The Medium

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a playable, though not flawless, experience in The Medium, with performance heavily dependent on the graphics preset. The data shows a clear pattern: the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher settings and resolutions, while the CPU provides a solid foundation that rarely limits frame rates. This combination ranks in the 55th percentile of tested combos for this title, indicating a mid-pack standing that aligns with its component specifications.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K are steep and consistent, revealing a system that is firmly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 115 FPS at 1920x1080 to 97 FPS at 2560x1440, a 15.7% reduction, and then to 76 FPS at 3840x2160, a 21.6% drop from 1440p. This scaling is expected for a GPU-heavy workload, but the magnitude of the drop at 4K indicates the RX 7700 is working near its limits even on the least demanding preset.

The pattern intensifies at Medium settings, where the average frame rate drops from 72 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p (a 15.3% decline) and then to 48 FPS at 4K (a 21.3% decline from 1440p). At High settings, the same trend continues: 51 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p (a 15.7% drop), and 34 FPS at 4K (a 20.9% drop). The consistency of these percentage drops across presets suggests that resolution scaling is independent of the quality settings, which is typical for a game where pixel count drives the rendering load.

At Ultra settings, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates at any resolution above 1080p. The average drops from 41 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 1440p (a 17.1% decline) and then to 27 FPS at 4K (a 20.6% decline from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result of 27 FPS is barely interactive, and the data indicates that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are exhausted by the combination of maximum quality and high pixel count. The scaling pattern here suggests that the RX 7700’s 16 GB of VRAM and 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient for the memory demands, but the raw compute throughput of 25.18 TFLOPS is the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p is relatively gentle, with frame rate drops of 15-17% across all presets. This indicates that 1440p is a viable target for this combo, provided the user is willing to accept lower quality settings. The jump from 1440p to 4K is more punishing, with drops exceeding 20% at every preset, confirming that 4K gaming is only feasible at Low or Medium settings, and even then with frame rates that dip below the 60 FPS threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In The Medium, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 achieves a rank of 1307 out of 2911 tested combos. This places it in the 55th percentile, meaning it outperforms just over half of all configurations tested for this game. The ranking reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is egregiously weak, but neither is exceptional for this title’s demands.

The CPU’s standalone benchmark percentile is significantly higher than the combo’s in-game rank. The i5-14400F sits in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (score 32233, deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (score 32226, deltaPct 0.2), show that the CPU is competitive with much more expensive processors. The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo’s rank.

The GPU, conversely, is the weaker link. The RX 7700 sits in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15852. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X (score 15862, deltaPct -0.1) and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (score 16014, deltaPct -1), showing that the GPU is positioned in the lower-midrange of the performance spectrum. The combo’s overall rank of 1307 is dragged down by the GPU’s relative weakness, even though the CPU punches above its weight class.

The delta between the CPU and GPU percentiles (83 vs 58) is substantial, and this imbalance is reflected in the game’s performance. The combo rank of 1307 out of 2911 suggests that many other configurations, likely those with stronger GPUs paired with similar or weaker CPUs, achieve better results in The Medium. This is a game that rewards GPU investment, and the data shows that the RX 7700 holds this combo back from a higher ranking.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the dominant factor in this combo’s gaming performance, and its specifications directly explain the measured frame rates. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. This memory configuration is generous for a card in this performance tier, and the data suggests it is not a limiting factor in The Medium, as even the highest resolution tests do not show signs of VRAM capacity issues.

The GPU’s clock speeds are modest, with a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The game clock of 2041 MHz represents the typical sustained frequency under load, and this relatively conservative clock speed, combined with the 2560 shading units, yields an FP32 performance of 25.18 TFLOPS. This compute throughput is the primary constraint on frame rates at higher settings, as evidenced by the steep drops when moving from Low to Ultra presets.

The GPU’s benchmark scores align with its in-game performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865 and the Passmark G3D score of 20974 are both indicative of a mid-range card. The GPU’s percentile rank of 58 among all GPUs confirms that it sits just above the median, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (score 16129, deltaPct -1.7), shows that it is competitive with but slightly behind that popular card.

In The Medium, the GPU’s role is clearest when examining the frame rate differences between presets. At 1080p, the jump from Low (115 FPS) to Ultra (41 FPS) represents a 64% performance drop, which is a direct consequence of the increased shading and texture work. The GPU’s 40 ray tracing cores are present but are not specifically tested in this data, and the standard rasterization performance is what drives these results. The 96 ROPs and 160 TMUs provide adequate pixel throughput, but the overall compute ceiling is what limits Ultra settings to sub-60 FPS at all resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 115 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings average 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, indicating a stable experience with occasional dips. High settings average 51 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Ultra settings average 41 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and shows that the GPU is struggling with maximum quality at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 97 FPS, still a good result. Medium settings average 61 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS, placing it right at the edge of playability. High settings average 43 FPS, which is a significant step down and may feel sluggish in demanding scenes. Ultra settings average 34 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for a horror game that relies on atmosphere and timing.

At 3840x2160, the combo is clearly out of its depth for anything but the lowest presets. Low settings average 76 FPS, which is a solid result and suggests the GPU can handle 4K if the visual quality is reduced. Medium settings average 48 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may cause noticeable stuttering. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for a smooth experience.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is the native resolution for this combo, 1440p is usable with reduced settings, and 4K is only viable at Low settings. The Medium preset at 1440p (61 FPS average) is the only 1440p option that consistently hits the 60 FPS mark, and even then, the minimum of 51 FPS suggests occasional frame drops. The Low preset at 4K (76 FPS average) is the only 4K option that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a capable partner for the RX 7700, and its specifications suggest it is not the bottleneck in this combo. The CPU features 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This configuration provides strong multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and Geekbench multi-core score of 11268.

The CPU’s single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2058. This is important for The Medium, which likely has a mix of lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and the 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide ample fast storage for game data, reducing the likelihood of cache misses causing frame hitches.

The CPU’s benchmark percentile of 83 places it well above the GPU’s 58, indicating that the processor has headroom that the GPU cannot fully utilize in this game. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (score 32354, deltaPct -0.2) and the Intel Core i7-12800H (score 32121, deltaPct 0.5), show that the i5-14400F is competitive with higher-end mobile and older desktop parts.

In practice, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data, and its performance is more than adequate for this task. The frame rate differences between presets at the same resolution are driven entirely by the GPU’s workload, not by CPU limitations. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low (115 FPS) and Ultra (41 FPS) is a 74 FPS gap, which is far too large to be attributed to CPU processing. The CPU is likely capable of delivering well over 115 FPS in most scenes, but the GPU caps the output.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s target resolution and preference for frame rate consistency. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the best balance, delivering an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS. This provides a stable 60+ FPS experience without the visual quality sacrifices of Low settings. The High preset at 51 FPS is acceptable for users who prioritize visuals over smoothness, but the 41 FPS Ultra preset is not recommended due to the risk of frame pacing issues.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear choice, with an average of 61 FPS and a minimum of 51 FPS. This is the only 1440p setting that approaches the 60 FPS target, and the occasional dips to 51 FPS are manageable in a slow-paced horror game. The Low preset at 97 FPS is overkill and sacrifices too much visual quality, while High (43 FPS) and Ultra (34 FPS) fall below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 76 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and is the only 4K setting that does not incur significant frame rate penalties. The Medium preset at 48 FPS is playable but may suffer from stuttering, and High (34 FPS) and Ultra (27 FPS) are not recommended. For users with 4K displays, the Low preset is the only way to enjoy the game without major compromises.

The overall recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p, as it provides the best combination of visual quality and frame rate stability. The data shows that the jump from Medium to High results in a 29% performance drop at 1080p (from 72 to 51 FPS) and a 30% drop at 1440p (from 61 to 43 FPS), which is a significant cost for marginal visual improvements. The Low preset is the fallback for 4K, but users with 1080p or 1440p displays should prioritize the Medium preset for the best experience.