The Medium

# How This Combo Ranks

This Intel Core i7-12700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination sits at rank 255 out of 3,724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 6.8% of all tested configurations. This is a strong result for a horror title that tends to favor GPU throughput, but the ranking also reflects the balance between the 12-core processor and the 16 GB graphics card.

The combo's position is driven primarily by the GPU's performance class, as the RTX 4080 SUPER holds an 86th percentile rank among all GPUs in the database. The CPU, meanwhile, sits at an 85th percentile rank among all processors, meaning both components are in the upper tier of their respective categories. The near parity in percentile placement suggests a well-matched pairing, though the game's demands will determine which component carries more weight.

When compared to the nearest rival combinations, the CPU's average benchmark score of 35,365 is essentially identical to the Intel Core i7-13700T (35,403, a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core 5 213PE (35,428, a -0.2% delta). It marginally outperforms the Intel Core i5-13600T (35,305, +0.2%) and the Intel Core i7-12700K (35,287, +0.2%). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, confirming that the 12700KF is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER brings substantial resources to The Medium, with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory runs at 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective), while the GPU core operates at a 2295 MHz base clock and boosts to 2550 MHz. These specifications are critical for a game like The Medium, which features dual-reality rendering where two worlds are often displayed simultaneously, placing heavy demands on both memory capacity and bandwidth.

The GPU's 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output pipelines provide the raw compute needed for the game's fixed-camera perspective with detailed environments. The 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores support ray-traced effects and DLSS, though the measured FPS data does not specify whether these features are enabled. The 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the theoretical peak, but the actual frame rates will be constrained by the game's engine efficiency and the chosen settings.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 54,209 places it at the 86th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the standard RTX 4080, scores 54,247 with a -0.1% delta, making the SUPER variant essentially identical in raw compute. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, -1.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, -2.7%) trail by small margins, indicating that this GPU is competitively positioned within its performance bracket.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the combo's balance shifts across resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, but the game's rendering load still scales predictably with resolution. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 85 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 High drops this to 72 FPS, a 15.3% reduction, and at 3840x2160 High it falls to 56 FPS, another 22.2% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises, with the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads providing sufficient throughput even at 4K.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings shows a total reduction of 34.1% (from 85 to 56 FPS), which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Medium settings, the drop from 119 FPS at 1080p to 100 FPS at 1440p and then 79 FPS at 4K represents a 16.0% and 21.0% reduction respectively, totaling a 33.6% decrease from 1080p to 4K. This consistency across settings suggests that the resolution scaling is primarily a function of pixel count rather than a sudden bottleneck shift.

At Low settings, the pattern holds: 167 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p (a 6.0% drop), and 126 FPS at 4K (a 19.7% drop from 1440p). The smaller relative drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (6.0%) compared to High (15.3%) indicates that Low settings reduce the per-pixel workload enough to allow the CPU to keep up more effectively at intermediate resolutions. However, the 4K Low result still shows a significant drop, confirming that the GPU remains the limiting factor at the highest resolution.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a wide range of performance depending on settings. Low settings produce 167 FPS average, which is the highest in the entire measured set. Medium settings yield 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 137 FPS, showing a 31.1% reduction from Low. High settings drop to 85 FPS, a 28.6% reduction from Medium. Ultra settings produce 68 FPS, a 20.0% reduction from High. The stepwise progression from Low to Ultra shows diminishing returns in FPS loss as settings increase, but the overall spread from 167 to 68 FPS demonstrates that the GPU has ample headroom to handle the game even at the most demanding presets.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts toward lower absolute frame rates. Low settings produce 157 FPS, only 6.0% below the 1080p Low result, indicating that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU effectively at this resolution. Medium settings yield 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 and maximum of 115 FPS. High settings drop to 72 FPS, and Ultra falls to 57 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 63.7% (from 157 to 57 FPS), which is slightly wider than at 1080p (59.3% from 167 to 68 FPS), suggesting that higher resolution amplifies the impact of graphical settings.

At 3840x2160, the combo remains playable but the FPS drops become more pronounced. Low settings still achieve 126 FPS, which is remarkable for 4K and indicates that the GPU's 16 GB memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are not bottlenecks at lower quality presets. Medium settings produce 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 90 FPS, keeping the experience fluid. High settings drop to 56 FPS, and Ultra falls to 45 FPS, which is on the edge of smooth playability for a horror game that benefits from consistent frame pacing. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 64.3% (from 126 to 45 FPS), the largest relative drop across all resolutions.

# CPU Role

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 features a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. This cache hierarchy is well-suited for gaming workloads, where repeated access to working sets benefits from the large L3.

The CPU's benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance: 28,838 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 14,367 in Geekbench multi-core, and 34,092 in PassMark multithread. Single-threaded scores are equally competitive, with 4,071 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 3,984 in PassMark single-thread. These scores indicate that the processor can handle both the game logic and the rendering thread that The Medium's engine utilizes.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to maintain frame pacing and handle AI, physics, and the dual-reality mechanics that require simultaneous world state management. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (167 FPS) versus 1440p Low (157 FPS) shows only a 6.0% difference, suggesting that the CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates when the GPU is not the constraint. The 3DMark scores reinforce this: 9,282 in 16-thread, 7,211 in 8-thread, and 1,043 in single-thread, showing balanced scaling across thread counts.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.2% of its average score, meaning the 12700KF is not a differentiator in this combo's ranking. The 85th percentile placement among all CPUs confirms that it is a high-end processor, but the game's performance is ultimately dictated by the GPU at higher resolutions and settings.

# FAQ

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

A: At 1440p, the combo delivers 100 FPS on Medium and 72 FPS on High, providing a smooth experience with good visual quality. At 4K, High settings yield 56 FPS, which is playable but closer to the threshold where frame drops become noticeable.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54,209, while the RTX 4080 scores 54,247, a delta of -0.1%. This indicates virtually identical performance between the two GPUs in the database.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 167 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra it drops to 68 FPS. The 59.3% reduction from Low to Ultra suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1080p, as the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads provide ample throughput.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the combo produces an average of 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 and maximum of 90 FPS. This is a comfortable range for a horror title that relies on atmosphere rather than fast action.

Q: How does this combo's ranking compare to its component percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 255th out of 3,724 tested combos, placing it in the top 6.8%. The GPU is at the 86th percentile and the CPU at the 85th percentile, meaning the pairing performs slightly above the average of its component parts.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo averages 85 FPS, while at 4K High it averages 56 FPS. This represents a 34.1% reduction, indicating that the GPU's workload scales significantly with resolution.

# Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate, Medium settings at 1440p provide an excellent experience with 100 FPS average, a 85 FPS minimum, and a 115 FPS maximum. This preset maintains smooth motion while preserving enough detail to appreciate the game's atmospheric environments. At 4K, Medium settings also perform well at 79 FPS, making it the recommended choice for users prioritizing resolution over maximum visual quality.

If the goal is to maximize visual quality, High settings at 1080p (85 FPS) or 1440p (72 FPS) offer a significant upgrade over Medium while remaining fluid. Ultra settings should only be considered at 1080p, where the 68 FPS average is still playable, but the 57 FPS at 1440p and 45 FPS at 4K may cause noticeable stutter in a game that relies on tension and timing.

For users seeking the highest frame rates, Low settings at 1080p (167 FPS) or 1440p (157 FPS) provide a competitive edge, though the visual compromise is substantial. The data indicates that Medium at 1440p represents the sweet spot for this combo, delivering 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS that stays well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K Medium result of 79 FPS is also strong, making it a viable alternative for those with 4K displays who prefer higher settings over raw speed.