The Medium

Can Intel Core i7-12700K + Intel Arc B580 run The Medium? The measured data shows a pairing that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher settings, yet capable of smooth performance when the preset is lowered. Across all three tested resolutions, the combination never reaches 60 FPS at Medium, High, or Ultra, but it delivers a clear playable experience at Low settings in both 1440p and 1080p. The 4K resolution at Low produces an average of 58 FPS, which sits just below the 60 FPS playable threshold, making it the only resolution where no settings qualify as playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the Intel Core i7-12700K + Intel Arc B580 combination demonstrates a steep performance cliff as settings increase. The Low preset yields an average of 58 FPS, which narrowly misses the 60 FPS playable threshold. Moving to Medium drops the average to 37 FPS, with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS, indicating notable frame-time variance. High settings reduce the average further to 26 FPS, while Ultra bottoms out at 21 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is a dramatic 21 FPS, showing that this GPU struggles significantly once higher-quality textures and effects are enabled at 4K.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats but with slightly more headroom at the bottom end. Low settings produce an average of 74 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium drops to 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS, meaning even the peak frame rate does not reach playable levels. High settings average 33 FPS, and Ultra falls to 26 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium at 1440p is a 27 FPS loss, which is a substantial hit for a single preset step, underscoring how sensitive this game is to graphical fidelity on this hardware.

At 1920x1080, the best-case scenario emerges. The Low preset averages 88 FPS, providing a generous margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS, so while the average is not playable, occasional dips below 60 FPS are common. High settings average 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium at 1080p is 33 FPS, the largest single-step drop in the entire dataset, which suggests that Medium introduces a heavy rendering load that this GPU cannot sustain.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU benchmarks, the Intel Core i7-12700K sits at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals are remarkably close in performance: the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, which is a delta of -0.1%; the Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, a delta of -0.2%; the Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, a delta of -0.3%; and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, a delta of -0.4%. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in The Medium when paired with the same GPU, as the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this game.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B580 ranks at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rivals show a wider spread of deltas. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23061, which is a delta of -0.2%, making it essentially a statistical tie. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, a delta of 0.6%, meaning the Arc B580 is slightly faster by that margin. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, a delta of -0.7%, so the Arc B580 trails it by less than one percent. Finally, the NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, a delta of -1%, indicating the Arc B580 is one percent slower. These deltas suggest that swapping the Arc B580 for any of these cards would produce nearly identical FPS numbers in The Medium, with differences of at most a couple of frames per second.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data strongly indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor determining performance in The Medium for this combo. Across all resolutions, the FPS scales dramatically with settings changes, while the CPU remains constant. At 1080p, the drop from Low to Ultra is 57 FPS (from 88 to 31), and at 1440p it is 48 FPS (from 74 to 26), and at 4K it is 37 FPS (from 58 to 21). This consistent pattern of large FPS losses as settings increase points directly to the graphics card being the limiting component.

The CPU’s role is secondary, as evidenced by its high percentile ranking (84th) and its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and a single-core score of 1850.5. In contrast, the GPU sits at the 68th percentile with a Passmark G3D score of 15748, which is far less impressive relative to its peers. When comparing resolutions, the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings results in a 14 FPS drop (from 88 to 74), and from 1440p to 4K results in a 16 FPS drop (from 74 to 58). These reductions are relatively modest, suggesting that even at lower settings, the GPU is still managing the load without the CPU becoming a constraint. However, the fact that 4K Low barely misses 60 FPS while 1440p Low clears it comfortably implies that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute capacity are the deciding factors, not the CPU’s thread management or clock speed.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700K + Intel Arc B580 combination ranks 2819 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This rank of 2819 means that roughly 75% of all tested combinations perform better in this specific game, which aligns with the measured FPS results showing that only the Low preset at 1440p and 1080p achieves playable frame rates. The combo’s rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s relatively modest standing, as the CPU’s 84th percentile ranking would otherwise suggest a higher overall position. The data implies that this pairing is unbalanced for The Medium, with the GPU dragging down what the CPU could otherwise support.

For context, the combo’s rank of 2819 out of 3724 means it is not among the worst-performing setups, but it is clearly below average for this title. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the RTX 2080 and RTX 3080, would likely produce similar rankings if paired with the same CPU, given their single-digit percentage deltas. This suggests that the rank is more a function of the GPU tier than the specific model, and that users seeking better performance in The Medium would need to look at GPUs in a higher percentile bracket rather than swapping within the same performance class.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Medium? The answer depends entirely on the resolution and settings. At 3840x2160, the verdict is no playable settings exist, as the best average FPS is 58 at Low, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only playable option, delivering an average of 74 FPS, which clears the threshold by 14 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 88 FPS, providing a comfortable margin of 28 FPS above the threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra are not playable at any resolution, as their average FPS ranges from 21 to 55, all below 60 FPS.

The data shows that this combo is viable only for players willing to accept Low settings, and even then, 4K is off the table. At 1440p and 1080p, Low settings provide a smooth experience with no frame rate dips reported, as the minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings and are already below the threshold. For a horror game like The Medium, where atmosphere and visual fidelity are key, the limitation to Low settings is a significant trade-off, but the performance is stable enough for gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1920x1080?

A: Only the Low preset is playable at 1080p, with an average of 88 FPS. Medium averages 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 58 at Low settings, which misses the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all average below 40 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, while the RTX 2080 scores 22895, a delta of 0.6%. This means the Arc B580 is slightly faster by less than one percent.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The Intel Core i7-12700K ranks at the 84th percentile among CPUs, while the Arc B580 ranks at the 68th percentile among GPUs, and FPS drops sharply with graphics settings changes.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The average is 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. This is not playable, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: It ranks 2819 out of 3724 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no best setting because no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low with an average of 58 FPS, but this still misses the threshold, so the recommendation is to avoid 4K with this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the best and only playable setting is Low, which delivers an average of 74 FPS. This provides a 14 FPS margin above the 60 FPS threshold, making it a stable choice for 1440p gaming.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is also Low, with an average of 88 FPS. This is the highest average FPS recorded for any playable configuration, offering a 28 FPS buffer that ensures smooth performance throughout the game. No higher preset can be recommended, as Medium’s average of 55 FPS is below the threshold and would result in noticeable stuttering during intense scenes.