The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a top-tier combination that delivers a decisive performance advantage in The Medium. Across all tested resolutions, this combo exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold in almost every preset, with the single exception being the 4K Ultra setting, which falls just short. The data indicates a system that can handle the game's demanding fixed-camera perspectives and dual-reality rendering with substantial headroom, making it a robust choice for high-refresh-rate displays or maximum image quality at 1440p, with only the most extreme 4K configuration proving too taxing.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark database places this CPU and GPU combination among the elite, and the nearest rivals offer a useful map of what hardware would behave nearly identically. For the Intel Core i7-14700KF, the closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which has an average score that is a mere 0.2% lower. This indicates that in CPU-bound scenarios, the two processors would deliver nearly indistinguishable frame rates, making the 9700F a strong alternative if platform preference or other system requirements differ. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is also extremely close, sitting just 0.4% behind, followed by the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at a 0.9% delta. Interestingly, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is the only rival that scores slightly higher, posting a negative deltaPct of -1%, meaning it is 1% faster in the average benchmark suite, a difference so small it is unlikely to be perceptible in practice.

On the GPU side, the situation is similar, though the rival names are less familiar. The RTX 5090's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, with a deltaPct of 0.3%, meaning the 5090's average score is just 0.3% higher. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is also close at 0.6%. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and Radeon Pro Vega 64X are also listed as close rivals, with the Pro Vega 64X actually being 1.4% faster than the RTX 5090 in aggregate benchmark scores. It is important to note that these are workstation-grade and mobile GPU scores, so the actual in-game performance of these rivals may vary due to driver optimizations and power characteristics, but the raw compute scores suggest that they would perform at a similar level in this title. For the purpose of this page, the data shows that the 14700KF and RTX 5090 are not isolated at the top; there is a small cluster of hardware that would deliver very similar user experiences in this game.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 run The Medium at 4K with a smooth frame rate?

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows that this combo achieves an average of 64.8 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. It also runs at 90.7 FPS on Medium and 143.8 FPS on Low, but 4K Ultra is not playable, with an average of only 52.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting to use at 2560x1440 resolution?

A: According to the verdict data, the Ultra preset at 1440p is the most demanding setting that still clears the playable threshold, with an average of 64.3 FPS. This makes Ultra the best choice for maximizing visual quality at this resolution.

Q: How much performance does the combo lose when moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: The data shows a significant drop. The average frame rate falls from 85.9 FPS at 2560x1440 High settings to 64.8 FPS at 3840x2160 High settings. That is a decrease of about 24.6% in average performance when doubling the pixel count from 1440p to 4K.

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding and still exceeds the 60 FPS target, achieving an average of 77 FPS at 1920x1080. This is the highest quality setting available that maintains a playable frame rate.

Q: Is this PC capable of running the game at 4K at all?

A: Yes, it is. The verdict indicates that the playable settings at 3840x2160 include High, Medium, and Low. The Ultra setting is the only one that falls below the playable threshold, so the game is highly playable at 4K with the High preset.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested system configurations?

A: The combo ranks 53rd out of 3,724 total combinations tested in this game's database. This places it in the top 1.4% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a very high-end configuration.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of the RTX 5090's dominant role in this game, especially as resolution scales. At 1440p High, the combo produces 85.9 FPS, while at 4K High, it drops to 64.8 FPS. This 25% decrease in frame rate when pixel count increases by over 120% indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU, a Core i7-14700KF with its 20 cores and 28 threads, remains a capable partner, but the data suggests that it is often waiting for the GPU to finish rendering. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the frame rates are significantly higher (96.5 FPS at High, 184.4 FPS at Low), which points to the CPU becoming more tasking at lower resolution, but the sheer compute of the RTX 5090 still pushes frame rates high enough to avoid a CPU-bound bottleneck.

The scaling between presets at the same resolution further reinforces the GPU-bound nature. At 4K, the jump from Low to Medium is a 37% decrease in frame rate (143.8 to 90.7 FPS), and from Medium to High is another 29% drop (90.7 to 64.8 FPS). This massive sensitivity to graphics presets is a hallmark of a GPU-heavy workload. The CPU's performance is more likely to matter when the visual effects are less demanding, such as at the Low preset, where the frame rates are high enough that the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes more apparent. Overall, the data implies that for this game, the RTX 5090 is the component dictating the experience at 4K and 1440p, while the i7-14700KF provides enough single-threaded and multi-threaded power to support the GPU without holding it back, except perhaps in low-resolution, high-frame-rate scenarios.

The Verdict

Can this PC run The Medium? The data clearly says yes, and it does so with remarkable ease. The verdict by resolution shows that the system is fully playable at 1080p and 1440p on every preset, including Ultra. Specifically, at 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves 77 FPS, and at 2560x1440, the Ultra preset achieves 64.3 FPS, both clearing the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, the system is still playable, with High settings delivering 64.8 FPS, Medium delivering 90.7 FPS, and Low delivering 143.8 FPS. The only configuration that fails to meet the playable threshold is 4K Ultra, which drops to 52.4 FPS. For most users, this means the title is fully playable at maximum quality at 1440p and High quality at 4K. The system has substantial headroom for a smooth experience, even if the player prefers to prioritize resolution over the highest graphical presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data was measured using the Intel Core i7-14700KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The frames per second (FPS) are reported as average values across the test run; minimum and maximum FPS were not recorded in the data.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers the following average frame rates:

• Low: 184.4 FPS
• Medium: 138.3 FPS
• High: 96.5 FPS
• Ultra: 77.0 FPS

At 2560x1440, the average FPS is:

• Low: 179.0 FPS
• Medium: 114.1 FPS
• High: 85.9 FPS
• Ultra: 64.3 FPS

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is:

• Low: 143.8 FPS
• Medium: 90.7 FPS
• High: 64.8 FPS
• Ultra: 52.4 FPS

The data shows that the game is very scalable, with a clear gradient of performance as resolution and preset quality increase. The most demanding scenario in the test, 4K Ultra, is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination has been tested and assigned a rank of 53rd out of 3,724 total combined system configurations in the benchmark database for this game. This places it in the top 2 percent of all tested systems, indicating that it is a top-tier configuration that outperforms the vast majority of other hardware combinations. This rank is achieved despite the fact that the Ultra 4K preset is not playable, because the rank is likely based on an aggregate of performance across all settings and resolutions. The combination of the i7-14700KF's 94th percentile CPU performance and the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile GPU performance yields a system that sits comfortably at the very top of the list for The Medium.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the playable threshold of 60 FPS, the best settings for each resolution are the most demanding preset that still stays at or above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is High. This setting achieves an average of 64.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. While the Medium and Low presets are also playable, High offers the best visual quality while maintaining a smooth frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra. The system achieves an average of 64.3 FPS on this preset, which is just above the threshold. Users can enjoy maximum visual fidelity at this resolution without sacrificing playability.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding playable preset is also Ultra. The benchmark shows an average of 77.0 FPS on this preset, providing an excellent experience with all visual effects enabled. This is the recommended maximum quality setting for the highest frame rate and visual fidelity.