The Medium

The Medium presents a distinctive workload that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily, with performance scaling that reveals a system balanced at lower resolutions but clearly GPU-bound at 4K. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 across three resolutions and four quality presets, interpreting the data to determine where the bottleneck lies and what settings provide the optimal experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a predictable decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that decline is heavily dependent on the quality preset. At Low settings, the RTX 4090 delivers 183.6 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 168.3 FPS at 1440p (a 9.1% reduction) and further to 142.4 FPS at 4K (a 22.4% reduction from 1080p). This relatively modest scaling curve indicates that at Low settings, the system is not entirely GPU-bound at 1080p; the CPU, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to keep utilization high, but the GPU still has headroom as resolution rises.

Moving to Medium settings, the pattern shifts. The 1080p result is 132.4 FPS, dropping to 109.9 FPS at 1440p and 86.3 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is 34.8%, which is a steeper decline than at Low settings. This suggests that as the graphics load increases, the GPU becomes a more significant limiting factor. The 4K Medium result is still strong, but the scaling indicates that the RTX 4090 is working harder with each pixel increase.

At High settings, the resolution scaling becomes even more pronounced. The 1080p average is 97.4 FPS, falling to 78.5 FPS at 1440p and 63.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 34.5%, a similar percentage to Medium, but the absolute frame rates are much lower. This indicates that the High preset introduces enough graphical complexity that the GPU's raw compute power, its 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, is being taxed more directly. The 4K High result of 63.8 FPS is still playable, but it is approaching the threshold where frame pacing becomes a concern for smooth motion.

The Ultra preset shows the most aggressive scaling. At 1080p, the system achieves 77.6 FPS, which is already a significant drop from High. At 1440p, it falls to 63.1 FPS, and at 4K, it hits 50.0 FPS. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 35.6%, which is the steepest percentage decline of any preset. This data reveals that the Ultra preset is the most demanding, and at 4K, the RTX 4090 is almost exclusively the limiting component. The 50.0 FPS result is the minimum in the entire dataset, showing that even the flagship GPU cannot maintain a 60 FPS average at this extreme quality level.

The shape of the scaling curve across all presets points to a clear conclusion: as the resolution increases, the RTX 4090 becomes the definitive bottleneck. At 1080p, especially with lower presets, the CPU's performance is still relevant, but by 4K, the GPU's memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s and its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory are what determine the outcome. The data shows that the i7-13700K is more than sufficient to avoid holding back the GPU at any resolution tested, as the FPS declines are consistent with increased pixel workload rather than CPU stalls.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant factor in these results, and its specifications explain the observed frame rates. With a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, the GPU is running at high frequencies that allow it to process the complex shaders and lighting calculations in The Medium. The data shows that the GPU's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, connected via a 384-bit bus, is not a limiting factor at any preset, as even the Ultra preset at 4K does not appear to be memory-constrained based on the measured averages.

The GPU's role becomes more defined when comparing the Low and Ultra presets. At 4K, the difference between Low (142.4 FPS) and Ultra (50.0 FPS) is 92.4 FPS, a 64.9% reduction in performance. This massive gap is due to the increased load on the GPU's 16,384 shading units and 512 texture mapping units. The Medium preset at 4K, which delivers 86.3 FPS, sits almost exactly halfway between Low and High, suggesting a linear scaling of GPU load with preset quality.

The RTX 4090's compute capabilities, rated at 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 and 82.58 TFLOPS FP16, are heavily utilized in this game. The 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores are also relevant, as The Medium uses ray-traced effects and AI-based upscaling techniques. The data does not isolate these features, but the performance deltas between presets indicate that the GPU is being pushed to its limits at the higher quality settings.

The GPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the NVIDIA Tesla T4 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56, but those comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks, not this game's results. In this specific title, the RTX 4090's measured performance is what matters, and the data shows it is capable of delivering high frame rates even at 4K Medium, but the Ultra preset is reserved for users who prioritize visual fidelity over raw FPS.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average is 183.6 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. This is the only result above 180 FPS in the dataset, showing the system's peak capability when graphical load is minimal.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra?

A: No, the measured average at 4K Ultra is 50.0 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. To achieve 60 FPS at 4K, the user must lower the preset to High, which delivers 63.8 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47334) and 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131). The i9-12900F is 0.4% behind with a score of 47081.

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

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 97.4 FPS at 1080p to 63.8 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 33.6 FPS or 34.5%. This shows the significant impact of resolution on the GPU load.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB of memory sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, based on the measured data, there is no indication of memory-related performance degradation. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and preset, suggesting the 24 GB of GDDR6X memory is more than adequate for The Medium.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 22nd out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the top 1.3% of all systems. This is a strong result, though not the absolute top, indicating that other combinations have achieved higher frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 97.4 FPS while maintaining higher visual quality than Medium (132.4 FPS) or Low (183.6 FPS). The Ultra preset at 1080p is still viable at 77.6 FPS, but the jump from High to Ultra yields a 19.8 FPS loss, which is a 20.3% reduction for what may be a marginal visual improvement.

At 1440p, the High preset remains the sweet spot, with a measured 78.5 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a good balance of quality and performance. The Medium preset offers a significant boost to 109.9 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual downgrade may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 1440p (63.1 FPS) is just above 60 FPS, but the margin is thin, and the data suggests that High is the more stable choice for consistent frame delivery.

For 4K resolution, the High preset is the only option that exceeds 60 FPS, with a measured 63.8 FPS. This is the recommended setting for a smooth experience at 4K. The Medium preset (86.3 FPS) is also excellent and provides more headroom for demanding scenes, but the visual fidelity is lower. The Ultra preset at 4K (50.0 FPS) is not recommended for general play, as the average falls below the 60 FPS target, and the data suggests that frame times may be inconsistent at this load.

The Low preset is not recommended for any resolution, as it provides no visual benefit while sacrificing significant image quality. The data shows that the system is more than capable of handling Medium or High presets at all tested resolutions. The best experience, balancing visual quality and frame rate, is the High preset at 1080p or 1440p, and High at 4K for those who prioritize smooth motion over maximum detail.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 22 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places the system in the 98.7th percentile of all tested configurations, which is an exceptional result. The rank is based on the measured FPS data across all resolutions and presets, indicating that this combo provides a high level of performance that exceeds the vast majority of other systems.

While the rank is high, it is not the absolute best, with 21 other combos achieving higher average frame rates. The data suggests that these higher-ranked systems likely pair the RTX 4090 with even more powerful CPUs or use specific overclocking configurations. However, the i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is clearly not a bottleneck in this game, as the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's percentile rank of 93 among all CPUs supports this, showing that it is a top-tier processor for gaming workloads.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals are minimal, with the closest competitor (Intel Core i7-13700KF) being only 0.1% faster in synthetic benchmarks. This negligible difference suggests that the CPU choice has little impact on the final ranking in this game, as the RTX 4090's performance dominates the results. The 22nd place ranking reflects the GPU's strength, as the data shows that the RTX 4090 is the primary driver of the high frame rates. For users seeking the absolute best performance in The Medium, this combo is near the top of the chart, and the only way to improve upon it would be to explore the 21 faster configurations, which likely involve non-standard hardware or overclocking beyond factory specifications.