The Medium

The Medium is a horror game that leans heavily on fixed-camera angles and pre-rendered transitions, which shifts the performance burden in specific ways. The combination of an Intel Core i7-12700KF and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 produces a wide spread of results across resolutions and settings, and the data shows that the RTX 3080 is the primary driver of frame rates, especially at higher resolutions. This combo ranks 494th out of 1689 tested configurations, placing it in the upper third of all systems, but the measured FPS reveals that even this strong hardware is challenged by the game's Ultra preset at 4K. The following breakdown interprets the benchmark results, focusing on what the numbers mean for a builder deciding whether this pairing is right for their target display and settings.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU's single-threaded performance is strong: it scores 1043 in 3DMark single-thread and 4091 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Multi-threaded scores are equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 9983. This processor ranks in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF is effectively tied. The Intel Core i5-14400 scores 35336, a delta of 0.1%, while the Intel Core i7-13800H scores 35416, a delta of -0.2%. The Intel Core i9-12900HX and Core i5-13600T also sit within a 0.3% range. This means that for The Medium, swapping to any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates, as the game is not CPU-bound in the tested scenarios. The i7-12700KF's high boost clock and 25 MB of shared L3 cache are more than sufficient for the game's demands, and the data shows that the processor is not the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work to do, the CPU keeps pace with the RTX 3080, as evidenced by the 142.2 FPS average. The conclusion from the data is that the i7-12700KF provides a stable, high-performance foundation, but it does not meaningfully differentiate itself from its closest competitors in this specific title.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is based on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz, with 8704 shading units and 68 RT cores. In synthetic tests, the RTX 3080 scores 25086 in Passmark G3D and 167014 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it in the 80th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 35787. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (35860, -0.2%), the AMD Radeon 880M (35646, 0.4%), and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (36101, -0.9%), showing that the RTX 3080 is competitive with a broad range of modern and older high-end cards.

In The Medium, the RTX 3080's VRAM and bandwidth are critical. The game's fixed-camera environments often load high-resolution textures, and the 10 GB frame buffer appears sufficient for the tested settings, though the Ultra preset at 4K drops to 35.6 FPS, suggesting the GPU is running out of compute headroom rather than memory capacity. The 760.3 GB/s bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame pacing at lower settings, but the data shows a steep performance cliff when moving from Medium to High at 4K: 60.6 FPS to 39.4 FPS. This 21.2 FPS drop is larger than the drop from Low to Medium (95.1 FPS to 60.6 FPS), indicating that the High preset introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU's shader and memory subsystems. The RTX 3080 is clearly the dominant component in this combo, as every FPS change between settings and resolutions aligns with GPU load rather than CPU capability.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 142.2 FPS, which drops to 121.9 FPS at 1440p Low and 95.1 FPS at 4K Low. This is a 33% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is typical for a GPU that is handling most of the rendering work. The scaling becomes more aggressive at higher settings. At High settings, the FPS goes from 66.0 at 1080p to 54.7 at 1440p to 39.4 at 4K, a 40% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is even steeper: 51.3 FPS at 1080p, 40.8 FPS at 1440p, and 35.6 FPS at 4K, representing a 31% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

These numbers indicate that the RTX 3080 is the limiting component at all resolutions and settings. The CPU's performance is constant, so any FPS change is attributable to the GPU. The fact that the 1080p Ultra score (51.3 FPS) is higher than the 4K High score (39.4 FPS) confirms that resolution and settings are interacting to push the GPU to its limits. A builder targeting 4K should not expect playable frame rates above Medium settings, as the drop from Medium (60.6 FPS) to High (39.4 FPS) is too severe for smooth gameplay. Conversely, 1080p and 1440p are well within reach for High settings, with 66.0 and 54.7 FPS respectively. The data suggests that the i7-12700KF is never the bottleneck; even at 1080p Low, the CPU is not holding back the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 494th out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 70th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 30% of configurations perform better. Given that the RTX 3080 is a previous-generation high-end card and the i7-12700KF is a strong desktop CPU, this ranking is reasonable. The rank reflects that many newer GPUs and CPUs can outperform this combo, but it also shows that the pairing is far from entry-level. In terms of relative performance, the combo's average FPS across all tested settings is roughly 71 FPS (summing all twelve measured points and dividing by 12), which is respectable for a horror game that prioritizes atmosphere over fast action.

The combo's rank is more indicative of the GPU's age than the CPU's capability. The i7-12700KF's nearest rivals all have similar avg benchmark scores, so the CPU choice is unlikely to change the combo's ranking by more than a few positions. The RTX 3080's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, has a 0.9% higher avg score, which would translate to a slightly better ranking in games that are equally GPU-bound. For a builder looking at this combo, the rank suggests that it is a solid mid-to-high-tier option, but there is clear headroom for improvement by pairing a newer GPU with the same CPU. The data does not indicate any bottleneck or mismatch between the two components; they perform as expected relative to their individual percentiles (89th for CPU, 80th for GPU).

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

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 142.2 FPS on Low, 92.6 FPS on Medium, 66.0 FPS on High, and 51.3 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 49.6 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 14.7 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds effects that are less demanding than the step from Low to Medium. For 1080p gamers, High settings provide a smooth 66 FPS, which is ideal for a game that does not require high refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the FPS drops to 121.9 on Low, 73.4 on Medium, 54.7 on High, and 40.8 on Ultra. The 1440p High score of 54.7 FPS is still playable, but it requires a VRR display to avoid stutter. The Medium preset at 73.4 FPS is the sweet spot for 1440p, offering a 34% improvement over High while maintaining visual quality. Ultra at 1440p is marginal at 40.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for most players.

At 3840x2160, the results are 95.1 FPS on Low, 60.6 FPS on Medium, 39.4 FPS on High, and 35.6 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Medium score of 60.6 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only 4K setting that is consistently playable. The drop from Medium to High is 21.2 FPS, which is a 35% reduction and indicates that High settings at 4K are too demanding for this GPU. Low at 4K is surprisingly playable at 95.1 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. For 4K, the data suggests that players should stick to Medium settings or lower the resolution to 1440p for higher quality. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at each setting is roughly linear, confirming that the GPU is the sole limiting factor.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p Medium (73.4 FPS) offers the best balance of frame rate and visual quality. 1080p High (66.0 FPS) is also smooth, while 4K Medium (60.6 FPS) is the only 4K setting that hits 60 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF or the RTX 3080 the bottleneck?

A: The benchmark results indicate the RTX 3080 is the limiting component. FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, while the CPU's performance is constant. The i7-12700KF's 89th percentile ranking ensures it does not hold back the GPU.

Q: How does this combo compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i7-12700KF's nearest rivals (i5-14400, i7-13800H, i9-12900HX, i5-13600T) all have average benchmark scores within 0.3% of this CPU, so swapping to any of them would produce nearly identical FPS in this game.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The 4K Ultra average is 35.6 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. Even 4K High (39.4 FPS) is too low for smooth gameplay. 4K Medium (60.6 FPS) is the maximum viable option.

Q: How large is the gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low yields 142.2 FPS and Ultra yields 51.3 FPS, a difference of 90.9 FPS. This shows that the Ultra preset imposes a 64% performance penalty over Low at the same resolution.

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

A: This combo ranks 494th out of 1689 tested configurations, placing it in the 70th percentile. This is a strong showing for a previous-generation GPU and CPU pairing.