The Medium

The Medium places this particular combination of an Intel Core i5-10400F and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 in a challenging position. Sitting at rank 1400 out of 1689 tested combos, this system is firmly in the lower quartile of configurations for this horror title. The data suggests that while the pair is functional, it struggles to deliver the fluid experience that the game’s fixed-camera angles and dense environments demand. The ranking is not a verdict on either component alone, but rather a clear indicator that this pairing is better suited for lower graphical presets than for pushing the game’s visual envelope.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured data for this combo places it at 1400 out of 1689 tested configurations, meaning roughly 83% of other tested systems perform better. This is a stark reality check for anyone expecting high-refresh-rate horror. The percentile ranking for the GPU alone is 58, indicating it is a mid-range part, but the CPU sits at the 73rd percentile, suggesting the processor is the stronger link in this chain. The bottleneck is clearly not the six-core i5-10400F, but rather the RTX 2060’s ability to feed frames at higher settings. The gap between this combo and the top performers is substantial, and the benchmark results indicate that this system is best approached with modest expectations for graphical fidelity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary driver of the frame rate, and its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth becomes a limiting factor in The Medium. The card’s base clock of 1365 MHz and boost clock of 1680 MHz are standard for the Turing architecture, but the game’s heavy use of volumetric effects and streaming geometry appears to tax the memory subsystem. The 30 RT cores are present, but the game’s implementation of ray tracing is not the main performance driver in these measured results. The data shows a massive swing between Low and Ultra settings, which points to the GPU’s compute power being the deciding factor. The card’s 6.451 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply not enough to maintain playable frame rates at higher presets, especially at 4K where the pixel fill rate requirements outpace the 80.64 GPixel/s capability.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results are unambiguous in their recommendation. The Low preset is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience across all resolutions. At 1080p, Low delivers 81.1 FPS, which is more than double the 34.8 FPS of High and nearly triple the 27.4 FPS of Ultra. Even at 1440p, Low maintains 68.3 FPS, making it the only playable option at that resolution. The Medium preset is a compromise that yields 49.6 FPS at 1080p, which is borderline acceptable for a slow-paced horror game but will stutter in action sequences. The data suggests that players should either accept the visual downgrade of Low or be prepared for a sub-30 FPS experience at higher settings. There is no setting combination that offers both high fidelity and smooth motion with this hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as settings increase. Starting at 1080p, the progression is stark: Low produces 81.1 FPS, Medium drops to 49.6 FPS, High falls to 34.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 27.4 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 39% performance loss, while the step from Medium to High is another 30% loss. At 1440p, the same trend continues: Low yields 68.3 FPS, Medium dips to 46.1 FPS, High reaches only 28.5 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 22.5 FPS. The 4K results are brutal: Low manages 56.9 FPS, Medium drops to 36.4 FPS, High falls to 25.3 FPS, and Ultra is a slideshow at 18.3 FPS. These numbers show that the RTX 2060 is a 1080p card for this title, and even then, only at lower presets.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data shows a non-linear relationship between pixel count and frame rate, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. When moving from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, the frame rate drops from 81.1 to 68.3 FPS, a 16% decrease for a 78% increase in pixels. This suggests the card has headroom at 1080p and is not fully saturated. However, at 4K Low, the frame rate is 56.9 FPS, which is a 30% drop from 1440p, indicating the GPU is now hitting its limits. The scaling is more punishing at higher settings. For example, at High settings, the drop from 1080p (34.8 FPS) to 1440p (28.5 FPS) is 18%, but the drop to 4K (25.3 FPS) is only 11% from 1440p. This compression of frame rates at higher resolutions and settings indicates that the GPU is completely saturated, and the limiting component is unequivocally the RTX 2060’s processing power and memory bandwidth, not the CPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides a stable foundation with its 6 cores and 12 threads, clocked at a base of 2.90 GHz and a boost of 4.30 GHz. The CPU’s benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and a single-core score of 1453. In the context of The Medium, the CPU appears to be more than adequate. The data shows that the frame rate is dictated by the GPU, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing graphical settings at the same resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates that remain relatively flat across settings, but that is not the case. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are sufficient for the game’s logic, and the processor’s 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is a capable mid-range part. The CPU is not holding this combo back; the GPU is the clear limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running The Medium at 4K?

A: The data shows it can run at 4K, but only at Low settings where it achieves 56.9 FPS. At Medium, it drops to 36.4 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 25.3 and 18.3 FPS respectively, making those presets unplayable.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: The measured results indicate that 1080p is the optimal resolution. At Low settings, it achieves 81.1 FPS, and even at Medium it maintains 49.6 FPS, which is the only way to get a smooth experience with slightly better visuals.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074. It is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996) and 1.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon Pro 5700, both at 16351, by 1.7%.

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

A: The benchmark data clearly shows the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops dramatically as settings increase at a fixed resolution, which is a hallmark of GPU saturation. The CPU’s performance is not affecting these results.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings produce an average of 68.3 FPS, while Ultra settings produce only 22.5 FPS. This represents a performance reduction of 67% when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Q: Does the CPU’s 6-core configuration hold back the GPU?

A: The data does not support this claim. The CPU’s 73rd percentile ranking and the pattern of FPS drops with increased graphical load indicate that the processor has ample headroom. The i5-10400F’s performance is sufficient for this game’s requirements.