The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers a commanding performance profile in The Medium, a horror title that clearly rewards both high-end CPU and GPU resources. Across three resolutions and four quality presets, the measured data shows a system that rarely struggles, though the most extreme settings at 4K do expose its limits. This analysis breaks down the exact frame rates, component scaling, and competitive positioning to determine where this combination excels and where it merely survives.

Best Settings per Resolution

For players targeting a smooth 60 FPS experience, the optimal preset varies significantly by resolution, with the data showing that higher resolutions demand more conservative choices.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS is High, which delivers an average of 65.7 FPS. The Ultra preset falls below the threshold at 49.2 FPS, making it unsuitable for consistent playability at this resolution. Medium runs at 92.9 FPS and Low at 142.7 FPS, but High represents the sweet spot for visual fidelity without sacrificing the 60 FPS floor.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves considerably. Here, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 64.6 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS bar by a slim margin. This is a notable jump from 4K, where Ultra was unplayable. High runs at 86 FPS, Medium at 117.3 FPS, and Low at 178.1 FPS, but Ultra is the best choice for maximum quality while staying above the target.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system has ample headroom. The Ultra preset delivers 79.6 FPS, well above the playable threshold. This allows players to max out every setting without concern. High runs at 101.1 FPS, Medium at 136.7 FPS, and Low at 186.3 FPS, but Ultra is the clear recommendation for the best experience.

The pattern is clear: 4K requires a step down to High, while 1440p and 1080p can both handle Ultra, with 1080p offering a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a nuanced relationship between resolution, settings, and component load. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows how the RTX 5090 gradually becomes the dominant factor, while the i7-14700K maintains a steady baseline.

Looking at the Low preset, which minimizes GPU load, the frame rates tell a story of CPU-limited performance at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system hits 186.3 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 178.1 FPS, a modest 4.4% decrease. At 4K Low, the average is 142.7 FPS, a 23.4% drop from 1080p. This relatively flat curve at lower resolutions suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently, with the RTX 5090 only becoming the bottleneck as pixel count rises.

The Ultra preset flips this dynamic. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 79.6 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 64.6 FPS, a 18.8% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the average falls to 49.2 FPS, a 38.2% decrease from 1080p. This steeper decline indicates that at higher settings and resolutions, the GPU's raw compute and memory bandwidth (32 GB GDDR7 with a 512-bit bus) are being taxed heavily, while the CPU's role diminishes.

The Medium and High presets sit between these extremes. For Medium, 1080p runs at 136.7 FPS, 1440p at 117.3 FPS, and 4K at 92.9 FPS. For High, 1080p is 101.1 FPS, 1440p is 86 FPS, and 4K is 65.7 FPS. The consistent downward trend across all presets confirms that The Medium scales predictably with resolution, but the magnitude of the drop increases with preset quality.

In practical terms, the i7-14700K (with 20 cores and 28 threads) provides enough headroom to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 5090 at 1080p and 1440p, even on Low settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor, especially on Ultra where the frame rate falls below 50 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full set of measured averages provides a comprehensive view of performance across all tested configurations.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 142.7 FPS — remarkably fast for 4K, indicating light GPU load.
• Medium: 92.9 FPS — a significant drop from Low, showing the cost of additional effects.
• High: 65.7 FPS — just above the playable threshold, still smooth.
• Ultra: 49.2 FPS — below 60 FPS, not recommended for consistent play.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 178.1 FPS — excellent headroom for high-refresh displays.
• Medium: 117.3 FPS — very smooth, ideal for competitive play.
• High: 86 FPS — strong performance with good visual quality.
• Ultra: 64.6 FPS — playable, but only barely above the 60 FPS mark.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 186.3 FPS — the highest average in the entire dataset.
• Medium: 136.7 FPS — far above the threshold, no concerns.
• High: 101.1 FPS — comfortable margin for 60 Hz or 100 Hz displays.
• Ultra: 79.6 FPS — max settings with room to spare.

The data shows no min or max FPS values were recorded, so only averages are available for analysis. However, the averages alone paint a consistent picture: this combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires lower presets to maintain smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3,724 tested combinations in the database, this Intel Core i7-14700K + RTX 5090 pairing holds the 46th position. This places it in the top 1.2% of all systems tested for The Medium, an exceptionally strong showing.

The rank reflects the combined strength of both components. The CPU itself scores in the 94th percentile among all processors tested, with an average benchmark score of 69,355. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 9115 (with a 0.1% higher average score), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.2% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.7% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.9% lower). These deltas are tiny, indicating that the i7-14700K sits at the very top of CPU performance.

The GPU is similarly elite, ranking in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 79,842. Its nearest rivals show minimal gaps: the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is 0.3% higher, the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is 0.6% higher, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% lower. These differences are negligible in practice.

The combination of a top-tier CPU and GPU results in a system that outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations in this specific game. The 46th rank out of 3,724 combos means only 45 other systems achieve higher average frame rates across the tested settings.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with Ultra settings?*

A: No. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 49.2 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best playable 4K preset is High, averaging 65.7 FPS.

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

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 64.6 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS bar. This is the most demanding setting that remains playable at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K on Ultra?

A: At 1920x1080 Ultra, the average is 79.6 FPS. At 3840x2160 Ultra, it drops to 49.2 FPS, a 38.2% reduction. This indicates the GPU becomes heavily stressed at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Low, the average is 186.3 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it is 79.6 FPS. The relatively small drop from Low to Ultra compared to 4K suggests the CPU has enough headroom, so the GPU is the primary factor even at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This pairing ranks 46th out of 3,724 tested combinations for The Medium, placing it in the top 1.2% of all systems.

Q: Does the 4K High preset offer a smooth experience?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average frame rate is 65.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the best playable preset at 4K.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run The Medium effectively, but the experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. The verdict data confirms that at 3840x2160, the system is playable on Low (142.7 FPS), Medium (92.9 FPS), and High (65.7 FPS), but not on Ultra (49.2 FPS). The best playable 4K preset is High, averaging 65.7 FPS.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 64.6 FPS as the best option. This is a marginal pass, so players with a 144 Hz monitor might prefer High (86 FPS) or Medium (117.3 FPS) for smoother motion.

At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable across all presets, with Ultra averaging 79.6 FPS. This is the only resolution where Ultra provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For the best visual experience without compromise, 1080p Ultra is the recommendation; for higher resolutions, 1440p Ultra or 4K High are the sensible choices.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700K has several near-identical rivals based on average benchmark scores. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 0.1% higher, making it statistically indistinguishable in practice. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 0.2% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 0.7% lower. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F trails by 0.9%. Any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in The Medium, assuming the GPU remains the same.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 0.3% higher, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 0.6% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% lower. These deltas are within a couple of percentage points, so swapping the RTX 5090 for any of these would produce virtually the same performance in this game.

In a system combining the i7-14700K with any of these near-identical GPUs, the measured FPS values would shift by only a few frames at most. For example, using the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB instead of the RTX 5090 would likely raise the 4K High average from 65.7 FPS to roughly 66 FPS, an imperceptible change. Conversely, pairing the CPU with the Radeon Pro Vega 64X might lower the 1080p Ultra average from 79.6 FPS to approximately 78.5 FPS. These alternatives offer essentially the same gaming experience, making the choice between them a matter of platform preference rather than performance.