The Medium

The Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination delivers a highly capable, if sometimes inconsistent, experience in The Medium, with performance that is heavily dictated by the graphics preset rather than resolution. The data shows a system that can easily exceed 100 FPS at lower settings but falls below 60 FPS at the highest visual fidelity, making preset selection the single most important factor for a smooth experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory position it as a versatile modern desktop part. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 and a single-core score of 3004, demonstrating strong multi-threaded capability that is well-suited for modern game engines.

The processor's percentile ranking of 82 places it above the majority of tested CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13620H, scores nearly identically with a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the i5-13400F is statistically on par with that mobile chip in average benchmark score. Interestingly, it also trades blows with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, which is 0.5% faster, and the AMD EPYC 9474F, which is 0.5% slower, indicating that the i5-13400F sits in a very competitive performance band.

For The Medium, this level of CPU performance is more than sufficient. The game's measured FPS shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 147.2 FPS. The fact that performance scales dramatically with resolution and settings suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. The CPU's headroom is evident when comparing the 1080p Low result to the 4K Low result; the drop from 147.2 FPS to 100.5 FPS points to the GPU becoming the limiting factor as the resolution increases, even at lower graphical presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Its RDNA 4.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process, includes 4096 shading units and 64 RT cores, with a boost clock of 2970 MHz and a game clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU's 48.66 TFLOPS of FP32 performance underscores its raw compute power.

In terms of its benchmark standing, the RX 9070 XT holds a percentile rank of 82 against all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 575, which is 0.1% faster, and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, which is 0.2% slower. This places the card in a specific performance tier where small percentage differences define its competition, though the RX 9070 XT's 16 GB VRAM and high bandwidth are crucial for handling the high-resolution textures in The Medium.

The GPU's role is clearly defined by the measured FPS data. At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the combo produces 46.2 FPS, while at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, it drops to 35.8 FPS. These figures indicate that the RX 9070 XT is being heavily taxed by the game's maximum settings. The jump from 44.5 FPS at 4K High to 100.5 FPS at 4K Low shows that the GPU has significant untapped potential that can be unlocked by reducing graphical load, confirming it as the performance ceiling for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 380th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 22.5% of all systems tested, a strong result that indicates a high-performing pairing. The ranking reflects the synergy between the capable CPU and the powerful GPU, though it is not at the very top tier of performance.

The rank suggests that while the combo is powerful, there are many other configurations that achieve higher frame rates in this specific title. The data implies that the RX 9070 XT is the primary driver of this ranking, as the CPU's strong synthetic scores are less likely to be the differentiator in a game that is graphically intensive. The 1689 total combos include many with more powerful GPUs, which would naturally rank higher, but this specific pairing still delivers a compelling experience for most users.

This mid-pack rank is consistent with the measured FPS, which shows the combo can hit high frame rates at lower settings but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at Ultra presets. The rank of 380 is a holistic measure that likely weighs performance across multiple settings, and the combo's ability to exceed 100 FPS at 1080p Low and 4K Low contributes positively to its standing. However, the sub-60 FPS results at 4K Ultra and 1440p Ultra prevent it from ranking higher.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 147.2 FPS on Low, 92.7 FPS on Medium, 67.6 FPS on High, and 53.5 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear progression where each preset step-up costs roughly 25-30% of the frame rate, with the gap between High and Ultra being particularly notable.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down predictably. The combo delivers 128 FPS on Low, 80.1 FPS on Medium, 58.6 FPS on High, and 46.2 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p results show that the GPU is taking on more work, with the High preset dipping below the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the strain is even more evident: 100.5 FPS on Low, 61.9 FPS on Medium, 44.5 FPS on High, and 35.8 FPS on Ultra.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the combo can maintain playable frame rates at Low and Medium settings across all resolutions, but High and Ultra presets are only viable at 1080p. The 4K High result of 44.5 FPS and the 1440p Ultra result of 46.2 FPS are both below the ideal 60 FPS target, indicating that users must make compromises at higher resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The measured data shows 100.5 FPS at 4K Low and 61.9 FPS at 4K Medium, while 4K High delivers 44.5 FPS and 4K Ultra drops to 35.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS experience?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo achieves 80.1 FPS on Medium and 58.6 FPS on High, making 1440p Medium the highest setting that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS. For a solid 60 FPS at 4K, the Medium preset at 61.9 FPS is the only viable option.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25236, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-13620H's 25201 and 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D's 25365. This indicates near-identical performance among these processors.

Q: Is the GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: Yes. The FPS drops significantly from 147.2 at 1080p Low to 100.5 at 4K Low, a 31.7% decrease, while the CPU's performance remains constant. This shows the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in this game?

A: It ranks 380th out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the top 22.5% of all systems. This is a strong showing, though not at the absolute top tier of performance.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and does it matter?

A: The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. This large capacity is likely beneficial for The Medium's high-resolution textures, as the 4K High preset still manages 44.5 FPS, suggesting the memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s is adequate for the game's demands.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For a 1920x1080 display, the High preset at 67.6 FPS offers a great balance of visual quality and smoothness, while the Ultra preset at 53.5 FPS is playable but sacrifices frame rate for marginal graphical gains. The Medium preset at 92.7 FPS is the best choice for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 80.1 FPS is the clear recommendation, as it provides a smooth experience with good visual fidelity. The High preset at 58.6 FPS is borderline, and users who prefer visual quality over frame rate might accept this, but the data suggests Medium is the sweet spot for this resolution. The Ultra preset at 46.2 FPS is not recommended for a consistently smooth experience.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 61.9 FPS is the only setting that hits the 60 FPS target, making it the definitive choice for 4K users. The Low preset at 100.5 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize frame rate above all else, but Medium offers a much better visual experience while still maintaining a playable frame rate. The High and Ultra presets at 44.5 FPS and 35.8 FPS, respectively, are best avoided unless the user has a variable refresh rate monitor and can tolerate lower frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 147.2 at 1080p to 128 at 1440p, a 13% reduction, and then to 100.5 at 4K, a further 21.5% reduction. This shows that as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows, and the frame rate decreases proportionally.

At Medium settings, the drop is from 92.7 at 1080p to 80.1 at 1440p (13.6% decrease) and then to 61.9 at 4K (22.7% decrease). The High preset shows a similar trend: 67.6 at 1080p, 58.6 at 1440p (13.3% decrease), and 44.5 at 4K (24.1% decrease). The Ultra preset follows suit with 53.5 at 1080p, 46.2 at 1440p (13.6% decrease), and 35.8 at 4K (22.5% decrease).

The consistent percentage drops across all presets indicate that the GPU is the sole limiting factor when scaling resolution. The CPU's performance is unaffected by resolution changes, so the frame rate scaling directly reflects the GPU's rendering capabilities. The data suggests that the RX 9070 XT is not powerful enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with high visual settings, but it is more than capable at 1080p and 1440p with moderate settings. The 16 GB VRAM prevents any memory-related bottlenecks, as evidenced by the smooth scaling, but the GPU's raw compute power is the limiting constraint at higher resolutions.