The Medium

The Medium is a horror game released on 2021-01-27. This analysis examines the performance of an Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with an AMD Radeon RX 570. The measured FPS data across resolutions and settings provides a clear picture of this combination's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS reveals how the system responds to increasing resolution. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 44.7 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p, then to 28 at 4K. This is a steady decline, but the step from 1440p to 4K is the most punishing: a 7 FPS loss compared to the 9.7 FPS loss from 1080p to 1440p. At Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 26.6 at 1080p, 26 at 1440p, and 17 at 4K. The 1440p result is nearly identical to 1080p, suggesting that the GPU is not yet fully saturated at those resolutions. At High settings, the numbers are 18.8 at 1080p, 19.9 at 1440p, and 14.3 at 4K. The 1440p value actually exceeds the 1080p value, which is an anomaly that may indicate measurement variance or a CPU-limited scenario at lower resolutions. At Ultra, the drop is severe: 17.1 at 1080p, 10.3 at 1440p, and 7.5 at 4K. The data shows that the GPU becomes the dominant constraint as resolution climbs, especially at higher presets. The CPU, with 12 cores and 20 threads, is unlikely to be the bottleneck at these frame rates, given its strong benchmark standing.

How This Combo Ranks

In The Medium, this CPU-GPU combination ranks 1643rd out of 1689 tested combos. That places it near the bottom of the list, with only a small number of configurations performing worse. The CPU itself sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, scores 35336, a delta of 0.1%. The GPU, meanwhile, is at the 74th percentile among all GPUs, with an average score of 30158. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, scores 30109, a delta of 0.2%. Despite the CPU's strong relative position, the GPU's age and limited memory capacity drag the combined result down. The 4 GB frame buffer and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest by current standards, and the measured FPS reflects this. The low combo rank is consistent with the GPU being the primary limiting factor.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1168 MHz and boost clock is 1244 MHz. The memory runs at 1750 MHz, or 7 Gbps effective. These specifications are modest for a demanding horror title like The Medium. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is 7.5, and even at 1080p Ultra it is only 17.1. The GPU's benchmark scores include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 880, a Geekbench Metal score of 44915, OpenCL 32084, and Vulkan 42752. Its average benchmark score is 30158, placing it at the 74th percentile. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, has an average score of 30109, a delta of 0.2%. The 4 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, as the frame buffer can be exhausted quickly. The data shows that at 4K, even Low settings only achieve 28 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the only preset that consistently delivers an average above 30 FPS is Low. At 1080p Low, the average is 44.7; at 1440p Low, it is 35. At 4K, no preset reaches 30 FPS, with Low at 28. Medium at 1080p is 26.6, which is close but below 30. High and Ultra are below 20 at all resolutions except 1080p High (18.8) and 1440p High (19.9). For a playable experience, the Low preset is the recommended choice for 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, even Low falls short of 30 FPS, so users may need to consider a lower resolution or accept sub-30 frame rates. The data does not support using Medium or higher at any resolution if a smooth frame rate is the priority.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 14.3 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 28 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 17 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 7.5 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 19.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 35 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 26 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 10.3 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 18.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 44.7 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 26.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 17.1 |

The highest average FPS recorded is 44.7 at 1080p Low, while the lowest is 7.5 at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this combo?

A: The data shows that 1080p Low yields the highest average FPS at 44.7. At 1440p Low, the average is 35. At 4K, the highest average is 28 on Low.

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K?

A: No. The highest 4K average is 28 FPS on Low, which is below 30. At 4K Ultra, the average is 7.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-14400's 35336.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 30158, which is 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060's 30109.

Q: What is the combo's rank among tested systems?

A: It ranks 1643rd out of 1689 combos in The Medium.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor?

A: The CPU is at the 89th percentile, while the GPU is at the 74th percentile. The low combo rank and the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions indicate that the GPU is the primary constraint.