The Medium

The Medium, a horror title that relies on heavy atmospheric rendering and a fixed-camera perspective, presents a demanding workload where the combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT demonstrates a clear performance hierarchy. The data indicates that this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s four cores provide a sufficient foundation to avoid major bottlenecks at lower settings. The benchmark results show that users must prioritize resolution and settings trade-offs, as the gap between the "Low" and "Ultra" presets is substantial.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?

A: This combination is ranked 1139 out of 3724 tested combos for this game, placing it within the top 31% of all configurations tested.

Q: How does the Intel Core i3-12100F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score of 13494 is nearly identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% ahead). It also sits slightly above the Intel Core i7-1250U (13351, 1.1% ahead) but trails the Intel Core 5 120UL (13594, -0.7% delta).

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration and how does it affect performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. This large memory pool and high bandwidth are crucial for handling the game’s high-resolution textures, ensuring that memory capacity is not a limiting factor at 4K.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum average FPS scores recorded at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the lowest average FPS recorded is 42 on the "Ultra" preset, and the highest average FPS is 117 on the "Low" preset. The "Medium" preset delivers 73 FPS on average.

Q: What is the CPU’s multi-threaded performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F scores 11860 points in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test and 1674 points in the single-core test. This indicates strong single-thread performance relative to its multi-thread capability, which is beneficial for games that rely on fewer, faster cores.

Q: How does the GPU’s average benchmark score compare to the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile?

A: The Radeon RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 48477, which is 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (47743). It also outperforms the Intel Arc A550M (49737) by -2.5% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49957) by -3%.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific configuration at rank 1139 out of 3724 tested combinations. This percentile position indicates that while the combo is not at the absolute top tier, it delivers a very capable experience, outperforming a majority of other tested systems. The ranking suggests a well-balanced pairing where the GPU’s high-end capabilities are not severely hampered by the entry-level CPU, allowing the system to achieve solid frame rates in most scenarios. The combination’s position in the upper third of the chart implies that it will handle the game’s demands effectively, though it will not match the performance of top-tier CPU and GPU pairings that occupy the higher ranks.

This rank is a direct result of the GPU’s strong performance metrics, as the RX 6800 XT sits in the 85th percentile of all GPUs. Conversely, the i3-12100F is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that the processor is a relative weak point in the pairing. However, the game’s performance data shows that the bottleneck is often on the GPU, especially at higher resolutions, which allows the combo to achieve a rank higher than what a simple average of the two components’ percentiles might suggest. The measured FPS data confirms that the system is capable of playable frame rates, but the ranking also highlights that there is significant headroom for improvement if a stronger CPU were used.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly influence the game’s performance. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, the GPU is well-equipped to handle the high-resolution textures and assets that The Medium uses to create its eerie environments. This memory configuration ensures that at 4K, the GPU does not run out of memory, which would otherwise cause stuttering or texture pop-in. The GPU’s 128 ROPs and 288 TMUs, combined with a pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 648.0 GTexel/s, allow it to process the complex lighting and shadow effects that are characteristic of the horror genre.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also a key factor. The base clock is 1825 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. This boost clock is critical for maintaining high frame rates in less demanding scenes, while the sustained game clock ensures consistent performance during intensive gameplay. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 20.74 TFLOPS provides the raw compute power needed for the game’s rendering pipeline. The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions; for instance, at 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 92 on "Low" to 33 on "Ultra", a 64% reduction. This demonstrates that the GPU’s workload scales significantly with settings and resolution, and its capabilities are fully utilized.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

1080p:

• Low: 139 FPS
• Medium: 87 FPS (min 74, max 100)
• High: 62 FPS
• Ultra: 49 FPS

1440p:

• Low: 117 FPS
• Medium: 73 FPS (min 62, max 84)
• High: 52 FPS
• Ultra: 42 FPS

4K (2160p):

• Low: 92 FPS
• Medium: 57 FPS (min 49, max 66)
• High: 41 FPS
• Ultra: 33 FPS

The data reveals a consistent performance scaling. At 1080p, the system is capable of high refresh rates, with the "Low" preset hitting 139 FPS. The jump from "Medium" to "High" at 1080p results in a 25 FPS drop, indicating a significant increase in GPU workload. At 1440p, the "Medium" preset remains very playable at 73 FPS, while "High" and "Ultra" dip below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay. At 4K, only the "Low" preset achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS, with "Medium" being borderline at 57 FPS. The "Ultra" preset at 4K is the most demanding scenario, producing an average of 33 FPS, which is not ideal for a smooth experience. The frame time data for the "Medium" preset shows a consistent range across resolutions, with the gap between min and max FPS widening as resolution increases, from 26 FPS at 1080p to 17 FPS at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, plays a supporting role in this configuration. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz provide adequate single-thread performance, which is often the most critical factor for game logic and frame pacing. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674 points is strong, indicating that it can keep up with the GPU’s frame output in most scenarios. The multi-core score of 11860 points shows that while it has fewer cores than higher-end processors, it can still handle the game’s background tasks and streaming without causing major stutters.

The CPU’s performance relative to its rivals is tight; its average benchmark score of 13494 is only 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452) and 1.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-1250U (13351). This suggests that the i3-12100F is a competent budget processor that punches slightly above its weight class in this title. However, the data also suggests that the CPU may limit performance in CPU-bound scenarios, such as at 1080p with "Low" settings, where the GPU is not fully stressed. In these cases, the CPU’s 4 cores might struggle to feed the GPU with enough frames to reach its maximum potential, preventing the system from hitting the highest possible FPS numbers. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 4051 and the passmark_multithread score of 14015 indicate that the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are modest, which could lead to performance dips in scenes with many AI-driven characters or complex physics calculations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS target, the "Medium" preset is the best choice. At 1080p, it delivers 87 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the target. At 1440p, it achieves 73 FPS, which is still smooth and playable. Even at 4K, the "Medium" preset manages an average of 57 FPS, which is very close to the 60 FPS target and likely playable with minor frame drops. The "Medium" preset also provides the most consistent frame pacing, as indicated by the min/max data, ensuring a stable experience.

For users with high refresh rate monitors at 1080p, the "Low" preset at 139 FPS will take full advantage of the display’s capabilities. However, the visual quality reduction may be too significant for a game that relies on atmosphere. The "High" preset is a viable option for those who prioritize visual fidelity over a locked 60 FPS, but the data shows it falls below 60 FPS at both 1440p (52 FPS) and 4K (41 FPS), making it less ideal for these resolutions. The "Ultra" preset is not recommended for any resolution if a smooth experience is the goal, as it only achieves 49 FPS at 1080p and drops to 33 FPS at 4K. The data strongly suggests that "Medium" is the sweet spot for this hardware combination, balancing visual quality with performance across all tested resolutions.