The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT shows a clear performance ceiling. The benchmark data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s four cores are surprisingly sufficient to keep frame rates playable, though the overall experience is heavily dependent on graphical settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals a GPU-bound workload. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 59.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 44.9 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 24%. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 38.6 FPS, which is about 35% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is typical for a game where the Radeon RX 7700 XT is working hard to fill pixels, and the gap between resolutions widens as the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The scaling is even more dramatic when comparing the Low preset across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system delivers a high 123.5 FPS, but this falls to 104.4 FPS at 1440p and then to 81.3 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is still playable, but the drop from 1080p represents a 34% performance loss. This indicates that even at the lowest settings, the resolution has a massive impact on the GPU's workload, confirming that the RX 7700 XT is the component defining the frame rate limits in this game, not the CPU.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, with its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 192-bit bus, is the workhorse in this configuration. The data shows that its role is critical, as the frame rate scales heavily with resolution and settings. The GPU’s boost clock of 2544 MHz and game clock of 2171 MHz are high, which helps in achieving the measured frame rates, but the sheer pixel count at 4K overwhelms it. The measured results show that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 31.4, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s appears to be a contributing factor to the performance cliff at higher settings. At 1440p Ultra, the average is 38.9 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 44.5 FPS. These numbers are close, suggesting that the GPU is hitting a processing limit rather than a memory limit at 1440p. However, the jump from 1080p High (59.1 FPS) to 1080p Ultra (44.5 FPS) shows a 25% performance hit for the increased visual fidelity, indicating that the GPU's compute units are the main constraint when the settings are maxed out.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a quad-core processor with 8 threads, a base clock of 3.30 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. In this game, the data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, as the frame rates are consistently higher at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom. The CPU’s performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912, shows it has enough processing power to feed the GPU in most scenarios.

However, the CPU's limits are visible when examining the frame rate consistency. At 1080p Low, the system produces 123.5 FPS, but the CPU's single-thread performance (a 3DMark single-thread score of 893) suggests that it can handle the game's logic without holding back the GPU. The lack of more cores (it has 4 cores, compared to higher-end chips) does not appear to cause a severe penalty in this title, as the frame rates scale predictably with GPU load. The data indicates that the i3-12100F is a capable partner, enabling the RX 7700 XT to reach its potential at 1080p, but it is the GPU that dictates the playable settings at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Core i3-12100F and Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 698 out of 1689 tested combos for this game. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all systems tested, which is a strong result given the CPU's modest core count. The ranking reflects that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting, and the CPU is not dragging the system down significantly.

Looking at the individual components, the GPU's average benchmark score of 30097 puts it at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (0% delta). This shows the RX 7700 XT is a high-performing part. The CPU's average score of 13516 places it at the 72nd percentile, with its nearest rival being the Intel Core i3-10105 (0.6% delta). The combination of two above-average parts results in a system that is well-balanced for this game, but the ranking suggests that other combos with more powerful CPUs might achieve higher frame rates at lower resolutions where CPU load is more significant.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system is most capable. The Low preset delivers an average of 123.5 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset drops to 80.6 FPS, still very smooth. High settings yield 59.1 FPS, a solid 60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing 44.5 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

At 2560x1440, performance takes a hit. Low settings produce 104.4 FPS, which is still excellent. Medium settings average 68.7 FPS, providing a good balance. High settings drop to 44.9 FPS, which is on the edge of smooth gameplay. Ultra settings fall to 38.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and more suited for slower, atmospheric exploration.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. Low settings produce 81.3 FPS, which is surprisingly playable. Medium settings average 53.8 FPS, which is acceptable. High settings yield 38.6 FPS, which is a noticeable slowdown. Ultra settings are the most punishing, with an average of just 31.4 FPS, making it the least recommended configuration for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution.

For 1080p, the Medium preset at 80.6 FPS offers the best combination of visual quality and smoothness. It is a significant jump from the High preset’s 59.1 FPS, and the visual difference between Medium and High is often less impactful than the performance gain. For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset at 123.5 FPS is the clear choice for maximum responsiveness.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 68.7 FPS is the recommended sweet spot. It provides a frame rate that is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, while High settings at 44.9 FPS might be acceptable for those prioritizing visuals over smoothness. The Low preset at 104.4 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but the Medium preset offers a better visual experience without sacrificing too much performance.

For 4K, the Low preset at 81.3 FPS is the only setting that delivers a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 53.8 FPS is playable, but the drop to High (38.6 FPS) and Ultra (31.4 FPS) makes these presets unsuitable for a good experience. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant settings compromises.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K smoothly?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a smooth frame rate, averaging 81.3 FPS. The Medium preset is playable at 53.8 FPS, but High (38.6 FPS) and Ultra (31.4 FPS) fall below acceptable levels.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the best performance, with the Medium preset reaching 80.6 FPS and the Low preset reaching 123.5 FPS, making it the most versatile resolution for this hardware.

Q: How much of a performance hit is the Ultra preset compared to High?

A: At 1080p, the Ultra preset (44.5 FPS) is about 25% slower than the High preset (59.1 FPS). At 1440p, the drop is from 44.9 FPS (High) to 38.9 FPS (Ultra), a reduction of roughly 13%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as frame rates scale significantly with resolution and settings. The CPU appears sufficient, as the system achieves high frame rates at lower resolutions where the GPU is less taxed.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 123.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does this system rank compared to all tested combos?

A: This combo ranks 698th out of 1689 tested combinations for The Medium, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all systems benchmarked.