The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 reveals a system that is consistently bound by the GPU across most configurations. The data indicates that the combination is capable of solid 1080p and 1440p play, but 4K Ultra settings push the graphics card to its limit. The benchmark results show that the CPU provides sufficient headroom, allowing the Radeon RX 7700 to be the primary factor in frame rate scaling.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of The Medium for this configuration. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings reduces the average frame rate from 51 FPS to 43 FPS, a drop of 8 frames. The jump from 1440p to 3840x2160 is more severe, with the High preset average falling to 34 FPS. This represents a 17-frame reduction from the 1080p result, which is a 33% decrease in framerate for a 4x increase in pixel count. This steep drop is a classic indicator that the rendering resolution is overwhelming the GPU’s fill rate and shading capabilities.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 72 at 1080p to 61 at 1440p, and then falls drastically to 48 at 4K. The Low preset shows the largest absolute change, dropping from 115 FPS at 1080p to 97 FPS at 1440p and finally to 76 FPS at 4K. Even at the lowest graphical settings, the 4K resolution demands significantly more from the GPU, causing a 39 FPS loss compared to 1080p. This scaling behavior suggests that the Intel Core i5-13400F is not the bottleneck in these scenarios; if it were, the frame rates would show less variation with resolution changes.

The data points to a system where the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the limiting component at all resolutions. The GPU’s benchmark scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865 and a Passmark G3D score of 20974, place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, indicating mid-range performance. This is consistent with a card that can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, especially with higher visual fidelity settings. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a performance cliff, which is typical for a GPU with this level of compute power when facing a 4K workload.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combo is the High preset at 1920x1080, which yields an average of 51 FPS. While not hitting a 60 FPS target, it provides a substantial improvement in visual fidelity over the Medium preset’s 72 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p produces 115 FPS, which is excellent for smoothness, but it sacrifices the atmospheric details that are core to the horror genre. For players prioritizing a locked 60 FPS experience, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 61 FPS with a recorded minimum of 51 FPS.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 48 FPS, with frame times ranging from 40 FPS to 55 FPS. This is playable but not ideal for a smooth experience. The High preset at 4K drops to 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at 27 FPS. Consequently, the recommended path for 4K is the Medium preset, which offers the best playable experience. The Ultra preset, with an average of 27 FPS at 1080p and 34 FPS at 1440p, is not viable for this hardware combination, as it fails to provide adequate frame rates at any resolution.

The data suggests that the game’s Ultra preset is a significant step up in rendering cost. The performance gap between High and Ultra is substantial, with the 1080p High score of 51 FPS dropping to 41 FPS at Ultra. This 10 FPS penalty for the highest preset is not worth the performance loss, especially considering that the High preset already provides a strong visual presentation. For most users, the High preset will offer the best experience per the measured rows, providing a balance of detail and playability across 1080p and 1440p.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the central component dictating the performance envelope in The Medium. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This large memory pool is a significant asset for a game like The Medium, which uses a dual-reality mechanic that can consume substantial video memory. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU has 27 FPS, indicating it is fully saturated by the workload, which is a combination of high resolution and demanding shaders.

The GPU’s clock speeds are listed with a base of 1900 MHz, a game clock of 2041 MHz, and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The difference between the game and boost clocks suggests that the card can dynamically increase its frequency under load, but the benchmark results indicate that this is not enough to prevent frame rate drops at higher resolutions. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865 and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 106028 provide a synthetic baseline that aligns with the real-world game performance. The Passmark G3D score of 20974, which places the GPU in the 58th percentile, confirms its position as a mainstream performer.

The relationship between the GPU’s compute power and the game’s results is clear. At 1080p Low, the GPU delivers 115 FPS, showing that it has ample headroom for less demanding settings. However, the scaling to 4K High (34 FPS) shows a dramatic performance collapse. The GPU’s 40 RT cores and 2560 shading units are not sufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K with the game’s visual effects enabled. The 16 GB VRAM is a future-proofing feature, but it does not translate into higher frame rates when the GPU’s raw compute throughput is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 27 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across resolutions and settings.

• 1920x1080: The Ultra preset yields an average of 41 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 51 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. The Low preset achieves an average of 115 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline in performance, with a 74 FPS difference between the lowest and highest quality settings.

• 2560x1440: The Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. The High preset averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset averages 61 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS. The Low preset averages 97 FPS. The frame rates at 1440p are consistently lower than at 1080p, as expected, but the Medium preset remains the only one to break the 60 FPS barrier.

• 3840x2160: The Ultra preset averages 27 FPS. The High preset averages 34 FPS. The Medium preset averages 48 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS. The Low preset averages 76 FPS. At 4K, only the Low and Medium presets provide playable frame rates, with the High and Ultra presets falling below the 35 FPS threshold for comfortable play.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the most consistent option, as it is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. This suggests that the frame pacing is more stable at this setting. The Ultra preset’s low averages, such as 27 FPS at 4K, indicate that it is not a viable option for this hardware. The High preset provides a good middle ground, but it falls short of 60 FPS at all resolutions, maxing out at 51 FPS at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the highest quality option that achieves an average of 61 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 72 FPS, also exceeding the 60 FPS target.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K, the Medium preset provides an average of 48 FPS, which is playable. The High preset drops to 34 FPS, and the Ultra preset is not playable at 27 FPS. The Low preset achieves 76 FPS, but with reduced visual quality.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 1080p, it drops the average FPS from 51 (High) to 41 (Ultra). At 1440p, it drops from 43 to 34 FPS. The performance cost is substantial, making High a more efficient choice.

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

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting component. The FPS scales significantly with resolution changes, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has a 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314, suggesting it has enough headroom to feed the GPU.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 produces an average frame rate of 115 FPS. This is the highest average FPS recorded in the data for this combo, indicating the system has significant performance headroom at lower graphical loads.

Q: How stable is the frame rate at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, showing a stable performance profile. At 1080p, it ranges from 61 to 83 FPS. At 1440p, it ranges from 51 to 70 FPS. At 4K, it ranges from 40 to 55 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F provides the computational foundation for this system, and the data shows it is well-suited for The Medium. The CPU features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This configuration is part of the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 11068, demonstrate strong multi-threaded performance. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314 and the Passmark multi-thread score of 25032 further confirm its capability.

In the context of The Medium’s measured FPS, the CPU appears to provide ample support. The fact that frame rates drop dramatically when resolution increases, while keeping settings constant, is a clear sign that the GPU is the bottleneck. For example, at High settings, the FPS falls from 51 at 1080p to 34 at 4K. If the CPU were the limiting factor, these numbers would be much closer together, as the CPU workload would remain constant. The CPU’s single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3191 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3634, ensures that the game’s main logic thread is not starved.

The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 16 threads also help with the game’s data streaming and asset loading. The benchmark results show that the i5-13400F is ranked in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a robust processor. When paired with the RX 7700, it does not hold back the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 115 FPS, which is likely near the GPU’s maximum output. This suggests the CPU can handle high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor, allowing the GPU to do most of the work in this horror title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is ranked 1307 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places the system in the 45th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a mid-range position. The ranking reflects the balance of the components; the GPU’s 58th percentile performance and the CPU’s 77th percentile performance combine to create a system that is above average but not top-tier.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Radeon RX 9060, which has a delta of -1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which is -1.7% faster. This means the RX 7700 is performing at a similar level to those cards. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, which are within 0.3% of its average score. This data confirms that the components are well-matched in terms of their general computational power.

The combo rank of 1307 suggests that while the system is capable of running The Medium, many other configurations will deliver higher frame rates. The measured FPS data shows that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve playable frame rates with most settings. The 4K performance is limited to the Low and Medium presets. This ranking, combined with the measured data, indicates that users should target 1440p for the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the system lacks the raw GPU power to fully conquer 4K resolution in this demanding title.