The Medium

The Medium presents a unique technical challenge with its dual-reality rendering, and the combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT shows a specific performance profile. The data indicates a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but the CPU's four performance cores provide a solid foundation for the game's fixed-camera angles and streaming logic. This analysis breaks down the measured results, placing the combo in context against other tested hardware and offering guidance on how to best configure the game for a playable experience.

FAQ

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

A: The combo ranks 2362 out of 3724 tested combinations in this game. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, many other hardware pairings deliver higher frame rates.

Q: At which resolution and settings does this combo achieve a smooth 60 FPS average?

A: The only configuration that hits a 60 FPS average is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which averages exactly 60 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p is the only other configuration that exceeds this, averaging 96 FPS.

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

A: The Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. This is nearly identical to the Intel Core 3 N355 (score 13492), a 0% difference, and just 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-9500 (score 13452). It is 1.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-1250U (score 13351).

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 17083. This puts it 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (score 17037) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M (score 17019). It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (score 17208) by 0.7%.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The difference is substantial. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 64 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages only 23 FPS. This represents a 41 FPS drop, or roughly a 64% decrease in average frame rate from Low to Ultra.

Q: Does the game's performance scale linearly with resolution for this combo?

A: No, it does not. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 43 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p, and then to 28 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is a 22% decrease, which is less than the 50% resolution increase, suggesting a growing dependency on other bottlenecks as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific configuration at rank 2362 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This position in the lower 37th percentile is a direct result of the hardware mix. The Radeon RX 7600 XT, while a capable modern GPU, is not a top-tier performer, and the Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, is a budget-conscious choice. Benchmark results indicate that this pairing is sufficient for playable frame rates, but it is far from the top of the leaderboard.

To understand this ranking, it is useful to look at the individual components' standings. The GPU sits at the 60th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it outperforms 60% of its peers. The CPU, however, is at the 68th percentile. This suggests that the CPU is comparatively stronger in general benchmarks than the GPU, which is an important dynamic for this game. In The Medium, which can be demanding on both the processor and graphics card, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, especially as resolution and settings are increased. The combo's overall rank of 2362 is a synthesis of these two components' abilities, showing that the GPU's performance ceiling is what prevents this system from climbing higher in the rankings.

The deltaPct values from the nearestRivals provide context for the GPU's standing. The RX 7600 XT is essentially tied with the much older NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and the mobile-oriented AMD Radeon HD 7970M, showing a 0.3% and 0.4% difference respectively. This is a curious data point, as it places a modern card alongside legacy hardware in terms of average benchmark score. It is 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, a card from a previous generation that was considered high-end. These numbers suggest that while the RX 7600 XT has modern features, its raw compute score is in a specific mid-range bracket, which directly impacts its performance in a demanding title like The Medium.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo balances visual fidelity with a playable frame rate. The clear recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 1920x1080. This is the only settings/resolution combination that achieves a 60 FPS average, with a reported range of 51 to 69 FPS. This provides a smooth, consistent experience that is ideal for a game that relies on atmosphere and pacing.

While the Low preset at 1080p offers a much higher average of 96 FPS, the visual compromise is significant. The Medium preset represents a sweet spot, offering a substantial upgrade in visual quality over Low while maintaining a stable 60 FPS target. At higher resolutions, the Medium preset struggles to maintain this performance, dropping to 51 FPS at 1440p and 40 FPS at 4K. Therefore, for a locked 60 FPS experience, 1080p Medium is the optimal choice. For users with a 1440p monitor who are willing to accept slightly lower frame rates, the Medium preset at 2560x1440, with an average of 51 FPS, is the next best option. The data suggests that High and Ultra presets are not recommended for this combo, as they push the average FPS below 45 at 1080p and below 30 at 1440p and 4K, which would likely feel stuttery and unresponsive in a game that requires precision in its slower, puzzle-like sections.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured results show a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution and graphical settings are increased. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 96 FPS on Low, 60 FPS on Medium, 43 FPS on High, and 34 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is a substantial 62 FPS, highlighting the heavy cost of the game's advanced lighting and rendering effects.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop across the board. The Low preset averages 81 FPS, Medium averages 51 FPS (with a range of 43 to 58), High averages 36 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 52 FPS, but the overall performance takes a significant hit. At 3840x2160, the strain on the GPU is most apparent. The Low preset manages an average of 64 FPS, which is still playable, but the Medium preset drops to 40 FPS (with a range of 34 to 46). High and Ultra presets become largely unplayable, with averages of 28 FPS and 23 FPS respectively.

These numbers reveal a few key points. First, the game scales poorly with the Ultra preset, which appears to be designed for higher-end hardware. Second, the jump from 1080p to 1440p is costly, with an average FPS drop of around 15-20% across all settings. Third, the jump from 1440p to 4K is even more punishing, with an average FPS drop of roughly 22-25% across all settings. This indicates that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, as the performance loss is directly proportional to the increase in pixel count.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the central figure in this performance story. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. While the 16 GB capacity is generous, the 128-bit bus width limits the memory bandwidth, which can be a hindrance in a title like The Medium that streams large amounts of texture data for its two simultaneous worlds. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz, and it has a TDP of 190 W. These specifications position it as a mid-range card, and its 60th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms this.

The benchmark results for the GPU show it scoring 17132 in Passmark G3D and 2348 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. These scores directly correlate with its in-game performance. The data shows that the GPU's performance ceiling is hit at the High and Ultra presets in The Medium, where the average FPS falls below 45 at 1080p. The card's raw compute power, listed as 22.57 TFLOPS, is insufficient to handle the pixel and shading load of the highest settings. This is why the Medium preset is the recommended ceiling; it allows the card to operate within its comfort zone and deliver consistent frame rates. The RX 7600 XT is the limiting component in this system, and its capabilities dictate the playable settings and resolutions for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F plays a supporting, yet important, role. With 4 cores and 8 threads, it provides a baseline level of performance that is sufficient for The Medium. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz, combined with 12 MB of shared L3 cache, allow it to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle the game's logic without becoming a major hindrance. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a solid performer for its class, but it is not a high-end processor.

The CPU's benchmark scores, such as 11860 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1674 in single-core, show a balanced profile. The game is not heavily multithreaded in the traditional sense, but it does require consistent single-thread performance for its scripted events and camera work. The i3-12100F's single-core score is respectable, which helps prevent stutters and hitches. However, the data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The FPS drops observed when increasing resolution are almost entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame time, and with scores that put it near rivals like the Intel Core i5-9500 (0.3% difference), it performs this task adequately. This is a key takeaway: the system's limitations are firmly in the GPU's court, not the CPU's.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K provides a clear picture of the system's bottlenecks. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 96 at 1080p to 81 at 1440p (a 15.6% drop) and then to 64 at 4K (a 21% drop from 1440p). This is a relatively linear progression, but the percentage drop increases with resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. The GPU is working harder to fill more pixels, and its performance decreases proportionally.

This pattern becomes more pronounced at Medium settings. The average FPS goes from 60 at 1080p to 51 at 1440p (a 15% drop) and then to 40 at 4K (a 21.6% drop from 1440p). At High and Ultra settings, the system becomes severely GPU-limited. The FPS at 1080p High (43) drops to 28 at 4K, a 34.9% decrease. This shows that as the graphical load increases, the GPU's inability to keep up becomes the dominant factor. The CPU, with its 4 cores, has enough headroom to process the game's data at these resolutions, so it is not the limiting factor.

The data strongly implies that this combo is designed for 1080p gaming. The performance at 1440p is playable only on Low or Medium settings, and 4K is only viable on Low. The scaling pattern confirms that the Radeon RX 7600 XT's memory bus and compute power are not sufficient for high-fidelity gaming at higher resolutions. To get the most out of this system, users should treat it as a 1080p machine for The Medium, and they will be rewarded with a smooth experience at Medium settings.