The Medium

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is a mid-range desktop combination that delivers playable performance in The Medium at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles at 4K. Benchmark data indicates that the system’s playable ceiling is determined by the GPU’s rendering load, with the processor providing sufficient headroom to avoid bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains at least 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: Medium settings produce an average of 63.2 FPS at 1440p, making it the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold at that resolution.

Q: Does the RTX 3070 handle 4K Ultra settings in this game?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 28.3 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Even High settings only reach 35.1 FPS at 4K.

Q: How does the i7-12700KF compare to the i7-13700T in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, while the i7-13700T scores 35403. This places the 13700T only 0.1% ahead, indicating virtually identical multi-threaded performance between the two.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1920x1080?

A: Medium settings at 1080p yield an average of 77.3 FPS. This is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS, although Low settings push the average to 122.3 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 closer in performance to the RX 7600 XT or the GTX 690?

A: The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score is 17208. The RX 7600 XT scores 17083 (0.7% slower), while the GTX 690 scores 17037 (1% slower). The RX 7600 XT is the nearest rival.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance?

A: In Cinebench R23, the i7-12700KF scores 4071 in single-core and 28838 in multi-core. The multi-core score is roughly 7.1 times higher, reflecting the 12 cores and 20 threads.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear shift in workload balance across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary constraint but the CPU is still capable of feeding it. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p reduces average FPS from 122.3 to 43.8, a 64% drop. This scaling is almost entirely GPU-bound, as the i7-12700KF’s 3dmark_16_threads score of 9282 and single-thread score of 1043 provide ample processing power for the game’s logic at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU load increases proportionally. Low settings yield 101.7 FPS, while Ultra drops to 37 FPS. The percentage drop from Low to Ultra is 64%, nearly identical to 1080p. This suggests the CPU is not becoming a bottleneck; the RTX 3070’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed by the higher pixel count, but the i7-12700KF maintains consistent frame delivery.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is decisively the limiting factor. Low settings produce 80.4 FPS, but Medium falls to 53.6 FPS and Ultra to 28.3 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 65% reduction, similar to lower resolutions, but the absolute numbers are much lower. The CPU’s role diminishes further; the i7-12700KF’s 20 threads and 25 MB of L3 cache are not the constraint. The RTX 3070’s 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance is insufficient for the 4K pixel shader workload at higher presets.

The data indicates that the CPU matters most at 1080p, where the GPU has spare capacity. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU’s rendering throughput dictates performance. The i7-12700KF’s 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs and its 3dmark_max_threads score of 9983 show it is a high-end processor, but the RTX 3070’s 61st percentile GPU ranking limits the combo at high resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1618 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 43rd percentile of all systems, meaning roughly 57% of tested configurations perform better. The rank reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning; the CPU is strong, but the RTX 3070’s performance ceiling is the limiting factor in this game.

The combo’s rank is consistent with the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs. The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking is higher, but in a GPU-intensive title like The Medium, the graphics card dominates the overall score. The 3724 combos include systems with more powerful GPUs, which explains why this combo sits below the median despite having a capable processor.

The measured FPS data confirms the ranking. At 1440p Medium, the combo achieves 63.2 FPS, which is barely above the playable threshold. At 4K, only Low settings are playable. These results align with a mid-range GPU pairing. The i7-12700KF’s nearest rival, the i7-13700T, scores 0.1% higher in synthetic benchmarks, so swapping to that CPU would not change the game’s ranking. Similarly, the RTX 3070’s nearest rival, the RX 7600 XT, is 0.7% slower, so it would produce nearly identical frame rates.

The Verdict

This PC can run The Medium at 1080p and 1440p with playable frame rates, but it cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K with high-quality settings. At 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Medium, which averages 77.3 FPS. Low settings are also playable at 122.3 FPS, but High and Ultra fall below the threshold at 55.7 and 43.8 FPS respectively.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is similar but with lower margins. Medium settings average 63.2 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS threshold by only 3.2 FPS. Low settings are comfortably playable at 101.7 FPS. High and Ultra are not playable, with averages of 44.9 and 37 FPS.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, producing 80.4 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fail to reach 60 FPS, with averages of 53.6, 35.1, and 28.3 FPS respectively. The system is not suitable for 4K gaming with this title beyond minimal settings.

The i7-12700KF’s 12 cores and 20 threads are sufficient for the game’s CPU demands. The bottleneck is the RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, which limits texture and shader throughput at higher resolutions. Players targeting 1080p or 1440p will find this combo adequate, but 4K requires a more powerful GPU.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The i7-12700KF’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core i7-13700T and the Intel Core i5-13600T. The i7-13700T averages 35403, which is 0.1% higher than the i7-12700KF’s 35365. The i5-13600T scores 35305, 0.2% lower. Both would provide virtually identical gaming performance in The Medium, as the game is not CPU-bound at the tested settings.

The RTX 3070’s nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, and AMD Radeon HD 7970M. The RX 7600 XT averages 17083, which is 0.7% lower than the RTX 3070’s 17208. The GTX 690 scores 17037 (1% lower), and the HD 7970M scores 17019 (1.1% lower). These alternatives would produce nearly the same FPS in The Medium, meaning they would also be limited to Medium settings at 1440p and Low settings at 4K.

The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468, which is 1.5% higher than the RTX 3070, but this is a compute-oriented card and not a direct gaming alternative. For gaming, the RX 7600 XT is the closest match, with the same 8 GB memory capacity and similar bandwidth characteristics.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 77.3 FPS. This provides a 17.3 FPS buffer above the playable threshold. Low settings yield 122.3 FPS, which is smoother but less visually detailed.

At 2560x1440, Medium is the best playable preset, averaging 63.2 FPS. This is only 3.2 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, so frame drops could occasionally dip below 60. Low settings offer 101.7 FPS, providing a safer margin.

At 3840x2160, only Low settings are playable, with an average of 80.4 FPS. This is the only preset that clears 60 FPS at 4K. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall short, so players at this resolution must use minimal settings.

The data shows that the RTX 3070 is best suited for 1440p Medium or 1080p Ultra-like settings, but in The Medium, the game’s rendering demands are high. The 28.3 FPS at 4K Ultra indicates that the GPU is not capable of handling the game’s full visual effects at high pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS by preset is: Low 122.3, Medium 77.3, High 55.7, Ultra 43.8. The gap between Low and Medium is 45 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 21.6 FPS, and High to Ultra is 11.9 FPS. This shows diminishing returns as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 101.7, Medium 63.2, High 44.9, Ultra 37. The drop from Low to Medium is 38.5 FPS, Medium to High is 18.3 FPS, and High to Ultra is 7.9 FPS. The scaling is similar to 1080p, but the absolute values are lower.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 80.4, Medium 53.6, High 35.1, Ultra 28.3. The difference between Low and Medium is 26.8 FPS, Medium to High is 18.5 FPS, and High to Ultra is 6.8 FPS. The 4K resolution compresses the range, with even Low settings producing only 80.4 FPS.

No minimum or maximum FPS values were recorded in the data, so the analysis relies on averages. The lack of min/max data means frame time consistency cannot be assessed, but the average FPS values provide a reliable indicator of playability. The combination of the i7-12700KF’s high single-thread score of 4071 in Cinebench R23 and the RTX 3070’s 5888 shading units suggests that frame pacing should be stable, but this is not confirmed by the measured data.