The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built around pre-rendered backgrounds and layered reality transitions, presents a distinct workload for the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT pairing. This combination produces a playable but demanding experience, with performance that scales predictably across resolution and quality presets. The benchmark data, derived from measured runs, reveals a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings, while the CPU's substantial headroom ensures consistent frame pacing even when the graphics load intensifies.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings a hybrid architecture of 12 cores and 20 threads, operating from a 3.60 GHz base clock up to a 5.00 GHz boost clock. Built on Intel's 10 nm process with a 125 W TDP, this processor leverages its Alder Lake-S design to deliver strong single-threaded performance, which is critical for The Medium's fixed-camera rendering style where the engine often relies on a few primary threads for game logic and scene management. The CPU's 25 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (compatible with both DDR4 and DDR5) further aid in feeding the GPU with draw calls.

In benchmark tests, the i7-12700KF scores 4,071 points in Cinebench R23 single-core and 28,838 points in multi-core, placing it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. The single-thread score is the more relevant metric here, as The Medium's frame pacing at lower resolutions often hinges on the CPU's ability to process the camera cuts and streaming data for the dual-reality mechanic. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 115 FPS, which is a 21% increase over the 1080p High result of 52 FPS. This gap indicates that while the CPU can push high frame rates, the game's engine still scales with GPU load, meaning the processor is not the limiting factor at standard settings.

The processor's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Intel Core i7-13700T with a delta of -0.1% and the Intel Core i5-13600T with a delta of 0.2%, showing that the i7-12700KF sits in a tightly contested performance band. The data suggests that the CPU's 20 threads are ample for this title; even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 27, the processor is unlikely to be the cause of the slowdown, as the GPU is clearly saturated by the resolution and preset demands. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9,282 and max-thread score of 9,983 confirm that the processor has enough parallel throughput to handle background tasks without interfering with the game's primary thread load.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the definitive performance driver in this configuration. With 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, the GPU provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a substantial pool for The Medium's 4K texture streaming and high-resolution shadow maps. The RDNA 2.0 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process, features 2,560 shading units, 40 ray accelerators, and a boost clock of 2600 MHz. The memory clock runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), which helps maintain throughput during the game's frequent scene transitions.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 71st percentile among all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 20,700. Its nearest rivals in synthetic tests are the AMD Radeon R9 M395X (delta 0.5%) and the AMD FirePro W7100 (delta 0.6%), though those are older workstation parts, underscoring the RX 6750 XT's position as a mid-range enthusiast card. In The Medium, the GPU's role becomes apparent when comparing the 1080p Low result of 115 FPS to the 1080p Ultra result of 41 FPS. The 64% drop in performance from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a direct consequence of the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput being taxed by the game's volumetric lighting and post-processing effects.

At 4K Ultra, the GPU delivers only 27 FPS, while at 4K Low it reaches 76 FPS. This 2.8x difference highlights how the RX 6750 XT's 13.31 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is overwhelmed by the pixel count at 3840x2160. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's assets, as there is no indication of texture thrashing in the measured data; the performance scaling is consistent with raw compute and bandwidth limitations rather than memory capacity issues. The GPU's pixel rate of 166.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 416.0 GTexel/s are the specs that determine its ceiling in this fixed-camera title, where the engine renders full-screen effects for the dual-world sequences.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. Across all settings, the average FPS drops by roughly 65-70% when moving from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. For example, at Medium settings, the system achieves 72 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. This represents a 15% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% drop from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component throughout.

The trend is steeper at lower settings. At Low, the system runs at 115 FPS (1080p), 97 FPS (1440p), and 76 FPS (4K). The 39 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Low is significant, but the proportional drop (34%) is less severe than at Ultra, where the 41 FPS (1080p) falls to 27 FPS (4K), a 34% decrease as well. This consistency suggests that the GPU's compute units are the bottleneck, not the memory subsystem or the CPU. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rate would plateau at higher resolutions, but the data shows continuous declines, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is below playable thresholds, while 4K Medium at 48 FPS is marginally acceptable. The 1080p results, ranging from 41 FPS (Ultra) to 115 FPS (Low), show that the system is well-suited for 1080p gaming with high refresh rates, but the GPU's 192-bit memory bus and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth become a constraint at 4K, where pixel throughput demands outpace the available fill rate. The measured minimum FPS values at Medium settings (61 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, 40 FPS at 4K) confirm that frame dips are more pronounced at higher resolutions, reinforcing the GPU's role as the performance ceiling.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 52 FPS on High, 115 FPS on Low, 72 FPS on Medium, and 41 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, indicating a stable frame pacing window with no severe dips. The Low preset at 115 FPS is the only result that approaches high-refresh-rate territory, while Ultra at 41 FPS is smooth but not ideal for competitive play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 43 FPS (High), 97 FPS (Low), 61 FPS (Medium), and 34 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset's minimum of 52 FPS and maximum of 70 FPS show a narrower band than at 1080p, but the average of 61 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold for many players. The Low preset at 97 FPS remains highly playable, while Ultra at 34 FPS is a borderline experience.

At 3840x2160, the results are 34 FPS (High), 76 FPS (Low), 48 FPS (Medium), and 27 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset's minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 55 FPS indicate that the experience is playable but with visible stutter in the most demanding scenes. The Low preset at 76 FPS is the only 4K setting that provides a consistently fluid experience, while Ultra at 27 FPS is effectively a slideshow for a horror title that relies on atmosphere.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution is consistent: at 1080p, the FPS drops from 115 to 41 (a 64% reduction); at 1440p, from 97 to 34 (a 65% reduction); and at 4K, from 76 to 27 (a 64% reduction). This uniformity underscores that the GPU's performance ceiling is linear with respect to the quality presets, with no sudden cliff due to VRAM limits or driver overhead.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 1,707 out of 3,724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 54th percentile of all configurations, meaning roughly half of the tested systems perform better. Given that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, this rank reflects the RX 6750 XT's mid-range standing rather than a deficiency in the CPU.

The CPU's synthetic percentile of 85 (vs. all CPUs) is much higher than the GPU's percentile of 71 (vs. all GPUs), confirming that the processor is not holding back the system in this title. The combo's rank is likely dragged down by the GPU's limitations at 4K, where many higher-end cards would double the frame rates. For context, the GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks have average scores within 1% of the RX 6750 XT, which suggests that swapping to a similar-tier card would yield comparable in-game results.

The rank of 1,707 out of 3,724 also indicates that while this system is not at the top tier, it is firmly in the upper half of tested hardware. The measured FPS data supports this: the system can achieve 60+ FPS at 1080p Medium and 1440p Low, which is a respectable performance level for a horror game that prioritizes visual fidelity over high frame rates. The 4K Low result of 76 FPS is also notable, as it shows the system can handle 4K if the user is willing to sacrifice graphical quality. However, for the ideal experience, the data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it can maintain 60 FPS on Medium settings without reaching the GPU's performance cliff.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal setting for this combo depends on the target resolution and the user's tolerance for frame rate fluctuations.

For 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the best balance, delivering 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay with no drops below 60 FPS, which is crucial for a game that uses sudden camera cuts and visual transitions. The High preset at 52 FPS is also playable, but the 20 FPS drop from Medium to High is not justified by a proportional visual improvement, given that the game's art style is heavily reliant on pre-rendered backgrounds. Ultra at 41 FPS should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept occasional frame pacing issues.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset again emerges as the recommended choice, with an average of 61 FPS and a minimum of 52 FPS. The slight dips below 60 FPS are noticeable but acceptable for a single-player horror experience. The Low preset at 97 FPS is an alternative for users who prioritize frame rate stability, but the visual downgrade is significant. High at 43 FPS is below the 60 FPS target and should be skipped in favor of Medium.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset at 76 FPS is the only setting that provides a fully playable experience. Medium at 48 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 40 FPS that could cause stutter during the game's most intense scenes. High at 34 FPS and Ultra at 27 FPS are not recommended, as they fall below the threshold for a responsive horror game. The 4K Low result is surprisingly strong, indicating that the RX 6750 XT's 12 GB VRAM and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's assets at reduced quality.

Overall, the data indicates that the "sweet spot" for this combo is 1440p Medium, where the system delivers a near-locked 60 FPS experience with only minor dips. Users with 1080p monitors can push to High settings, but Medium offers a more consistent experience that aligns with the game's slow-paced, cinematic style.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 60 FPS on a 4K monitor?

A: At 4K resolution, the system achieves 76 FPS on Low settings, which is above 60 FPS. However, at Medium settings, the average drops to 48 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, so 60 FPS is only achievable by using the Low preset.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a stable 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 on Medium settings, the system averages 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS. At 1920x1080 on Medium, the average is 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, providing a more stable 60 FPS experience.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35,365. The Intel Core i7-13700T is 0.1% slower, while the Intel Core i7-12700K is 0.2% faster, placing the 12700KF in a tightly competitive band.

Q: Is the GPU's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for The Medium at maximum settings?

A: The measured data shows no evidence of VRAM-related performance issues. The frame rate drops from 4K Low (76 FPS) to 4K Ultra (27 FPS) are consistent with compute and bandwidth limitations, not memory capacity.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 115 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 41 FPS. This represents a 64% reduction in performance, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the game's high-end visual effects.

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

A: The combo ranks 1,707 out of 3,724 tested systems, placing it in the upper 54% of all configurations. This is consistent with a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU, where the GPU is the limiting factor.