The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that demands a delicate balance between processor and graphics hardware, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a specific, measurable performance profile. The data from the benchmark suite indicates a system that is capable of smooth gameplay at lower presets, but which struggles to maintain high frame rates when graphical fidelity is maximized, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis will break down the measured FPS results, contextualize the components' roles, and provide clear recommendations based on the raw data.

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

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. This configuration is generally well-suited for modern gaming, offering a solid balance of multi-threaded throughput for background tasks and high single-core performance for game logic. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this, showing a strong single-thread result of 1680 in Cinebench R23 and a multicore score of 12380 in the same test, placing it in the 73rd percentile against all CPUs.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is largely to feed the GPU and manage the game's fixed camera angles and rendering logic. The data shows that the system's frame rates scale significantly with graphical settings, which often indicates a GPU bottleneck. However, the CPU's performance headroom is sufficient to avoid being the primary limiting factor at most settings. The measured FPS at 1080p with Low settings is 92, a figure that suggests the CPU is capable of pushing well over 100 frames per second in less demanding scenarios. The processor's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for the game's data streams. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and multi-thread score of 5912 further confirm that this CPU does not present a significant hurdle for the game's engine, allowing the RTX 2060 SUPER to be the primary determinant of performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

When placed in the broader context of all tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Core i5-12400F and RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2606 out of 3724 combos tested for The Medium. This placement, in the 70th percentile overall, indicates that while the system is not at the top tier of performance, it is far from the bottom. The rank suggests a mid-range to upper-mid-range position, which aligns with the component choices. The GPU, the RTX 2060 SUPER, sits in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 73rd percentile, suggesting the graphics card is the more constraining component for this game.

This combo rank is a direct result of the measured frame rates. The system cannot consistently hit 60 FPS at High settings in any resolution, and Ultra settings are largely unplayable, with average FPS dropping to 33 at 1080p. The rank reflects a system that is capable of delivering a playable experience, but only by making compromises on visual quality. The data implies that many other tested combos with more powerful GPUs achieve higher frame rates at higher settings, pushing this pairing down the rankings. It is a classic example of a balanced, mid-range setup that performs as expected, without any surprising spikes or drops relative to its hardware tier.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 60 frames per second?*

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset. The measured average FPS at 1080p Low is 92, at 1440p Low is 77, and at 4K Low is 61. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops below the 60 FPS threshold in all resolutions, with the 1080p result being 57 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with the Medium preset?

A: At Medium settings, 1080p provides the most consistent experience. The measured average FPS is 57, with a minimum of 49 and a maximum of 66. While 1440p Medium is close with an average of 48 FPS, the 1080p result is the only one that approaches a stable 60 FPS target.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there when moving from Low to Ultra settings?

A: The drop is substantial. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 92 at Low to 33 at Ultra, a reduction of 59 FPS. At 1440p, the drop is from 77 to 27 FPS, and at 4K, it falls from 61 to 21 FPS. This indicates that Ultra settings impose a massive load on the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate scales dramatically with resolution and graphical settings, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 92 at 1080p to 61 at 4K, showing the GPU's rendering load is the key constrainthebdomadaire.

*Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for The Medium?*

A: Based on the measured FPS data, the 8 GB of VRAM does not appear to cause a catastrophic failure, but performance is heavily impacted by the game's engine. The system is able to run the game at all settings, but the average FPS at Ultra is very low, suggesting that the GPU's compute capabilities, rather than just memory capacity, are being taxed. The game's high preset at 1080p yields 41 FPS, which is more likely a compute limitation than a memory one.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured data provides a clear picture of performance scaling across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system shows a wide range of performance. The Low preset yields an average of 92 FPS, which is very playable. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 and a maximum of 66, offering a stable experience for most players. The High preset averages 41 FPS, which is a noticeable drop and may feel less smooth. The Ultra preset averages just 33 FPS, which is generally considered too low for a smooth, playable experience in a game like this.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases across the board. The Low preset averages 77 FPS, which is still quite good. The Medium preset averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 55, making it a borderline experience. The High preset drops to an average of 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 27 FPS, making both presets difficult to play smoothly. At 3840x2160, the system is heavily taxed. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold. The Medium preset averages 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43, which is a significant compromise. The High preset averages 27 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 21 FPS, making these settings effectively unplayable.

These numbers show a consistent scaling pattern. For example, at 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 35 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 16 FPS. The data suggests a non-linear scaling of performance cost with each preset, with the most significant drop occurring when moving from Low to Medium.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz and boost clock is 1650 MHz. The GPU has 2176 shading units discriminating and 34 RT cores, which are relevant for a game like The Medium that may use ray tracing for its unique dual-reality rendering, though the measured data does not specify if ray tracing is enabled. The GPU's benchmark scores show a Passmark G3D score of 16462, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs.

The measured FPS results clearly demonstrate that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor in this pairing. As resolution and settings increase, the frame rates drop sharply, indicating that the GPU's compute units and memory bandwidth are being saturated. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the game's assets, as the system does not fail to run, but the performance at high and ultra presets shows that the GPU's raw processing power is insufficient for maximum settings. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 76957 and Vulkan score of 77402 provide a baseline for its compute performance, which is clearly outmatched by the demands of the Ultra preset. The data suggests that the GPU is best utilized at Medium settings, where it can maintain a reasonable frame rate without being overwhelmed.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination are the Medium preset. At 1080p, Medium delivers an average of 57 FPS, which is very close to the desired 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. The minimum of 49 FPS and maximum of 66 FPS indicate a relatively stable frame time, without severe hitches. At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 48 FPS, which is still playable but requires a tolerance for slightly lower frame rates. This preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance, as the step up to High results in a significant performance penalty of 16 FPS at 1080p and 13 FPS at 1440p, pushing the average below 40 FPS.

The Low preset is the only option that guarantees a 60+ FPS experience, with averages of 92, 77, and 61 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively. However, this comes at a cost to visual fidelity. For players who prioritize frame rate over graphics, Low is the clear choice. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for this system, as they produce average frame rates in the 20s and 30s across all resolutions, which will likely result in a sluggish and unresponsive experience that is not suitable for a game relying on atmosphere and timing. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the "sweet spot" for this hardware, offering a playable experience with a notable upgrade in visual quality over Low.

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

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is a textbook illustration of a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 92 FPS at 1080p to 77 FPS at 1440p, a 16.3% decrease, and then to 61 FPS at 4K, a further 20.8% decrease from the 1440p result. This significant drop across resolutions shows that the GPU is struggling to fill the increasing number of pixels. The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. At Medium, the average FPS drops from 57 at 1080p to 48 at 1440p, and then to 38 at 4K. At High, it goes from 41 to 35 to 27, and at Ultra, from 33 to 27 to 21.

This scaling pattern is a clear indicator that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain constant regardless of pixel count. Instead, the frame rates drop in near-direct proportion to the increase in resolution, a classic sign of GPU limitations. The data implies that the CPU has more than enough headroom to handle the game's logic and draw calls, but the GPU simply cannot render the game's scenes fast enough at higher resolutions. This is particularly evident at 4K, where the system only manages to achieve playable frame rates on the Low preset (61 FPS), while all other presets fall below 38 FPS, confirming that the GPU is the definitive constraint for this hardware combination in The Medium.