The Medium

The Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1531st out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium, placing it in the upper portion of the database’s performance distribution. This is a solid, if not spectacular, standing for a horror title that demands both strong rasterization and consistent frame delivery. The combo’s percentile data reinforces this: the CPU sits at the 84th percentile among all processors, while the GPU lands at the 61st percentile among all graphics cards. The pairing thus leans on a very capable processor to support a mid-to-high-tier graphics card, which aligns with the measured frame rates across resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The ranking of 1531 out of 3724 represents a position comfortably above the median tested configuration. In practical terms, this means the combo outperforms a majority of systems in the database when running The Medium, but it is not near the top tier reserved for flagship hardware. The CPU’s 84th percentile ranking suggests that the i7-12700K is a strong contributor, but the GPU’s 61st percentile indicates that the RTX 3070 is the more limiting factor in this pairing.

Benchmark results show the CPU achieving an average benchmark score of 35287, with strong multi-threaded performance reflected in a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784 and a Geekbench multicore score of 15790. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 17208, with a Passmark G3D score of 22214 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 21022. These numbers suggest the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU, but the GPU’s mid-pack standing means it will dictate the upper bounds of performance in demanding scenes. The combo’s rank is therefore a function of the GPU’s limitations rather than any CPU bottleneck, which becomes evident when analyzing scaling across resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the dominant constraint as resolution increases, while the CPU’s role diminishes. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is stark — 125.8 FPS versus 45.7 FPS — indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, but the CPU must still keep up with the higher frame rates at lower settings. Moving to 2560x1440, the gap narrows slightly: Low yields 105.7 FPS, while Ultra drops to 36 FPS. At 3840x2160, the GPU is fully saturated; Low produces 82.2 FPS, but Ultra falls to 27.4 FPS, showing that the RTX 3070 cannot maintain playable frame rates at 4K with high visual fidelity.

The scaling between presets is informative. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra to Low improves performance by a factor of roughly 2.75 (45.7 to 125.8 FPS). At 1440p, the same drop yields a factor of about 2.94 (36 to 105.7 FPS). At 4K, the factor is approximately 3.0 (27.4 to 82.2 FPS). This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck across all resolutions, as the performance gains from lowering settings remain proportionally similar. The CPU’s influence is most visible at 1080p Low, where the 125.8 FPS result indicates the i7-12700K can sustain high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows, and the CPU’s advantage becomes less relevant to the final frame rate.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-13600T has an average score of 35305, a mere 0.1% difference from the i7-12700K’s 35287. This means a system with the i5-13600T would behave nearly identically in The Medium, assuming the same GPU. The Intel Core i7-12700KF is also essentially equivalent, with an average score of 35365 and a -0.2% delta, making it a drop-in alternative for those who prefer a different SKU. The Intel Core i7-13700T and Intel Core 5 213PE are similarly close, with deltas of -0.3% and -0.4% respectively, indicating that any of these processors would yield virtually the same frame rates in this game.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the closest rival, with an average score of 17083 and a 0.7% delta from the RTX 3070’s 17208. This suggests that swapping the RTX 3070 for an RX 7600 XT would result in almost no measurable performance difference in The Medium. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and AMD Radeon HD 7970M are also within 1.1% of the RTX 3070’s score, though these are older architectures and would likely behave differently in terms of driver support and feature compatibility. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is slightly faster on average (17468, -1.5% delta), but its workstation-oriented design makes it an unlikely choice for gaming. In practice, any of these GPUs would place a system in the same performance tier as the RTX 3070 for this specific title.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run The Medium at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: No. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the measured average FPS is 45.7, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The same applies to 2560x1440 Ultra (36 FPS) and 3840x2160 Ultra (27.4 FPS).

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The best setting that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 62.6 FPS. Low also qualifies at 105.7 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still clearing the threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a -0.1% delta, making it effectively identical. The Intel Core i7-12700KF is also within 0.2% of the i7-12700K’s score.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to bottleneck performance?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 125.8 FPS, showing the CPU can handle high frame rates. However, at 3840x2160 Ultra, performance drops to 27.4 FPS, which is consistent with GPU saturation rather than CPU limitations.

Q: What is the measured FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings?

A: The average FPS is 38.1, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution and preset combination is not playable according to the benchmark’s criteria.

Q: Does lowering settings from High to Medium improve performance at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 2560x1440, High settings yield 48.6 FPS, while Medium yields 62.6 FPS, an improvement of 14 FPS. This moves the result from below to above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 125.8 FPS, Medium averages 79.6 FPS, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 45.7 FPS. This shows a clear step-down pattern, with each increase in preset costing roughly 20-30 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low averages 105.7 FPS, Medium averages 62.6 FPS, High averages 48.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. The transition from Medium to High at 1440p is particularly notable, as it crosses the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, Low averages 82.2 FPS, Medium averages 52.2 FPS, High averages 38.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 27.4 FPS.

The data shows that 4K is only playable at Low settings, where the average FPS of 82.2 comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, both Low and Medium clear the threshold, with Medium providing a more balanced visual experience at 62.6 FPS. At 1080p, Low and Medium both exceed 60 FPS, with Medium offering 79.6 FPS. The min and max FPS values are not provided in the measured data, so the analysis relies solely on average FPS to assess playability. The lack of min FPS data means frame pacing and stutter cannot be evaluated, but the averages suggest consistent performance within each preset.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, which achieves an average of 82.2 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution. At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, with an average of 62.6 FPS. While Low also clears the threshold at 105.7 FPS, Medium provides a better balance between visual quality and performance. At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Medium, with an average of 79.6 FPS. Low achieves 125.8 FPS, but Medium is recommended as the highest quality preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

The verdict by resolution confirms these choices. For 3840x2160, the playable settings list includes only Low, with a best average FPS of 82.2. For 2560x1440, Low and Medium are playable, with Medium as the best setting at 62.6 FPS. For 1920x1080, Low and Medium are playable, with Medium as the best setting at 79.6 FPS. These results indicate that the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for medium-quality textures at 1440p and below, but the card’s 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is not enough to handle high or ultra presets at these resolutions without dropping below the playable threshold.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run The Medium, but with significant caveats. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, the system is only playable at Low settings, where it achieves 82.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, it can run at Medium settings with 62.6 FPS, and at 1920x1080, it can also run at Medium settings with 79.6 FPS. High and Ultra presets are not playable at any resolution, as they all fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. The i7-12700K’s strong multi-threaded performance, including a Passmark multithread score of 34404 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19784, ensures it can feed the GPU at all tested settings. The bottleneck is clearly the RTX 3070, which struggles with the game’s demanding visual effects at higher presets. For players targeting 60 FPS, the recommended approach is to use Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p, or Low settings at 4K. This combination represents a capable, mid-range system for The Medium, but it is not suited for maximum visual fidelity at high refresh rates.