 FPS. This steep drop when raising graphics quality indicates the RTX 5060 is being pushed harder, while the i5-13400F likely has headroom to feed frames. However, the CPU is not irrelevant. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p represents a 48.2 FPS decrease, which is substantial, but the system still clears 60 FPS on Medium, showing the CPU can handle the game’s logic at that level.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates at Low settings drop slightly to 98.6 FPS, but the gap between Low and Medium shrinks to 36.4 FPS, landing at 62.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, the strain on the GPU becomes severe. Low settings produce 79 FPS, but Medium falls to 48.3 FPS, and High plummets to 35.1 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings shows a 13.9 FPS drop, which is less than the 22.9 FPS drop seen when going from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset. This nonlinear scaling suggests that at 4K, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute units are saturated, making the CPU’s role secondary. The data indicates the i5-13400F is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5060 at all tested resolutions, as the performance degradation aligns with typical GPU-bound rendering workloads rather than CPU limitations.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium, which produces 69.9 FPS. The High preset falls short at 51.9 FPS, so Medium is the optimal choice for a smooth experience. Even though Low yields 118.1 FPS, Medium provides a better visual quality without dropping below the playable threshold.

For 2560x1440, the best playable setting is also Medium, achieving 62.2 FPS. This is a marginal result, just 2.2 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at this resolution averages 45.9 FPS, which is not playable by the benchmark’s standard. Low settings deliver 98.6 FPS, but Medium is the highest preset that remains viable.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes drastically. The only preset that clears 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 79 FPS. Medium drops to 48.3 FPS, making it unplayable for a 60 FPS target. Therefore, at 4K, users are limited to Low settings to maintain smooth gameplay, though this still offers a significant performance headroom of 19 FPS above the threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can run The Medium, but the playable experience is heavily dependent on resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on both Low and Medium presets, with Medium being the recommended setting at 69.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, the combination also manages to run the game, but only on Medium (62.2 FPS) and Low (98.6 FPS). The High and Ultra presets are not viable at this resolution, with scores of 45.9 FPS and 31.3 FPS respectively. The verdict is clear for 4K: the RTX 5060 and i5-13400F can only handle Low settings, yielding 79 FPS. Any higher preset fails to reach 60 FPS, with Ultra being the worst at 28.7 FPS. The data shows this is a solid 1080p and a capable 1440p machine for this title, but it is not a high-fidelity 4K solution.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-13400F and RTX 5060 run The Medium at 4K?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which achieves an average of 79 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with scores of 48.3, 35.1, and 28.7 FPS, respectively.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this setup?

A: Medium is the best preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, producing an average of 62.2 FPS. Low is also playable at 98.6 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual fidelity.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to the RX 6750 XT in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331, which is 1.2% higher than the RX 6750 XT’s score of 26011, indicating a slight performance edge for the NVIDIA card.

Q: Is the i5-13400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5060 in this game?

A: The data does not suggest a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Medium, the system hits 69.9 FPS, and scaling to 4K shows a predictable GPU-bound performance drop, implying the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at all resolutions.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 43.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Which component has a higher percentile ranking among all hardware?

A: The CPU ranks in the 77th percentile, while the GPU ranks in the 72nd percentile. This indicates the i5-13400F is relatively stronger compared to its peers than the RTX 5060 is to its own.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested system combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1640th out of 3724 combos. This places it in the 44th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of configurations. Given the CPU’s 77th percentile and the GPU’s 72nd percentile standings, the combo’s rank is slightly lower than either component’s individual percentile, but this is expected since the game’s engine and resolution scaling can penalize mid-range GPUs more heavily than high-end CPUs. The rank suggests that while this is not a top-tier setup, it is far from the bottom, and its performance is consistent with a mid-range 1080p/1440p gaming rig.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the average frame rates recorded for each resolution and settings combination. All data points are measured averages, with no minimum or maximum frame rate values reported.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 79 FPS
• Medium: 48.3 FPS
• High: 35.1 FPS
• Ultra: 28.7 FPS

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 98.6 FPS
• Medium: 62.2 FPS
• High: 45.9 FPS
• Ultra: 31.3 FPS

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 118.1 FPS
• Medium: 69.9 FPS
• High: 51.9 FPS
• Ultra: 43.2 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: lowering the resolution increases the frame rate at every preset, and lowering the preset increases the frame rate at every resolution. The most efficient combination for a 60 FPS target is 1080p Medium, offering a 9.9 FPS margin. At 1440p Medium, the margin shrinks to 2.2 FPS, making it a risky choice for areas with heavier scenes. At 4K, only Low provides a comfortable margin, with 19 FPS to spare. The Ultra preset is universally unplayable, never exceeding 43.2 FPS even at 1080p. This breakdown confirms that the system’s performance envelope is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium-to-high presets, with 1440p being a viable but tighter option.