The Medium

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti in The Medium presents a study in bottleneck dynamics, where a mid-range 11th-gen processor is paired with a high-end Ada Lovelace GPU. The benchmark data shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet reveals the CPU's capability ceiling as resolution drops. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the i5-11400F operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, based on the Rocket Lake architecture on a 14 nm process. This processor, which ranks in the 75th percentile against all CPUs, demonstrates solid multi-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14372, positioning it as a capable gaming workhorse. However, the data indicates that its primary role in this pairing is to feed frames to the RTX 4070 Ti, a GPU that sits in the 85th percentile against all GPUs, rather than to act as the performance limiter in most scenarios.

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

The Intel Core i5-11400F provides the computational foundation for this combo, and its specifications suggest a processor designed to balance cost and capability. With 6 physical cores and 12 threads via Hyper-Threading, it offers a modern multi-threading layout that is well-suited for contemporary game engines. The processor's boost clock of 4.40 GHz is its primary asset for gaming, as it allows for strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1979. These numbers are critical because The Medium, like many titles, relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and rendering commands. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s provide adequate data throughput for the GPU, but the data suggests this is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU's role shifts depending on the resolution and settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 125.5 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the dataset. This suggests that at this lower resolution and reduced graphical load, the CPU is able to keep up with the GPU's output, but it also hints that the i5-11400F might be nearing its limit. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-11400F's average benchmark score of 17181 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (17189), with a deltaPct of 0, and just 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-1260P and Core Ultra 7 164U. This places the CPU in a competitive position, but its performance is more aligned with mobile and lower-power parts, indicating that while it is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions, its headroom at 1080p is limited.

The RTX 4070 Ti, on the other hand, is a different class of hardware. With 7680 shading units, 60 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores, it is a formidable GPU. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU's compute capabilities are staggering, with an FP32 performance of 40.09 TFLOPS. In this context, the CPU's role is to feed this GPU with data. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 38.4, which is a GPU-bound scenario where the CPU's 6 cores are likely not the primary constraint. However, at 1080p Low, the 125.5 FPS average suggests that the CPU is working harder to keep the GPU fed, and any further increase in CPU performance would likely yield diminishing returns unless the GPU is upgraded.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the processor's performance percentile relative to all CPUs, and what does that signify?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F sits in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it outperforms three-quarters of the processors in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score of 17181 places it in a tight cluster with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and Intel Core i7-1260P, where the performance deltas are within 0.2% of each other, showing it is a competent mid-range part.

Q: How does the graphics card's benchmark standing compare to its immediate rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti ranks in the 85th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44900. Its closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, which scores 45152, representing a deltaPct of -0.6% for the 4070 Ti. It is also 1.5% behind the Intel Arc A730M and 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo, and at what settings?

A: The highest average frame rate in the dataset is 125.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed closely by 119.3 FPS at 2560x1440 with Low settings, showing that the Low preset provides a significant performance boost across all resolutions.

Q: Is the system more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 38.4, which is the lowest measured score. This severe performance drop, compared to the 51.5 FPS at High settings, indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound at this resolution and preset, as the RTX 4070 Ti is struggling to maintain playable frame rates.

Q: How does the processor's single-threaded performance compare to its multi-threaded performance?

A: The processor's single-threaded performance is strong, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 868 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2029. In contrast, its multi-threaded capabilities are highlighted by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14372 and a Passmark multithread score of 16908. The ratio between these scores suggests a balanced architecture that can handle both lightly-threaded game engines and more heavily-threaded workloads.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among all tested combinations in this game?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is ranked 329th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 20% of all tested systems, indicating a high level of performance relative to the broader database.

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

The measured frame rates across resolutions paint a clear picture of GPU dominance in this pairing. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 80.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 64.7 FPS, a reduction of 15.4 FPS (19.2%). Further scaling to 4K High results in 51.5 FPS, a drop of 13.2 FPS from 1440p (20.4%). This linear progression of frame rate loss as resolution increases is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario, as the rendering workload on the RTX 4070 Ti scales with pixel count, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant.

The trend becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system produces 125.5 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 119.3 FPS, a mere 4.9% decrease. At 4K Low, it falls further to 109.4 FPS, an 8.3% decrease from 1440p. This relatively shallow drop in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding frames at a high rate, and the GPU is not being pushed to its limits. The fact that the system can maintain over 100 FPS at 4K Low suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck here; the GPU is simply not being stressed enough to reveal its limitations.

However, the Ultra preset tells a different story. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 62.6. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 53.0, a 15.3% decrease. The most dramatic drop occurs when scaling to 4K Ultra, where the frame rate plummets to 38.4 FPS, a 27.5% decrease from 1440p. This steep decline in performance at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that the RTX 4070 Ti is the limiting component, as the increased shader and memory bandwidth requirements at this resolution and quality level overwhelm the GPU. The data shows that the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, but as the graphical load intensifies, the GPU's performance ceiling becomes the primary constraint.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Analyzing the measured frame rates across all settings, the Medium preset emerges as the most balanced option for this combo. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 103.6 FPS, which is a substantial improvement over the 80.1 FPS at High and the 62.6 FPS at Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p results in a frame rate decrease of 21.9 FPS (from 125.5 to 103.6), but the visual quality improvements are typically significant, making this the sweet spot for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1440p, the Medium preset provides 91.2 FPS, which is an excellent result for this resolution. This is only a 12.4 FPS drop from the Low preset's 119.3 FPS, while offering substantially better visual fidelity. The High preset at 1440p dips to 64.7 FPS, which is still playable but may not be ideal for those seeking maximum smoothness. The Ultra preset at 1440p is borderline at 53.0 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced horror games but not ideal.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset yields 70.2 FPS, which is a highly playable frame rate for a horror title. This is a remarkable result, as it is 18.7 FPS higher than the High preset's 51.5 FPS and 31.8 FPS higher than the Ultra preset's 38.4 FPS. The Low preset at 4K achieves 109.4 FPS, but the visual trade-offs are typically too severe for a game like The Medium, which relies on atmospheric lighting and shadows. Therefore, the Medium preset at 4K is the recommended choice for a balanced experience, offering a 36.3% performance increase over High while maintaining a more immersive visual presentation.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti achieves a rank of 329 out of 1689 tested combinations in The Medium. This places the combo in the top 19.5% of all systems tested, a strong result that underscores the effectiveness of this pairing. The ranking is particularly impressive given the CPU's mid-range status, which suggests that the RTX 4070 Ti is doing the heavy lifting to secure this high position.

The data shows that this combo's performance is not limited by the CPU in most scenarios, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions. The i5-11400F's 75th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms its capability, but in this context, it is the GPU's 85th percentile ranking that drives the system's overall position. The RTX 4070 Ti's near-identical average benchmark score of 44900 compared to the RTX 5090 Mobile (45152) shows that this desktop GPU is performing at a level competitive with high-end mobile parts, which explains why the combo ranks so highly.

The rank of 329 out of 1689 combos is a strong indicator that this system is well-balanced for The Medium, offering high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p while remaining capable of 4K gaming at Medium settings. The system's ability to maintain 70.2 FPS at 4K Medium reflects the RTX 4070 Ti's power, and the i5-11400F's 6 cores are sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck. While the CPU is not the fastest available, its performance is more than adequate for this GPU, and the combination proves to be a formidable setup for this title. The data confirms that this is a high-performing combo, ranking in the top fifth of all systems tested in The Medium.