The Medium

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a strong showing in The Medium, a horror title that places significant demands on both processor and graphics hardware. Benchmark data measured at three resolutions and four quality presets shows this combination can comfortably exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold in most scenarios, though the most demanding settings at 4K push it below that line. The pairing ranks in the 84th percentile among all tested combos for this game, indicating a capable system for the title’s fixed-camera, dual-reality rendering style.

FAQ

Q: What is the best quality preset this combo can run at 1080p while staying above 60 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 73 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset drops to 56.3 FPS, so High is the highest playable setting at this resolution.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset produces 66.2 FPS on average, and Low reaches 107.6 FPS. The High preset falls to 49.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 37.8 FPS, so Medium is the most demanding playable option at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, placing it just 0.2% below the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971) and 0.3% below the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022). It sits 0.5% above both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535, which score 46654 and 46653 respectively.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile relative to all graphics cards?

A: The RTX 5070 ranks in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, scores 40318, a delta of just 0.1%.

Q: Which settings are playable at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 60.7 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium runs at 87.9 FPS, and Low achieves 137.2 FPS. Ultra falls to 49.1 FPS, making it unplayable by the 60 FPS standard.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested system combinations for The Medium?

A: The i7-13700K and RTX 5070 combination ranks 609th out of 3724 tested combos, placing it in the top 16% of all systems evaluated for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS is as follows.

At 1920x1080, the High preset is the optimal choice, delivering an average of 73 FPS. This represents a significant margin above the playability threshold while offering substantially better visual quality than Medium, which runs at 102 FPS. Low is even faster at 159.7 FPS, but High provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. Ultra at 1080p drops to 56.3 FPS, which fails the 60 FPS requirement.

At 2560x1440, the High preset again takes the top spot, achieving an average of 60.7 FPS. This is a narrow margin — just 0.7 FPS above the threshold — but it remains playable. Medium runs at 87.9 FPS, offering a more comfortable buffer if frame rate consistency is a concern, while Low reaches 137.2 FPS for maximum responsiveness. Ultra at 1440p falls to 49.1 FPS, below the playable line.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the most demanding option that stays playable, averaging 66.2 FPS. Low is much faster at 107.6 FPS, but Medium provides a meaningful visual upgrade while still clearing the threshold by 6.2 FPS. High at 4K averages 49.5 FPS and Ultra drops to 37.8 FPS, both failing the 60 FPS requirement. The data indicates that 4K gaming is viable with this combo, but only with settings tuned down from the highest tiers.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 609th out of 3,724 tested system configurations for The Medium. This places the pairing in the top 16.4% of all combos evaluated, which is a strong result given the breadth of hardware tested. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all resolutions and presets, not just the highest settings.

The CPU’s individual percentile sits at 89, meaning it outperforms 89% of all processors in the benchmark database. The GPU’s percentile is 82, indicating it beats 82% of all graphics cards. When combined, the system’s overall capability is slightly below what the individual percentiles might suggest, likely due to the game’s specific optimization patterns. The Medium’s dual-reality rendering — showing two simultaneous perspectives in certain scenes — can be particularly taxing on both geometry processing and memory bandwidth, which may explain why the combo rank is not higher relative to the component-level scores.

The 609th rank out of 3,724 combos means there are 608 configurations that perform better, but also 3,115 that perform worse. This positions the system well above the median, putting it in the upper echelon of tested hardware for this title. For a horror game with demanding fixed-camera scenes and complex lighting, this rank suggests the combo is well-suited to deliver a smooth experience at most settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both components, several alternative configurations would produce very similar performance in The Medium.

On the CPU side, the Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, a difference of just 0.2%, making it a near-identical performer in synthetic tests. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654 and 46653 respectively, each 0.5% behind. Any of these processors paired with the RTX 5070 would yield frame rates within a rounding error of the i7-13700K’s results in this game.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5070’s average benchmark score is 40377. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 580, which scores 40318, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, just 0.8% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, 1.2% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568, 2% lower. Swapping the RTX 5070 for any of these cards would produce nearly identical performance in The Medium, with the Radeon Pro 5300 being marginally faster and the RTX A500 Mobile being slightly slower.

For a practical alternative system, pairing the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 with the RTX 5070 would essentially replicate the tested configuration’s performance. Similarly, keeping the i7-13700K but swapping in a Radeon Pro 580 would maintain nearly the same frame rates. The data suggests that the specific combination tested is not unique in its capabilities; several nearby hardware pairings would deliver comparable results in this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The interplay between the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 varies across resolutions and presets, with the GPU generally becoming the dominant factor as resolution increases and settings are raised.

At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more substantial role. The difference between Low and Ultra settings is 103.4 FPS (159.7 down to 56.3), which is a 64.7% drop. This large scaling indicates that the GPU is heavily utilized even at lower settings, but the CPU’s 16 cores and 24 threads ensure that frame delivery remains consistent. The i7-13700K’s strong single-thread performance — evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 1136 and Geekbench single-core score of 2529 — helps maintain high frame rates at 1080p, where the GPU has more headroom.

At 2560x1440, the GPU’s influence grows. The drop from Low to Ultra is 88.1 FPS (137.2 to 49.1), a 64.2% reduction. The High preset averages 60.7 FPS, which is only 0.7 FPS above the threshold, suggesting that the GPU is nearing its limit at this resolution with high-quality settings. The CPU remains capable, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High settings is only a 12.3 FPS drop (73 to 60.7). This modest decline indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck; the GPU is the limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The scaling from 1080p High (73 FPS) to 4K High (49.5 FPS) is a 23.5 FPS drop, and from 1080p Medium (102 FPS) to 4K Medium (66.2 FPS) is a 35.8 FPS drop. The CPU’s role diminishes further, as the pixel throughput demands of 4K overwhelm the GPU regardless of the processor’s capabilities. The RTX 5070’s 672.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are the primary determinants of frame rates at this resolution.

The pattern is clear: at 1080p, the CPU matters more because the GPU can render frames quickly enough for the processor to influence delivery. At 1440p, the balance shifts toward the GPU. At 4K, the GPU is almost entirely responsible for performance, with the CPU providing little additional benefit beyond avoiding a hard bottleneck. This is typical for a graphically demanding title like The Medium, which uses pre-rendered fixed cameras and layered scenes that stress the renderer more than the game logic.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 can run The Medium, and the data shows it does so with confidence at most settings. The verdict by resolution is clear.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves playable frame rates at Low (159.7 FPS), Medium (102 FPS), and High (73 FPS) presets. The best playable setting is High, with an average of 73 FPS, which provides a 21.7% margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra at 1080p averages 56.3 FPS, missing the mark by 3.7 FPS, so it is not recommended if a consistent 60 FPS is required.

At 2560x1440, playable settings include Low (137.2 FPS), Medium (87.9 FPS), and High (60.7 FPS). The best playable setting is High, averaging 60.7 FPS — a slim but sufficient buffer. Ultra at 1440p averages 49.1 FPS, which fails the threshold. Players seeking more headroom could drop to Medium for 87.9 FPS, but High remains viable.

At 3840x2160, the system is playable at Low (107.6 FPS) and Medium (66.2 FPS). The best playable setting is Medium, with an average of 66.2 FPS, exceeding the threshold by 6.2 FPS. High at 4K averages 49.5 FPS and Ultra averages 37.8 FPS, both falling short of the 60 FPS requirement. For 4K gaming, Medium is the recommended ceiling.

Overall, this combo clears 60 FPS at all three resolutions when using appropriately tuned settings. The system’s 609th rank out of 3,724 combos places it well above average, and the component-level percentiles (89th for CPU, 82nd for GPU) support the conclusion that this is a well-balanced pairing for The Medium. Players who prioritize visual fidelity at 1080p or 1440p can use High settings with confidence, while 4K users should cap at Medium to maintain smooth playback. The data does not support using Ultra at any resolution if the 60 FPS target is a hard requirement, but the gap is small at 1080p — just 3.7 FPS — so some users may accept the trade-off. For most players, this system delivers a solid horror experience with reliable performance across the board.