The Medium

The Medium, a horror title released in 2021, presents a unique dual-world rendering challenge that stresses both processor and graphics hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, using measured frame rate data across resolutions and settings. The data provides a clear picture of where this combination excels and where it struggles, indicating a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming but faces limitations at higher resolutions.

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. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, providing substantial single-thread headroom that is critical for game logic. In synthetic benchmarks, its performance is robust, achieving a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091. This places the CPU in the 89th percentile among all processors, indicating strong overall capability.

Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core i5-14400, which has an average score 0.1% higher, and the Intel Core i9-12900HX, which is 0.2% higher. The i7-12700KF also edges out the Intel Core i7-13800H by 0.2%. These deltas are negligible, meaning the CPU's processing power is essentially on par with these alternatives, making it a consistently high-performing part for gaming workloads.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to manage the game's complex scene transitions and the simultaneous rendering of two worlds. The data suggests that the processor is not a bottleneck in most scenarios. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 110.1 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the dataset. This high value indicates that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower graphical loads. However, at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is heavily taxed, the frame rate drops to 25.4 FPS, demonstrating that the graphics card becomes the limiting factor. The CPU's strong multi-threading capabilities, evidenced by a 3DMark max-threads score of 9983, ensure that the game's parallel processing demands are met without introducing stutter, but the overall frame rate is ultimately dictated by the GPU's rendering capacity.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest average frame rate is 110.1 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 4K (3840x2160), performance ranges from an average of 73.6 FPS on Low settings to 25.4 FPS on Ultra settings. The High preset yields 29.3 FPS, while Medium yields 42.6 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU more likely to be a bottleneck at 1080p or 4K?

A: The CPU is more likely to be a bottleneck at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the frame rate is 110.1 FPS, which is high, but the performance gain from lowering resolution is significant. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate is 25.4 FPS, indicating that the GPU's rendering workload is the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 90 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 31.5 FPS. This represents a substantial 58.5 FPS difference, showing a heavy performance cost for maximum visual quality.

Q: How does the RTX 4060's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 23181. This is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti. It is 0.7% higher than the Intel Arc B580 and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon 760M.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 967th out of 1689 tested combinations for The Medium, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 967th out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the lower half of the database, suggesting that while it is a capable system, many other combinations deliver higher frame rates in this specific title. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's high processing power and the GPU's mid-range performance tier.

Given the GPU's percentile of 66 among all GPUs, the system is not positioned as a top-tier performer. The ranking indicates that the RTX 4060, while competent, is outpaced by a significant number of other graphics cards in this game. The data shows that to achieve higher rankings, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. The 967th rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance ceiling, particularly at higher resolutions and settings where the frame rates drop below playable thresholds.

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

The measured frame rates reveal a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the Low preset provides the highest performance, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 110.1 FPS on Low, 69.6 FPS on Medium, 48.1 FPS on High, and 37.5 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that 1080p is the most viable resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors, with only the Ultra preset falling below 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop to 90 FPS on Low, 59.8 FPS on Medium, 40.9 FPS on High, and 31.5 FPS on Ultra. Here, the Medium preset is the only one that maintains a frame rate near 60 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets dip below comfortable playability for a horror game that benefits from smooth motion.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 73.6 FPS, Medium averages 42.6 FPS, High averages 29.3 FPS, and Ultra averages 25.4 FPS. This data shows that 4K gaming is only feasible with the Low preset, which sacrifices visual fidelity for a playable frame rate. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 48.2 FPS, highlighting the immense graphical load of the Ultra preset.

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

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. When comparing the Low preset, the frame rate drops from 110.1 FPS at 1080p to 90 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 73.6 FPS at 4K. This is a reduction of 18.2% from 1080p to 1440p, and an additional 18.2% from 1440p to 4K. The relatively modest drop in frame rate as resolution increases suggests that the GPU is not being fully saturated at lower resolutions, allowing the CPU to push higher frame rates.

However, at the Ultra preset, the frame rate drops from 37.5 FPS at 1080p to 31.5 FPS at 1440p, and then to 25.4 FPS at 4K. This is a reduction of 16% from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 19.4% from 1440p to 4K. The more pronounced drop at higher settings indicates that the GPU is working near its maximum capacity, and the increased pixel count at 4K overwhelms the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. The data shows that the CPU's performance headroom is not the issue; the GPU's rendering capabilities dictate the frame rate at all resolutions, particularly when graphical settings are increased.

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

For a balanced experience, the 1920x1080 Medium preset is the recommended starting point. It delivers an average of 69.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while still providing a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset. The High preset at 1080p, with an average of 48.1 FPS, is also acceptable for those who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, but it may result in occasional dips during intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only option that provides a playable experience, averaging 59.8 FPS. The High preset at 40.9 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 31.5 FPS is not recommended for a game that relies on atmospheric tension and smooth camera movement. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable choice, offering 73.6 FPS, but this requires a significant compromise in visual fidelity. The data suggests that for the best overall experience, users should target 1080p with Medium or High settings, or 1440p with Medium settings, to maintain a frame rate that does not detract from the horror experience.