The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 reveals a configuration that is consistently bound by the graphics card. Across all resolutions, the frame rate swings dramatically with the quality preset, a classic sign that the GPU’s workload is the primary variable. The data shows a system that can be tuned to hit smooth performance, but only by making significant sacrifices in visual fidelity, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis will break down the measured FPS, the roles of the CPU and GPU, and where this combo lands among the 1689 tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 94.2 FPS, which falls to 63.2 FPS at 4K Low—a 33% reduction in performance. This scaling pattern is even more pronounced at higher presets. At Medium settings, the frame rate goes from 58.7 FPS at 1080p down to 40.7 FPS at 4K, a 31% drop. The High preset sees a similar trend, moving from 40.1 FPS at 1080p to 26.4 FPS at 4K, which is a 34% decline.

These percentages suggest that the game’s rendering load is scaling almost linearly with pixel count, which points squarely at the GPU as the limiting component. The RX 7600’s 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are likely being saturated at higher resolutions, especially with more demanding settings. The 4K Ultra result of 24.5 FPS is not just a minor dip; it is a collapse that makes the game unplayable. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 38.7 FPS, while at 1080p that same gap is 59.3 FPS. This indicates that the performance headroom at lower resolutions allows the GPU to stretch its legs, but at 4K, it is hitting a hard wall.

The implication is that this system is not designed for native 4K gaming in The Medium. The data shows that the sweet spot for this combo is clearly at 1080p, where even High settings are playable. At 1440p, the user must be more selective, as the Ultra preset dips to 25.4 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is less severe than from 1080p to 1440p, but the starting point is already low, making 4K a non-viable target for this hardware.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark results show a strong all-round performer, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093. In the context of The Medium, the CPU’s role appears to be supportive rather than dominant. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lowest, the frame rate is 94.2 FPS, which is far from the CPU’s theoretical limit.

The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and high single-thread performance are sufficient for this game’s logic and scene management. The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck in any of the tested configurations. If it were, we would expect to see frame rates plateau across different resolutions or settings, but that is not the case. The FPS consistently scales with resolution and preset, which is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

The i5-14400F’s percentile ranking of 88th among all CPUs further supports its capability. It sits within a 0.2% performance delta of rivals like the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 and the Intel Core i7-13705H, indicating it is in a solid performance tier. For The Medium, this CPU provides ample headroom, meaning the user is unlikely to encounter CPU-related stutters or frame dips. The processor’s 65 W TDP also suggests it can maintain its boost clocks under sustained gaming loads without thermal throttling, ensuring consistent frame delivery.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. Its Navi 33 chip, built on a 6 nm process, features 2048 shading units and 32 ray accelerators. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. While this is adequate for 1080p, the data shows it struggles as resolution increases. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2310 and a PassMark G3D score of 16634 place it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, which is mid-range territory.

The GPU’s clock speeds are high, with a boost clock of 2655 MHz and a game clock of 2250 MHz, which helps it extract performance at lower resolutions. However, the memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity are the limiting factors in The Medium at higher resolutions. The jump from 1080p Medium (58.7 FPS) to 1440p Medium (48.7 FPS) shows a 17% drop, while the move to 4K Medium (40.7 FPS) is another 16% drop. These consistent declines suggest the GPU is running out of memory bandwidth and fill rate.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which is only 0.6% faster in average benchmark scores, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which is 1.3% slower. This indicates the RX 7600 is well-positioned within its class, but it is not a high-end part. In The Medium, the Ultra preset at any resolution is too demanding. Even at 1080p, Ultra yields only 34.9 FPS, which is not smooth. The data suggests that the 8 GB VRAM is likely being exceeded at Ultra settings, causing a significant performance hit.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations, this specific combo of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 1129th out of 1689 total combos for The Medium. This places it in the lower third of all systems tested, which is expected given the mid-range nature of the GPU. The rank is heavily influenced by the GPU’s 63rd percentile standing, as the CPU’s 88th percentile is not the limiting factor.

This ranking does not mean the system is bad; it means that many other combinations of hardware are capable of higher frame rates in this specific title. The data implies that users with this combo will need to rely on the game’s scalability. The difference between the Low and Medium presets is significant, with a 35.5 FPS jump at 1080p. This suggests that the game’s settings have a huge impact on performance, and the user has substantial control over the experience.

The rank also highlights that this is a balanced pairing, as neither component is drastically holding the other back in a way that would be inefficient. The CPU is strong enough to feed the GPU, and the GPU is the primary driver of performance. For a user looking at this data, the takeaway is that this is a 1080p-oriented machine for The Medium, and attempting to push it to 1440p or 4K will result in frame rates that are below the playable threshold for most presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset hits 94.2 FPS, Medium hits 58.7 FPS, and High hits 40.1 FPS. All three are playable, whereas 1440p and 4K results are lower.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck?

A: The benchmark results indicate the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the limiting factor. The FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s high Cinebench scores suggest it has plenty of headroom.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which yields 63.2 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 40.7 FPS, High to 26.4 FPS, and Ultra to 24.5 FPS, making the higher presets unplayable.

Q: How does the RX 7600 compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RX 7600 is 0.6% slower than the RX 7600 XT and 1.3% faster than the RTX 3070 Mobile based on average benchmark scores. This shows it is competitive within its immediate performance tier.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset produces 94.2 FPS, while Ultra produces 34.9 FPS. This is a difference of 59.3 FPS, showing a massive performance swing based on the quality settings.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7600 combination ranks 1129th out of 1689 tested combos for this game, putting it in the lower third of all configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear matrix of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 94.2 FPS on Low, 58.7 FPS on Medium, 40.1 FPS on High, and 34.9 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a smooth degradation of performance as visual fidelity increases.

Moving up to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings yield 78.3 FPS, Medium produces 48.7 FPS, High falls to 33.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 25.4 FPS. The 1440p results show that the GPU is starting to struggle, particularly with the High and Ultra presets.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overmatched. The Low preset is the only playable option at 63.2 FPS. Medium drops to 40.7 FPS, High to 26.4 FPS, and Ultra to 24.5 FPS. The 4K data indicates that this combo should not be used for native 4K gaming with this title, as the visual quality must be severely compromised to achieve acceptable frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

According to the measured rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration produces 58.7 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. The Medium preset likely offers a decent improvement over Low without the severe performance penalty of High or Ultra.

For users seeking higher frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p is the best choice, delivering 94.2 FPS. This is ideal for a very smooth experience, though it will compromise visual detail. At 1440p, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, yielding 48.7 FPS. The High preset at 33.8 FPS is borderline, and Ultra is not recommended.

The data suggests avoiding the Ultra preset entirely, as it provides a negligible visual upgrade for a massive performance cost across all resolutions. The High preset is only acceptable at 1080p. For 1440p users, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. The 4K resolution should be avoided unless the user is willing to play on Low settings, which yields a playable 63.2 FPS but sacrifices much of the game’s visual atmosphere.