The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination presents a curious case for The Medium, a title that demands more from the GPU than the CPU. The processor, a 20-core Raptor Lake Refresh part with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, sits at the 91st percentile against all CPUs, indicating ample headroom. The RTX 5060, based on the Blackwell architecture, is a more modest performer, ranking at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. The measured data reveals that this pairing is capable of delivering a smooth experience, but only within specific settings and resolution boundaries. While the CPU is overqualified for the task, the GPU becomes the defining factor in determining playability, with the 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus proving sufficient for 1080p Medium, yet limiting at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU in this configuration offer a useful reference for understanding performance scaling. The Intel Core i7-14700F, with an average benchmark score of 53620, is flanked by the Intel Xeon 6505P, which scores 53701, a negligible 0.2% difference, and the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 at 53469, a 0.3% gap. More notably, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X trails by just 0.6% with a score of 53288, and the AMD EPYC 7313P is 0.8% behind at 53206. This indicates that, from a pure processing standpoint, the i7-14700F delivers performance nearly identical to a high-end Ryzen 7000-series part, meaning users upgrading from either platform would see no meaningful change in frame rates for this game.

On the graphics side, the RTX 5060, averaging 26331 in its benchmarks, is closely matched with the AMD Radeon 860M, which scores 26401, a 0.3% difference in favor of the AMD integrated solution. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is also a near-peer, scoring 26421, another 0.3% gap. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is 0.8% ahead at 26553, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT sits 1.2% behind at 26011. These figures highlight that the RTX 5060’s raw performance is in a crowded segment; it does not dramatically outpace older mid-range cards, meaning expectations for high-fidelity 1440p gaming should be tempered. In practice, for The Medium, a system with an RX 6750 XT would deliver almost identical frame rates to the RTX 5060, showing that the competition is tight.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that the Intel Core i7-14700F and RTX 5060 can run at 1080p while staying above 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 75.1 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset falls below this, averaging 50.7 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 5060 powerful enough for 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: The benchmark results indicate that at 3840x2160, only the Low preset produces a playable average frame rate of 77.9 FPS. The Medium preset averages 50 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and High and Ultra are even lower at 31.9 and 27.7 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the i7-14700F compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X in this context?

A: The nearestRivals data shows a 0.6% difference in average benchmark scores, with the i7-14700F scoring 53620 and the Ryzen 9 7900X scoring 53288. This is a negligible performance gap, meaning both CPUs would perform identically in The Medium.

Q: What is the lowest performance percentile for the components in this build?

A: The GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, ranks at the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, which is the limiting factor. The CPU, in contrast, ranks at the 91st percentile against all CPUs.

Q: Can the RTX 5060 achieve 60 FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: No. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 41 FPS, which is significantly below the playable threshold. The Low preset is the only option that exceeds 60 FPS at this resolution, with an average of 95.9 FPS.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p Low and 1080p Medium?

A: The measured data shows that the Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 117.5 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 75.1 FPS. This represents a considerable drop of over 40 FPS for the visual upgrade.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the RTX 5060's capabilities across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 117.5 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 75.1 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS target. The High preset falls to 50.7 FPS, and the Ultra preset dips to 44.1 FPS, indicating a steep scaling penalty as graphical fidelity increases. The data shows that the jump from Low to Medium is more costly than from Medium to High, with a 42.4 FPS drop versus a 24.4 FPS drop.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts downward. The Low preset maintains a high average of 95.9 FPS, but the Medium preset averages 58.2 FPS, just under the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset averages 41 FPS, and Ultra drops to 35.4 FPS. This resolution reveals that the GPU is beginning to struggle with the game's demands, as the margin between playable and unplayable presets narrows. The data indicates that 1440p Medium is nearly playable, but not quite, with a 1.8 FPS shortfall.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5060 is clearly out of its depth for high-fidelity settings. The Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 77.9 FPS. The Medium preset averages exactly 50 FPS, which is a 10 FPS deficit from the target. High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable, with averages of 31.9 FPS and 27.7 FPS, respectively. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is severe, with the Medium preset losing 8.2 FPS, and the High preset losing 9.1 FPS, showing that the 8 GB memory buffer and 128-bit bus are insufficient for the higher pixel count.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this combo can run The Medium, but with significant caveats. The verdictByResolution data shows that at 3840x2160, the only playable setting is Low, with an average of 77.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same limitation applies: only the Low preset, averaging 95.9 FPS, clears the 60 FPS threshold. The situation improves at 1920x1080, where both Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium achieving 75.1 FPS. The High preset at 1080p falls short, averaging 50.7 FPS, and Ultra is also unplayable at 44.1 FPS.

In practical terms, the Intel Core i7-14700F is not the bottleneck; the RTX 5060 is. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking means it has ample headroom, and the benchmark results show that the GPU dictates the experience. For a 60 FPS target, users are restricted to 1080p Medium as the highest quality setting. At 1440p, the Medium preset is tantalizingly close at 58.2 FPS, but the data shows it does not reach the threshold. For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, which is a significant compromise given the hardware's cost. This is not a system for high-refresh 1440p or 4K gaming in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware, this combination of Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks at position 1659 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 44th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is a mid-pack performer. The data suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier part, the GPU's modest performance drags the overall ranking down. A system with a weaker CPU but a stronger GPU would likely rank higher, as the game is more GPU-bound. The rank of 1659 out of 3724 also implies that there is a substantial number of configurations that can outperform this one, primarily due to better graphics cards, rather than better processors. This positioning is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows that the system is not capable of maxing out the game at standard resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows. For 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the best choice, delivering an average of 75.1 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that provides a smooth experience. At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only option that clears the threshold, with an average of 95.9 FPS. The Medium preset is just below at 58.2 FPS, so users must drop to Low to ensure playability. For 3840x2160, the Low preset is again the best, with an average of 77.9 FPS. This is the only playable setting at this resolution.

These choices reflect the GPU's memory and bandwidth constraints. At 1080p, the Medium preset strikes a balance between visual quality and performance. At 1440p, the step down to Low is necessary to avoid the frame rate dip below 60 FPS. At 4K, the Low preset is a necessity, as even Medium fails to hold the target. The data shows that the RTX 5060 is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium settings, and any resolution above that requires significant graphical compromises.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i7-14700F and the RTX 5060. Across all resolutions, the CPU is not a limiting factor. The scaling between resolutions and presets is entirely dictated by the GPU's performance. For instance, at 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is 73.4 FPS (117.5 to 44.1), which is a GPU-driven change. At 2560x1440, the same preset range shows a drop of 60.5 FPS (95.9 to 35.4), and at 3840x2160, the drop is 50.2 FPS (77.9 to 27.7). This pattern shows that the GPU load scales with resolution, while the CPU load remains relatively constant.

The role of the i7-14700F is to ensure that frame times are consistent and that there is no CPU-bound bottleneck. Given its 91st percentile ranking and high single-thread performance, it easily feeds the RTX 5060. The game’s genre, Horror, often relies on complex scripting and AI, but the data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance. The measured FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings is 16.9 FPS (75.1 to 58.2), and from 1440p to 4K is 8.2 FPS (58.2 to 50). These reductions are directly attributable to the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth limitations. In summary, the CPU provides a stable platform, but the RTX 5060 is the sole determinant of playable settings. For users, this means upgrading the GPU would yield a direct performance increase, while upgrading the CPU would yield no tangible benefit in this title.