The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding workload, and the combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by graphics settings and resolution. The data indicates that this system is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming or smooth 1440p experiences, while 4K Ultra remains out of reach. The measured frame rates reveal a clear hierarchy where the GPU's capabilities are the primary bottleneck, scaling predictably with the game's preset options.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the most versatile, offering playable frame rates across all settings. At 1440p, the Medium preset achieves 85.8 FPS, which is a strong target for a balanced experience.

Q: How does the RTX 5070's memory capacity affect performance?

A: Equipped with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, the GPU has a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. This capacity is sufficient for the game's textures at 1440p High and Medium settings, but the significant frame rate drops at 4K Ultra suggest that memory bandwidth or capacity becomes a limiting factor at that extreme configuration.

Q: Is the Core i5-13400F a bottleneck for the RTX 5070?

A: Benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the primary constraint. The GPU's score of 29,137 in Passmark G3D is substantially higher than the CPU's average benchmark score of 25,236, and the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a GPU-bound pattern, where higher resolutions reduce frame rates proportionally.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The jump is significant. At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 133.4 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 45.3 FPS. This represents a 66% reduction in frame rate, showing that Ultra presets are extremely demanding on the GPU.

Q: How does this system's overall rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 314th out of 1689 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 18.6% of all systems tested, which is a strong overall position for a modern gaming setup.

Q: Can this setup achieve a stable 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, only the Low preset (109.7 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset hits 68.6 FPS, which is above 60, but High (49.5 FPS) and Ultra (35.9 FPS) fall below that threshold, making 4K gaming viable only with reduced visual fidelity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its performance dictates the overall experience in The Medium. With 6,144 shading units and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, the GPU provides substantial raw compute power, evidenced by its Passmark G3D score of 29,137. The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth are key for handling the game's detailed environments, but the data shows that the Ultra preset, especially at higher resolutions, saturates this resource.

The FPS measurements demonstrate a clear GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p, the spread between settings is massive: Low runs at 150 FPS, while Ultra drops to 59.5 FPS. This 60% performance penalty for Ultra shows that the game's highest settings place an enormous load on the renderer. The RTX 5070's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are present but do not appear to offer a distinct advantage in the standard rasterization benchmarks provided, as the frame rates scale linearly with the resolution and preset demands.

The GPU's performance at 1440p is particularly telling. High settings produce 62.9 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target, while Medium delivers a comfortable 85.8 FPS. This suggests that the card is well-matched for 1440p gaming, but users must be selective with settings to maintain high refresh rates. The card's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its position as a high-end part, yet The Medium's Ultra preset remains a significant challenge, with 4K Ultra yielding just 35.9 FPS, indicating that even this powerful GPU is not immune to the game's most demanding configurations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F serves as a capable foundation, providing 10 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its multi-threaded performance is solid, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21,279 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 10,971. The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking versus all CPUs shows it is a strong performer, but in The Medium, its role is secondary to the GPU.

The evidence for this is in the FPS scaling. When moving from 1080p to 1440p, the frame rates drop by roughly 15-20% at most settings, which is typical of a GPU-limited workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions at the same settings, as the CPU's work does not change with resolution. Instead, the data shows that higher resolutions consistently reduce FPS, confirming the GPU is the constraining factor.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 provide sufficient data throughput for the game's logic. However, the single-thread performance, while respectable with a Passmark single-thread score of 3,634, is not the defining characteristic here. The 3DMark single-thread score of 960 is modest, but it does not hinder the experience because the game's rendering pipeline is heavily parallelized on the GPU. The i5-13400F effectively feeds the RTX 5070 without becoming a limiting factor, allowing the GPU's architecture to dictate the final frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates show a clear performance gradient across resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally capable. The Low preset achieves 150 FPS, providing a highly responsive experience for fast-paced sections. Medium settings yield 103.1 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. High settings produce 73.2 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS standard. Ultra is the only setting that falls below the high-refresh threshold, landing at 59.5 FPS, but it remains playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but requires more careful selection. Low settings deliver 133.4 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience. Medium settings provide 85.8 FPS, which is the sweet spot for a balance between visual quality and performance. High settings drop to 62.9 FPS, which is just playable for a 60 Hz display but leaves little headroom. Ultra falls to 45.3 FPS, which is a significant compromise and not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the demands of 4K are evident. Low settings maintain high performance at 109.7 FPS, showing the GPU's raw strength. Medium settings drop to 68.6 FPS, which is still playable. High settings fall to 49.5 FPS, and Ultra cripples performance to 35.9 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming is only viable with lower presets, as the higher settings push the GPU beyond its comfortable operating range.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i5-13400F and RTX 5070 ranks 314th out of 1689 tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the top 18.6% of all systems tested, which is a strong result for a mid-range to high-end desktop configuration. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's 82nd percentile performance and the GPU's 83rd percentile performance, showing that the two components are well-matched.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 41,687 is notably higher than the RTX 3090's score of 41,441, but the delta is only 0.6%, indicating they are in a similar performance tier. The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, has a delta of -0.5%, showing the i5-13400F is slightly ahead. This parity in component performance contributes to the overall rank, suggesting that the system's position in the 314th spot is a result of the game's specific engine demands rather than a glaring weakness in either component.

The rank also implies that while the system is fast, there are 313 other configurations that deliver higher frame rates in this specific title. These likely include higher-tier GPUs or CPUs, but the data shows that for the price point and specifications, this combo is competitive. The 1689 tested combos represent a wide range of hardware, and being in the top 20% indicates that this system is well-suited for The Medium, albeit not at the absolute highest settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience is found at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset, which delivers 85.8 FPS. This provides a smooth frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining a reasonable level of visual fidelity. For users with 1080p displays, the Medium preset at 103.1 FPS is equally compelling, offering high responsiveness and good image quality.

For those prioritizing maximum visual quality, the High preset at 1920x1080 produces 73.2 FPS, which is acceptable for a 60 Hz monitor. However, the step up to Ultra at 1080p yields only 59.5 FPS, which is a marginal gain in visuals for a noticeable performance hit. The data suggests that Ultra is not worth the cost at any resolution, as it consistently reduces frame rates by 20-30% compared to High.

At 4K, the Medium preset is the highest playable option at 68.6 FPS, but the Low preset at 109.7 FPS is recommended for a more comfortable margin. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended due to sub-60 FPS performance. The best overall experience, balancing visual quality and smoothness, is undeniably the Medium preset at 1440p, which leverages the GPU's strengths without overburdening it.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K provides clear evidence of a GPU-bound workload. At the Medium preset, performance drops from 103.1 FPS at 1080p to 85.8 FPS at 1440p, a 17% reduction, and then to 68.6 FPS at 4K, a further 20% reduction. This consistent degradation with increasing resolution is the hallmark of a system where the graphics card is the limiting factor.

The Low preset shows a similar pattern, scaling from 150 FPS at 1080p to 133.4 FPS at 1440p (an 11% drop) and then to 109.7 FPS at 4K (an 18% drop). The High preset scales from 73.2 FPS to 62.9 FPS (a 14% drop) and then to 49.5 FPS (a 21% drop). The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, dropping from 59.5 FPS at 1080p to 45.3 FPS at 1440p (a 24% drop) and then to 35.9 FPS at 4K (a 21% drop).

This data indicates that the RTX 5070's performance headroom is progressively exhausted as pixel count increases. The CPU's role is static across resolutions, so the consistent FPS drops confirm that the GPU's rendering throughput, memory bandwidth, and fill rate are the determining factors. The scaling is not linear, but it is predictable, and it shows that users should expect a roughly 15-20% performance penalty for each step up in resolution, which is typical for a modern GPU under load.