The Medium

The Medium, a horror title built around a fixed-camera perspective and simultaneous dual-world rendering, presents a distinctive challenge for the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination. This pairing, representing a mid-range 11th Gen Intel platform and a RDNA 2.0 GPU, delivers a playable but heavily settings-dependent experience. The benchmark data shows a system that is clearly capable of smooth performance at lower presets but struggles to maintain high frame rates at maximum visual fidelity, particularly at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT achieves a combo rank of 2434 out of 3724 tested combinations specifically for The Medium. This places the pairing in the lower third of all possible configurations, indicating that while it is functionally capable of running the game, it does not offer the headroom required for top-tier performance in this specific title. The rank reflects the demanding nature of the game, which often renders two scenes simultaneously to create its signature "spirit world" effect.

This ranking is a direct consequence of the hardware's individual standings. The GPU, with a percentile of 65 against all other graphics cards, is the more capable component in this pairing. Its performance is competitive with the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, which has an average benchmark score of 19885, a figure that is merely 0.6% higher than the RX 6650 XT's score. The CPU, on the other hand, sits at the 71st percentile among all processors. Its average benchmark score of 17177 is nearly identical to that of the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120, a negligible 0.3% difference. The data suggests that the CPU and GPU are roughly matched in their general processing power, but the game's specific rendering workload, which heavily taxes the GPU with dual-viewport rendering, makes the graphics card the primary determinant of the final frame rate.

The low rank is not a sign of a broken or unoptimized system, but rather a reflection of the game's high system requirements. The data indicates that the RX 6650 XT, while a solid 1080p performer, is not positioned to deliver high-refresh-rate or high-fidelity experiences in The Medium. The combo's standing is a warning that users will need to make significant compromises in visual settings to achieve a consistent frame rate, a conclusion reinforced by the measured FPS data across all resolutions and presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the central figure in determining this combo's performance in The Medium. Its capabilities are defined by its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's assets at 1080p and 1440p, but the 8 GB capacity is likely a limiting factor at 4K with higher detail settings, potentially causing texture thrashing and contributing to the significant frame rate drops observed at that resolution.

The GPU's clock speeds are high, with a base clock of 2055 MHz, a game clock of 2410 MHz, and a boost clock of 2635 MHz. These frequencies allow the 2048 shading units to deliver an FP32 performance of 10.79 TFLOPS. In the context of The Medium, this raw compute power is what drives the complex lighting and shader effects. However, the game's unique "dual-world" mechanic means the GPU is often rendering two different scenes at once, effectively halving the resources available for each view. This explains why the GPU, despite its respectable specifications, sees frame rates plummet when settings are increased. The pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p, but they are overwhelmed by the demands of rendering two 4K images, even at lower settings.

The performance data shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the bottleneck at higher settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 95 FPS, indicating the CPU is feeding the GPU enough data to keep it busy. But as settings are raised to High and the rendering workload increases, the average frame rate drops to 43 FPS. This is a 55% reduction, demonstrating that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are quickly saturated as visual complexity increases. The RX 6650 XT is a competent card for its class, but the data suggests it is not designed for the intense, multi-viewport rendering that The Medium demands at high quality settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second data reveals a predictable but steep decline in performance as resolution increases, highlighting the GPU's central role in this combo. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, with the most dramatic drops occurring between 1080p and 1440p, and again between 1440p and 4K.

At the Low settings preset, the frame rate scales from 95 FPS at 1920x1080 to 80 FPS at 2560x1440, a 15.8% drop. Moving to 3840x2160, the frame rate falls to 63 FPS, a further 21.3% drop from the 1440p result. This scaling is relatively gentle, indicating that even at 4K, the GPU is not fully saturated at the lowest settings. The system is likely still somewhat CPU-limited at 1080p Low, but by 4K, the GPU's fillrate and memory bandwidth are becoming the primary constraint.

With Medium settings, which are the only preset with complete min/max data, the scaling is more aggressive. The average FPS drops from 59 at 1080p to 50 at 1440p (a 15.3% decrease) and then to 39 at 4K (a 22% decrease from 1440p). The minimum FPS also shows a concerning trend, falling from 51 at 1080p to 43 at 1440p and down to 33 at 4K. This indicates that not only does the average performance suffer, but the frame pacing becomes less consistent, leading to stutter in the game's cinematic moments.

The High and Ultra presets show the most severe scaling, confirming the GPU's limits. At High, performance drops from 43 FPS at 1080p to 36 FPS at 1440p, and then to 28 FPS at 4K. At Ultra, the numbers are 34 FPS, 28 FPS, and 22 FPS, respectively. The 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS is effectively unplayable. This data clearly shows that the limiting component at higher resolutions and settings is the RX 6650 XT. The CPU's performance is not scaling with resolution, but the GPU's workload increases exponentially, causing the frame rate to collapse. The scaling patterns suggest that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can consistently provide a smooth experience, and even then, only at lower settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 95 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only at the Low settings preset, where it achieves an average of 63 FPS. At 4K High or Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls to 28 FPS and 22 FPS respectively, which are not smooth experiences.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, has a score of 17120, making the i5-11400F 0.3% faster in this comparison.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 80 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 28 FPS. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the main bottleneck in this system for this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. As resolution and settings increase, the frame rate drops significantly, while the CPU's role remains constant. The GPU's workload with the game's dual-world rendering quickly overwhelms its capabilities.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded at 1080p Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded was 51, with an average of 59 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured performance for the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination in The Medium.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: Average FPS of 95.
• Medium: Average FPS of 59, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 68.
• High: Average FPS of 43.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 34.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: Average FPS of 80.
• Medium: Average FPS of 50, with a minimum of 43 and a maximum of 58.
• High: Average FPS of 36.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 28.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: Average FPS of 63.
• Medium: Average FPS of 39, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45.
• High: Average FPS of 28.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 22.

This data set reveals a clear hierarchy. The system is most comfortable at 1080p, where it can achieve playable frame rates at all but the Ultra preset. The step up to 1440p introduces a significant performance penalty, and 4K is only viable with significant graphical compromises. The Medium preset is the only one that provides full min/max data, showing a spread of 14-17 FPS between the minimum and maximum, which suggests some degree of frame time variance during intense scenes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides the processing foundation for this combo. It is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 12 MB of shared L3 cache helps to feed the six cores, which is a standard configuration for a modern gaming CPU. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024, indicating a solid balance of multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

For The Medium, the CPU's role is to manage the game's logic, physics, and the streaming of assets for both the real world and the spirit world. The 12 threads are likely sufficient to handle these tasks, as the frame rate data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck when settings are increased. When comparing the 1080p Low result of 95 FPS to the 4K Low result of 63 FPS, the drop is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering load. The CPU is delivering frames fast enough to keep the GPU busy at lower settings.

However, the CPU's performance does set a ceiling. At 1080p Low, the system hits 95 FPS, which is a good result, but it does not reach the higher refresh rates that a more powerful processor might allow. The CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 places it very close to the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120, and the Intel Core i5-12450H, which scores 17239. This indicates that the i5-11400F is a dependable mid-range performer. It does not appear to hinder the GPU at higher resolutions, but it is not the component that will push frame rates past the 100 FPS mark in this title. The 65W TDP suggests it is an efficient chip, but the data focuses on its output, which is sufficient for a 60 FPS target at 1080p with the right settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear blueprint for optimizing the experience with this hardware. The goal is to maintain a stable frame rate above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay, which is crucial for a horror title where immersion is key.

For a 1080p display, the High preset is the recommended starting point. It delivers an average of 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Therefore, the Medium preset is the better choice for a consistent experience, as it achieves an average of 59 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS. This preset provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, ensuring the game remains fluid during tense moments. The Low preset, at 95 FPS, is for users who prioritize a very high frame rate for the smoothest possible motion, but it comes at the cost of visual detail. The Ultra preset is not recommended for 1080p, as its 34 FPS average is too low for a comfortable experience.

At 1440p, the options become more limited. The Low preset, with an average of 80 FPS, is the only way to achieve a frame rate well above 60 FPS. The Medium preset, at 50 FPS, is playable but will have noticeable dips. The High and Ultra presets, at 36 and 28 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 1440p users, the Medium preset offers the best compromise, but they must accept an average below 60 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that guarantees a consistently high frame rate.

For 4K displays, the data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for high-quality gaming. The Low preset is the only viable option, yielding an average of 63 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 39 FPS, and High and Ultra fall to 28 and 22 FPS, respectively, making them unplayable. Therefore, the recommendation for 4K is to use the Low preset to achieve a playable frame rate, accepting a significant reduction in visual quality. The overall best experience for this system is at 1080p with the Medium settings, which provides a near-60 FPS average with the most stable frame pacing, as indicated by the min/max data.