The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers a split personality. The data shows a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher settings, yet the CPU's capabilities become the deciding factor for achieving the highest possible frame rates at lower presets. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to show where this combo excels and where its limitations lie.

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

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This 14 nm chip features a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory. Its benchmark percentile of 75 against all CPUs indicates it is a solidly capable mid-range processor, but its performance relative to the GPU is the critical factor in this game.

Benchmark results show the CPU's multi-threaded potential. It scores 14,372 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 7579 in Geekbench multi-core. The single-thread score of 2029 in Cinebench R23 suggests adequate, though not class-leading, single-core performance. In the context of The Medium, this CPU appears to be a bottleneck only at the lowest settings and resolutions, where the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 125.3 FPS, but this is the only instance where the CPU's headroom is fully exposed.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 17,181 places it in close competition with its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (17,189) and the Intel Core i7-1260P (17,212). The delta percentages are minuscule, at 0% and -0.2% respectively, indicating that the i5-11400F's compute capabilities are statistically on par with these other processors. In this specific game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU adequately; the data suggests it does so effectively until the GPU load is lightened, after which its performance ceiling becomes more apparent.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the clear dominant force in this pairing. Built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a 4 nm process, it features a massive 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2970 MHz, and it houses 4096 shading units. This hardware is designed for high-resolution gaming, and the benchmark data confirms its strength. The GPU's percentile of 82 versus all GPUs places it firmly in the upper echelon of graphics cards.

The GPU's performance is consistent with its high-end positioning. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7260 and Passmark G3D score of 26,795 are indicative of a powerful graphics processor. In The Medium, the GPU's role is to handle the game's fixed-camera environments, high-resolution textures, and lighting effects. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is taxed to its limits, producing 38 FPS. However, the most telling result is the significant jump in performance when moving from High to Low settings, indicating that the GPU has substantial headroom when graphical effects are reduced. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for this title, preventing any memory-related bottlenecks at any tested resolution.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals the transition from a CPU-bound to a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 125.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces this to 120.5 FPS, a small drop that suggests the CPU is still the primary limiter. However, at 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 99.2 FPS, indicating the GPU is starting to take on more of the load.

The trend becomes much more pronounced at higher settings. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 66.1 FPS at 1080p to 55.7 FPS at 1440p, and then to 42.9 FPS at 4K. This consistent scaling shows a classic GPU-bound scenario. The most extreme example is at Ultra settings, where 1080p yields 52.4 FPS, 1440p drops to 44.1 FPS, and 4K falls to 38 FPS. The performance penalty from 1080p to 4K at Ultra is a 14.4 FPS drop, which is a modest 27.5% reduction, highlighting the GPU's strong scaling capabilities. The data clearly indicates that while the CPU is adequate, the RX 9070 XT is the component that dictates performance at medium, high, and ultra presets, with the CPU only becoming a factor at the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested configurations for The Medium, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT holds a rank of 479 out of 1689 total combos. This places it within the top 28% of all tested systems, which is a respectable standing given the game's demanding nature. This rank suggests that while the GPU is powerful, the overall system performance is tempered by the CPU's mid-range capabilities.

The rank indicates that there are 478 other combinations that perform better in this specific game. This does not mean the combo is slow, but rather that other pairings, likely with higher-end CPUs, can extract more performance from the GPU. The CPU's score is very close to its rivals, with a delta of 0.2% against the Intel Core i5-1240U, so the difference in rank is unlikely to be due to large CPU performance gaps. Instead, it is the combination of the GPU's high potential with a CPU that cannot fully unlock it at lower resolutions that likely holds this combo back from a higher rank.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates a wide performance range. With Low settings, it achieves an average of 125.3 FPS. Moving to Medium yields 94.7 FPS. The High preset delivers 66.1 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 52.4 FPS. This scaling shows a 72.9 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to tighten. The Low preset average is 120.5 FPS. Medium settings drop to 78.4 FPS. The High preset averages 55.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 44.1 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is thoroughly tested. The Low preset still manages an average of 99.2 FPS, which is highly playable. Medium settings produce 62.1 FPS. The High preset averages 42.9 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 38 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: the game is very scalable, but only the Low preset offers a consistently high refresh rate experience at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS for this combo at 1920x1080 with High settings is 66.1 FPS, which provides a smooth experience for most players.

Q: Is this CPU and GPU combo capable of 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, it is playable. The measured average at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 62.1 FPS. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 38 FPS, which may not be ideal for all users.

Q: How does the i5-11400F compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The data shows it is statistically tied with its closest competitors. Its average benchmark score is 17,181, compared to 17,189 for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (a 0% delta) and 17,212 for the Intel Core i7-1260P (a -0.2% delta).

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 120.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 44.1 FPS. This represents a difference of 76.4 FPS between the two extremes.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the primary bottleneck in this configuration?

A: At higher settings and resolutions, the GPU is the limiting factor, as seen by the large FPS drops when increasing graphical fidelity. At 1080p Low, the CPU's limits become more apparent, as the frame rate does not scale up as much as the GPU's capabilities would suggest.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing to maintain a high frame rate?

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 with Medium settings (78.4 FPS) or 1920x1080 with High settings (66.1 FPS) offer a strong balance. For the highest frame rates, 1080p Low is the only option to exceed 120 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience. For players prioritizing the highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that exceeds 120 FPS, delivering an average of 125.3 FPS. This setting also allows for high refresh rate gaming at 1440p, with an average of 120.5 FPS.

For a balanced experience that maintains high visual quality without sacrificing smoothness, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the optimal choice, yielding an average of 78.4 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Low settings while keeping the frame rate well above 60 FPS. At 4K, the Medium preset is the most viable option, producing an average of 62.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target.

The High and Ultra presets are best reserved for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. At 1080p, High delivers 66.1 FPS, which is acceptable, but Ultra drops to 52.4 FPS. At 4K, both presets fall below 45 FPS, making them less desirable for a smooth experience. The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality across all resolutions for this specific hardware combination.