The Medium

The Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is a classic mid-range desktop combination, and in The Medium it delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by the game's demanding rendering engine. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, runs at a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This is a Rocket Lake part on the Intel Socket 1200 platform, built on a 14 nm process. For a horror title that relies on atmospheric tension and complex scene loading, the CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide a solid foundation for feeding the GPU. Benchmark results for the processor show a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024, placing it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% lower) and the Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% higher), indicating that the 11400F sits in a performance tier where its core count and clock speeds are well-balanced for gaming workloads that are not heavily multi-threaded.

The data indicates that the i5-11400F is rarely the bottleneck in this configuration for The Medium. The game's performance scaling across different resolutions shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the load shifts almost entirely to the GPU. The CPU's 3DMark scores, including a single-thread score of 868 and a 16-thread score of 5619, suggest it has sufficient headroom to handle the game's logic and draw calls without limiting the frame rate, even when the GPU is working at its maximum capacity. The processor's PassMark single-thread score of 2981 further confirms its competence in tasks that rely on per-core performance. While the CPU is not the star of the show, it is a capable partner that ensures the RTX 3070 Ti is not left waiting for data, particularly in the lower resolution presets where frame rates are highest and CPU overhead is more likely to surface.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware configurations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti achieves a combo rank of 1339 out of 3724 tested combos. This places it in the upper-middle tier of all systems, which is a strong result for a combination that does not feature a flagship CPU. The ranking reflects that while the GPU is a high-performer, the overall system is held back slightly by the CPU relative to pairings with top-tier processors. However, this rank is not a mark of poor performance; it simply indicates that many other configurations, likely with newer or more expensive CPUs, can achieve higher frame rates in the same scenarios. The data shows that the combo outperforms a significant majority of the 3724 tested systems, making it a very viable choice for 1440p and even 4K gaming in this specific title.

The rank of 1339 also highlights the balance of this pairing. The RTX 3070 Ti is a powerful GPU, but the i5-11400F, while competent, is not a top-tier enthusiast chip. The performance delta between this combo and those ranked higher is likely due to the CPU's limitations in highly threaded scenarios or its lower single-thread performance compared to newer architectures. Nevertheless, the system's percentile placement suggests that for a vast number of games, this combo will deliver a smooth experience. The data confirms that the bottleneck is more often the GPU than the CPU, especially at higher resolutions, which is the ideal scenario for a gaming PC. The fact that the i5-11400F's nearest CPU rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 and the Intel Core i5-12450H, with very small percentage differences in aggregate scores, shows that the processor is in a well-populated performance band where minor architectural differences do not translate into massive gaming gaps.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for The Medium reveals a textbook example of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 125 FPS, which is a high frame rate that often approaches the limits of what the CPU can support. When the resolution is increased to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops to 109, a decrease of roughly 13%. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low settings, the average FPS falls to 85, which is a 22% drop from the 1440p figure and a 32% drop from 1080p. This pattern demonstrates that the GPU is the primary limiter, as the frame rate decreases steadily with the increased pixel count, while the CPU's workload remains largely constant.

More telling is the scaling at higher quality presets. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 46. At 2560x1440 Ultra, it drops to 39 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Ultra, it falls to 30 FPS. The relatively small absolute differences between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings (46 to 30 FPS) indicate that the game is heavily GPU-intensive at these settings, with the graphics card being pushed to its absolute limits regardless of resolution. The frame rate is capped by the GPU's raw rendering power, not by the resolution's additional overhead. This is further evidenced by the fact that the difference between 1080p Low (125 FPS) and 4K Low (85 FPS) is much larger, because at Low settings, the GPU is less stressed and the resolution scaling has a more pronounced effect on the final frame rate. The data strongly suggests that the i5-11400F is not a limiting factor in this game; the RTX 3070 Ti is the component that dictates performance, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 49 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the frame rate scales significantly with settings (85 FPS on Low, 53 FPS on Medium, 38 FPS on High, and 30 FPS on Ultra), which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance.

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings is 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS.

Q: What is the highest frame rate achieved by this configuration in the data?

A: The maximum average FPS recorded is 125 FPS, which was achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-11400F a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: Yes, the CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, and its aggregate benchmark score is within 0.6% of rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U and AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G.

Q: Can this system handle the game at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K with Medium settings, the system averages 53 FPS, which is generally considered playable. However, at High settings, the average drops to 38 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 30 FPS, which may be less desirable for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing for The Medium. This Ampere-architecture GPU, built on an 8 nm process at Samsung, features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 1770 MHz, with a base clock of 1575 MHz. Its compute power is substantial, with an FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its high-end positioning, with a PassMark G3D score of 23356 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 139541, placing it in the 75th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% higher score) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (0.5% lower score), showing that it is clearly a high-performance part.

In The Medium, the GPU's role is critical, as the game's visual effects, lighting, and high-resolution textures place a massive load on the graphics card. The data shows that the RTX 3070 Ti is the primary driver of frame rates at all resolutions. The substantial drops in FPS when moving from Low to Ultra settings at the same resolution highlight the GPU's workload. For example, at 1440p, the average FPS goes from 109 on Low to 39 on Ultra, a 64% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the key factors limiting performance at higher quality presets. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game at these settings, but the GPU architecture's ability to process the complex shaders and effects is what determines the final output. The strong performance at 1080p Low (125 FPS) shows that the GPU has plenty of headroom when not burdened by high-fidelity effects, but it is quickly saturated as visual quality increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and smooth performance for this combo is the Medium preset. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the system delivers an average of 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, ensuring a consistently fluid experience. Moving up to High settings at 1080p reduces the average to 58 FPS, which is still playable but introduces more noticeable dips. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 68 FPS (58 min, 78 max), which is an excellent result for a high-resolution monitor. This is the sweet spot for this configuration, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Low settings while maintaining frame rates that are well above the 60 FPS threshold.

For users with a 4K display, the Medium preset is also the most viable option, producing an average of 53 FPS (45 min, 61 max). While not a locked 60 FPS, the experience is far smoother than the High preset's 38 FPS average or the Ultra preset's 30 FPS average. The Low preset at 4K (85 FPS) is an option for those prioritizing frame rate above all else, but it sacrifices the visual fidelity that makes the game atmospheric. The data clearly shows that the Ultra preset is not recommended for this combo at any resolution, as it consistently pushes the GPU to its limit and results in average frame rates below 50 FPS at 1080p (46 FPS) and below 40 FPS at 1440p (39 FPS). Therefore, the Medium preset is the best choice, offering a balanced experience that leverages the strengths of both the CPU and GPU without overwhelming them.