The Medium

The Medium presents a significant challenge for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER combination, with benchmark results indicating that the system is firmly anchored by the GPU at higher settings. The data shows that playable performance is achievable, but only by making deliberate compromises on visual quality. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all resolutions and settings reveal a clear pattern: the GTX 1660 SUPER's 6 GB of VRAM and 5.027 TFLOPS of compute are the primary bottlenecks, while the 10-core i5-13400F provides ample headroom that remains largely untapped. For this pairing, the optimal experience is found at 1080p with Low settings, where the system delivers a 72 FPS average, a figure that is more than double what High settings can manage at the same resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data points decisively to the Low preset as the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience. At 1920x1080, the Low setting achieves an average of 72 FPS, which is a substantial 41.7% higher than the 41.7 FPS average at Medium. The jump from Medium to High is even more punishing, with the average FPS plummeting to 30.4, a 27.1% decrease that pushes the game into territory that is generally considered uncomfortable for action-oriented horror. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable, with an average of just 22.6 FPS at 1080p.

The situation worsens at higher resolutions, reinforcing the need to stay on Low. At 2560x1440, the Low preset still manages a respectable 61.5 FPS average, but the Medium preset drops to 40.1 FPS, and High falls to 29.6 FPS. The data suggests that for users who prioritize frame rate stability, the Low preset is the only setting that guarantees a fluid experience. While the Medium preset may be tempting for improved visuals, the average FPS figures are below the 60 FPS threshold that is often considered the baseline for smooth gameplay. The performance scaling is not linear; the cost of each incremental step up in quality is severe, making the Low preset the clear choice for this hardware configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the definitive limiting factor in this system for The Medium. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is clearly insufficient for the game's higher texture quality settings at higher resolutions. The evidence is in the drastic FPS drops when moving from Low to Medium settings. For instance, at 3840x2160, the average FPS falls from 45.2 on Low to 30.3 on Medium, a 33% reduction. This pattern suggests that the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth or capacity to handle the increased data load.

The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 5.027 TFLOPS for FP32, are also a constraint. The benchmark scores place this GPU at the 55th percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 14286 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, which has a deltaPct of -0.2%. This indicates that the GTX 1660 SUPER is positioned in the lower-midrange tier of performance. The situation is further illustrated by the fact that the Ultra preset at 1920x1080 yields a mere 22.6 FPS, which is only 31.4% of the performance seen on the Low preset. This is a stark demonstration that the GPU lacks the raw shader power and memory resources to handle the game's maximum visual fidelity.

CPU Role

In stark contrast to the GPU, the Intel Core i5-13400F is not a bottleneck in The Medium. This processor, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, provides a robust foundation that easily keeps pace with the GTX 1660 SUPER. The CPU's performance is well above the level required for this game, as evidenced by its 82nd percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 21279 and single-thread score of 3004 indicate a high level of processing power that is more than sufficient for the game's logic and AI.

The data from the measured FPS further supports this conclusion. The significant performance drops are almost entirely attributable to changes in resolution and GPU settings, not CPU load. For example, at 2560x1440, the FPS scales from 61.5 on Low to 18.8 on Ultra, a pattern that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13620H with a score of 25201 and a deltaPct of 0.1%, are all in a similar performance tier, meaning that swapping to a different modern CPU would yield no tangible benefit in this specific game. The 65 W TDP and Raptor Lake architecture provide all the necessary compute headroom, making the graphics card the sole arbiter of performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of this CPU and GPU pair is notably low in the overall benchmark hierarchy for The Medium. The data places this combination at rank 1505 out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11th percentile. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, which drag down the potential of the high-performing CPU. The combination's rank is a stark indicator that while the CPU is a strong performer in its own right, it cannot overcome the graphics card's inability to render the game at high settings.

This low ranking is not a reflection of the CPU, but rather a statement on the GPU's position in the market. The GPU's benchmark scores are near the bottom of the pack, with its average score of 14286 being just 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Vega 11. This suggests that the system as a whole is positioned for 1080p gaming at lower detail levels. Users with this combination should have realistic expectations; the data shows it is not built for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution gaming in demanding titles like The Medium.

Resolution Scaling

The impact of resolution on performance is severe and consistent, pointing to an unyielding GPU bottleneck. When comparing the Low preset across all resolutions, the average FPS scales from 72 at 1920x1080, to 61.5 at 2560x1440, and finally to 45.2 at 3840x2160. This represents a 37.2% drop in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K. This scaling behavior is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system, where the number of pixels to be processed is the primary determinant of frame rate.

The data indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant regardless of resolution. Instead, we see a steady decline, confirming that the GTX 1660 SUPER's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being saturated as the resolution increases. The jump from 1080p to 1440p is manageable, but the leap to 4K is punishing, with even the Low preset failing to maintain 60 FPS. This suggests that for this system, 1080p is the only resolution that can provide a consistently high frame rate, and 1440p is only viable with the Low preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following figures are the exact average FPS results from the benchmark data for this combination.

At 1920x1080, the performance is as follows:

• Ultra: 22.6 FPS
• High: 30.4 FPS
• Medium: 41.7 FPS
• Low: 72 FPS

At 2560x1440, the performance is as follows:

• Ultra: 18.8 FPS
• High: 29.6 FPS
• Medium: 40.1 FPS
• Low: 61.5 FPS

At 3840x2160, the performance is as follows:

• Ultra: 15.5 FPS
• High: 19.2 FPS
• Medium: 30.3 FPS
• Low: 45.2 FPS

These numbers tell a clear story. The only configuration that consistently delivers an average FPS above 60 is 1080p with Low settings. Every other combination results in an average frame rate below 60 FPS, with the Ultra preset falling below 23 FPS at all resolutions. The data shows a clear hierarchy where the Low preset is roughly 1.7x faster than Medium, and over 3x faster than Ultra at 1080p. This underscores the immense performance cost of the game's higher-quality rendering features on this particular GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting to play The Medium with this CPU and GPU?

A: The benchmark data clearly shows that the Low preset at 1920x1080 is the only configuration that provides an average FPS above 60, achieving 72 FPS. All other settings and resolutions result in average frame rates below this threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor. This is evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution and settings, which are classic symptoms of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU has ample headroom, as indicated by its high 82nd percentile ranking.

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

A: No, not at any settings. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves an average of 45.2 FPS. The Ultra preset is unplayable at 15.5 FPS.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 1505th out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11th percentile of all tested systems for this game. This is a direct result of the GPU's performance ceiling.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. The Low preset achieves an average of 72 FPS, which is over three times higher than the 22.6 FPS average seen on the Ultra preset at the same resolution.

Q: Is the GTX 1660 SUPER's memory a problem for this game?

A: The data suggests so. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is likely insufficient for the game's high and ultra texture settings, causing significant performance drops when these settings are enabled, as seen in the 33% FPS reduction from Low to Medium at 4K.