The Medium

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a performance profile in The Medium that is firmly mid-pack among the 3,724 tested combos, ranking 632nd overall. This places the pairing in the 83rd percentile of all configurations tested, indicating a system that is well above average but not at the absolute top tier for this specific title. The data shows a configuration capable of smooth play at lower resolutions, but one that faces significant challenges at 4K with higher graphical presets, suggesting a complex interplay between the CPU and GPU that is highly dependent on the workload.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 632 out of 3,724 tested configurations places it in the upper echelon of performance. This position is not surprising given the hardware, but the specific ranking reveals that the bottleneck shifts dramatically depending on the resolution and settings. At 1080p and 1440p, the system demonstrates strong performance, with average frame rates that would satisfy most users. However, the ranking is heavily influenced by the 4K results, where the system struggles to maintain high frame rates on the most demanding presets. The delta between the best and worst performance scenarios is stark, and the overall rank reflects a system that excels in some conditions while being merely adequate in others. The data indicates that the CPU and GPU are well-matched for lower resolutions, but the GPU’s capabilities are stretched at 4K, preventing the combo from achieving a higher rank.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This is a high-performance desktop chip with a 125 W TDP, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 9,283 on the 3DMark 16-thread test and 1,043 on the single-thread test, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838. These figures indicate a robust multi-threaded capability, which is relevant for a game like The Medium that may utilize multiple threads for rendering and physics.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiter in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 161 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that suggests the CPU is feeding the GPU adequately. The single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043, is strong, which helps maintain high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The L3 cache is 25 MB shared, which is ample for gaming workloads. The CPU’s role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where it can push the GPU to its limits, but at higher resolutions, the GPU’s rendering load takes precedence.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves an average of 61 FPS, which is playable. However, at 1920x1080 with High settings, the average is 72 FPS, which is smoother. For the best balance, 2560x1440 with Medium settings yields 85 FPS, making it a solid choice for higher fidelity without sacrificing too much performance.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 38 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth, responsive gameplay. This suggests that the RX 7900 XT is not sufficient for maxed-out 4K in this title, and users should consider lower presets or resolutions.

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

A: At 1080p Low, the system hits 161 FPS, which indicates the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to high frame rates. The bottleneck is less clear, but the high FPS suggests the CPU is not being overtaxed, and the GPU is likely the limiting factor at higher settings like Ultra, where it drops to 57 FPS.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: The 2560x1440 Medium preset shows an average FPS of 85, with a minimum of 72 and a maximum of 98 FPS. This narrow range indicates a stable frame pacing experience, which is beneficial for a horror game where smoothness is critical for immersion.

Q: How does the combo’s rank compare to other configurations?

A: The combo ranks 632 out of 3,724 tested, which places it in the 83rd percentile. This is a strong result, but the data shows that the RX 7900 XT’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT with a 1.5% higher average benchmark score, indicating close competition at the GPU level.

Q: Does the CPU’s high multi-core score translate to better FPS?

A: The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 is high, but the FPS data shows that the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU’s single-thread performance, with a score of 4,071 in R23 single-core, is more relevant for gaming, and it appears sufficient to avoid limiting the GPU at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 161 FPS, the Medium preset achieves 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 and a maximum of 116, the High preset achieves 72 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 57 FPS. This shows a steep decline as settings increase, with a 104 FPS difference between Low and Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 136 FPS, Medium yields 85 FPS (minimum 72, maximum 98), High yields 61 FPS, and Ultra yields 48 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 88 FPS, which is significant but less steep than at 1080p. The Medium preset’s frame time consistency is notable, with a 26 FPS range between minimum and maximum.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 107 FPS, Medium delivers 67 FPS (minimum 57, maximum 77), High delivers 48 FPS, and Ultra delivers 38 FPS. The performance hit is most pronounced here, with a 69 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. The 4K Medium preset shows a 20 FPS range between minimum and maximum, indicating less stability than at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU’s workload is the primary factor in performance degradation. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 161 at 1080p to 136 at 1440p (an 84.5% retention) and then to 107 at 4K (a 66.5% retention from 1080p). This is a smooth scaling curve, suggesting the GPU is handling the increased pixel count effectively at low graphical complexity.

However, at Ultra settings, the drop is more severe. From 1080p Ultra at 57 FPS, the performance falls to 48 FPS at 1440p (84.2% retention) and then to 38 FPS at 4K (66.7% retention). While the percentage retention is similar to Low, the absolute frame rates are much lower, indicating that the GPU is saturated by the rendering demands at higher presets. The data suggests that the 4K Ultra preset is simply too demanding for this GPU, and the system becomes GPU-limited, as the CPU’s performance is less relevant when the GPU is struggling to render frames.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience depends on the display resolution. For 1080p users, the High preset at 72 FPS provides a good balance of visual fidelity and performance, though Medium at 101 FPS offers a smoother experience with a slight reduction in quality. The Ultra preset at 57 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced sequences.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 85 FPS is the recommended choice, as it offers excellent frame rates with stable frame times (minimum 72, maximum 98). The High preset at 61 FPS is a viable alternative for those prioritizing visuals, but the drop to 48 FPS on Ultra makes that preset less desirable.

For 4K, the Low preset at 107 FPS is the only setting that provides a high-refresh experience, while Medium at 67 FPS is the highest quality setting that maintains playable frame rates. The High preset at 48 FPS and Ultra at 38 FPS are not recommended for a smooth experience. The data indicates that users should prioritize the Medium preset at 1440p for the best overall experience, as it delivers high FPS without the instability seen at 4K.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is a high-end GPU based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, featuring the Navi 31 chip built on a 5 nm process. It has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s boost clock is 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz, and it offers 51.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications are substantial, but the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings.

The GPU’s 20 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for The Medium at any resolution, as the game is unlikely to exceed that capacity. However, the raw compute power is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 38 FPS. The GPU’s performance relative to its rivals is interesting: its average benchmark score is 13,745, which is slightly lower than the AMD Radeon 660M (13,812) and NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13,821), but higher than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (13,543). This places the RX 7900 XT in a competitive position, but the measured game data shows that its real-world performance is more nuanced.

The GPU’s role is clearly dominant in determining frame rates, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when increasing resolution. At 1080p, the GPU is capable of delivering high FPS, but at 4K, the rendering load becomes too heavy, and the GPU cannot keep up. The data suggests that the RX 7900 XT is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates with stable frame times, making it a strong choice for this title despite its limitations at 4K.