The Medium

The Medium presents a significant challenge for the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination. The data indicates that this pairing is positioned in the lower quartile of tested configurations, with a combo rank of 2948 out of 3724 tested combos. The benchmark results reveal a system that is fundamentally GPU-limited at higher resolutions, struggling to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, while showing more promise at 1080p with adjusted settings. The RTX 2060’s 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and the Turing architecture’s feature set are the primary bottlenecks, not the 10-core Raptor Lake processor.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo consistently achieves playable frame rates. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 30 at Ultra settings to 83 at Low settings, whereas 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 drop to a maximum of 70 and 55 FPS, respectively, only at Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-13400F perform relative to its closest rivals?

A: The i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, has a nearly identical average score of 25284, a 0% difference. It is also statistically tied with the Intel Core 5 120 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, which are 0.3% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, which is 0.4% ahead.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 a bottleneck for the i5-13400F in this game?

A: Yes, the benchmark results strongly indicate a GPU bottleneck. The FPS drops dramatically when increasing resolution, from 83 FPS at 1080p Low to 55 FPS at 4K Low. This 34% reduction in performance at the same settings is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated, while the CPU has more headroom to spare.

Q: What is the most significant performance difference between the CPU and GPU in this pairing?

A: The CPU is a high-end performer relative to its peers, ranking in the 77th percentile, while the GPU is more mid-range, sitting in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. This contrast highlights that the RTX 2060 is the weaker link in this pairing, especially for a demanding title like The Medium.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 44 and the maximum is 60, with an average of 52 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 37 and the maximum is 50, averaging 44 FPS. The 4K Medium preset shows a minimum of 29 and a maximum of 40 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank in The Medium compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 2948 out of 3724 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 20% of all configurations. This low ranking underscores that while the CPU is capable, the overall system is not well-suited for the game’s high graphical demands at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data clearly points to the 1920x1080 resolution with the Medium preset. This configuration yields an average of 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 60, providing a stable and fluid experience that is mostly above the 60 FPS threshold. While the Low preset at 1080p delivers a higher average of 83 FPS, the Medium preset is the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance, as the game’s horror atmosphere benefits from better graphical details. The High preset at 1080p drops to 37 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth, and the Ultra preset at 30 FPS is not recommended for consistent play.

At 2560x1440, the only viable option is the Low preset, which achieves an average of 70 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution falls to 44 FPS, which is playable but less ideal, while High and Ultra settings produce averages of 31 and 25 FPS, respectively, making them unsuitable for a smooth experience. The 4K resolution is not recommended for this hardware, as even the Low preset only manages an average of 55 FPS, and the Medium preset drops to 34 FPS.

The data suggests that users should prioritize resolution over settings. Sticking to 1080p and using the Medium preset offers the most consistent and visually acceptable performance. For those with a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only sensible choice to maintain high frame rates)Skip the High and Ultra presets at any resolution above 1080p, as the frame rates fall below 40 FPS, which is a poor experience for a game that relies on atmosphere and timing.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination is ranked 2948 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the system in the 21st percentile, meaning that roughly 79% of all tested configurations perform better in this specific game. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU’s performance ceiling, as the CPU’s own benchmark standing is much higher. The i5-13400F sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, but the RTX 2060’s 58th percentile ranking drags the entire combo down.

The data shows that the system is not well-balanced for this title. The game is graphically intensive, and the RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of VRAM, is clearly a limiting factor. The ranking suggests that this combo is better suited for older or less demanding games, rather than a 2021 release like The Medium. The CPU’s high 3DMark scores, such as 7314 for 16 threads and 7307 for max threads, are not enough to compensate for the GPU’s inability to render the game at higher settings and resolutions. The overall rank confirms that this system is on the lower end of the performance spectrum for this game, and users should have modest expectations for their experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance decline as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 83 at 1920x1080 to 70 at 2560x1440, a 16% decrease, and then to 55 at 3840x2160, a further 21% decrease. This pattern indicates that the RTX 2060 is working progressively harder to fill more pixels, and its performance scales poorly with the increased workload.

The trend is even more pronounced at Medium settings. The average FPS falls from 52 at 1080p to 44 at 1440p, and then to 34 at 4K. This represents a 35% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is a significant loss in performance. The High and Ultra presets show similar, if not steeper, declines. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component, as the i5-13400F’s performance does not degrade with resolution. The CPU’s 10 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for the game’s logic, but the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demands.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across resolutions at the same settings, as the CPU would be the limiting factor. Instead, the FPS consistently drops with higher resolutions, which is the definitive signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 2060’s 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth are simply not enough to feed the GPU at higher resolutions in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 83. The Medium preset follows with an average of 52 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 60. The High preset drops to an average of 37 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the lowest at 30 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system can handle the game, but only at lower presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 70 FPS, which is still playable. The Medium preset averages 44 FPS, with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 50. The High preset falls to 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset is at 25 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is significant, especially at higher settings, making 1440p viable only for Low and potentially Medium if the user can tolerate lower frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the performance is largely unplayable. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is borderline, but the Medium preset averages just 34 FPS, with a minimum of 29 and a maximum of 40. The High preset averages 25 FPS, and the Ultra preset is at 20 FPS. These numbers clearly indicate that 4K is not a realistic option for this hardware in The Medium. The data shows that the only way to get a consistently smooth experience is to use the Low preset at 1080p or 1440p, or the Medium preset at 1080p.

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 benchmark scores are robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191. This places it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, showing that it is a strong performer for general and multi-threaded workloadscars.

However, in The Medium, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU. The game’s performance is dictated by the graphics card, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and high clock speeds ensure that it is not a bottleneck, but they cannot improve the GPU’s rendering capabilities. The 3DMark scores, such as 7314 for 16 threads and 1880 for 2 threads, show a balanced scaling that is typical of a modern desktop processor.

The fact that the CPU is not the limiting factor is clear from the FPS drops when resolution increases. If the i5-13400F were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be relatively consistent across resolutions. The data instead shows a consistent decline, which means the CPU is waiting on the GPU to finish rendering frames. In this pairing, the i5-13400F is an excellent match for a more powerful GPU, but with the RTX 2060, its potential is unrealized in graphically intensive games like The Medium. The CPU has more than enough headroom to support a more capable graphics card, but with the current GPU, users will be limited by the graphics card’s performance.