The Medium

The Medium is a horror game that leans heavily on atmosphere, and this combination of an Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a complex picture of performance. The data shows a system where the GPU’s raw power is frequently the deciding factor, but the CPU’s capabilities ensure that lower resolutions remain highly playable. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, explaining exactly where this combo stands among the 1689 tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking pattern in the measured data is how dramatically frame rates collapse as resolution increases, which is a clear indicator of a GPU-bound workload at higher settings. At 1080p, the combo achieves a robust 89.9 FPS on Medium settings, but moving to 1440p drops that to 77.5 FPS, and 4K further reduces it to 62.1 FPS. This scaling suggests that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth are being taxed heavily by the game’s rendering demands. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is a 12.4 FPS loss, while the step from 1440p to 4K is a 15.4 FPS loss, indicating that the higher resolution is placing progressively more strain on the graphics processor.

However, the scaling behavior changes entirely when you switch to Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 140.4 FPS, which is a phenomenal result. At 1440p Low, it still manages 122.9 FPS, and even at 4K Low, it maintains 95.8 FPS. This pattern reveals that when the graphical load is reduced, the system has enough headroom to push high frame rates even at 4K, but the game’s visual complexity on Medium and above creates a significant bottleneck. The fact that 4K Low (95.8 FPS) outperforms 1080p Medium (89.9 FPS) by 5.9 FPS is telling: it suggests that the settings preset has a more profound impact on performance than the resolution itself, which is a common trait in games with heavy post-processing and volumetric effects.

The Ultra preset reinforces the GPU-bound nature of the game. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 53.4 FPS, which is already below the 60 FPS target. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 41.4 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to a marginal 32.9 FPS. This steep decline—a 20.5 FPS loss from 1080p to 4K—shows that the RTX 3080 struggles to maintain playable frame rates at the highest settings, particularly at higher resolutions. The data indicates that for a smooth experience, users will need to compromise on settings or resolution, as the GPU becomes the limiting component above 1080p on Medium.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is an Ampere-architecture card built on an 8 nm process with a GA102 chip. Its core configuration includes 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, along with 68 RT cores and 272 Tensor cores. The card’s boost clock is listed at 1710 MHz, with a base clock of 1440 MHz. These specifications translate into a pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s, which are substantial figures for a card of this class.

In the context of The Medium, the GPU’s memory subsystem appears to be a critical factor. The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory operates at an effective speed of 19 Gbps, providing 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth across a 320-bit bus. The measured frame rates suggest that this bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p on lower settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 32.9 FPS indicates that the card is running out of headroom, likely due to the game’s texture and shadow memory demands. The FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS is high, yet the game’s engine seems to place a premium on memory capacity and latency, which is why the Low presets perform so well relative to the High presets.

The RTX 3080’s benchmark scores place it in the 80th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35787. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, include the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE with a score of 36101 (a 0.9% difference) and the AMD Radeon Pro Duo at 35860 (a 0.2% difference). This indicates that the RTX 3080 is a high-end card, but not the absolute fastest, and its performance in The Medium is consistent with its position in the broader GPU hierarchy. The data suggests that the card’s 10 GB memory capacity is adequate for most scenarios, but the Ultra preset at 4K pushes it to its limits, resulting in frame rates that are below the standard for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 10 nm Alder Lake-S processor with 6 cores and 12 threads. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which provides solid single-threaded performance for a mid-range desktop chip. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, and its PCIe Gen 5 interface provides 16 lanes for the GPU.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is less prominent than the GPU’s, but it still matters for achieving high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 140.4 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the i5-12400 can keep up with the GPU’s output when the graphical load is minimal. The CPU’s single-thread performance is evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 910, and its multi-threaded capability is shown in the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935. These scores suggest that the processor is well-suited for gaming, where single-thread performance often dictates the ceiling for frame rates.

However, the CPU’s performance is not the limiting factor when the resolution increases. The data shows that the frame rate drops from 140.4 FPS at 1080p Low to 122.9 FPS at 1440p Low, which is a 17.5 FPS decrease. This indicates that the GPU is beginning to take over as the primary bottleneck, as the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant. The i5-12400’s average benchmark score is 19850, which places it in the 77th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-8700 with a score of 19894 (a 0.2% difference) and the Intel Core i7-9700 with a score of 19831 (a 0.1% difference), showing that it performs similarly to older high-end processors. For this game, the CPU provides sufficient headroom to avoid being the primary constraint, but it does not compensate for the GPU’s limitations at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of how this combo performs across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1080p, the system delivers 140.4 FPS on Low, 89.9 FPS on Medium, 64.1 FPS on High, and 53.4 FPS on Ultra. These figures show a clear progression, with the Low preset offering more than double the frame rate of the Ultra preset. The 140.4 FPS result is particularly noteworthy, as it indicates that the combo can handle high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p when settings are reduced.

Moving to 1440p, the performance drops are consistent. The Low preset yields 122.9 FPS, which is still excellent for a 1440p display. Medium produces 77.5 FPS, High produces 55.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 81.5 FPS, which underscores the significant impact of the settings preset. For users with 1440p monitors, the Medium preset offers a playable 77.5 FPS, while High is borderline at 55.7 FPS, and Ultra is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 4K, the results are more challenging. The Low preset achieves 95.8 FPS, which is surprisingly playable for a 4K resolution. Medium drops to 62.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. High falls to 43.7 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 32.9 FPS. This data indicates that 4K gaming is feasible with this combo, but only on Low or Medium settings. The 4K Ultra result of 32.9 FPS is below the standard for a good experience, and the 4K High result of 43.7 FPS is also suboptimal. The overall pattern shows that the RTX 3080 is capable of 4K performance, but it requires significant settings compromises to achieve playable frame rates in The Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is ranked 478th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 28.3% of all configurations, which is a respectable position given the game’s demanding nature. The rank indicates that there are 477 combos that perform better, which likely include more powerful GPUs like the RTX 3090 or RX 7900 XTX, or CPUs with higher core counts. However, the 1689 combos tested include a wide range of hardware, so being in the top 28% is a solid result.

The combo’s ranking is consistent with the GPU’s performance percentile of 80%, which suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of this ranking. The CPU’s 77th percentile is slightly lower, but it is not holding back the system significantly. The data shows that the combo performs well in 1080p and 1440p scenarios, but its 4K Ultra performance is below average for a system in this rank. The fact that the combo ranks 478th means that users with this configuration will have a good experience at 1080p High or 1440p Medium, but they will need to adjust expectations for 4K gaming.

When compared to other tested combos, this system’s performance is evenly balanced. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-8700, have a negligible 0.2% difference in average score, which translates to a minimal impact on gaming performance. Similarly, the GPU’s nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, have a 0.9% difference, which is also minor. This indicates that the combo’s ranking is not due to any unusual bottleneck, but rather reflects the inherent capabilities of its components.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use for this combo in The Medium?

A: The data suggests that 1440p Medium is a sweet spot, offering 77.5 FPS. For higher frame rates, 1080p Low achieves 140.4 FPS, while 4K Low is still playable at 95.8 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K Ultra?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 4K Ultra is 32.9 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. Users should stick to 4K Low or Medium for playable results.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 140.4 FPS, which indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor. The GPU becomes the bottleneck when settings increase, as shown by the 53.4 FPS result at 1080p Ultra.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo is ranked 478th out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the top 28.3% of configurations for The Medium.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is in the 80th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35787.

Q: Does the CPU’s memory support affect performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 supports both DDR4 and DDR5, but the measured data does not isolate memory type. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as 15935 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, indicate strong performance, but the game’s frame rates are more dependent on the GPU.