The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the Intel Arc B580 is a combination that pits a top-tier 20-core CPU against a mid-range GPU. In The Medium, the measured data shows a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution and settings climb. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 89.7 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 21.1 FPS. The CPU’s launch MSRP is $409, and the GPU’s is 249 USD. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, explores which component matters more, and identifies what settings keep the game above the 60 FPS threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides average FPS for three resolutions and four quality presets. Min and max values are not reported, so all figures below are averages.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 89.7 FPS
• Medium: 54.6 FPS
• High: 41.7 FPS
• Ultra: 30.3 FPS

At 1080p, the gap between Low and Medium is 35.1 FPS, a 64% drop. Moving from Medium to High costs another 12.9 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 11.4 FPS. The scaling is steep but not linear; the largest single step is from Low to Medium.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 74.2 FPS
• Medium: 44.2 FPS
• High: 34.0 FPS
• Ultra: 26.0 FPS

At 1440p, Low still clears 60 FPS, but Medium falls to 44.2. The drop from Low to Medium is 30 FPS, a 40% reduction. High and Ultra are both below 35 FPS, making them unplayable for smooth motion.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 55.7 FPS
• Medium: 36.2 FPS
• High: 25.9 FPS
• Ultra: 21.1 FPS

At 4K, even Low fails to reach 60 FPS, averaging 55.7. Medium is 36.2, High 25.9, and Ultra 21.1. The resolution scaling is severe: 1080p Low (89.7) to 1440p Low (74.2) is a 17% drop, and 1440p Low to 4K Low (55.7) is another 25% drop.

The data shows that the Arc B580’s performance collapses as pixel count rises. The i7-14700K is clearly not the bottleneck at any resolution, because the FPS differences between presets are far larger than any CPU-side variation would produce.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 60 FPS on a 1080p monitor?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured average at 1080p Low is 89.7 FPS. Medium drops to 54.6, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: Low is the only preset that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 74.2 FPS. Medium (44.2), High (34.0), and Ultra (26.0) all fall short.

Q: Is 4K playable at all?

A: No. Even at Low settings, the average is 55.7 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The verdictByResolution data lists no playable settings for 3840x2160.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in raw benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B580’s average benchmark score is 23021. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, scores 23061 (0.2% higher). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895 (0.6% lower), and the RTX 3080 scores 23172 (0.7% higher). These deltas are tiny, so the B580 sits in a tight performance band.

Q: How does the CPU rank among all tested CPUs?

A: The i7-14700K is in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69355. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 9115, scores 69288 (0.1% lower), while the Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515 (0.2% higher). The CPU is far more powerful than the GPU relative to their respective pools.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in this game?

A: The combination ranks 2853 out of 3724 tested combos. That places it in the lower third of all systems, which is consistent with the GPU’s mid-range standing.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data strongly indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor in The Medium’s performance. Consider the scaling across resolutions: at Low settings, FPS drops from 89.7 at 1080p to 74.2 at 1440p (a 17% loss) and then to 55.7 at 4K (a 25% loss from 1440p). This is classic GPU-bound behavior—the CPU’s workload does not increase proportionally with pixel count, but the GPU’s does.

Within a single resolution, the preset scaling also points to GPU limits. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium cuts FPS by 39%, and from Medium to High by another 24%. These are large swings that a 20-core, 28-thread CPU would not cause; the i7-14700K has ample headroom for this game’s CPU demands. The CPU’s percentile (94th) versus the GPU’s (68th) reinforces the imbalance. The GPU is a mid-pack performer, while the CPU is near the top.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Even Low settings only reach 55.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 21.1. The CPU’s role is negligible here—no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the B580’s limited fill rate and memory bandwidth (456.0 GB/s). At 1080p Low, the GPU still has enough headroom to push 89.7 FPS, but the moment settings rise, the GPU becomes the wall.

The verdict data confirms this: the only playable settings are Low at 1080p and 1440p. That is a GPU-limited outcome. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect higher settings to still hit 60 FPS at lower resolutions, but they do not. The i7-14700K is not the constraint; the Arc B580 is.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide a sense of what other hardware would behave similarly in this game.

CPU alternatives: The i7-14700K’s average benchmark score is 69355. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69288 (0.1% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515 (0.2% higher), the Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875 (0.7% higher), and the Ryzen 7 9700F scores 69996 (0.9% higher). All four are within 1% of the i7-14700K, so any of them would deliver essentially identical CPU-side performance in The Medium. Since the game is GPU-bound, swapping the CPU for any of these would not change the FPS numbers.

GPU alternatives: The Arc B580’s average benchmark score is 23021. Its nearest rivals are:

• AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP: 23061 (0.2% higher)
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080: 22895 (0.6% lower)
• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080: 23172 (0.7% higher)
• NVIDIA P106-100: 23249 (1.0% higher)

These deltas are all under 1%, meaning the B580, RX 580 2048SP, RTX 2080, RTX 3080, and P106-100 would produce nearly identical frame rates in The Medium. The RTX 3080 is a surprising inclusion—it is a much older, higher-tier card, but its average benchmark score in this dataset is only 0.7% above the B580. In practice, any of these GPUs would yield the same playable settings: Low at 1080p and 1440p, and no playable settings at 4K.

The takeaway is that the combo’s performance is defined by the GPU’s tier. The CPU is so far above the GPU’s level that it contributes nothing to the bottleneck. Users with any of these rival GPUs would see the same FPS pattern.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Medium? The answer depends on resolution and settings. The verdictByResolution data is unambiguous:

• 3840x2160 (4K): No playable settings. Even Low averages 55.7 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): Low is the only playable preset, averaging 74.2 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): Low is the only playable preset, averaging 89.7 FPS. Medium (54.6), High (41.7), and Ultra (30.3) are all below 60.

So the system can run the game, but only at the lowest quality preset and only at 1080p or 1440p. At 4K, it cannot maintain 60 FPS at any setting. The game’s fixed camera angles and horror atmosphere may be playable at 30 FPS for some, but the 60 FPS threshold is not met at 4K.

The data suggests that the Arc B580 is simply not powerful enough for The Medium’s higher presets. The i7-14700K is more than capable, but the GPU holds the system back. If the goal is 60 FPS at Medium or High, this combo will not deliver.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all 3724 tested combinations in The Medium, this CPU-GPU pair ranks 2853rd. That places it in the bottom 23% of systems (since 3724 - 2853 = 871 combos are worse). The rank reflects the GPU’s mid-range standing—the i7-14700K is a top-tier CPU, but the Arc B580’s 68th percentile among GPUs drags the overall combo down.

To put it in perspective, the combo is better than 871 other configurations, but worse than 2852. That means a large majority of tested systems outperform it. The rank is consistent with the measured FPS: only Low settings at 1080p and 1440p clear 60 FPS, which is a modest result for a system with a 20-core CPU.

The rank also implies that many cheaper or older GPUs would perform similarly. The nearest GPU rivals all have average scores within 1% of the B580, so swapping the GPU for an RTX 2080 or RX 580 2048SP would likely produce a similar rank. The CPU’s high percentile does not rescue the combo because the game is GPU-bound.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows:

• 1920x1080: Low, with an average of 89.7 FPS. Medium (54.6) is below 60, so Low is the only option.
• 2560x1440: Low, with an average of 74.2 FPS. Medium (44.2) is below 60, so Low is again the only option.
• 3840x2160: No preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 55.7 FPS, but that is still below the threshold.

For players who prioritize smoothness over visuals, Low at 1080p or 1440p is the way to go. At 4K, the system cannot hit 60 FPS at any setting, so the only choice is to lower the resolution or accept a sub-60 experience. The data shows a clear ceiling: the Arc B580’s performance tops out at Low settings, and the i7-14700K’s power is left unused.