The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror game built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a demanding workload that stresses both the CPU and GPU. This analysis evaluates the specific combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, using measured data to provide a clear picture of expected performance across common resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a smooth 60 FPS experience in The Medium?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 108 FPS, and at 2560x1440 with Low settings, it hits 91 FPS. However, at the Medium preset, the average drops to 68 FPS at 1080p and 57 FPS at 1440p, indicating that 1080p Medium is the highest setting for a consistent 60+ FPS average.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its performance is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, with a negligible difference of -0.2%. It is also 0.5% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 a high-performing GPU relative to others in the database?

A: The RTX 4060 sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790, which is only 0.2% behind, and the AMD Radeon 780M, which is 0.3% behind. This indicates it is a solid mid-range performer rather than a top-tier enthusiast card.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields an average of 91 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields only 32 FPS. This represents a significant 59 FPS drop, or roughly a 65% reduction in average frame rate, when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.

Q: At which resolution does the Ultra preset become unplayable?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K), the Ultra preset produces an average of only 25 FPS. Even at 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 1920x1080 Ultra preset averages 39 FPS, still not ideal for fast-paced action.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU appear to be the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results suggest a heavy GPU bottleneck. The RTX 4060 is a mid-range card, and the significant frame rate drops when increasing resolution and settings point to the GPU struggling to maintain high output. The i7-13700K, being in the 89th percentile, has ample headroom for this workload.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. This configuration provides substantial multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, as evidenced by its benchmarks.

In synthetic tests, the CPU scores 30745 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2116 in single-core, demonstrating its capability in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded scenarios. Its Geekbench scores of 19429 multi-core and 2529 single-core further solidify its position as a high-end desktop part. The CPU’s performance is so strong that it sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46881.

For The Medium, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The data shows that the CPU is more than capable for this task. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, scores an average of 46971, a difference of only -0.2%, meaning performance is effectively tied. The i7-13700K is also 0.5% ahead of the Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Xeon w3-2535. Given that the frame rates scale so dramatically with resolution and settings, it is clear that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this pairing; the GPU is the limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and uses a 5 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is 2460 MHz, and it has a TDP of 115 W. These specifications place it as a capable mid-range card, with a percentile rank of 61 among all GPUs.

Its performance, measured by an average benchmark score of 17639, is closely matched with its nearest rivals. For instance, the AMD Radeon HD 7790 is only 0.2% behind, and the AMD Radeon 780M is 0.3% behind. This suggests that while the card is competent, it does not offer the raw horsepower of higher-tier GPUs.

In The Medium, the GPU’s VRAM and memory bandwidth are critical. The measured FPS data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, performance drops significantly. At 1080p Low, the card averages 108 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to just 25 FPS. This indicates that the 8 GB VRAM buffer and the 128-bit memory bus are likely bottlenecks at higher resolutions and settings, where texture data and memory pressure increase. The card’s DirectX 12 benchmark score of 76 in Passmark further illustrates that while it can handle modern APIs, it is not a top-tier performer.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is ranked 1999 out of 3724 tested combos in the database for The Medium. This places it in the lower-middle portion of all possible pairings, which is consistent with the GPU being a mid-range part paired with a high-end CPU.

This ranking is more a reflection of the GPU’s limitations than the CPU’s capabilities. The i7-13700K is a top-tier processor, but the RTX 4060, while capable, is not designed for maximum graphical fidelity at high resolutions. The combo’s position, slightly past the halfway point of all tested systems, indicates that there are many other configurations that can achieve higher frame rates, likely those with more powerful GPUs. However, it also outperforms a significant number of combos, which would include those with weaker CPUs or older GPUs.

The rank suggests that for a balanced system, this pairing is acceptable for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it will not be a top contender for 4K or high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming with maxed-out settings. The data confirms that the system is heavily GPU-bound, as the frame rates do not improve when the CPU’s workload is reduced.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how this combo performs across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the performance is generally good. The Low preset delivers an average of 108 FPS, ensuring a very smooth experience. The Medium preset averages 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 78, which is still very playable. The High preset drops to an average of 49 FPS, which is slightly below the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of 39 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases across the board. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, which is excellent. The Medium preset averages 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 and a maximum of 66, indicating that it is right on the edge of the 60 FPS target. The High preset averages 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS, both of which are below the smoothness threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overburdened. The Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 72 FPS. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52. The High preset averages 32 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at an average of 25 FPS. This data clearly shows that 4K gaming is only feasible with the lowest settings, and even then, the frame rate is not as high as at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration provides an average of 68 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, while still offering a significant visual improvement over the Low preset. The minimum frame rate of 58 FPS ensures that there are no major stutters.

For users with a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the highest playable option, with an average of 57 FPS. This is just slightly below the ideal 60 FPS, but it is a better choice than the High preset, which drops to 41 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p offers a much higher 91 FPS average if performance is prioritized over visual quality.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only recommended option, yielding an average of 72 FPS. While the Medium preset at 4K averages 45 FPS, the lower frame rate may not justify the visual upgrade for all users. In summary, the data suggests that the "sweet spot" for this hardware combination is 1080p Medium, with 1440p Medium being a viable alternative for those who prefer higher resolution over a perfect 60 FPS lock.