The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 presents a formidable combination for running The Medium, a horror title that relies heavily on atmospheric rendering and fixed-camera perspectives. The measured data indicates this system can handle the game with high fidelity across most modern resolutions, though the most demanding 4K Ultra preset pushes the hardware to its limits. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, compares the combo to nearby alternatives, and clarifies which component carries the load at each tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The FPS data for this combo in The Medium reveals a clear hierarchy of performance across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fluid. The Low preset achieves an average of 187 FPS, while the High preset drops to an average of 86 FPS, still far above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset yields a strong 120 FPS average with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS. Interestingly, the Ultra preset at 1080p holds an average of 68 FPS, which remains playable but shows a significant performance cost for the highest visual quality.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the results scale predictably. The Low preset delivers an average of 161 FPS, and the High preset maintains an average of 72 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. The Medium preset here averages 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to an average of 57 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the Ultra setting is not consistently playable at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably. The Low preset is still very fast, averaging 127 FPS. The Medium preset averages 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the playable threshold. However, the High preset drops to an average of 57 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls further to an average of 45 FPS. These figures show that 4K gaming with this hardware requires a compromise between visual fidelity and frame rate, as the High and Ultra settings fail to maintain 60 FPS. The presence of min/max FPS data only for the Medium preset at each resolution suggests this is the sweet spot where frame pacing is most stable, offering a safer experience than the more demanding presets.

Similar Performance Alternatives

When looking at the CPU and GPU individually, the data from nearestRivals provides context for what other hardware would deliver similar performance in this system. The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163 and sits in the 94th percentile. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which has an average score of 69996, a negligible 0.2% difference. Also nearby are the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875, 0.4% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515, 0.9% faster). On the opposite side, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70879, which is 1% higher than the i7-14700KF. For The Medium, any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates, meaning a system with the i7-14700KF could be swapped for a Ryzen 9 7950X without any noticeable change in gameplay smoothness.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, placing it in the 86th percentile. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 54209, a difference of just 0.1%. This implies that the RTX 4080 and RTX 4080 SUPER are practically interchangeable for this game. Other nearby cards include the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828, 1.1% faster), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698, 2.6% faster), and the AMD Radeon 8060S (55757, 2.7% faster). These GPUs would produce very similar FPS numbers in The Medium, so a system with an RTX 4080 could see nearly identical performance with any of these alternatives, though the AMD cards listed are slightly ahead in raw compute scores. The data suggests that the GPU choice matters more than the CPU here, given the wider variance in GPU rival scores.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that The Medium is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, but the CPU still plays a role at lower settings. The scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a clear pattern: at the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 187 to 127, a 32% reduction. This suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is becoming a bottleneck as resolution increases. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is likely not the limiting factor at any resolution, given its 94th percentile ranking and high Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167.

However, the CPU's influence becomes more apparent when examining the performance gap between presets at the same resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (187 FPS) and Ultra (68 FPS) is 119 FPS, which is a massive drop. This indicates that the graphics settings have a far greater impact on frame rate than the resolution scaling. The GPU's raw power, evidenced by its 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is being taxed by the higher presets. The RTX 4080's 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores are likely engaged more heavily at Ultra settings, given The Medium's use of fixed-camera angles and volumetric lighting.

The verdict data reinforces that the GPU is the primary driver of performance. At 4K, only the Low and Medium presets are playable, while at 1440p, the High preset is the best playable option. This pattern suggests that the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for most settings, but the computational load of the Ultra preset exceeds what the GPU can handle at higher resolutions. The CPU, meanwhile, maintains a stable foundation, as evidenced by the consistent FPS numbers across resolutions for each preset, with no signs of CPU-induced stuttering or frame drops in the min FPS data.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and RTX 4080 combination ranks 192nd out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium, placing it in the top 5.2% of all systems. This is a strong ranking, indicating that this hardware is well above average for running this game. The high percentile scores of both components—94th for the CPU and 86th for the GPU—contribute to this solid position. The combo's ranking suggests that while it is not the absolute top-tier configuration, it sits comfortably among the upper echelon of systems capable of running The Medium.

Compared to the nearest rival combos, the ranking implies that this system would outperform the vast majority of others tested. The fact that it clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p Ultra and 1440p High, but not at 4K Ultra, aligns with its mid-to-high ranking. A system ranked higher would likely handle 4K Ultra with ease, while lower-ranked systems might struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p Medium. The data shows that this combo is well-balanced, with no single component dragging down the overall performance.

The Verdict

This PC can definitively run The Medium at playable frame rates across most configurations, with the caveat that the highest settings at 4K are not achievable. According to the verdictByResolution data, at 3840x2160, the playable settings are Low and Medium, with the best playable setting being Medium at an average of 79 FPS. At 2560x1440, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium, with the best playable setting being High at an average of 72 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four settings—High, Low, Medium, and Ultra—are playable, with the best being Ultra at an average of 68 FPS.

The key takeaway is that for a 60 FPS experience, this system can handle 1080p with maximum visual quality, 1440p with high settings, and 4K with medium settings. The 4K High and Ultra presets fall short, averaging 57 and 45 FPS respectively, which would result in noticeable stutter for players sensitive to frame rate drops. For those with a 4K display, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it provides a stable average of 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. The system is versatile, but it does not have the headroom to max out the game at 4K.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with 60 FPS?*

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings, which achieve an average of 79 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 4K average 57 and 45 FPS, respectively, which are below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p to stay above 60 FPS?

A: The High preset is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 72 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to an average of 57 FPS, which is not playable.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and presets. The CPU's strong performance, with a 94th percentile ranking, ensures it is not a limiting factor, while the GPU struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra.

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

A: It ranks 192nd out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium, placing it in the top 5.2% of all configurations tested.

Q: What are the minimum FPS numbers for the Medium preset?

A: At 1080p, the Medium preset has a minimum of 102 FPS; at 1440p, it has a minimum of 86 FPS; and at 4K, it has a minimum of 67 FPS.

Q: Which rival GPU would perform most similarly to the RTX 4080?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the closest rival, with a benchmark score only 0.1% different, meaning it would produce nearly identical frame rates in The Medium.

Best Settings per Resolution

For a 60 FPS target, the most demanding preset that stays at or above this threshold varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, achieving an average of 68 FPS. At 2560x1440, the High preset is optimal, averaging 72 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the highest playable option, averaging 79 FPS. These settings provide the best visual quality while maintaining a smooth experience, based on the measured data.