The Medium

The Medium presents a substantial challenge to this Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti pairing, with benchmark data showing a configuration that is decisively GPU-bound at higher resolutions but capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1080p. The measured results indicate that the RTX 3080 Ti is the primary performance ceiling, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, while the i7-12700KF provides sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck in this horror title. The combo’s overall ranking in this game, placing 901st out of 3724 tested configurations, reflects a strong but not top-tier standing, with the data suggesting that users should target 1440p Medium for the most balanced experience, sacrificing some visual fidelity for a consistent frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K in The Medium is steep and consistent, clearly demonstrating that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the limiting component in this pairing. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 67 FPS at 1920x1080 to 56 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 11 FPS, and then plummets further to 44 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a total decline of 23 FPS from the baseline. This pattern, where each resolution step incurs a roughly 15-20% performance penalty, is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, with the rendering workload increasing significantly as pixel count rises.

The scaling behavior becomes even more pronounced when examining the Low settings preset, where the frame rates are considerably higher across the board. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 149 FPS, which drops to 125 FPS at 1440p, and then falls to 98 FPS at 4K. The absolute FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 51 FPS, which is a larger absolute decline than the 23 FPS drop seen at High settings, even though the percentage decrease is similar. This suggests that at lower settings, where the GPU is less stressed, the frame rate is more sensitive to resolution changes, further confirming that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the deciding factor.

However, the data also reveals that the CPU is not entirely irrelevant. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 149 FPS, a figure that is high but not exceptionally so, indicating that the i7-12700KF is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at this resolution. If the CPU were a severe bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau or even decrease at lower resolutions when settings are reduced, but the consistent upward trend from 4K to 1080p across all settings presets indicates that the GPU remains the primary constraint. The fact that the 4K Ultra setting yields only 35 FPS, while 1080p Ultra yields 53 FPS, underscores that this game’s visual demands are heavily weighted toward resolution and shader complexity, which are inherently GPU-side tasks.

The takeaway from the resolution scaling data is straightforward: this combo is optimized for 1440p gaming, where it can maintain playable frame rates at Medium and High settings, while 4K is only viable at Low settings or with significant compromises. The RTX 3080 Ti’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 384-bit bus width, which provide a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s, are sufficient for 4K textures, but the raw compute power, rated at 34.10 TFLOPS, is not enough to sustain high frame rates at that resolution with this game’s demanding effects.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At Medium settings, the combo achieves an average of 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS, providing a smooth and responsive experience. While 1080p offers higher frame rates (93 FPS at Medium), the visual upgrade to 1440p is substantial, and the performance remains well within the playable range.

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

A: Yes, but with significant limitations. At 4K High, the average frame rate is 44 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Dropping to 4K Low yields a much more comfortable 98 FPS, but this requires sacrificing most visual quality. The 4K Ultra preset is not recommended, as it only produces 35 FPS on average.

Q: How does the CPU contribute to performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, provides ample processing power. Its single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071, ensures that it does not bottleneck the GPU, particularly at lower resolutions. The benchmark results show that frame rates scale consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU is the main performance driver.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti a good match for this CPU in this title?

A: Yes, the pairing is well-balanced for The Medium. The GPU’s performance, which places it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, is the primary factor in the frame rates, while the CPU’s high multi-threaded performance, with a Passmark multithread score of 34092, ensures it can keep up with the GPU’s demands. The combo ranks 901st out of 3724 tested configurations, indicating a strong overall performance.

Q: What is the difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 78 FPS, while High delivers 56 FPS. This is a 22 FPS difference, which is substantial. The Medium preset provides a much smoother experience, and the visual difference between Medium and High in a horror game is often less noticeable than the frame rate improvement.

Q: Should I use the Low preset to maximize frame rate?

A: If achieving the highest possible frame rate is your priority, the Low preset is the best choice serious, delivering 125 FPS at 1440p and 149 FPS at 1080p. However, this comes at a significant cost to visual fidelity. For most players, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance, with an average frame rate of 78 FPS that is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination ranks 901st out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 25% of all configurations. This is a strong result, indicating that this pairing is well-suited for the game’s demands. The ranking reflects a system that can handle the game at high settings and high resolutions, though it is not at the very top tier where ultra settings at 4K are consistently possible.

To contextualize this ranking, it is useful to look at the individual component performance. The CPU, the i7-12700KF, has an average benchmark score of 35365, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403 (a 0.1% difference), and the Intel Core i5-13600T, which scores 35305 (a 0.2% difference). This shows that the CPU is essentially on par with these newer, lower-power parts, providing top-tier processing capability for gaming.

The GPU, the RTX 3080 Ti, has an average benchmark score of 41187, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, which scores 40870 (a 0.8% difference), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, which scores 40377 (a 2% difference). The RTX 3080 Ti is 2% faster than the RTX 5070 in this benchmark, showing that it remains a competitive high-end card. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU justifies the strong combo ranking, though the specific demands of The Medium, which appears to be heavily GPU-bound, mean that the GPU’s performance is the more critical factor in determining the final frame rates.

The ranking of 901 out of 3724 also suggests that while this is a powerful system, there are other combinations that can achieve higher performance in this specific game. These are likely to feature more recent, top-tier GPUs, such as the RTX 40-series or AMD’s RDNA 3 cards, which have higher raw compute throughput. However, for the vast majority of users, this combo will provide an excellent experience in The Medium, with the data showing it is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in The Medium provides a comprehensive look at its performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. With the Low preset, it achieves an average of 149 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset drops to 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS, still providing a very smooth experience. The High preset yields 67 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 53 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of high performance, but even the Ultra preset remains playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset delivers an average of 125 FPS, which remains very high. The Medium preset is a strong option, with an average of 78 FPS and a frame time window between 67 and 90 FPS. The High preset drops to 56 FPS, which is still playable but begins to show the GPU’s limits. The Ultra preset at 1440p brings the average down to 45 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3080 Ti is clearly under pressure. The Low preset delivers an average of 98 FPS, which is surprisingly high and suggests that the game is well-optimized at lower settings for 4K. The Medium preset yields an average of 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. The High preset drops to 44 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces only 35 FPS on average. These numbers clearly indicate that 4K gaming is only viable at Low or Medium settings, and even then, the Medium preset may experience noticeable frame drops in demanding scenes.

The data also shows a consistent pattern of performance scaling. At every resolution, the jump from Low to Medium is substantial, while the jump from Medium to High is smaller, and the jump from High to Ultra is the smallest. This suggests that the game’s renderer has significant headroom for optimization, and that the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. The frame time data for the Medium preset, which is the only one with min and max values recorded, shows a relatively tight window, indicating stable performance without major stutters.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF plays a supporting role in The Medium, providing the computational horsepower needed to ensure the GPU is not starved of data. As a 12th-generation Alder Lake-S processor, it features a hybrid architecture with 12 cores and 20 threads, running at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This high clock speed is crucial for gaming, as it directly impacts single-threaded performance, which is often the limiting factor in game logic and draw call processing.

The benchmark data shows that the CPU is exceptionally strong. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 28838, and its single-core score is 4071, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. In the context of The Medium, this means the CPU is more than capable of handling the game’s simulation and scripting tasks. The 3DMark scores further illustrate its capability: an 8-thread score of 7211 and a max-thread score of 9983 indicate that it can effectively utilize its many cores when needed, though The Medium may not be heavily multi-threaded.

Given the resolution scaling data, it is clear that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 149 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would challenge many CPUs. The fact that the frame rate continues to scale upwards as resolution decreases, even at the same settings preset, strongly suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint. If the CPU were limiting performance, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at a certain point, regardless of resolution or settings. This is not the case, as the data shows a consistent relationship between resolution and FPS.

The i7-12700KF’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core also contribute to its gaming performance, reducing memory latency and improving data throughput. Its support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with a dual-channel memory bus, ensures it can feed the GPU with a steady stream of data. While the GPU’s 912.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth is essential for high-resolution textures, the CPU’s memory bandwidth is sufficient to avoid creating a bottleneck. The conclusion from the data is that the CPU is a capable partner for the RTX 3080 Ti in this game, and its performance is not a limiting factor at any of the tested resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo in The Medium depend on the user’s target resolution and priority for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the clear recommendation. This configuration delivers an average of 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The visual quality at Medium is significantly better than Low, and the 22 FPS advantage over the High preset (56 FPS) is a substantial improvement in smoothness that most players will notice.

For users with a 1080p monitor, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is also an excellent choice, providing an average of 93 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a very responsive experience. Those with high-refresh-rate monitors (144Hz or higher) may prefer the Low preset, which achieves 149 FPS, but this comes at the cost of reduced visual detail. The High preset at 1080p, at 67 FPS, is also viable, but the Medium preset offers a better balance of quality and performance.

For 4K users, the situation is more constrained. The data shows that the Low preset is the only truly smooth option, delivering 98 FPS on average. The Medium preset, at 61 FPS, is technically playable but hovers near the minimum threshold for smoothness, and the recorded minimum of 52 FPS suggests there may be occasional dips. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended, as their average frame rates of 44 and 35 FPS respectively will result in a noticeably stuttery experience in a game that relies on atmosphere and tension.

In summary, the data indicates that the Medium preset is the “best” setting for this combo in The Medium, offering the most significant improvement in visual quality over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is at least 78 FPS at 1440p and 93 FPS at 1080p. The High and Ultra presets provide diminishing returns and are only suitable for users who prioritize image quality over frame rate and are playing at 1080p. For the majority of players, targeting 1440p with Medium settings will provide the most enjoyable and stable experience, while 4K should be reserved for Low settings or for users who are willing to tolerate lower frame rates.