The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination. The measured frame rates show a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance ensures it is not the bottleneck. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve playable frame rates, but struggles significantly at 4K. This analysis will break down the performance metrics to guide users on optimal settings and expected outcomes.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance penalty as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 75.4 FPS. This drops to 63.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 46.8 FPS at 4K. This progression shows a 16% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 38% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the GTX 1070’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are being heavily taxed as the pixel count increases.

The pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For example, at Medium settings, the frame rate falls from 47.2 FPS at 1080p to 39.6 FPS at 1440p, and then to 33.2 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 7.6 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 6.4 FPS. This suggests that while the GPU is the primary limiting factor, the performance ceiling at 4K is being approached, as the absolute FPS numbers become very low.

The most significant drop occurs when moving to Ultra settings. At 1080p, the system manages 29.6 FPS, which is already below the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, this falls to 20.6 FPS, and at 4K, it plummets to 15.9 FPS. The data shows that the GTX 1070 cannot handle the Ultra preset at any resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p, the frame rate is marginal. The scaling here indicates a pure GPU-bound scenario, where the i5-13400F’s high boost clock of 4.60 GHz is not the constraint.

The data strongly suggests that the limiting component is the GPU. The CPU’s performance, as indicated by its 3DMark max threads score of 7307, is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. However, as resolution increases, the render load on the GTX 1070 grows exponentially, overwhelming its 256.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The result is that the system is unable to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, regardless of the quality preset selected.

Settings Recommendations

According to the measured data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this hardware is achieved at 1080p with the Medium preset, yielding an average of 47.2 FPS. This is the highest settings level that consistently stays above the 30 FPS playability threshold. The Low preset at 1080p provides a significant boost to 75.4 FPS, but the visual compromise is substantial. For users who prioritize frame rate, 1080p Low is the clear choice.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. The Low preset is the only viable option, delivering an average of 63.3 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 39.6 FPS, which is borderline for a horror title where smooth motion is crucial for immersion. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p, with averages of 28.1 FPS and 20.6 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a playable experience.

The data indicates that 4K gaming is not feasible with this configuration. Even the Low preset at 4K produces a 46.8 FPS average, which is technically playable but requires a significant sacrifice in image quality. The High preset at 4K drops to 20.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 15.9 FPS. These numbers are below the minimum threshold for a responsive experience in a game like The Medium, which relies on atmospheric tension.

Ultimately, the best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium. It provides a 47.2 FPS average, which is a 36% improvement over the 34.8 FPS at High settings, while still offering better visual fidelity than the Low preset. The data shows that stepping down to Medium from High is the most efficient way to gain performance without a drastic drop in quality. The i5-13400F’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3004 Cinebench R23 single-core score, ensures that this settings change will result in a tangible FPS gain.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. The measured data shows the Low preset at 4K achieves 46.8 FPS, while the Medium preset drops to 33.2 FPS. Higher presets are not playable, with High at 20.7 FPS and Ultra at 15.9 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth experience?

A: The data suggests the 1080p Medium preset is optimal, providing a 47.2 FPS average. This is the highest quality setting that maintains a frame rate comfortably above 30 FPS.

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

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The performance drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU’s high multi-threaded benchmark scores (e.g., 21279 in Cinebench R23) are not the limiting factor here.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The system achieves 75.4 FPS on Low settings, but only 29.6 FPS on Ultra at 1080p. This represents a 61% performance decrease when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Is the GTX 1070’s 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The measured data does not indicate a VRAM capacity issue, as the game runs at all settings. However, the consistent FPS drops at higher resolutions suggest that the GPU’s overall processing power, including its 256.3 GB/s memory bandwidth, is the limiting factor, not the VRAM size itself.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At High settings, the system averages 34.8 FPS at 1080p and 28.1 FPS at 1440p. This is a 6.7 FPS drop, or a 19% reduction in performance when moving up in resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :------ |

| 3840x2160 | High | 20.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 46.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 33.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 15.9 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 28.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 63.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 39.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 20.6 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 34.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 75.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 47.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 29.6 |

At 1080p, the range of performance is wide. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets is 45.8 FPS, showing the heavy cost of the Ultra preset. The High preset is 12.4 FPS slower than Medium, making it a poor middle-ground choice. The data shows that at 1440p, the Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, achieving 63.3 FPS. All other presets at this resolution fall below 40 FPS.

At 4K, the system struggles across the board. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability at 46.8 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 33.2 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are below 21 FPS. This breakdown confirms that the GTX 1070 is not designed for 4K gaming in this title. The data consistently shows that the i5-13400F provides enough headroom for the GPU to be the sole determining factor in performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, based on the Pascal architecture and manufactured on TSMC’s 16 nm process, is the definitive performance ceiling for this system. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The benchmark data shows that this bandwidth is a critical resource, as performance degrades sharply when the resolution increases and demands more memory throughput. The GPU’s base clock of 1506 MHz and boost clock of 1683 MHz are the operating frequencies that drive its 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU’s overall benchmark percentile ranking is 51, placing it in the middle of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 12331 is only 1.4% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER, its closest rival in the data. This positioning explains the measured performance in The Medium. The GPU is capable of handling the game’s fixed camera angles and pre-rendered environments at lower settings, but it lacks the raw compute power to maintain high frame rates with increased visual fidelity.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is not the primary issue in the measured data. The game runs at all settings, which suggests that the memory size is sufficient for the textures used. Instead, the GPU’s processing power is the constraint. The low FPS numbers at 4K, even on Low settings, indicate that the chip’s pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are insufficient for the workload. The data points to a GPU that is firmly in the mid-range performance tier, and its results in The Medium reflect this, particularly when compared to the i5-13400F’s high percentile rank of 82 among CPUs.