The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 presents a compelling mid-to-high-end configuration for The Medium, a horror title that leverages both CPU and GPU heavily due to its dual-world rendering mechanic. Benchmark data, measured across three resolutions and four quality presets, shows that this combo’s performance is highly dependent on the chosen resolution. At 1080p and 1440p, the system delivers a smooth experience at high settings, while 4K demands a significant drop in visual fidelity to maintain playable frame rates. The dataset reveals a clear pattern: this hardware is capable, but the gap between 1440p and 2160p is substantial, making the latter a challenge for the RTX 3080 in this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination provides a complete picture of performance scaling across the three primary resolutions and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All figures represent average FPS, with no min or max frame data recorded in the pack.

At 1920x1080, the system shows strong performance across the board. With the Low preset, the average FPS reaches 142.7, which is an exceptionally high figure indicating that the CPU-GPU pair is far from being a bottleneck at this resolution. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 87.4 FPS, a reduction of 55.3 FPS from Low. The High preset yields 64.9 FPS, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The most demanding setting, Ultra, produces an average of 53.7 FPS, falling below the 60 FPS line, making it unsuitable for a consistent smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the performance scaling is more pronounced. The Low preset delivers 123.9 FPS, still an excellent result. The Medium preset averages 72.8 FPS, which is 51.1 FPS lower than Low. The High preset drops to 55.9 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding, yielding only 41.5 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 82.4 FPS, showing that the rendering load at higher settings has a substantial impact on the RTX 3080.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. The Low preset is the only one that clears the 60 FPS bar, averaging 93.1 FPS. The Medium preset averages 57.4 FPS, which is a notable 35.7 FPS reduction from Low and just under the playable threshold. The High preset falls to 43.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset manages only 37.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a steep drop of 55.9 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, struggling to maintain high frame rates under heavy load.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the RTX 3080 is the dominant performance determinant in The Medium, particularly as resolution increases. This is evident from the FPS scaling between presets at the same resolution. For instance, at 4K, the difference between Low and Medium is 35.7 FPS, and between Medium and High it is 14.1 FPS. Such large swings from preset adjustments point to the GPU being fully saturated, with the i7-14700F providing enough headroom to not constrain the graphics card.

The CPU’s role becomes relatively more important at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the FPS at Low (142.7) is extraordinarily high, suggesting that the CPU is feeding the GPU effectively and that the system is not limited by processing power. However, even at 1080p, the drop to 87.4 FPS at Medium shows that the GPU begins to take on a heavier load, as the preset changes impact the shading and texture work. The i7-14700F, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, provides a solid foundation, but the benchmark results show that the frame rate is more sensitive to GPU-side settings (shadow quality, texture detail, etc.) than to CPU-bound operations.

The scaling between resolutions reinforces this conclusion. At a constant High preset, moving from 1080p (64.9 FPS) to 1440p (55.9 FPS) results in a 13.9% decrease in performance, while moving from 1440p to 4K (43.3 FPS) results in a 22.5% decrease. This progressive degradation with rising pixel count is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K resolution with high-detail assets appears to strain the memory subsystem and the GPU’s compute capabilities. The data does not suggest that the CPU is a bottleneck at any resolution, as even the lowest FPS figures (37.2 at 4K Ultra) are far above what would indicate a CPU limitation.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS of at least 60.

At 1920x1080, the High preset is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 64.9 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. While the Medium preset also surpasses 60 FPS (87.4 FPS), the High preset offers better visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset is not recommended as it falls to 53.7 FPS. Therefore, 1080p High is the sweet spot for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best option. It achieves an average of 72.8 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The High preset at 55.9 FPS fails to meet the threshold, so users must step down to Medium to ensure a fluid experience. The Low preset is also playable (123.9 FPS), but Medium provides a significant visual upgrade for only a modest FPS cost compared to High.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only playable setting. It averages 93.1 FPS, which is remarkably high for 4K and well above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 57.4 FPS is tantalizingly close but does not clear the bar, so it is not considered playable under the strict 60 FPS criterion. Users targeting 4K must accept the Low preset to achieve a smooth experience, which significantly reduces the visual fidelity of the horror environments.

The Verdict

Based on the benchmark data, this PC can run The Medium at 1080p and 1440p with high levels of quality, but 4K requires a compromise. The verdict by resolution is clear:

• 1920x1080: Playable at Low, Medium, and High presets. The best playable settings is High, with an average FPS of 64.9, which is a solid result for a demanding horror title. The Ultra preset at 53.7 FPS is not recommended for a consistent 60 FPS experience.
• 2560x1440: Playable at Low and Medium presets. The best playable setting is Medium, averaging 72.8 FPS. This is the recommended configuration for 1440p users, as it balances visual quality with performance. The High preset falls short at 55.9 FPS.
• 3840x2160: Playable only at the Low preset, which averages 93.1 FPS. The Medium preset at 57.4 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for a smooth playthrough. The High and Ultra presets are not viable for 60 FPS gaming.

In summary, the system is capable of running the game well at mainstream resolutions. For 1080p and 1440p users, the RTX 3080 provides ample power. For 4K enthusiasts, the hardware will run the game, but only with the Low preset, which may be a significant visual downgrade for a game that relies heavily on atmosphere and lighting.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 4K with high settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 43.3, which is well below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The only playable setting at 4K is Low, which averages 93.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best quality preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable option at 2560x1440, delivering an average FPS of 72.8. The High preset at 55.9 FPS does not meet the 60 FPS requirement.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The benchmark data shows that the GPU is the primary performance driver, especially at higher resolutions. The FPS drops significantly with each preset increase (e.g., from 93.1 FPS at 4K Low to 57.4 FPS at 4K Medium), indicating GPU saturation. The CPU provides sufficient headroom, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low (142.7 FPS).

Q: What average FPS can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 53.7, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. You would need to reduce the preset to High (64.9 FPS) or lower for a smoother experience.

Q: How does the performance scale from 1080p to 4K at the same preset?

A: At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 64.9 at 1080p to 55.9 at 1440p (a 13.9% decrease), and further to 43.3 at 4K (a 22.5% decrease from 1440p). This shows a steep performance penalty for higher resolutions.

Q: Is the Low preset at 4K a playable experience?

A: Yes, the Low preset at 3840x2160 averages 93.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. It is the only playable preset at this resolution, but it offers significantly lower visual quality compared to Medium or High.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 holds a rank of 1003 out of 3724 total combos. This puts it in the top 27% of all tested systems. The rank reflects the strong performance at 1080p and 1440p, where it comfortably handles high settings. The relatively lower rank compared to top-tier systems is likely due to the RTX 3080’s struggle at 4K, where it cannot maintain 60 FPS at medium or higher settings. The rank is a composite measure; this combo is not a top performer for 4K enthusiasts, but it is a solid choice for standard high-refresh-rate gaming at lower resolutions. The data indicates that the i7-14700F is not holding back the GPU in this title, as the performance scales as expected with GPU load.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals of the individual components, several other hardware configurations would produce similar benchmark results in this game.

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700F has rivals with nearly identical average benchmark scores. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a close match, with a score 0.6% higher. This CPU would likely yield very similar frame rates in The Medium, as the game is not heavily CPU-bound at the tested settings. The Intel Xeon 6505P (0.2% lower score) and AMD EPYC 7313P (0.8% higher score) are also comparable in processing power, though these are server-class parts less commonly found in gaming PCs. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (0.3% higher score) is another theoretical alternative, but its architecture is not optimized for typical gaming workloads.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080’s nearest rivals are less obvious. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M has an average score that is 0.4% lower, which is a surprising comparison given the RTX 3080’s higher launch MSRP. However, the benchmark data suggests that in this specific test suite, the RX 6600M performs similarly. Other rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 (0.3% lower score), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (0.3% lower score), and AMD Radeon R9 M290X (0.4% lower score). These are all older or lower-tier parts that would not typically be considered direct replacements for an RTX 3080 in a modern gaming system, yet the average scores indicate they are in the same ballpark. In practice, for The Medium, the RX 6600M would likely provide similar FPS at 1080p and 1440p, but the RTX 3080’s larger memory bandwidth and higher transistor count might offer better performance in other titles or at higher resolutions. The data for this game, however, places these alternatives in a similar performance tier.