The Medium

The Medium presents a uniquely demanding workload for the Intel Core i7-12700K and AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination. This pairing shows a system capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, but one that is decisively held back by the GPU as resolution climbs. The benchmark data indicates a clear division of labor where the CPU provides ample headroom, while the graphics card becomes the primary constraint at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, featuring a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It is built on Intel's 10 nm process and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. With an L3 cache of 25 MB shared across the chip, the CPU is equipped to handle substantial data throughput.

In the context of The Medium's measured results, this processor appears to be more than sufficient for the title's demands. The evidence lies in the scaling of frame rates between the Low and Ultra presets. At 1080p, the frame rate jumps from 115 FPS on Low to 41 FPS on Ultra. This massive performance swing is characteristic of a system where the CPU is not the bottleneck; if the processor were struggling, the frame rate would be more consistent regardless of the graphics settings.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this interpretation. In Cinebench R23, it achieves a multicore score of 19784 and a single-core score of 1850.5. The Geekbench multicore result is 15790, with a single-core score of 2308. These synthetic results indicate a high level of general processing power. The data shows that the Core i7-12700K sits in the 84th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its nearest rivals in the database are the Intel Core i5-13600T, the Intel Core i7-12700KF, and the Intel Core i7-13700T, with the i7-12700K trailing each by less than one percent in average score (specifically -0.1%, -0.2%, and -0.3% respectively). This positioning suggests it is a very capable processor that is unlikely to be the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios, including this one.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the clear performance driver in this combination for The Medium. This GPU is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory bandwidth is a substantial 624.1 GB/s, and the card boosts to 2459 MHz. It has 2560 shading units and 40 ray tracing cores.

The benchmark results show that this GPU is the primary arbiter of performance, particularly at higher resolutions. At 2160p (4K), the frame rates are consistently the lowest across all presets, indicating the GPU is working at its limits. The GPU's own benchmark scores show a Passmark G3D score of 20974, placing it in the 58th percentile versus all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 15852.

The nearest rivals for the RX 7700 are quite telling. The AMD Radeon R9 370X has an average score of 15862, a delta of -0.1% from the RX 7700. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is -1% behind, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is -1.7% behind. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is 1.1% ahead. This data suggests that while the RX 7700 is competent, it is not a top-tier performer in the absolute sense, and its 58th percentile ranking confirms this. In a game like The Medium, with its fixed camera angles and detailed environments, the GPU's raw throughput and memory bandwidth are critical. The 16 GB VRAM is a generous allocation, but the core compute performance is what dictates the frame rates seen in the measured data.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data clearly illustrates the relationship between resolution and performance, and it points directly to the GPU as the limiting component. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is severe, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

• Low Preset: At 1920x1080, the system achieves 115 FPS. This drops to 97 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 18 FPS. At 3840x2160, it falls to 76 FPS. This shows a steady decline as pixel count increases.
• Medium Preset: The 1080p result is 72 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 61 FPS. At 4K, it falls to 48 FPS. The scaling is consistent, with a 24 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K.
• High Preset: Starting at 51 FPS at 1080p, it drops to 43 FPS at 1440p and finally to 34 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K here is 17 FPS.
• Ultra Preset: This is the most demanding setting. The system manages 41 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and only 27 FPS at 4K.

The data shows that the frame rate is nearly halved when moving from 1080p to 4K on the Low preset (115 to 76 FPS). If the CPU were the primary constraint, the frame rates would be much closer together across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale as dramatically with resolution as the GPU's does. The fact that performance degrades so significantly with resolution is a definitive indicator that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the bottleneck. The Core i7-12700K is providing frames as fast as the GPU can render them, but the GPU simply cannot keep up with the increased pixel throughput required at 4K. This is why the system achieves playable, but not high, frame rates at 4K, while being very capable at 1080p.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the most suitable resolution. The system achieves a high average of 115 FPS on Low settings and 72 FPS on Medium settings at this resolution, indicating a smooth experience.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K or the AMD Radeon RX 7700 the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the limiting factor. The frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases (e.g., from 115 FPS at 1080p to 76 FPS at 4K on Low settings), which is a characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the GPU.

Q: How does the Core i7-12700K compare to its closest rivals in overall CPU benchmarks?

A: The Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287. It is essentially tied with its nearest rivals, trailing the Intel Core i5-13600T by -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-12700KF by -0.2%, and the Intel Core i7-13700T by -0.3%.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K, the system achieves an average of 76 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 34 FPS on High and 27 FPS on Ultra. Therefore, 4K is only playable on the Low preset; higher presets will result in sub-30 FPS averages.

Q: What is the performance delta between the RX 7700 and the RTX 3060 Ti in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has an average score of 16129. This puts the RX 7700 at -1.7% relative to the RTX 3060 Ti.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between the Medium and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 61 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 34 FPS. This is a significant decrease of 27 FPS, showing the high cost of Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1738 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the system in the upper half of all configurations tested in the database. This ranking is a holistic view, considering that the CPU is relatively powerful (84th percentile) while the GPU is more mid-range (58th percentile). The overall rank of 1738 suggests that while many systems are faster, this setup is just as capable as a majority of others. The data implies that the system is balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but its overall ranking is dragged down by its performance at higher resolutions where the GPU's limitations are exposed. The system is clearly not a top-tier contender for 4K gaming, but it is far from being a low performer, sitting comfortably in the middle of the pack.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear path for optimizing the experience in The Medium. The goal is to achieve a balance between visual quality and a smooth frame rate.

• For 4K (3840x2160): The Low preset is the only viable option for a consistently playable experience, yielding an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 48 FPS, which is playable but may feel less smooth, and the High preset at 34 FPS and Ultra at 27 FPS are too demanding for a fluid experience.
• For 1440p (2560x1440): The Medium preset is an excellent choice, delivering 61 FPS. This offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Low preset reaches 97 FPS for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, but the High preset at 43 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS are more demanding.
• For 1080p (1920x1080): The High preset is recommended, offering 51 FPS. For a smoother experience, the Medium preset provides 72 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 115 FPS for maximum frame rates. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS is also playable, but the performance cost over High is significant.

In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is found on the Medium preset for 1440p and 4K, and the High preset for 1080p. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a solid 61 FPS, which is a good target for most players. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions, as it provides the lowest frame rates with a marginal visual improvement over High. The data shows that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates on medium-to-high settings.