The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, presents a unique hardware challenge due to its dual-world rendering technique, which effectively doubles the scene complexity. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, using only the provided benchmark data to interpret how this combination handles the game’s demands across resolutions and settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 position it as a mainstream desktop part. In synthetic benchmarks, the data shows a single-thread score of 910 in 3DMark and a multi-thread score of 5890 in the max-threads test, while Cinebench R23 results show 2257 single-core and 15989 multi-core. These figures indicate a processor with solid single-core strength, which is often critical for game logic and frame pacing.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 72 against all processors places it in the upper tier, but its nearest rivals in average benchmark score are telling. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18730 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18811 (0.7% higher). The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519 (0.9% lower). This clustering shows that the i5-12400’s overall compute performance is competitive with a wide range of chips, but none of these rivals are dramatically faster, suggesting that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most gaming scenarios.

In The Medium specifically, the CPU’s role is to manage the game’s two simultaneous camera perspectives. At 1080p Low settings, the combination reaches 145 FPS average, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. This high result at a low graphical load indicates that the i5-12400 can feed frames quickly when the GPU is not saturated. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 42 FPS, a far lower figure that points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor. The 12 threads are sufficient for the game’s workload, as the data does not show signs of CPU starvation even at lower resolutions where frame rates are highest.

The boost clock of 4.40 GHz is relevant because The Medium’s fixed-camera angles can create sudden spikes in draw calls when transitioning between worlds. The measured 3DMark 2-thread score of 1692 suggests adequate performance for lightly threaded tasks, which is typical for game engines that rely on a few primary threads. Overall, the CPU data indicates it is a capable partner for this GPU, providing enough headroom to avoid capping the frame rate at 1080p, but its influence wanes as resolution increases and the GPU takes over the rendering burden.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, featuring 8960 shading units and 70 RT cores. Its memory configuration is substantial: 16 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. The base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost of 2452 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). This hardware is designed for high-resolution gaming, and the data reflects that.

The GPU’s percentile ranking of 86 places it well above average, but its nearest rivals in average benchmark score show an interesting spread. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 50001 (0.1% higher), the Intel Arc A550M scores 49737 (0.4% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT scores 50951 (2% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT scores 48477 (3.1% lower). These deltas are small, meaning the RTX 5070 Ti sits in a tight performance band with these cards in synthetic tests, despite being a newer generation.

In The Medium, the GPU’s 16 GB of VRAM is a key asset. The game renders two full scenes simultaneously, which can consume significant memory. The measured frames show that at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 113, with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 95, with a minimum of 81 and a maximum of 109. At 4K Medium, the average is 74, with a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 86. These numbers show a progressive decline as resolution increases, which is expected, but the GPU maintains playable frame rates up to 4K Medium.

The RTX 5070 Ti’s compute capabilities, measured at 43.94 TFLOPS for FP32, are sufficient to handle the game’s fixed-camera rendering without issue. The 70 RT cores are present, but The Medium does not heavily utilize ray tracing based on the data, so their impact is minimal. The 896.0 GB/s bandwidth helps feed the two viewports, and the 16 GB VRAM likely prevents any texture swapping or stutter, which is reflected in the stable minimum FPS figures at Medium settings across all resolutions. The GPU clearly carries the load at higher resolutions, as the FPS drops from 145 at 1080p Low to 119 at 4K Low, a smaller relative decline than the drop from Medium to Ultra at any single resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo if I want a consistent 60 FPS or higher?

A: The data shows that at 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 95 with a minimum of 81, which comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 74 with a minimum of 63, also above 60 FPS. For a guaranteed 60 FPS floor, 1440p Medium is the safest choice, while 4K Medium is acceptable but closer to the limit.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall performance?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7643, scores 18697, which is 0.1% higher. The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18519, which is 0.9% lower. The differences are minimal, indicating the i5-12400 is statistically tied with these processors in synthetic workloads.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for The Medium at 4K?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has 16 GB of GDDR7 memory. The measured results at 4K Medium show an average of 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, which indicates the VRAM is not a limiting factor, as the game runs smoothly without apparent stutter or frame drops that would suggest memory pressure.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 145 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 64 FPS. This represents a significant decrease of 81 FPS, or roughly 56% lower performance, when moving from the lowest to the highest visual quality settings.

Q: How does the GPU rank against its closest competitors in the benchmark database?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 49957. The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is 2% higher with a score of 50951, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is 3.1% lower with a score of 48477. The Intel Arc A550M is nearly identical at 0.4% lower.

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

A: The measured 4K Ultra average is 42 FPS, which is the lowest in the dataset. Given that the GPU has ample VRAM and bandwidth, and the CPU performs well in synthetic multi-thread tests, the data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this extreme setting, as the frame rate drops proportionally with increased graphical load.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets. At every resolution, the Low preset delivers the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset is the standout choice.

At 1080p, Medium yields an average of 113 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS, which is smooth and well above typical display refresh rates. The High preset drops to 81 FPS average, which is still playable but less fluid. Ultra at 1080p falls to 64 FPS average, which may be acceptable for slower-paced horror, but the jump from Medium to Ultra costs 49 FPS, a 43% reduction, for what is likely marginal visual gains. At 1440p, Medium produces 95 FPS average with a minimum of 81 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. High drops to 68 FPS, and Ultra to 54 FPS, where the latter begins to feel less responsive. At 4K, Medium is the only preset that maintains a consistently playable experience, with 74 FPS average and a 63 FPS minimum. High at 4K falls to 53 FPS, and Ultra to 42 FPS, both of which are below the 60 FPS threshold many players prefer.

The data shows that Medium is the optimal preset because it provides a substantial frame rate buffer over High and Ultra while still offering a significant visual upgrade over Low. The minimum FPS figures for Medium are also the only ones provided in the dataset, which shows 96 at 1080p, 81 at 1440p, and 63 at 4K. These minimums indicate that Medium avoids the severe frame drops that can occur in dual-world transitions. For players with high refresh rate displays at 1080p or 1440p, Medium allows the hardware to shine, while at 4K, it is the only viable option for a smooth experience. Ultra is only recommended for players who prioritize visuals over frame rate and are willing to accept averages in the 40-60 FPS range.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 481st out of 3724 tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the top 13% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the overall performance across all measured settings, and the data shows that this combo is capable of running the game at high frame rates in most configurations.

The rank is influenced by the CPU’s solid but not exceptional compute scores, as well as the GPU’s high throughput. The i5-12400’s percentile of 72 is respectable, but its rivals like the AMD EPYC 7643 and Intel Core i7-1355U have nearly identical average scores, meaning the CPU does not provide a unique advantage. The GPU’s percentile of 86 is higher, and its nearest rivals are all within a few percentage points, so the graphics card is the stronger component in this pairing. The 481st rank out of 3724 combos suggests that while this setup is well above average, there are many systems with more powerful CPUs or SLI/CrossFire configurations that outperform it in this specific game. The rank is a holistic measure, and the data indicates that the combo is well-balanced for The Medium, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other in most scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is presented across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 145 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. The Medium preset reaches 113 FPS average, with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130. The High preset drops to 81 FPS average, and the Ultra preset falls to 64 FPS average. This shows a clear progression where each step up in quality reduces performance by roughly 20-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. The Low preset delivers 137 FPS average, a modest drop from 1080p. The Medium preset achieves 95 FPS average, with a minimum of 81 and a maximum of 109. The High preset produces 68 FPS average, and the Ultra preset yields 54 FPS average. The gap between Medium and High is 27 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 14 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the highest settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is pushed much harder. The Low preset still manages 119 FPS average, which is surprisingly high and suggests the game is not very demanding at low settings even at 4K. The Medium preset drops to 74 FPS average, with a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 86. The High preset falls to 53 FPS average, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 42 FPS average. The minimum FPS values are only provided for Medium settings, and they show that the frame pacing remains consistent even at 4K, with a minimum of 63 FPS that is close to the average of 74 FPS. This indicates that the Medium preset provides a stable experience across all resolutions, while High and Ultra have larger potential for frame drops, though those values are not measured.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows how performance scales as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 145 at 1080p to 137 at 1440p, a reduction of 8 FPS or 5.5%, and then to 119 at 4K, a further reduction of 18 FPS or 13.1%. This relatively small drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings indicates that the GPU is not the limiting factor when the graphical load is light; the CPU is able to maintain high frame rates, and the GPU has enough headroom to handle the additional pixels.

At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 113 at 1080p to 95 at 1440p, a reduction of 18 FPS or 15.9%, and then to 74 at 4K, a further reduction of 21 FPS or 22.1%. This steeper decline shows that the GPU is becoming more involved as the settings increase, and the resolution scaling is more pronounced. At High settings, the average drops from 81 at 1080p to 68 at 1440p, a reduction of 13 FPS or 16%, and then to 53 at 4K, a reduction of 15 FPS or 22.1%. The pattern continues at Ultra settings, where the average drops from 64 at 1080p to 54 at 1440p, a reduction of 10 FPS or 15.6%, and then to 42 at 4K, a reduction of 12 FPS or 22.2%.

The consistent percentage drops from 1440p to 4K, hovering around 22% for Medium, High, and Ultra, suggest that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at these settings. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is slightly smaller, around 16%, which indicates that the GPU is still capable but starting to feel the load. At Low settings, the much smaller drop from 1080p to 4K (5.5% and 13.1% respectively) reveals that the CPU is the limiting factor at low graphical loads, as the GPU has enough spare capacity to handle the resolution increase without a significant frame rate penalty. The data clearly shows that this combo is CPU-bound at Low settings and GPU-bound at Medium and above, with the crossover point occurring somewhere between Low and Medium at 1440p and 4K.