The Medium

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within The Medium. The data shows a system where the sheer graphical horsepower of the RTX 5090 D is often held in check by the more modest six-core processor, yet the pairing still delivers a highly playable experience across most settings and resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, offering a practical guide for builders considering this specific configuration for this particular horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance scaling as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. The most significant takeaway is that the game becomes progressively more GPU-bound at higher resolutions, which mitigates the CPU's limitations and allows the RTX 5090 D to stretch its legs.

At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates, but the scaling suggests a CPU limit. For instance, at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 121 at 1080p to 114 at 1440p, a modest 5.8% reduction. However, moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings shows a more substantial drop from 114 to 95 FPS, a 16.7% decrease. This indicates that at 1080p, the Intel Core i5-12400 is likely the limiting component, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. The frame rate differences between 1080p and 1440p are relatively small, which is a classic symptom of a CPU bottleneck where the processor cannot feed the GPU frames fast enough to see a large benefit from the resolution change.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at 4K, where the GPU's workload increases dramatically. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 54, which is a 34.1% drop from the 82 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. This significant decline confirms that at 4K, the rendering load shifts to the GPU, and the RTX 5090 D's capabilities are the primary determinant of performance. The gap between the High and Ultra presets also widens at 4K, with a 20.6% performance hit moving from High (68 FPS) to Ultra (54 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects are particularly demanding at this resolution. The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a balance where the CPU and GPU are more evenly matched, resulting in high frame rates without the extreme drop-off seen at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this specific hardware combination, particularly at higher resolutions.

At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Low at 145 FPS, Medium at 121 FPS, High at 103 FPS, and Ultra at 82 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, the Low preset offers the highest headroom, but the Medium preset’s 121 FPS average is still exceptionally smooth and provides a significant visual upgrade over Low. The High preset, while still above 100 FPS, begins to show diminishing returns in frame rate for the increased visual load.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset emerges as the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 114 FPS, which is only 16.8% lower than the Low preset's 137 FPS but provides a substantially better visual experience. The High preset at 87 FPS is still smooth, but the step down from Medium to High (a 23.7% performance loss) is more significant than the visual gain. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is playable but starts to compromise the fluidity that the other presets offer.

At 3840x2160, the choice becomes more critical. The Low preset averages 126 FPS, making it the only preset to break the 100 FPS barrier at this resolution. The Medium preset drops to 95 FPS, which is still a very playable experience for a horror title, and it offers a substantial improvement in visual quality over Low. The High preset at 68 FPS is on the edge of what is considered smooth, and the Ultra preset at 54 FPS is best avoided for consistent play. For a 4K experience, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it provides a high frame rate that maintains fluidity while unlocking a level of detail that is a significant step up from the Low preset.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 D in The Medium?

A: The data suggests a CPU bottleneck is present at lower resolutions. This is evidenced by the relatively small frame rate increase from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings, such as a 6.2% jump from 121 to 114 FPS at Medium. The bottleneck lessens at 4K, where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, as seen in the larger performance gaps between presets.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The highest average FPS recorded in the data is 145, which is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with a stable 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only with the Medium or Low presets. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 95 FPS, with a measured minimum of 81 FPS, ensuring it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 68 FPS is also above 60 FPS, but it has no recorded minimum, so the Medium preset is the safer recommendation for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D's performance compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the GPU's average benchmark score, it is 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. It also trails the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB by 2.1% and 2.4%, respectively. These are very small margins, indicating the 5090 D's raw compute power is in a similar tier to these specific rivals.

Q: Which preset offers the largest single performance jump?

A: The largest jump in average FPS occurs when moving from the Ultra to the High preset. At 4K, this change yields a 14 FPS increase (from 54 to 68 FPS), while at 1440p it provides an 18 FPS increase (from 69 to 87 FPS). This indicates that the Ultra preset's effects are disproportionately demanding.

Q: What is the most significant performance difference between 1080p and 4K?

A: The most significant difference is observed at the Ultra settings. The average FPS drops from 82 at 1920x1080 to 54 at 3840x2160, a 34.1% reduction. This is the largest relative performance penalty for any settings preset across the resolution range.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the comprehensive database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D holds a rank of 104 out of 2911 combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 3.6% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a very high-performing configuration for this game.

This high rank is primarily driven by the immense power of the RTX 5090 D, which sits in the 92nd percentile when compared to all other GPUs. The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores, such as 44,065 in Passmark G3D and 14,326 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, demonstrate its exceptional raw capabilities. However, the CPU, which is only in the 72nd percentile of all processors, does temper the overall result. The i5-12400's performance is closely matched by rivals like the AMD EPYC 7643 and Intel Core i7-1355U, with delta percentages of -0.1% and -0.3% respectively. This indicates that the processor is not a top-tier performer, and its mid-range standing prevents this combo from ranking even higher. The data shows that while the GPU can deliver top-tier frame rates, the CPU limits the system from achieving the absolute maximum potential that the GPU could theoretically provide, especially at lower resolutions. This rank of 104 reflects the GPU's dominance, but also a clear indicator of the CPU's moderating influence on overall performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration. Its role is characterized by its massive memory pool and high clock speeds, which directly influence the game's performance at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This substantial memory allocation ensures that texture loading and data transfer are unlikely to be a limiting factor, even at 4K with high-detail assets.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, contribute to its high processing throughput. This is reflected in its polygon and texture processing rates of 423.6 GPixel/s and 1,636.8 GTexel/s respectively. These specifications allow the RTX 5090 D to handle the complex lighting and particle effects in The Medium without significant strain. The data shows that the GPU's performance scales predictably with resolution. At 4K Medium, it averages 95 FPS, but at 4K High, it drops to 68 FPS, and at 4K Ultra to 54 FPS. This demonstrates that the GPU is the primary component responsible for the frame rate differences between these presets.

Its benchmark scores, including a Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 28,396, confirm its immense compute capability. The GPU's standing in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs reinforces that it is a top-tier part. However, its role is also defined by its interaction with the CPU. The relatively small performance gap between 1080p and 1440p indicates that the GPU is often waiting for the CPU to provide draw calls, meaning its full potential is only truly realized at 4K, where the rendering workload is heavy enough to keep it fully occupied.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section details the exact average FPS figures recorded for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination across all tested resolutions and settings.

1920x1080:

• Low: 145 average FPS.
• Medium: 121 average FPS, with a minimum of 103 FPS and a maximum of 139 FPS.
• High: 103 average FPS.
• Ultra: 82 average FPS.

At 1080p, the system delivers excellent performance across the board. The Low preset provides the highest frame rate, while the Medium preset offers a strong balance with a solid minimum FPS of 103, ensuring smooth gameplay.

2560x1440:

• Low: 137 average FPS.
• Medium: 114 average FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS.
• High: 87 average FPS.
• Ultra: 69 average FPS.

At 1440p, performance remains very strong. The Medium preset again proves to be a reliable choice with an average of 114 FPS and a minimum of 97 FPS. The High and Ultra presets offer playable but lower frame rates.

3840x2160:

• Low: 126 average FPS.
• Medium: 95 average FPS, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS.
• High: 68 average FPS.
• Ultra: 54 average FPS.

At 4K, the data shows a clear drop in performance, but the system remains capable. The Low preset is the only one to maintain an average above 120 FPS. The Medium preset averages 95 FPS, making it the best choice for a high-quality 4K experience, as its minimum of 81 FPS keeps it comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. The High and Ultra presets are more demanding, with the Ultra preset dipping to an average of 54 FPS, which may be less desirable for consistent smoothness. The measured FPS data confirms that this combination is best utilized at 1440p or 4K with Medium settings, where it balances high visual fidelity with frame rates that are smooth and responsive.