The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a unique blend of heavy CPU traversal logic and demanding GPU rendering. Testing the Intel Core i5-12600KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 reveals a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain smooth 4K gameplay at the highest visual fidelity. The benchmark data shows a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions, with the CPU providing ample headroom for the GPU at lower settings, while the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and presets.

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

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, featuring a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This hybrid design, combining performance and efficiency cores, is well-suited for the asynchronous loading and streaming demands of The Medium, which renders two worlds simultaneously. The processor’s benchmark scores indicate strong single-thread performance, which is critical for the game’s main thread logic. In the Cinebench R23 test, the CPU scores 3302 in single-core and 23391 in multi-core, showing a balanced profile that can handle both the game’s primary simulation and background tasks.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12600KF performs within a tight margin. It sits just 0.3% below the Intel Core i9-10900K and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D in average benchmark score, while being 0.3% above the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE. This data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this configuration, as its performance is statistically tied with some of the best gaming processors of the previous generation. The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory provide ample bandwidth for the game’s asset streaming, ensuring that the GPU is fed with data without stutter.

The measured FPS data confirms this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 160 FPS, a figure that is far beyond the CPU’s thread limit. The fact that the average FPS drops to 72 at High settings and 57 at Ultra settings points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor, not the CPU. The i5-12600KF’s 16 threads are more than sufficient to handle the game’s logic, meaning the performance scaling from Low to Ultra is almost entirely dictated by the graphics card. The processor’s 3DMark scores, including 7956 for 16 threads and 1016 for single thread, reinforce that it can keep up with the RTX 5070’s output at lower resolutions.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor for The Medium, which is known for its high-resolution textures and memory-heavy dual-world rendering. While the game does not exceed 12 GB at the tested resolutions, the memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s is essential for maintaining performance when the camera transitions between the two realities.

The GPU’s benchmark results show it is a strong performer, with a Passmark G3D score of 29137 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077. Its average benchmark score of 40377 places it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. However, the nearest rivals listed are professional workstation cards like the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, which are not direct gaming comparisons. This suggests that the RTX 5070’s raw compute power is substantial, but its gaming performance is best understood through the measured FPS data.

The measured FPS reveals the GPU’s performance curve. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 38, which is playable but not smooth. At 4K Medium, the average rises to 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76, showing a playable range. The transition from High (47 FPS) to Ultra (38 FPS) at 4K shows a significant performance cost for the highest settings. The GPU’s 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs are clearly being taxed by the game’s post-processing effects and shadow quality at these resolutions. The data indicates that the RTX 5070 is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it achieves 84 FPS at Medium settings and 60 FPS at High, providing a good balance between visual quality and frame rate.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a consistent 60 FPS or higher?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system averages 60 FPS. For a higher frame rate, 2560x1440 with Medium settings averages 84 FPS, and 1920x1080 with High settings averages 72 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, which is 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s average score of 27896. The performance difference is negligible.

Q: Is the 12 GB of VRAM on the RTX 5070 sufficient for The Medium at 4K?

A: Based on the measured data, the game runs at 4K with an average of 47 FPS on High settings and 38 FPS on Ultra. The VRAM capacity is sufficient for these settings, as the FPS is not limited by memory overflow but by the GPU’s compute throughput.

Q: What is the performance delta between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 160 on Low settings to 57 on Ultra settings. This represents a 103 FPS difference, or a 64% reduction in frame rate.

Q: How many FPS does the system achieve at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the system averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS.

Q: Does the game run better at 1440p High or 4K Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 60. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average FPS is 66. The 4K Medium setting provides a higher average frame rate than 1440p High.

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

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5070 and i5-12600KF combo shows its limits. The Ultra preset averages 38 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. High settings improve this to 47 FPS, still not ideal for fast-paced action. Medium settings provide a playable 66 FPS average, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS, making it the best 4K option for a smoother experience. Low settings jump to 106 FPS, showing the game is scalable, but the visual compromise is significant.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance becomes more balanced. Ultra settings average 48 FPS, which is an improvement over 4K but still not ideal. High settings achieve 60 FPS, hitting the target for many gamers. Medium settings provide a comfortable 84 FPS average, with a minimum of 71 FPS and a maximum of 97 FPS, offering a good balance of quality and speed. Low settings reach 135 FPS, indicating that the CPU has plenty of headroom at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system excels. Low settings hit 160 FPS, showing the maximum potential of the CPU-GPU pairing. Medium settings average 100 FPS, with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 115 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings average 72 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 57 FPS. The data shows a clear pattern: the performance gap between Medium and High at 1080p is 28 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 15 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the highest preset.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 675th out of 3724 combos for The Medium. This places the system in the top 18% of all tested configurations, indicating that it is a high-performing setup. The rank reflects the system’s ability to handle the game’s demanding rendering requirements, though it is not at the very top tier where 4K Ultra at high frame rates is achievable.

The ranking is a composite score based on all measured FPS data across resolutions and settings. The strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, combined with the playable 4K Medium results, contributes to this solid position. The CPU’s performance, which is statistically tied with the previous generation’s top gaming chips, ensures that the system does not suffer from processor bottlenecks. The GPU’s 12 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth also help it maintain a competitive edge over systems with less memory or lower bandwidth.

Given that the combo ranks 675th out of 3724, it outperforms the majority of systems tested. The data suggests that users with this setup can expect a high-quality experience in The Medium, especially at 1440p, where the system can maintain high frame rates with high visual settings. The rank also implies that there is room for improvement by pairing the CPU with a more powerful GPU, but for most users, this combination will provide an excellent gaming experience.

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

For the best overall experience, the 2560x1440 Medium preset is the recommended choice. The data shows an average of 84 FPS with a minimum of 71 FPS, which provides a smooth and responsive gameplay experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The jump from Medium to High at this resolution costs 24 FPS, reducing the average to 60 FPS. While 60 FPS is acceptable, the higher frame rate of Medium offers a more fluid experience, especially in a game with fixed camera angles and rapid scene transitions.

If the user prioritizes visual quality over frame rate, the 2560x1440 High preset is a viable option. The 60 FPS average is sufficient for a horror game, and the increased shadow quality and texture detail enhance the atmosphere. However, the 4K Medium preset is not recommended over 1440p Medium, as it provides a lower minimum FPS (56 vs 71) and a lower average FPS (66 vs 84). For 1080p users, the Medium preset at 100 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a high frame rate with good visual quality.

The Ultra presets are not recommended for this system. At all resolutions, the Ultra preset results in average FPS below 60, with 4K Ultra dropping to 38 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra is not justified by the marginal visual improvements over High. The Low presets are only beneficial for competitive play or when aiming for maximum refresh rate, as they yield 160 FPS at 1080p and 135 FPS at 1440p. For the majority of players, the 1440p Medium or High settings will provide the best balance of performance and immersion.