The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience where the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination demonstrates a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and presets. The measured data reveals a system that is largely GPU-bound at higher settings, but the CPU's strong single-thread and multi-thread capabilities, evidenced by its 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs, ensure that frame rates remain consistent even when the graphics load is reduced. The relationship between resolution, settings, and the resulting average FPS provides a clear picture of where this combo excels and where its limitations lie.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 with this hardware shows a predictable but significant drop in performance, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario at higher resolutions. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 136.6 FPS at 1080p to 114.7 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 21.9 FPS, and then further down to 92.1 FPS at 4K. This is a 44.5 FPS drop from 1080p to 4K, indicating that even at the lowest settings, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT's rendering workload scales substantially with pixel count.

The pattern is more pronounced at the Medium preset. Here, the average FPS goes from 85.6 at 1080p to 74.1 at 1440p, and finally to 56.8 at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K results in a 28.8 FPS loss. This suggests that as settings increase, the GPU's compute and memory resources become more strained, amplifying the resolution penalty. The High preset follows a similar trend, with 62.2 FPS at 1080p dropping to 49.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 41.7 FPS at 4K, a total loss of 20.5 FPS.

The Ultra preset shows the most constrained performance, starting at 46.8 FPS at 1080p and declining to 44.1 FPS at 1440p and 34.1 FPS at 4K. Notably, the difference between 1080p and 1440p at Ultra is only 2.7 FPS, which is smaller than the gaps seen in other presets. This indicates that at Ultra settings, the system is likely hitting a performance ceiling that is not solely dependent on resolution, potentially due to the game's engine or a specific rendering feature that taxes the GPU heavily regardless of pixel count. Overall, the data shows that the combo is most responsive to resolution changes at lower presets, while at higher presets, the absolute frame rates are low enough that the relative impact of resolution is diminished.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF a bottleneck for the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT in The Medium?

A: Benchmark results indicate that this is not a significant bottleneck. At 1080p with the Low preset, the combo achieves 136.6 FPS, while at 4K with the same preset, it drops to 92.1 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at all tested settings.

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

A: The measured data shows a substantial gap. At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 114.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields only 44.1 FPS. This represents a 70.6 FPS difference, highlighting the significant impact of graphical fidelity settings on overall performance.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: According to the measured FPS, a consistent 60 FPS at 3840x2160 is not achievable. The highest average FPS at 4K is 92.1 on the Low preset, but this drops to 56.8 on Medium and 41.7 on High. The Ultra preset averages 34.1 FPS. Only the Low preset exceeds the 60 FPS threshold at 4K.

Q: How does the CPU's synthetic benchmark performance relate to its gaming results?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has a strong synthetic profile, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091. This high level of computational performance, placing it in the 89th percentile, provides the foundation for maintaining high frame rates in The Medium, especially where the workload is not entirely GPU-bound.

Q: What is the best preset for a smooth gaming experience at 2560x1440?

A: For a target of 60 FPS or higher, the Medium preset is the best option, as it averages 74.1 FPS. The High preset falls below this target at 49.5 FPS. While the Low preset offers a much higher average of 114.7 FPS, the Medium preset provides a better balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems in The Medium?

A: The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks 580th out of 1689 tested combos for this game. This places it in the upper third of all tested configurations, indicating a solid level of performance relative to the broader database.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this hardware depend heavily on the target resolution and desired smoothness. For a 60 FPS experience at 1920x1080, the High preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 62.2 FPS. While the Medium preset offers a higher average of 85.6 FPS, the High preset provides a superior visual experience at a frame rate that remains playable. The Ultra preset is not recommended for 1080p, as it drops below 60 FPS to 46.8 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear winner for maintaining a smooth experience. It achieves an average of 74.1 FPS, which provides comfortable headroom above the 60 FPS target. The High preset at 49.5 FPS is below the target, and the Ultra preset is too demanding at 44.1 FPS. The Low preset, while achieving 114.7 FPS, sacrifices too much visual fidelity.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that only the Low preset provides a consistently high frame rate, averaging 92.1 FPS. The Medium preset, at 56.8 FPS, is close to the 60 FPS target but may not hold up in all scenes. The High and Ultra presets are not suitable for a fluid 4K experience, with averages of 41.7 FPS and 34.1 FPS respectively. Therefore, for the best balance of visual quality and performance at 4K, the Medium preset is the highest viable option, though users may prefer Low for maximum frame rate stability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance envelope of this combo is wide. The Low preset delivers the highest average at 136.6 FPS, followed by Medium at 85.6 FPS. The High preset averages 62.2 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution to remain above the 60 FPS threshold besides Low and Medium. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, averaging 46.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates decrease across all settings. The Low preset still leads with 114.7 FPS, a substantial drop from its 1080p performance. The Medium preset averages 74.1 FPS, maintaining a playable level. The High preset drops to 49.5 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 44.1 FPS. At this resolution, only the Low and Medium presets maintain an average above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limits become evident. The Low preset is the only one to offer a high frame rate, averaging 92.1 FPS. The Medium preset averages 56.8 FPS, just under the 60 FPS target. The High preset drops to 41.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 34.1 FPS. The data shows a clear and consistent scaling of performance with both resolution and settings, with the gap between presets widening as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT holds a rank of 580 out of 1689 total combos. This places it in the 65.6th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a solid, above-average performance for this title. The CPU's individual standing is strong, ranking in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, which aligns with its high synthetic scores.

The GPU, while also a high performer, ranks in the 87th percentile against all GPUs. The combination's overall rank suggests that the system is well-balanced, but the game's specific engine and rendering demands prevent it from reaching the very top tier of configurations. The measured FPS data shows that the system is strong at lower resolutions and can handle High settings at 1080p, but for higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K, users will need to adjust settings to maintain smooth performance. This rank reflects a system that is capable of a great experience in The Medium, provided the user is willing to tailor settings to their resolution of choice.