The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a wide spectrum of performance depending on how you configure it. The benchmark data shows that this combo is best treated as a 1080p and 1440p performer, with 4K reserved for those who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. The measured results indicate that the sweet spot for this hardware is the Medium preset, which offers a substantial improvement over Low settings while maintaining playable frame rates at both 1920x1080 and 2560x1440.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data clearly identifies the Medium preset as the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combo. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 66.8 FPS, which is a significant jump from the 50 FPS average seen at High settings. This 33.6% gain in frame rate comes with a modest reduction in graphical fidelity that is often imperceptible in a game with The Medium's fixed camera angles and atmospheric lighting. While the Low preset pushes the average to 108.7 FPS at 1080p, the visual downgrade is likely too severe for a game that relies heavily on its horror atmosphere and detailed environments.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again proves to be the most sensible choice, producing a 60.1 FPS average. This is right at the threshold for smooth gameplay, and it represents a 45.2% improvement over the High preset's 41.4 FPS. The data suggests that players with 1440p monitors should stick with Medium to ensure a consistent experience, as the High preset dips into territory where frame pacing issues can become noticeable in a game that requires precise timing for its puzzle and stealth sections.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution. The data shows it delivering only 40.5 FPS at 1080p, 31.8 FPS at 1440p, and a stutter-prone 28.2 FPS at 4K. These numbers are all below the 60 FPS threshold that defines a smooth experience, and the visual gains over High are minimal. For those who absolutely want to maximize visuals, High at 1080p is the only viable option, but the 50 FPS average suggests that players should be prepared for occasional drops during intense scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds the 936th position out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the middle of the pack, which is consistent with the hardware's positioning as a mainstream gaming setup rather than a high-end enthusiast build. The ranking reflects that while this combo can run the game well at reasonable settings, it does not have the raw power to dominate at maximum settings or high resolutions.

The CPU's individual performance metrics provide context for this mid-pack ranking. The Intel Core i5-12600KF scores 23,444 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,309 in single-core, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. It trades blows with the Intel Core i9-10900K, showing a 0% delta in average benchmark score, and sits just 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600K. This indicates that the processor is not the limiting factor in this combo; it has ample computational headroom for the game's logic and AI.

The GPU's position is more telling. The RTX 4060 sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,181. It is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, with a delta of -0.6%, and just 0.7% ahead of the Intel Arc B580. This places the GPU as a solid mid-range part, which explains why the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates at demanding settings. The CPU is punching above its weight class, while the GPU sets the ceiling for what this system can achieve in The Medium.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the primary driver of the frame rate differences seen across the measured settings. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This capacity is sufficient for The Medium at 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows that it becomes a bottleneck at 4K, where the Ultra preset drops to a 28.2 FPS average. The GPU's 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present, but the game's fixed-camera design means that ray-traced effects are not heavily utilized in the standard benchmark runs.

The GPU's clock speeds are notable for their efficiency. The base clock of 1830 MHz boosts up to 2460 MHz, and this boost behavior is reflected in the performance scaling between settings. For example, at 1440p, the GPU produces 91.6 FPS at Low settings but only 31.8 FPS at Ultra, a difference of nearly three times. This indicates that the GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is fully utilized when the game's shader complexity increases, but the 128-bit memory interface limits how much data can be fed to the processor at higher resolutions.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at 4K. The jump from Medium (42.6 FPS) to High (31.3 FPS) at 3840x2160 suggests that the game is exceeding the memory capacity or bandwidth available, causing a significant performance penalty. Players considering 4K should note that the Low preset is the only viable option, delivering 74.4 FPS, but this requires sacrificing most of the visual features that make the game's horror atmosphere effective.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of presets is playable, though only the lower three meet the 60 FPS standard. The Low preset delivers an excellent 108.7 FPS average, making it ideal for players with high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset provides a solid 66.8 FPS, which is the best balance for most users. The High preset drops to 50 FPS, which is still playable but may show judder during camera transitions. The Ultra preset bottoms out at 40.5 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance curve steepens. The Low preset achieves a strong 91.6 FPS, showing that the combo has headroom at this resolution when visual effects are reduced. The Medium preset hits exactly 60.1 FPS, which is the minimum for a comfortable experience. The High preset falls to 41.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 31.8 FPS. The data shows that 1440p users should treat Medium as the maximum setting.

At 3840x2160, the limitations of the RTX 4060 become apparent. The Low preset produces 74.4 FPS, which is surprisingly playable and suggests that the game is not particularly demanding when effects are disabled. The Medium preset drops to 42.6 FPS, the High preset manages 31.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers only 28.2 FPS. None of these higher presets offer a playable experience at 4K, making the resolution a poor choice for this hardware unless players are willing to accept Low settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?

A: Yes, but only on the Medium or Low presets. The Medium preset delivers exactly 60.1 FPS at 2560x1440, while the Low preset reaches 91.6 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall to 41.4 FPS and 31.8 FPS respectively, which are not sufficient for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming with this hardware?

A: The Medium preset is recommended, as it provides 66.8 FPS and a good balance of visual quality. The Low preset offers a higher 108.7 FPS but with significant visual downgrades, while the High preset drops to 50 FPS and Ultra to 40.5 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the RTX 4060 in The Medium?

A: Only with the Low preset, which produces 74.4 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 42.6 FPS, High to 31.3 FPS, and Ultra to 28.2 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for higher presets at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest rival in performance?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23,181, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% higher than the Intel Arc B580. This places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, indicating mid-range performance.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-12600KF bottleneck the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: No, the CPU is not the limiting factor. It scores in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23,444 and single-core score of 3,309. Its performance is effectively identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K, making the GPU the primary constraint on frame rates.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 40.5 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, so the Ultra preset is not recommended for this resolution. The visual improvements over High are minimal, while the performance cost is substantial.