The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination. The measured data indicates a system that can deliver smooth gameplay at lower resolutions but is severely constrained at higher ones. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU's six performance cores prove sufficient to keep up with the game's demands at all tested settings. This analysis breaks down the system's performance across resolutions, settings, and component roles, providing a comprehensive view of what this hardware pair can achieve in this horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a dramatic and consistent drop in frame rates across all settings, pointing directly to the GPU as the limiting factor. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 110 at 1920x1080 to 92 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 18 frames, and then down to 73 at 3840x2160, representing a 34% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the Radeon RX 6700 XT's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are increasingly taxed as pixel count grows.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend but with a steeper drop at the highest resolution. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 69, which falls to 58 at 2560x1440 and then plummets to 45 at 3840x2160. The 4K result is 35% lower than the 1440p figure, indicating that the extra pixel workload at 3840x2160 is disproportionately punishing. The High preset follows the same pattern, with averages of 49 at 1080p, 41 at 1440p, and 32 at 4K. These numbers suggest that the GPU's raw compute power, rated at 13.21 TFLOPS FP32, is simply insufficient to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher visual fidelity.

Ultra settings provide the clearest evidence of GPU saturation. The average FPS at 1080p is 39, which is already low, and this drops to 33 at 1440p and 26 at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K represents a 33% performance loss, but the absolute numbers are so low that the resolution scaling becomes less relevant than the fact that Ultra is nearly unplayable even at 1080p. The data indicates that this system's performance ceiling is defined by the GPU's ability to process pixels, not by the CPU's ability to feed it data. The 6-core, 12-thread Intel Core i5-12400F with its 4.40 GHz boost clock does not appear to be a limiting factor at any resolution, as the frame rate drops are directly proportional to the increase in rendering workload.

Settings Recommendations

For an optimal experience, the data points to Medium settings as the best balance between visual quality and playable frame rates. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 69 FPS, which is a 29% improvement over High's 49 FPS and a 43% improvement over Ultra's 39 FPS. The Medium preset also provides the only complete frame time data in the dataset, with minimum and maximum values of 58 and 79 FPS respectively, suggesting a relatively stable experience. This stability is crucial in a horror title where frame hitches can break immersion.

At 2560x1440, Medium remains the recommended choice, with an average of 58 FPS and a minimum of 49 FPS. This is the only preset at this resolution that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the clear choice for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 1440p drops to 41 FPS, which is noticeable but still playable, while Ultra falls to 33 FPS, which is likely too choppy for a game that relies on atmosphere and timing. The Low preset at 1440p produces 92 FPS, but the visual compromise is likely too severe for a game with The Medium's fixed-camera angles and detailed environments.

For 4K resolution, the options are severely limited. Medium provides an average of 45 FPS, which is marginally playable, but the minimum FPS of 39 suggests occasional dips below the 40 FPS threshold. High at 4K averages 32 FPS, which is borderline unplayable, and Ultra at 26 FPS is effectively a slideshow. Low at 4K yields 73 FPS, which is smooth, but the user must accept the lowest visual quality. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this hardware is only viable at Low settings, or at Medium with the understanding that frame rates will be inconsistent. The benchmark results clearly indicate that the Radeon RX 6700 XT, with its 2560 shading units and 40 ray accelerators, is better suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with Medium being the sweet spot for this particular CPU-GPU pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F 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 benchmark scores indicate strong single-threaded and multithreaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and a single-core score of 1680. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5895 and max-thread score of 5912 show that the processor scales well across its 12 threads, making it well-suited for modern games that can utilize multiple cores. The processor's 18 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample data storage for game logic and asset streaming.

In The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the performance scaling. The frame rate differences between resolutions are entirely attributable to GPU workload, with no signs of CPU bottlenecking at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 110, which is a high enough frame rate that a weaker CPU might start to show limitations, but the i5-12400F maintains this figure without issue. The processor's 4.40 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded game logic, such as the fixed-camera scene loading and scripted events common in horror games, is processed efficiently.

The CPU's benchmark scores relative to its nearest rivals further contextualize its performance. The i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19039 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047, 0% delta), the Intel Core 3 201E (19056, -0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i5-1335U (18982, 0.3% delta). This indicates that the processor is well within the expected performance range for its class, and its 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests that it is a solid mid-range performer. For a game like The Medium, which likely uses a few heavily loaded threads for gameplay systems and several lighter threads for audio and streaming, the i5-12400F's 6 cores and 12 threads provide more than enough headroom. The data shows that this CPU is not the limiting component in any of the tested configurations, as the frame rate scaling is purely a function of resolution and graphics settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the most playable results, with the Medium preset averaging 69 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 58 FPS, which is also playable, while 4K at Medium drops to 45 FPS, making it less desirable.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings in The Medium?

A: Ultra settings are only viable at very low resolutions, and even then, performance is poor. At 1080p, Ultra averages 39 FPS, which dips to 33 at 1440p and 26 at 4K. These frame rates are below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across all settings, and the CPU's high benchmark scores (e.g., 12380 in Cinebench R23 multicore) suggest it is not limiting performance. The Radeon RX 6700 XT's 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the determining factor.

Q: Why is the 4K performance so much lower than 1080p?

A: The 4K resolution (3840x2160) has four times as many pixels as 1080p (1920x1080). The GPU's rendering workload increases proportionally, and the RX 6700 XT's 384.0 GB/s memory bandwidth cannot sustain high frame rates at this resolution, especially at higher settings.

Q: What is the playable frame rate range for Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the measured minimum and maximum FPS are 58 and 79 at 1080p, 49 and 66 at 1440p, and 39 and 52 at 4K. The 1080p and 1440p results are within a playable range, while the 4K minimum of 39 FPS is borderline.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of overall score?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, which is 0% different from the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047), -0.1% from the Intel Core 3 201E (19056), and 0.3% from the Intel Core i5-1335U (18982). It also matches the AMD EPYC 7773X (18979, 0.3% delta).

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the dominant component in determining The Medium's performance, as the data shows a direct correlation between resolution and frame rate. The GPU is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process, featuring 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. It has a base clock of 2321 MHz and a boost clock of 2581 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU's 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 compute power and 40 ray accelerators are notable, but the measured FPS indicates that the card is not powerful enough for high-fidelity 4K gaming.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-to-high-end positioning. Its average benchmark score of 27425 places it at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (27435, 0% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27565, -0.5% delta), and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (27135, 1.1% delta). This puts the RX 6700 XT in the same performance class as these cards, which is surprising given the RTX 3090's reputation as a high-end desktop card. However, the benchmark scores are aggregate and may not reflect gaming performance in a specific title like The Medium.

The GPU's role in The Medium is clear from the FPS data. At Low settings, the card can push 110 FPS at 1080p, but this drops to 73 at 4K, a 34% reduction. At Ultra, the card struggles even at 1080p, barely managing 39 FPS. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s is likely the key constraint at 4K, as the higher resolution requires more data to be read from and written to VRAM. The 40 ray accelerators, while present, do not seem to provide a significant advantage in this game, as the Ultra preset's performance is poor regardless of resolution. The data indicates that the RX 6700 XT is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with Medium settings providing the most balanced experience. Its 12 GB VRAM is adequate for the game's assets, but the raw compute power of 13.21 TFLOPS is insufficient for the demands of 4K at higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the system performs across all tested configurations. Starting with 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 110 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 79, showing a stable frame time distribution. High drops to 49 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a clear linear relationship between settings and performance, with each step up in quality costing roughly 20 FPS on average.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low averages 92 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium averages 58 FPS, with a minimum of 49 and maximum of 66, indicating less stability than the 1080p Medium result. High averages 41 FPS, which is playable but not ideal, and Ultra averages 33 FPS, which is likely too low for a smooth experience. The 1440p results show that the GPU is still capable of producing high frame rates at lower settings, but the higher presets begin to strain the hardware.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. Low averages 73 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K, indicating that the game is well-optimized at lower settings. Medium averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 39 and maximum of 52, making it the only 4K preset with any claim to playability. High drops to 32 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 26 FPS. The 4K results show that the RX 6700 XT can handle the game at Low settings, but any increase in visual quality comes at a steep cost. The data across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent pattern: the system excels at 1080p and 1440p with Medium settings, and can manage 4K only at Low settings. The measured FPS values are the definitive guide for users looking to configure the game for their preferred resolution and visual quality.