The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both processor and graphics card, and the combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a split personality: exceptional performance at lower presets, but a steep challenge at 4K Ultra. The data shows a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, but which requires careful settings management to maintain smooth gameplay at higher resolutions. This pairing is a strong mid-to-high-end contender, ranking in the top quarter of all tested combos for this title, but its behavior across the settings spectrum reveals where its true strengths lie.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 offers the best balance. At Medium settings, it delivers an average of 81.4 FPS, which is a comfortable experience, while High settings still provide a playable 57.9 FPS average. 1920x1080 is where maximum frame rates are achieved, hitting 146.5 FPS on Low, but 1440p provides a better visual-to-performance trade-off.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: It can, but with significant caveats. At 3840x2160, the system achieves a 61 FPS average on Medium settings, which is smooth. However, on High settings, the average drops to 42.3 FPS, and on Ultra, it falls to 35.4 FPS, which will not feel smooth for most players. Low settings at 4K do yield a very high 99 FPS average, but this undermines the visual fidelity of a horror game.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-12700KF compare to its closest rivals?

A: The processor’s average benchmark score of 35355 puts it in a virtual tie with its nearest rivals. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14400, 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-12900HX, and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13600T. It trails the Intel Core i7-13800H by a negligible 0.2%. This indicates that the CPU is performance-neutral within its peer group.

Q: What is the GPU's standing relative to other graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37283 and sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, scores 37507, which is 0.6% higher. The RTX 4070 is 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5300M and is significantly faster than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A, which it beats by 1.9%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings and resolutions. The CPU has a robust multi-threaded score of 28979 in Cinebench R23, while the GPU’s performance scales down significantly with settings. For example, at 4K, the average FPS drops from 99 on Low to 35.4 on Ultra, a 64% reduction that is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload.

Q: What is the best overall settings preset for a consistent experience?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended sweet spot. It produces an average of 81.4 FPS, which is high enough for smooth gameplay. While the Low preset provides higher frame rates at all resolutions, the Medium preset offers a substantial visual improvement that is more appropriate for the game's atmospheric horror setting, without incurring the severe performance penalty seen at High or Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data indicates a clear hierarchy in performance scaling. The most efficient preset for this hardware configuration is Medium. At 1920x1080, it provides a 92.4 FPS average, which is an excellent experience. Moving up to 2560x1440, the Medium preset maintains a strong 81.4 FPS average, demonstrating that this setting is not overly taxing on the system. Even at 3840x2160, Medium is the highest preset that keeps the game comfortably playable, with a 61 FPS average.

Choosing High settings is a significant step down in performance. The average frame rate at 1080p falls to 67 FPS, and at 1440p, it drops to 57.9 FPS. This is a 30% reduction from Medium at 1440p. The Ultra preset presents an even more demanding scenario, yielding only 51.6 FPS at 1080p and 46.8 FPS at 1440p. For a game like The Medium, which relies on atmosphere, the visual jump from Medium to High or Ultra may not justify the substantial loss in smoothness. The Low preset, while capable of 146.5 FPS at 1080p, offers the least visually rich experience. Therefore, the Medium preset is the optimal choice for a balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its multi-threaded capabilities are substantial, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 and a Passmark multithread score of 34092. This level of processing power is more than sufficient for the CPU overhead in The Medium, ensuring that the processor is not the primary source of frame rate bottlenecks.

The data supports this interpretation. The performance difference between presets is drastic; for example, at 2560x1440, the average FPS jumps from 46.8 on Ultra to 81.4 on Medium. This kind of scaling is typically tied to GPU workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more consistent across different graphical presets. The processor's high single-thread performance, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2526 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043, also ensures that game logic and draw calls are processed efficiently, feeding the GPU without introducing a bottleneck. The i7-12700KF's performance is effectively a non-issue here, as it sits 0.1% above the Intel Core i5-14400 and 0.2% above the Intel Core i9-12900HX in average benchmarks, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 holds a rank of 413 out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 25% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing. The data indicates that this configuration is a well-balanced pairing for a high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming experience, as well as a competent 4K performer when settings are adjusted.

The ranking reflects the system's overall capability. While it is not at the absolute top tier, it outperforms the vast majority of other system configurations. The 413th rank out of 1689 combos suggests that it is a formidable setup that will handle most gaming scenarios with ease. The primary factor holding it back from a higher rank is its performance at the most demanding settings, such as 4K Ultra, where the RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth are pushed to their limits. However, for the majority of gaming scenarios, particularly at 1080p and 1440p, this combo delivers a high level of performance that is well above the median.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the decisive component in this pairing, and its performance characteristics directly dictate the gaming experience. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, it features 5888 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s allow it to handle the game's detailed environments and lighting effects. The GPU's compute power is rated at 29.15 TFLOPS, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's role is clearly demonstrated by the FPS scaling across settings. At 3840x2160, the RTX 4070 produces a 99 FPS average on Low settings but only 35.4 FPS on Ultra. This 64% performance drop is a direct result of the increased pixel and texture workload. The 12 GB of VRAM is a key factor here; at 4K Ultra, the game's assets likely require more memory bandwidth and capacity, leading to the lower frame rates. The GPU is also the reason why the 1440p Medium setting is so successful, as it provides a 81.4 FPS average, demonstrating that the card is well-suited for this resolution. This behavior confirms that the RTX 4070 is a high-performance card that excels at 1440p and is capable at 4K, provided the settings are moderated.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system shows its 4K limitations. The Ultra preset yields an average of 35.4 FPS, which is not smooth. High settings improve this to 42.3 FPS, but it remains below the ideal threshold. The Medium preset is the first playable option, delivering a 61 FPS average. The Low preset is exceptionally fast for 4K, reaching a 99 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the configuration hits its stride. The Ultra preset provides a 46.8 FPS average, which is borderline, but High settings are more viable at 57.9 FPS. The Medium preset is the clear winner here, with an 81.4 FPS average that offers a smooth and detailed experience. The Low preset produces a very high 127.6 FPS average, making it ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

At 1920x1080, the system performs exceptionally well. The Ultra preset achieves a 51.6 FPS average, which is playable. High settings are comfortable at 67 FPS, and Medium settings are very smooth at 92.4 FPS. The Low preset is the top performer, with a 146.5 FPS average, showcasing the full potential of the RTX 4070. The data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 4070 is best utilized at 1440p Medium to High, or at 1080p with any settings, where it can consistently deliver high frame rates.