The Medium

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a solid but nuanced experience in The Medium, a horror title that clearly scales with both resolution and graphical presets. Benchmark data shows the pairing hits the 60 FPS target at higher resolutions only when settings are moderated, while at 1080p it manages to clear that threshold on the High preset. The measured results reveal a system that is capable but requires deliberate settings choices, as the gap between Low and Ultra presets is substantial across all tested resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium, which produces an average of 60.6 FPS. The High preset drops to 39.4 FPS and Ultra falls further to 35.6 FPS, so 4K gaming requires staying on Medium to avoid dropping below the playable threshold. Low runs significantly faster at 95.1 FPS, but Medium is the highest quality option that still clears 60 FPS.

For 2560x1440, the best playable preset is also Medium, delivering an average of 73.4 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. High sits below the threshold at 54.7 FPS, while Ultra is even lower at 40.8 FPS. Low runs at 121.9 FPS, but Medium offers the best visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the system can handle High settings while maintaining an average of 66 FPS, making this the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS. Medium runs at 92.6 FPS and Low at 142.2 FPS, but High is the sweet spot for image quality. Ultra remains unplayable at 51.3 FPS, so even at 1080p the Ultra preset exceeds what this combination can sustain.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 4K with high settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 39.4, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable preset at this resolution is Medium, averaging 60.6 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Medium is the highest playable preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 73.4 FPS. High drops to 54.7 FPS, so it falls short of the target.

Q: Does the Ultra preset ever reach 60 FPS with this hardware?

A: No. Across all tested resolutions, Ultra fails to hit 60 FPS. The closest result is at 1920x1080 where Ultra averages 51.3 FPS, while at 2560x1440 it averages 40.8 FPS and at 3840x2160 only 35.6 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from High to Medium at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, moving from High (average 66 FPS) to Medium (average 92.6 FPS) yields a gain of roughly 40% in average framerate. The difference is even larger when dropping to Low, which hits 142.2 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 the bottleneck or does the CPU hold things back?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as the CPU ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs while the GPU ranks in the 68th percentile among all GPUs. The measured FPS patterns show heavy scaling with resolution, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios.

Q: What is the best overall resolution for this combination?

A: 2560x1440 on Medium provides an average of 73.4 FPS, offering a balance between visual detail and smoothness. It outperforms 4K Medium (60.6 FPS) while providing more headroom than 1080p High (66 FPS).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows clear scaling across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the average framerate ranges from 142.2 FPS on Low to 51.3 FPS on Ultra. Medium achieves 92.6 FPS, and High lands at 66 FPS. All presets except Ultra stay above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 121.9 FPS, Medium averages 73.4 FPS, High averages 54.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 40.8 FPS. The step from Medium to High represents a significant decline of roughly 25%, pushing the experience below the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the pattern intensifies. Low settings average 95.1 FPS, which is still highly playable. Medium averages 60.6 FPS, just barely clearing the target. High drops to 39.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35.6 FPS. The difference between Medium and High at 4K is a dramatic 34% reduction in average framerate, making preset selection critical for maintaining smooth gameplay.

Across all resolutions, the gap between Low and Ultra is substantial. At 1080p, Ultra delivers only 36% of the Low preset's framerate (51.3 vs 142.2 FPS). At 1440p, the ratio is similar (40.8 vs 121.9 FPS). At 4K, Ultra produces just 37% of Low's performance (35.6 vs 95.1 FPS). This indicates that The Medium has a very wide performance envelope depending on settings.

The data also shows diminishing returns at higher resolutions. While 1080p Low hits 142.2 FPS, 1440p Low reaches 121.9 FPS, and 4K Low manages 95.1 FPS. This roughly linear scaling with pixel count suggests the GPU is the primary constraint, as expected given the RTX 3080's rank in the 68th percentile of all GPUs.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rival in benchmark scores is the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403 versus the i7-12700KF's 35365, a delta of -0.1%. This means the i7-13700T would behave nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428 (-0.2% lower), all within a negligible margin. The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287 (0.2% higher), which is essentially the same chip without the unlocked multiplier differences.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are less intuitive. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249 compared to the RTX 3080's 23172, a delta of -0.3%. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250 (-0.3%), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (-0.4%), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276 (-0.4%). These deltaPct values are all within half a percent, meaning any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical framerates in The Medium despite their very different architectures and market positions.

In practice, swapping the i7-12700KF for any of its listed rivals would change CPU-bound performance by less than 1%, which is imperceptible in gaming. Similarly, replacing the RTX 3080 with any of its nearest rivals would yield sub-1% differences in GPU-bound workloads. The combination's measured FPS results would remain effectively unchanged with any of these alternatives installed.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3724 tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this pairing of Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks at position 1004. This places it in the top 27% of all tested configurations, which is respectable given the game's demanding nature at higher presets.

The rank reflects the combination's balanced but not exceptional performance. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs is stronger than the GPU's 68th percentile among all GPUs, suggesting the system is slightly GPU-limited in this title. The rank of 1004 out of 3724 indicates that while many weaker configurations exist, there are also numerous stronger ones, likely featuring newer or higher-tier GPUs.

The measured data supports this positioning. The combo clears 60 FPS at 1080p High and 1440p Medium, but struggles at 4K beyond Medium settings. This places it in a middle tier where it can handle the game well at mainstream resolutions but cannot push maximum quality at high resolutions. The rank would improve if the GPU were upgraded, as the CPU has more headroom relative to its percentile standing.

The Verdict

This PC can run The Medium, but the experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with High settings averaging 66 FPS and Medium at 92.6 FPS. This is the most straightforward scenario where the hardware comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold without requiring compromises.

At 2560x1440, the combination remains playable but requires lowering to Medium settings, which averages 73.4 FPS. High settings fall short at 54.7 FPS, so users targeting 1440p must accept Medium quality for smooth gameplay. The margin above 60 FPS at Medium is comfortable, providing some headroom for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the system is barely playable. Medium settings average 60.6 FPS, just above the threshold, while Low averages 95.1 FPS for those who prioritize smoothness. High and Ultra are not viable options at this resolution. The 60.6 FPS average at 4K Medium is the minimum viable configuration, and any scene complexity could push it below the target.

Overall, this hardware combination is best suited for 1080p High or 1440p Medium gaming in The Medium. It can handle 4K only at Medium or Low presets. The Ultra preset is out of reach at every resolution, so users seeking maximum visual fidelity would need more powerful hardware. For a balanced experience, 1440p Medium offers the best trade-off between image quality and performance, delivering 73.4 FPS average and remaining well above the playable threshold.