The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a distinctly tiered performance profile in The Medium, where playability hinges heavily on the chosen resolution and graphics preset. Across the three tested resolutions, the data reveals a clear pattern: the combination handles 1080p and 1440p with considerable headroom at most settings, but 4K Ultra demands a compromise. The measured frame rates show that this system is a high-refresh-rate champion at lower resolutions, yet it falls below the 60 FPS threshold at the most demanding 4K configuration, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint at higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results for this configuration provide a detailed look at how the i7-14700KF and RTX 5070 manage The Medium's workload. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are exceptionally high across the board. The Low preset yields an average of 159.1 FPS, showcasing the raw throughput available at the entry-level setting. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 103 FPS, which still provides a very fluid experience. The High preset maintains strong performance with an average of 70.4 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset delivers an average of 54.6 FPS, which is just shy of the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected, but the system remains highly capable. The Low preset achieves an average of 135.9 FPS, demonstrating that the CPU-GPU combo has minimal trouble at this resolution with lighter settings. The Medium preset produces a solid 85.2 FPS average, indicating excellent performance for most gamers. High settings still clear the playable bar with an average of 61.4 FPS, though it is a much closer margin. The Ultra preset, however, drops to an average of 45.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and suggests a significant performance hit from the most demanding visual features.

The most demanding scenario is 3840x2160, where the GPU's workload becomes the defining factor. The Low preset achieves an average of 105.2 FPS, which is still very playable and highlights the efficiency of the Blackwell architecture. The Medium preset yields an average of 67.9 FPS, providing a playable experience that balances visual quality and performance. High settings bring the average down to 45.3 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 35.7 FPS. These 4K results show a steep performance cliff between Medium and High, suggesting that the game's higher-tier presets introduce effects that are particularly taxing at UHD resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

Determining the optimal settings requires identifying the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, the High preset is the clear winner, achieving an average of 70.4 FPS. While Ultra is visually superior, its 54.6 FPS average falls below the playable threshold, making High the best choice for a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. This leaves a 9.4 FPS margin above the threshold, suggesting some stability room.

For 2560x1440, the High preset also emerges as the best setting, but with a much tighter margin. Its average of 61.4 FPS barely clears the 60 FPS threshold, leaving only 1.4 FPS of headroom. This suggests that while it is technically playable, it is close to the limit, and users might consider dropping to Medium (85.2 FPS) for a more comfortable performance buffer. The data indicates that 1440p High is the edge of this system's comfortable performance envelope.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Medium, which delivers an average of 67.9 FPS. This provides a 7.9 FPS buffer over the threshold, making it a reliable choice for 4K gaming. The Low preset (105.2 FPS) is also playable, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still remaining comfortably above 60 FPS. High and Ultra at 4K are not viable options for maintaining smooth gameplay, as they both fall significantly short of the playable standard.

CPU and GPU Roles

Analyzing the scaling between resolutions and presets reveals the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU in The Medium. At lower resolutions like 1920x1080, the CPU's high performance is more likely to keep the GPU fed. The jump from Medium to Low at 1080p (a 56.1 FPS increase) shows that the system has immense headroom when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The i7-14700KF's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235, ensures that the game's logic and draw calls are handled efficiently, allowing the RTX 5070 to run at full capacity.

As the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The frame rate differences between presets become more pronounced, and the overall averages drop. For instance, at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is a substantial 69.5 FPS, whereas at 1080p, the same comparison shows a larger 104.5 FPS difference. This indicates that while the CPU is crucial for achieving ultra-high frame rates, the GPU's rendering capabilities are the primary limiter for achieving high visual fidelity at higher resolutions. The RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 192-bit bus are sufficient for the game, but the raw compute power is what dictates the performance ceiling at 4K.

The data implies a system where the CPU provides a solid foundation that rarely bottlenecks, but the GPU is the component that determines the playability ceiling. The transition from 1440p High (61.4 FPS) to 4K Medium (67.9 FPS) confirms this. Even though the resolution is much higher, the lower preset at 4K achieves a higher frame rate than the higher preset at 1440p. This suggests that the game is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, and adjusting the settings is a more effective way to gain performance than relying on the CPU.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run The Medium at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The data shows that the system achieves 67.9 FPS on Medium and 105.2 FPS on Low at 3840x2160. High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold, with averages of 45.3 and 35.7 FPS, respectively.

Q: What is the highest setting that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The High preset is the most demanding playable option at 2560x1440, with an average of 61.4 FPS. The Medium preset is also playable and offers a higher average of 85.2 FPS.

Q: How does the i7-14700KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996), 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875), and 0.9% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69515). It is 1% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (70879).

Q: Is the RTX 5070's performance closer to any specific rival GPU?

A: The RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 40377, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318) and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063). It is 1.2% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870) and 2% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39568).

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 achieves 159.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 54.6 FPS. This represents a significant performance drop of 104.5 FPS when moving to the most demanding preset.

Q: Does the system have enough performance headroom for 1440p High settings?

A: The data shows a 61.4 FPS average for 1440p High, which is only 1.4 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. This indicates very little headroom, and users may experience frame rate dips below 60 FPS in more demanding scenes.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data, this PC can effectively run The Medium, but the experience is contingent on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is more than capable, with High settings achieving 70.4 FPS and even Ultra remaining playable at 54.6 FPS. The verdict for 1080p is a definitive yes, with multiple presets providing a smooth experience. For 2560x1440, the system also clears the 60 FPS bar with High settings at 61.4 FPS, though it is a near-miss. The 1440p verdict is a cautious yes, as the performance margin is thin and users should be prepared to potentially lower settings to Medium for more stable performance. At 3840x2160, the verdict is conditional. The system can run the game, but only at Medium (67.9 FPS) or Low (105.2 FPS) settings. The high-end presets are not playable, making 4K Ultra a non-starter. Overall, the i7-14700KF and RTX 5070 combination is a strong performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but 4K users will need to make significant visual compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations for The Medium, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 holds a rank of 702 out of 3724 combos. This places it in the top 18.8% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a high-performing setup relative to the broader benchmark pool. This ranking suggests that while it is not an absolute top-tier configuration, it outperforms the vast majority of other tested hardware combinations for this particular title. The high rank is a reflection of the strong synergy between the 20-core, 28-thread CPU and the modern Blackwell GPU, which together provide a significant amount of processing power for the game's demands.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering this build, the nearest rival CPUs offer a similar level of general processing power. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is the closest match, with an average benchmark score only 0.2% lower than the i7-14700KF. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X are within 0.4% and 0.9% of the Intel chip's score, respectively. On the Intel side, the Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% higher in average score. These CPUs would likely yield very comparable frame rates in The Medium, as the game does not appear to be heavily CPU-bound at the tested resolutions. On the GPU front, the RTX 5070's nearest rivals are professional workstation cards, which is an interesting data point. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 and Radeon Pro WX 7100 perform within 0.1% and 0.8% of the RTX 5070's average score, respectively, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is 1.2% faster. These alternatives would provide a similar level of rendering performance, though their driver optimizations for gaming may differ from NVIDIA's GeForce line.