The Medium

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a combination that sits in the lower half of the database’s tested configurations for The Medium, a horror title that stresses both the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and quality preset. The recorded data places this combo at rank 2899 out of 3724 tested combos, meaning that while it is not near the top of the charts, it still occupies a functional position for certain settings. The game’s demands are significant, and the measured frame rates across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions reveal a clear pattern: this system can handle the game, but only when the visual load is reduced to the Low preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The recorded position for this specific CPU and GPU pairing is rank 2899 out of 3724 combos in the database for The Medium. That places it in the 78th percentile of tested systems, which is a meaningful context for understanding its performance. The combo is not a top-tier contender, but it also does not fall into the bottom quartile. The rank reflects the balance between the Core i7-12700KF’s strong processing capabilities and the RTX 2060’s more modest graphical throughput. In practical terms, this rank suggests that the system will produce playable results at lower settings but will struggle to maintain smooth frame rates when the game’s graphical features are pushed to their maximum.

The database’s playable threshold is set at 60 frames per second. Based on the measured data, this combo only clears that threshold at the Low preset and only at 2560x1440 and 1920x1080 resolutions. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, with even the Low preset averaging 56 FPS, just short of the threshold. The overall rank reflects this reality: the hardware is capable of running the game, but the margin for error is thin, and the user must be willing to compromise on visual quality to achieve a smooth experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the measured frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals how the workload shifts between the CPU and GPU. The Core i7-12700KF is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 20 threads, a base clock of 3.60 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 28838 and a single-core result of 4071, place it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs tested in the database. This processing headroom suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios for this game.

Instead, the RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit memory bus, is the limiting factor. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 15290 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, which is a much lower standing than the CPU’s 85th percentile. This discrepancy indicates that the GPU will dictate performance in most cases. The data supports this: when moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 83 to 68.9, a reduction of 17%. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at the same preset drops the average from 68.9 to 56, a further 19% reduction. These scaling factors are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing pixel count directly impacts frame rate.

At higher presets, the GPU becomes even more dominant. For example, at the Ultra preset, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 33.1, at 2560x1440 it is 26.9, and at 3840x2160 it is 21.2. The differences between these resolutions are 19% and 21% respectively, showing that the GPU’s rendering load scales heavily with resolution. The CPU, by contrast, has enough headroom that its role is mostly relegated to feeding the GPU with data. The single-threaded performance of the Core i7-12700KF, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043, is sufficient for the game’s logic and draw call processing. The data does not show any resolution where the CPU becomes the primary constraint, as the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-limited behavior.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of how this combo performs across all resolution and preset combinations. Starting at 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 83 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset drops to 54.5 FPS, which is below the threshold but still playable for those who tolerate lower frame rates. The High preset averages 37.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 33.1 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, only the Low preset is viable for a smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 68.9 FPS, which clears the threshold. The Medium preset averages 42.4 FPS, the High preset averages 28.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 26.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is significant, a 38% reduction in frame rate, which indicates that the Medium preset introduces substantial GPU workload increases. At this resolution, the system is capable of hitting 60 FPS only at the Low setting.

At 3840x2160, the situation worsens. The Low preset averages 56 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 32.7 FPS, the High preset averages 25.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 21.2 FPS. No preset at this resolution achieves the playable threshold. The data shows that even the lowest quality setting is not enough to maintain 60 FPS at 4K, which is a clear indicator of the GPU’s limitations.

The minimum and maximum FPS values are not recorded in the database for this combo, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The averages, however, are consistent across all tested combinations, which provides confidence in the overall trend. The game’s performance scales predictably with resolution and preset, and the recorded numbers show that the RTX 2060 is the primary factor in determining playability.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run The Medium has a nuanced answer based on the verdictByResolution data. At 3840x2160, the verdict is clear: no preset is playable. The best average FPS at this resolution is 56, which occurs at the Low preset, but that is still below the 60 FPS threshold. The database records no playable settings for 4K, meaning that users should not expect a smooth experience at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is more positive. The Low preset achieves an average of 68.9 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the only playable setting at this resolution, and it is recorded as the best settings with an average FPS of 68.9. Users running at 1440p must use the Low preset to maintain smooth frame rates.

At 1920x1080, the same pattern applies. The Low preset averages 83 FPS, which is well above the threshold. The database records this as the best settings with an average FPS of 83. No other preset at 1080p reaches 60 FPS, so the Low preset is the only viable option for a playable experience.

In summary, this system can run The Medium, but only at the Low preset and only at 1080p or 1440p. At 4K, the hardware is not sufficient for any preset. The Core i7-12700KF provides ample processing power, but the RTX 2060’s 6 GB of VRAM and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are not enough to handle the game’s high-resolution textures and effects at higher quality settings. The verdict is straightforward: for a smooth 60 FPS experience, users must accept the Low preset and avoid 4K resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware would behave similarly. For the Intel Core i7-12700KF, the database lists four comparable processors. The Intel Core i7-13700T has an average score of 35403, which is 0.1% higher than the Core i7-12700KF’s average score of 35365. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, which is 0.2% lower. The Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, which is 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, which is 0.2% lower. These deltas are negligible, meaning that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would produce virtually identical frame rates in The Medium. The CPU is not the bottleneck, so these small benchmark differences will not translate into meaningful FPS changes.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 with an average score of 15283, a 0% delta, the AMD Radeon 680M with a score of 15270, a 0.1% delta, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM with a score of 15199, a 0.6% delta, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 with a score of 15171, a 0.8% delta. These GPUs are all within 0.8% of the RTX 2060’s average benchmark score of 15290. In practical terms, any of these graphics cards would deliver nearly identical performance in The Medium. The GTX 580 is an older architecture, but its benchmark score aligns closely with the RTX 2060, so users could expect similar FPS numbers. The RTX 3050 OEM and RX 7600 are more modern, but their scores suggest they would also land in the same performance band.

This information is useful for understanding that the RTX 2060 is not an outlier in its performance class. There are several other GPUs that would produce comparable results, and the differences between them are within the margin of measurement error. Users looking to replicate this combo’s performance could consider any of these alternatives without expecting a significant change in frame rates.

Best Settings per Resolution

The best settings per resolution are determined by the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. The database records these values in the verdictByResolution field. At 3840x2160, there is no such preset. The Low setting averages 56 FPS, which is below the threshold, so no best settings exist for 4K. The system cannot maintain 60 FPS at this resolution under any preset.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are the Low preset, which achieves an average of 68.9 FPS. This is the only preset at this resolution that clears the threshold. The Low preset is the most demanding setting that remains playable, and the recorded average FPS of 68.9 provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are also the Low preset, with an average of 83 FPS. This is the only preset at 1080p that achieves 60 FPS or higher. The 83 FPS average is a solid result, giving users a 23 FPS margin over the threshold, which should provide a smooth experience even during intense scenes.

For users who are willing to accept frame rates below 60 FPS, other presets are available, but they will not meet the playable threshold. The data shows that the jump from Low to Medium at any resolution results in a substantial FPS drop, so there is no middle ground that maintains 60 FPS. The best settings are consistently the Low preset at 1080p and 1440p.

FAQ

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

A: No. The database records no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best average FPS is 56 at the Low preset, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest preset that achieves 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: The Low preset is the only preset that clears 60 FPS at 1080p, with an average of 83 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54.5 FPS, which is below the threshold.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T with a score of 35403 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i5-13600T with 35305 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core i7-12700K with 35287 (0.2% lower). These differences are minimal.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290, placing it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 85th percentile. Frame rates scale with resolution, indicating GPU-bound performance.

Q: What GPU alternatives perform similarly to the RTX 2060?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has a 0% delta, the AMD Radeon 680M has a 0.1% delta, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM has a 0.6% delta, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 has a 0.8% delta. All are within 0.8% of the RTX 2060’s average score.

Q: What is the best resolution and preset combo for this system?

A: The best recorded result is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, averaging 83 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 68.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS.