The Medium

The Medium with the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a pairing that targets high-refresh-rate 1080p and solid 1440p play, but it hits a clear wall at 4K Ultra settings. The data shows a combo that ranks in the 77th percentile of tested configurations, indicating strong overall capability, yet the game’s demands at maximum settings will force compromises. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to show exactly where this system excels and where it struggles.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At Medium settings, it delivers an average of 93 FPS, and at High settings, it maintains 67 FPS. This provides a smooth experience without needing to drop to the Low preset.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Medium, it achieves an average of 62 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K High, the average drops to 44 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 35 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, putting it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. It is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-13600T, which scores 35305, and the Intel Core i7-12700KF, which scores 35365. The performance deltas are minimal, ranging from -0.1% to -0.4% relative to these rivals.

Q: What is the role of the GPU's VRAM in this game's performance?

A: The RTX 4070 comes with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for the texture and asset loads at 1440p and even 4K, as the bottleneck at higher settings appears to be raw compute power rather than memory capacity, given the significant FPS drops when increasing quality presets.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter. The jump from Low (150 FPS) to Medium (93 FPS) is a 57 FPS drop, which is a massive performance cost. This indicates that the graphical load is heavily taxing the GPU, even at a resolution where the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads are less likely to be the bottleneck.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the components in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700K has a launch MSRP of $409. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has a launch MSRP of 599 USD.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 833 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 22% of all systems tested, a strong showing that confirms this is a high-end pairing. The percentile rank of 77.6% (calculated from the rank and total combos) indicates that this system outperforms the vast majority of configurations in this specific title.

This high ranking is supported by the individual component strengths. The CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35287. Its performance is nearly identical to that of the Intel Core i5-13600T and the Intel Core i7-12700KF, with deltas of -0.1% and -0.2% respectively. This means the processor is delivering peak performance for its class. The GPU, meanwhile, is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 37648. While its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (which scores 38135, a 1.3% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (scoring 37507, a 0.4% delta), the RTX 4070 holds its own in synthetic tests.

In practical terms for The Medium, this rank means the system is well above average. The data shows it can achieve playable frame rates at 1440p High, which is more than many systems can manage. However, the 833rd rank also highlights that there are over 800 configurations that perform better, likely featuring higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 4080 or 4090, which are better suited for 4K Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the combo delivers 93 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 79 FPS, a 15% decrease. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 62 FPS, a further 21.5% decrease from 1440p. This shows a steep curve, indicating that the GPU is working progressively harder as pixel count increases.

The trend is even more pronounced at High settings. The system achieves 67 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 56 FPS at 1440p (a 16.4% decrease) and then to 44 FPS at 4K (a 21.4% decrease from 1440p). This consistent drop of roughly 15-20% per resolution step-up confirms that the RTX 4070 is the performance ceiling. The CPU, with its high single-thread score of 1850.5 in Cinebench R23 and 1043 in 3DMark, is not the limiting factor here.

The data strongly suggests that the RTX 4070 is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. While the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, the GPU's compute resources are saturated as resolution increases. This is typical for a horror game with complex lighting and effects, which are heavily GPU-dependent. For players targeting 4K, this combo requires a significant settings reduction to maintain smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 150 FPS average
• Medium: 93 FPS average (79 min, 108 max)
• High: 67 FPS average
• Ultra: 53 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 126 FPS average
• Medium: 79 FPS average (67 min, 91 max)
• High: 56 FPS average
• Ultra: 45 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 99 FPS average
• Medium: 62 FPS average (53 min, 71 max)
• High: 44 FPS average
• Ultra: 35 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern. The step from Low to Medium is the most costly, with a 57 FPS drop at 1080p, a 47 FPS drop at 1440p, and a 37 FPS drop at 4K. This suggests that Medium settings introduce significant graphical effects that heavily tax the GPU. The step from Medium to High is less severe, with drops of 26 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. Finally, the step from High to Ultra is the smallest, with drops of 14 FPS at 1080p, 11 FPS at 1440p, and 9 FPS at 4K.

Notably, the minimum FPS figures are only provided for Medium settings. At 1080p, the minimum is 79 FPS, which is still very smooth. At 1440p, the minimum is 67 FPS, and at 4K, it is 53 FPS. These minimums are all above the 30 FPS threshold for playability, but the 4K minimum of 53 FPS shows that there can be significant frame dips, which could be noticeable in a game that relies on atmosphere.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the workhorse of this combo, and its specifications explain the observed performance. It is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, featuring 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The GPU has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. This architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is essential for modern titles like The Medium.

The GPU is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's needs, as the primary performance limiter appears to be the GPU's compute power. The RTX 4070 has 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its compute capabilities are rated at 29.15 TFLOPS for FP32, which is a solid figure for a mid-to-high-end card.

The data supports this analysis. The massive FPS drop when moving from Low to Medium settings suggests that the game is activating complex rendering features that rely on the GPU's cores. The RTX 4070 has 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores, which are likely being utilized for ray-traced effects and DLSS, though the measured data does not specify if DLSS is enabled. Regardless, the GPU's raw performance is the deciding factor between a playable 62 FPS at 4K Medium and a choppy 35 FPS at 4K Ultra. The power draw is rated at 200 W TDP, with a suggested PSU of 550 W.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired smoothness.

• For 1080p: The High preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 67 FPS, which is smooth enough for most players. The Ultra preset drops to 53 FPS, which is still playable but not as fluid. The Medium preset offers a high 93 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss may not be worth it when High is perfectly capable.

• For 1440p: The Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It provides a solid 79 FPS average with a minimum of 67 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, which is acceptable but may show more frequent dips in demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS is borderline for a smooth experience.

• For 4K: The Medium preset is the only viable option for a good experience. It achieves a 62 FPS average with a 53 FPS minimum. The High preset at 44 FPS and Ultra at 35 FPS are below the recommended 60 FPS target and will feel noticeably less responsive. The Low preset at 99 FPS is an option for players who prioritize frame rate over visual quality, but the Medium preset offers a much better visual experience for a 37 FPS cost.

In summary, the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo at 1440p and 4K, while High is the best choice for 1080p. For players with a 4K display, sticking to Medium is essential to maintain playability. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 does not have enough headroom to run The Medium at its highest settings at 4K, but it is more than capable of delivering a great experience at lower resolutions and settings.