The Medium

Resolution Scaling

The Medium presents a demanding rendering workload for the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination, with frame rates scaling steeply as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 108 FPS, but moving to 1440p drops that to 91 FPS, and at 4K it falls further to 72 FPS. This progression reveals that even at the lowest preset, the GPU is the primary limiter—the 4K Low result is 33% below the 1080p Low figure, a substantial penalty that points directly at pixel throughput rather than any CPU constraint.

The scaling curve steepens dramatically when settings are raised. At Medium settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p costs 11 FPS (68 to 57), and the jump to 4K costs another 12 FPS (57 to 45). That 4K Medium result—45 FPS on average with a minimum of 38 and maximum of 52—shows the RTX 4060 working hard but remaining playable. However, the High preset tells a different story: 1080p High runs at 49 FPS, 1440p High at 41 FPS, and 4K High at just 32 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K at High is a 35% reduction, indicating that the rendering load at higher quality settings amplifies the resolution penalty.

At Ultra settings, the combo struggles to maintain acceptable performance. The 1080p Ultra result is 39 FPS, 1440p Ultra drops to 32 FPS, and 4K Ultra bottoms out at 25 FPS. This final figure—25 FPS at 4K Ultra—is below the threshold for smooth gameplay and demonstrates that this hardware combination cannot handle the game's maximum visual fidelity at high resolutions. The pattern across all settings is consistent: each resolution step costs roughly 15-25% of the previous frame rate, with the largest absolute drops occurring between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings (17 FPS) and between 1440p and 4K at Medium settings (12 FPS).

What the data indicates is that the RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface become increasingly stressed as resolution climbs. The pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are fixed hardware characteristics, and the measured results show these resources being consumed rapidly by The Medium's fixed-camera horror scenes. For users targeting 4K, only the Low preset delivers frame rates above 60 FPS, while Medium at 4K sits in the 38-52 FPS range—playable for a slow-paced horror title but not for action-heavy sequences.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F brings 4 cores and 8 threads to this combination, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. In The Medium, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU across most tested configurations, but it is not entirely negligible. The processor's single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674, keeps the game running without obvious frame pacing issues at lower resolutions.

The game's reliance on CPU resources becomes apparent when examining the 1080p Low result of 108 FPS. This figure represents the highest frame rate in the entire dataset, and it suggests that the i3-12100F can feed the RTX 4060 sufficiently at this resolution and settings level. However, the CPU's 4-core/8-thread configuration, while adequate for The Medium's dual-reality rendering mechanic, does not provide headroom for higher settings at 1080p. The drop from 108 FPS at Low to 68 FPS at Medium—a 37% reduction—is far larger than what typical GPU-bound scaling would show, indicating that the CPU's thread management and memory bandwidth (DDR4/DDR5 support with dual-channel bus) may be contributing to the bottleneck at moderate settings.

Comparing the i3-12100F to its nearest rivals in general benchmark performance shows it sits in a tight cluster. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492 with a 0% delta, the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 with a 0.3% delta, and the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 with a -0.7% delta. This positions the i3-12100F as a mid-pack performer among its direct competitors, with a percentile rank of 68 against all CPUs. For The Medium specifically, the CPU's multithreaded capability—a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860—provides sufficient processing power for the game's background simulation tasks, but the 4-core limit becomes more relevant at higher settings where the GPU demands more data.

The 3DMark 16-thread score of 4051 and 8-thread score of 4026 show that the CPU's performance plateaus beyond 8 threads, which is expected for a 4-core/8-thread part. This plateau means that any workload that scales beyond 8 threads will not benefit from additional CPU resources, but The Medium's engine appears to stay within this limit. The measured FPS data supports this interpretation: at 1440p Low (91 FPS) and 4K Low (72 FPS), the frame rates are high enough that CPU limitations would not be the primary constraint, whereas at 1080p Medium (68 FPS), the CPU may be limiting the achievable frame rate compared to what the GPU could theoretically deliver.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate smoothness. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 78, which is the best balance between visual quality and playability. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 108 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and lighting. The High preset at 1080p yields 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth motion, making it a less desirable choice despite the improved visuals.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, delivering 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66. This falls just short of 60 FPS on average but remains playable, and the minimum frame rate of 49 is acceptable for a game like The Medium that does not require twitch reflexes. The Low preset at 1440p runs at 91 FPS, which is smooth but visually underwhelming, while the High preset at 41 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are both below the playability threshold for most users. The 1440p Medium setting appears to be the sweet spot, offering 57 FPS average with a narrow frame time variance.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset delivers 72 FPS, which is playable and represents the only 4K option that exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K runs at 45 FPS with a minimum of 38, which is borderline playable for a slow-paced horror experience but may cause noticeable stutter during scene transitions. The High preset at 32 FPS and Ultra at 25 FPS are not recommended for active gameplay, as these frame rates would detract from the game's immersive qualities. Users with 4K displays should accept the Low preset's visual compromises to maintain smooth performance, or alternatively, consider the 1440p Medium preset as a compromise that retains more visual detail.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the highest quality setting that maintains acceptable frame rates across all three resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the 68 FPS average is 39% higher than the High preset's 49 FPS, while at 1440p Medium, the 57 FPS average is 39% higher than High's 41 FPS. This consistent 39% advantage makes Medium the clear choice for users who prioritize smooth gameplay over maximum graphical detail.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 1999 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the 46th percentile of all tested system configurations. This mid-tier ranking reflects the hardware's capabilities: the RTX 4060 is a competent mainstream GPU, while the i3-12100F is a budget-oriented processor, and their combined performance places them squarely in the middle of the database's tested systems.

The ranking position is notable because it places this combo below many systems with older high-end GPUs or newer mid-range cards, but above systems with older low-end hardware. The RTX 4060's percentile rank of 61 against all GPUs, combined with the CPU's percentile rank of 68, suggests that the GPU is the more limiting factor in this pairing for The Medium specifically. The GPU's average benchmark score of 17639 is close to its nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666 with a -0.2% delta, and the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588 with a 0.3% delta—indicating that the RTX 4060 performs in line with its expected tier.

The combo rank of 1999 out of 3724 means that approximately 47% of tested systems outperform this configuration in The Medium. This is a significant finding because it shows that despite the RTX 4060's modern architecture and features, the overall system performance is constrained by the CPU's 4-core design. Users considering this combo for The Medium specifically should be aware that many alternative pairings—particularly those with 6-core or 8-core CPUs—would likely achieve higher rankings, even with a similar GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 serves as the primary performance driver in this combination, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs deliver a raw compute throughput of 15.11 TFLOPS, which is substantial for a 115 W part. The card's boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz are relatively high, reflecting the efficiency of the 5 nm Ada Lovelace architecture.

In The Medium, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the GPU can render at 108 FPS, but this drops to 68 FPS at Medium and 49 FPS at High. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s appears to be a limiting factor at higher settings, as The Medium's detailed textures and lighting effects require substantial memory throughput. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, the 25 FPS result suggests the card is being pushed to its absolute limits.

The RTX 4060's nearest rival in benchmark scores is the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which scores 17666 with a -0.2% delta, indicating that the RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is essentially tied. However, the RTX 4060's modern features—including DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4—provide advantages that older cards cannot offer, particularly in games that leverage these APIs. The GPU's pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s are sufficient for The Medium's fixed-camera scenes, but the card's performance at 4K Ultra demonstrates that it is not a high-resolution powerhouse.

The GPU's power characteristics—a TDP of 115 W with a suggested PSU of 300 W—make it an efficient choice, but this efficiency comes at the cost of raw performance headroom. The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 4060 cannot maintain 60 FPS at High settings in any resolution above 1080p, and at 4K, even Medium settings produce an average of only 45 FPS. This positions the card as a 1080p-oriented GPU for demanding titles like The Medium, with 1440p possible only at Medium settings or below.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance. The Low preset achieves 108 FPS on average, the highest frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 78, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. High settings drop to 49 FPS, while Ultra settings bottom out at 39 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear progression: each step from Low to Medium to High to Ultra costs approximately 37%, 28%, and 20% of the previous frame rate, respectively.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. Low settings run at 91 FPS, which remains smooth and playable. Medium settings deliver 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66, placing it just below the 60 FPS average threshold but within an acceptable range for the game's pacing. High settings produce 41 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 32 FPS. The 1440p results show that the Medium preset is the highest playable option, with the gap between Low and Medium (34 FPS) being larger than the gap between Medium and High (16 FPS), indicating that the Medium preset captures most of the visual benefits without the steep performance penalty of High.

At 3840x2160, the combo's limitations become apparent. Low settings run at 72 FPS, which is playable but represents a 33% drop from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings drop to 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 and maximum of 52, creating a playable but not ideal experience. High settings fall to 32 FPS, and Ultra settings produce just 25 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that only the Low preset maintains frame rates above 60 FPS, while Medium is borderline playable and High/Ultra are not recommended for active gameplay.

The complete dataset shows a consistent pattern: the i3-12100F and RTX 4060 combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with Medium settings, capable of 1440p gaming at Medium settings, and limited to Low settings at 4K. The Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions, with average frame rates of 68, 57, and 45 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. Users seeking higher frame rates should select the Low preset, while those prioritizing visual fidelity should accept the frame rate compromises inherent in the High and Ultra presets.