The Medium

The Medium presents a unique challenge for hardware, utilizing fixed camera angles and pre-rendered elements that create a specific performance profile. The data for the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination reveals a system that is heavily influenced by graphical settings, with the CPU providing a stable foundation while the GPU dictates the overall experience. This analysis explores how the processor's four cores and the graphics card's substantial memory interact to produce the measured frame rates across different resolutions and presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache is a notable asset for gaming. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor achieves a single-thread score of 1674 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-core score of 11860, placing it in the 68th percentile against all CPUs. This indicates that the processor has strong per-core performance, which is often more critical for gaming than raw multi-threaded capability.

The data suggests that the i3-12100F is not the primary bottleneck in this configuration for The Medium. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 115 FPS, which is a high frame rate indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively when graphical load is low. If the CPU were severely limiting, we would expect to see this figure cap out at a lower value. The processor's nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i5-9500 and Intel Core 5 120UL, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with deltas of 0.3% and -0.7% respectively, suggesting that this level of CPU performance is a common baseline for this tier of hardware.

The game's reliance on CPU resources appears to be moderate. The shift from Low to Medium settings at 1080p drops the average FPS from 115 to 72, a significant 37% reduction. This substantial drop is more indicative of a GPU-side workload increase than a CPU limitation. The 3DMark benchmark scores for the CPU show a scaling pattern from 1659 for 2 threads to 4026 for 8 threads, which is typical for a 4-core/8-thread part. This suggests that the game likely utilizes multiple threads but does not require an excessive number of cores to maintain playable performance.

The data implies that the i3-12100F provides sufficient headroom for the RX 7700 to operate across most settings. The bottleneck, as will be seen in the GPU analysis, is more likely to be the graphics card, especially at higher resolutions and quality presets. The processor's strong single-core performance, as evidenced by its 893 score in 3DMark's single-thread test, ensures that it can keep up with the game's logic and draw calls, allowing the GPU to be the primary driver of frame rate changes. The data suggests that this CPU is a capable partner for this GPU in this specific title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its characteristics have a direct and profound impact on The Medium's performance. It is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and features a substantial 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This large memory pool is particularly relevant for The Medium, a game known for its detailed textures and heavy use of visual effects. The GPU's boost clock is listed at 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz.

Examining the measured FPS, the GPU's influence is clear. At 4K Ultra settings, the average frame rate collapses to 27 FPS, which is barely playable. This is a stark contrast to the 76 FPS achieved at 4K Low settings. This massive 64% performance delta between Low and Ultra at the same resolution underscores the GPU's workload in rendering the game's visuals. The RX 7700's percentile rank against all GPUs is 58, and its average benchmark score is 15852. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has a slightly higher average score of 16129, a -1.7% delta, indicating that the RX 7700 is positioned competitively within its performance class.

The 16 GB of VRAM is a significant factor. While the data does not explicitly show VRAM usage, the performance pattern suggests that memory capacity is not a limiting factor at any of the tested settings. The frame rate drops are consistent with a scaling of compute and fill-rate demands rather than a memory overflow. The GPU's 40 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are present, but the measured data does not isolate their specific impact. The performance degradation from Medium to High settings, for example, is a 29% drop at 1080p (from 72 to 51 FPS), which is a typical cost for the increased shading and texture quality.

The GPU is clearly the primary bottleneck in this system for The Medium. At 1080p Low, the 115 FPS average suggests the CPU is doing its job well, but as settings are increased, the GPU's processing power becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that the RX 7700 is a strong performer at lower settings and resolutions, but it struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher quality presets, a pattern that is common for mid-range to upper-mid-range graphics cards.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 7700 in The Medium?

A: Based on the data, the CPU does not appear to be the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 115 FPS, indicating the processor can handle the game's logic and feed the GPU effectively. The frame rate drops are more closely tied to GPU workload increases when settings are raised, suggesting the RX 7700 is the limiting component.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: The measured data shows a significant drop. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 51, while at 4K High, it falls to 34. This represents a 33% reduction in average frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K, highlighting the immense rendering load placed on the GPU at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1080p provides the most consistent and highest frame rates, with an average of 72 FPS at Medium settings. While 1440p is playable, the frame rates are noticeably lower. 4K is only viable at Low settings, where it achieves 76 FPS, but higher settings at 4K result in averages below 48 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The data lists the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti as a nearest rival with an average benchmark score of 16129, while the AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average score of 15852. This gives the RTX 3060 Ti a slight 1.7% lead in the aggregate benchmark, though in-game performance can vary.

Q: At which settings preset does the frame rate drop below 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The average FPS at 1440p with High settings is 43, and at Medium settings it is 61. Therefore, the frame rate falls below 60 FPS when switching from Medium to High settings at this resolution. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages only 34 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU's multi-threading capability have a significant impact on this game's performance?

A: The CPU's 3DMark benchmarks show scaling from 1659 (2 threads) to 4026 (8 threads), suggesting the game can utilize multiple threads. However, the high frame rates at 1080p Low imply that the CPU's single-thread strength is sufficient, and the multi-threaded performance is adequate for The Medium without being a limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how this combo performs across various configurations. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strength. With Low settings, the average FPS is 115, which is the highest recorded for this combo. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 and a maximum of 83. High settings yield an average of 51 FPS, and Ultra settings further reduce the average to 41 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset produces an average of 97 FPS, a significant but playable figure. The Medium preset averages 61 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 70, making it the only 1440p setting that consistently stays above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 43 FPS, and Ultra settings drop further to an average of 34 FPS.

The 3840x2160 results show the GPU's limits. At Low settings, the average is 76 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K. However, this is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings average 48 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 55. High settings fall to an average of 34 FPS, and Ultra settings are nearly unplayable, with an average of just 27 FPS. The data clearly shows a steep performance cliff when moving from Low to Medium at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling of this combo is telling. When comparing the Low settings across resolutions, the FPS drops from 115 at 1080p to 97 at 1440p and then to 76 at 4K. This is a 34% reduction from 1080p to 4K. For Medium settings, the drop is from 72 to 61 to 48, a 33% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This relatively consistent percentage drop across settings suggests a well-balanced scaling behavior, indicating that neither the CPU nor the GPU is hitting a hard architectural wall.

However, the High settings scaling tells a different story. The FPS goes from 51 at 1080p to 43 at 1440p to 34 at 4K. This is a 33% drop from 1080p to 4K, but the absolute numbers are lower. The Ultra preset shows a similar pattern, with a 34% drop from 1080p (41 FPS) to 4K (27 FPS). The fact that the percentage drop is relatively constant across all presets suggests that the system is primarily GPU-limited at all resolutions, as the CPU is able to scale its workload with the resolution without becoming a significant bottleneck.

The data implies that the limiting component is the GPU's raw rendering throughput. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels to be shaded grows, and the RX 7700's performance scales down in a predictable manner. The CPU's role becomes less significant at higher resolutions, and the frame rate is dictated almost entirely by the GPU's fill rate and shader performance. The consistent ~33% drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the data points to a clear sweet spot. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance, providing an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. While the Low preset offers a higher 115 FPS, the visual fidelity is significantly reduced. The High preset, at 51 FPS, is playable but sacrifices some smoothness for visual gains. Ultra is the least recommended due to its 41 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only option that consistently maintains an average above 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS. This is the recommended setting for a smooth experience at this resolution. The Low preset is also viable for higher frame rates, but the Medium preset is the best balance of quality and performance. The High and Ultra presets, with averages of 43 and 34 FPS, respectively, would require a tolerance for lower frame rates.

For 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset, at 48 FPS, is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are not recommended due to their low averages of 34 and 27 FPS. The data suggests that for an optimal experience across all resolutions, the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the best combination of performance and visual quality, while 4K users should stick to the Low preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination ranks at 1307 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems, indicating it performs better than a majority of the combinations in the database. This ranking confirms the RX 7700's strong performance, which is capable of pushing high frame rates at 1080p and playable rates at 1440p, allowing the overall combo to outrank many others.

The ranking also reflects the balance of the pairing. While the CPU is a budget-oriented part, its performance is sufficient to avoid being a significant drag on the system's overall score. The data shows that the combo is more capable than the GPU's individual percentile rank of 58 might suggest, indicating that the CPU does not hold it back. The fact that the combo is in the upper half of the rankings, despite using a 4-core processor, highlights that The Medium is not overly CPU-intensive. The high frame rates achieved at 1080p Low and the consistent scaling across resolutions show that this is a well-matched pair, with the GPU's capabilities being the primary driver of its overall position in the rankings.