The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, proves to be a demanding showcase for the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination. Benchmark data shows this pairing delivers a highly playable experience at 1440p and 1080p, while 4K resolution requires careful settings management to maintain smooth frame rates. The combo ranks 140th out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.3% of all systems benchmarked for this specific game, indicating strong overall performance. The data reveals a clear pattern: the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s robust multi-threaded capabilities ensure consistent performance across all settings tiers.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 provides the best balance of performance and visual fidelity. At Medium settings, the combo achieves 94 FPS, and at High settings it reaches 68.7 FPS, both of which are well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. While 1920x1080 offers higher frame rates, the 1440p results demonstrate that the system has ample headroom for a sharper image without compromising playability.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER compare to its closest rivals in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 48704, placing it 1.6% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A2000 and 2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile. However, it trails the NVIDIA CMP 50HX by 0.7% and the Intel Arc A550M by 2.1%. This indicates the card sits in a competitive mid-to-high tier, with performance margins of less than 2.1% against its nearest competitors.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor. The CPU’s multi-threaded benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 and a Passmark multithread score of 34092. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop that is characteristic of GPU limitation, not CPU saturation, meaning the processor has sufficient headroom to feed the graphics card.

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

A: The measured FPS shows a dramatic range. At Low settings, the system produces 151.4 FPS, while at Ultra it drops to 55.1 FPS. This represents a performance cost of over 60% for the highest visual quality preset, highlighting how much GPU headroom is consumed by the Ultra settings in this horror title.

Q: Does the combo support high refresh rate monitors at 1080p?

A: Yes, the benchmark results are more than sufficient for high refresh rate displays. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the system achieves 112.8 FPS, and at Low settings it reaches 167.5 FPS. These frame rates comfortably exceed the 144Hz refresh rate common on many gaming monitors, provided the settings are not maxed out.

Q: How does the CPU rank against its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355, which is virtually identical to its closest competitors. It is 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i5-14400, 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i9-12900HX, and 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i5-13600T. It is only 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-13800H, showing it is perfectly competitive in its class.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for The Medium. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, it provides a substantial 672.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This is crucial for a game like The Medium, which uses heavy texture streaming and high-resolution assets to create its eerie, dual-reality environments. The 16 GB frame buffer ensures that even at 4K resolution, the card does not run out of memory, allowing the game to load textures without stuttering.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also a key factor. The base clock of 2340 MHz and boost clock of 2610 MHz allow the card to sustain high throughput. This is reflected in the raw compute figures: the GPU delivers 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In The Medium, this raw power translates directly into the ability to render complex lighting and shadow effects at high frame rates. The data shows that the GPU is the deciding factor when moving up in resolution; the FPS drops are consistent with the increased pixel count, indicating the card is working at its limits.

The card’s performance percentile of 86 versus all GPUs confirms its high-end status. Its average benchmark score of 48704 is a strong indicator of its capabilities. In the measured FPS data, we see that the GPU’s power is best utilized at 1440p, where it can produce high frame rates without being overwhelmed. At 1080p, the GPU is often underutilized, as the frame rates are more likely capped by the game’s engine or CPU. Conversely, at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, with the Ultra preset dropping to 42 FPS, a figure that is demanding on the hardware.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data suggests that the Medium preset is the optimal choice for this combo, particularly at 2560x1440. At this setting, the system achieves 94 FPS, which is a smooth and immersive experience for a horror game. This preset offers a significant performance headroom over High settings, which produce 68.7 FPS. The jump from Medium to High costs 25.3 FPS at 1440p, a 27% reduction in performance, which is a steep price for the visual improvements.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates at 1920x1080, the High preset is also viable, delivering 78.1 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 1080p yields 112.8 FPS, which is a far more comfortable margin for ensuring no drops in tense scenes. The Low preset is not recommended, as it produces frame rates well above 150 FPS at both 1080p and 1440p, indicating that the game is not visually demanding enough to justify such a low quality setting when the hardware has so much headroom. The Ultra preset is only advisable for players who prioritize visuals above all else and are playing at 1080p, where it achieves 65.2 FPS, but at 1440p it dips to 55.1 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness threshold.

The best experience, balancing visual quality and performance, is clearly the Medium preset at 2560x1440. It provides a frame rate that is nearly 60% higher than the High preset at the same resolution, ensuring that the game remains fluid during its most intense moments.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 140th out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 8.3% of all systems benchmarked, a strong result indicating that this is a high-performance pairing for this title. The rank suggests that while there are faster systems, this combo is far above the median performer.

The ranking reflects the synergy between the CPU and GPU. The CPU’s high multi-threaded performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979, ensures it can handle the game’s background processes and AI without bottlenecking the GPU. The GPU’s 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms it is a top-tier component. The combination of a top-tier GPU with a high-end CPU results in a system that competes effectively against other combinations, many of which may feature more expensive components.

The rank of 140 also implies that the system is well-balanced. If the CPU were too weak, we would expect to see the rank be lower, as the GPU would be held back. Conversely, if the GPU were the weak link, the rank would also suffer. The data shows a balanced system where both components contribute effectively, placing it in the top echelon of tested systems for this game.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the GPU-bound nature of this workload. At Medium settings, the system achieves 112.8 FPS at 1920x1080, 94 FPS at 2560x1440, and 73 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 16.7% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 22.3% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling pattern is classic evidence that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases.

The same pattern is visible at High settings: 78.1 FPS at 1080p, 68.7 FPS at 1440p, and 54.9 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 13.8 FPS, which is a 20% reduction. This consistent decline across all settings confirms that the game’s rendering load is scaling directly with pixel count, and the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the component that is working hardest to keep up.

Notably, the CPU’s performance does not appear to be a factor in this scaling. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller difference between 1080p and 1440p, as the CPU would limit the frame rate regardless of resolution. Instead, the frame rates continue to fall as resolution increases, proving that the GPU is the limiting component. The fact that the system can still produce 116.5 FPS at 4K Low settings further indicates that the CPU is not holding the system back, as this high frame rate is only possible with a strong processor feeding the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo in The Medium is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 167.5 FPS
• Medium: 112.8 FPS
• High: 78.1 FPS
• Ultra: 65.2 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 151.4 FPS
• Medium: 94 FPS
• High: 68.7 FPS
• Ultra: 55.1 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 116.5 FPS
• Medium: 73 FPS
• High: 54.9 FPS
• Ultra: 42 FPS

These numbers reveal a few key insights. First, the Low preset is exceptionally performant, with all resolutions achieving over 116 FPS. This suggests that the game’s minimum settings are not particularly demanding. Second, the difference between Medium and High is significant at every resolution, costing roughly 20-25% of the frame rate. Third, the Ultra preset is the most demanding, and at 4K, it drops to 42 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. The data shows a wide range of performance, from a maximum of 167.5 FPS to a minimum of 42 FPS, giving players a broad spectrum of choices based on their display and preference for visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF plays a supporting but essential role in achieving these frame rates. With 12 cores and 20 threads, this processor provides ample parallel processing power. The benchmark data shows strong multi-threaded performance, with a 3DMark max threads score of 9983 and a Passmark multithread score of 34092. This is critical for The Medium, which may utilize multiple threads for streaming, physics, and AI, ensuring that the game logic does not starve the GPU of data.

The CPU’s high boost clock of 5.00 GHz also contributes to its strong single-threaded performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4091. This is important for the game’s main thread, which often handles the core game loop and camera logic. A strong single-core performance ensures that these tasks are completed quickly, preventing any frame pacing issues.

The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking versus all CPUs confirms its high-end status. Its performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a delta of less than 0.3% from the Intel Core i5-14400, Intel Core i9-12900HX, and Intel Core i5-13600T. This means that in a game like The Medium, which is not heavily CPU-dependent at high resolutions, the choice of CPU among these models will have a negligible impact on the final frame rate. The processor provides a solid foundation that allows the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER to perform to its full potential, confirming that this is a well-matched pairing for this title.