The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both GPU and CPU depending on the resolution and settings you choose. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, using measured FPS data to determine the best way to play the game. The data shows clear scaling trends that point to where the bottleneck lies and what settings provide the most playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic shift in performance as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 132 FPS, which is an excellent baseline. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 112.9 FPS, a reduction of about 14% from the 1080p figure. The jump to 4K Low continues the trend, landing at 90.4 FPS. This pattern shows that even at Low settings, the RX 7800 XT is still able to push high frame rates at 4K, though the scaling is not linear.

The more telling story comes from the High and Ultra presets. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 59.9 FPS at 1080p to 52.7 FPS at 1440p, a decline of roughly 12% that is relatively modest. However, the 4K High result falls to 41.8 FPS, which is a 30% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steeper drop between 1440p and 4K indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel throughput demand outpaces the card's capabilities.

Ultra settings amplify this effect. The 1080p Ultra score of 45.5 FPS is already below the 60 FPS target that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops further to 39.4 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to just 30.7 FPS. This near-linear decline across resolutions at Ultra settings confirms that the RX 7800 XT is fully saturated by the workload. The data indicates that the RDNA 3.0 architecture with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is not the constraint here; rather, the raw compute throughput of the GPU is what limits performance at these higher settings.

The scaling analysis shows that the CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 132 FPS versus the 4K Low result of 90.4 FPS suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently even at high frame rates. The bottleneck shifts decisively to the GPU when moving to 4K, particularly on High and Ultra presets where the frame rates drop below playable thresholds.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience at 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, delivering 90.4 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but it requires significant visual compromises. The Medium preset at 4K offers 55.2 FPS, which is borderline playable but may feel inconsistent during action-heavy scenes. The data suggests that 4K Medium is a reasonable choice if you prioritize resolution over visual fidelity, but the 55.2 FPS average leaves little headroom for frame time spikes.

At 1440p, the situation improves considerably. The Medium preset achieves 70.1 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p delivers 52.7 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced sequences. The best balance between visual quality and performance at 1440p appears to be Medium, as it offers a significant jump from the Low preset's 112.9 FPS while still maintaining a smooth experience.

For 1080p, the High preset at 59.9 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium's 83.8 FPS while staying close to the 60 FPS target. The Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 45.5 FPS, which is a steep cost for the extra detail. Players with high refresh rate monitors may prefer the Medium preset at 1080p for its 83.8 FPS, but the High preset offers the best combination of image quality and smoothness for most users.

The measured data indicates that the Medium preset is the most consistent performer across all resolutions, delivering 83.8 FPS at 1080p, 70.1 FPS at 1440p, and 55.2 FPS at 4K. This preset avoids the extreme performance hits of Ultra while providing a substantial improvement over Low. For the best experience, prioritize the Medium preset at your target resolution, and only consider High if you are playing at 1080p.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is the dominant component in this pairing for The Medium. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the game's textures at any resolution. The memory clock runs at 2438 MHz, with an effective data rate of 19.5 Gbps, and the 96 ROPs handle pixel output efficiently. The GPU's 3840 shading units and 60 ray accelerators are the key drivers of compute performance, and the benchmark results show this card sits in the 76th percentile among all GPUs.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU's performance limits become apparent at 4K Ultra, where the 30.7 FPS average is the lowest across all tested configurations. The boost clock of 2430 MHz and game clock of 2124 MHz indicate that the card is running near its thermal and power limits during these demanding scenes. The 263 W TDP and 2x 8-pin power connectors suggest that the card requires a robust power supply, but the data does not indicate any throttling issues.

The GPU's role is clear when comparing the 4K Low result of 90.4 FPS to the 4K Ultra result of 30.7 FPS. This 66% performance drop is entirely attributable to the GPU's compute load, as the CPU is capable of delivering higher frame rates at lower resolutions. The RX 7800 XT is a capable mid-to-high-end card, but The Medium's Ultra preset at 4K is beyond its comfortable range. The card excels at 1440p Medium and 1080p High, where it delivers smooth performance without excessive strain.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RX 7800 XT in The Medium at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 132 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads provide sufficient throughput for the game's logic at this resolution.

Q: What is the best preset for 4K play on this system?

A: The Low preset is the only option that maintains a high frame rate at 4K, delivering 90.4 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 55.2 FPS, which is playable but less consistent.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth is not a limiting factor in the measured results. The performance drops at higher settings are driven by compute load, not memory capacity or bandwidth.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, but with a caveat. The 1440p Ultra result is 39.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. It is playable but not ideal for a smooth experience.

Q: Is the 1080p High preset a good choice?

A: Yes. The 59.9 FPS average is close to the 60 FPS target and offers a significant visual improvement over Medium's 83.8 FPS. It represents the best balance of quality and performance at 1080p.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: The combo ranks 617 out of 1689 tested configurations, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested for The Medium.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT combination ranks 617 out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places the system in the 64th percentile roughly, indicating that it outperforms a majority of tested configurations but trails the top-tier setups. The rank reflects the GPU's 76th percentile standing among all GPUs, while the CPU sits at the 88th percentile among all CPUs. The gap between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's lower percentile suggests that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing for this specific game.

The rank of 617 is respectable for a mid-range combo, particularly given the demanding nature of The Medium. The game's fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds can be GPU-intensive, and the RX 7800 XT's performance at 4K High and Ultra confirms that it is not a flagship card. The combo's rank would likely improve at lower resolutions, where the CPU's 88th percentile score can shine. The data indicates that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver smooth frame rates at Medium to High settings.

Compared to other combos, this pairing sits in a competitive position. The 1689 total combos tested include both higher and lower-end configurations, and the 617 rank shows that this system delivers consistent performance without major weaknesses. The combination of a strong CPU and a solid mid-range GPU creates a balanced platform that handles most settings well, though it struggles with the most demanding presets at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosts to 4.70 GHz, with 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's 88th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates strong overall performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093. These results show that the processor is well-suited for gaming workloads that require both high single-thread performance and multi-threaded capability.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and scene management. The measured FPS at 1080p Low of 132 FPS demonstrates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The 4K Low result of 90.4 FPS further confirms this, as the frame rate drop is consistent with the GPU's increased workload rather than a CPU limitation. The CPU's 16 threads are likely utilized by the game's streaming systems, which load assets as the camera moves through the environment.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is notable. The Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H at 32513 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 at 32446. The delta percentages are within 0.2% of these rivals, indicating that the CPU's performance is well-balanced for this game. The CPU's 65 W TDP is modest, and the data suggests it does not generate excessive heat during gameplay, allowing the RX 7800 XT to operate without thermal interference.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this system for The Medium. The GPU's performance at higher settings and resolutions is the primary constraint, and the CPU has ample headroom to support the graphics card. For players looking to upgrade, the CPU is not the component that needs attention; the GPU would be the first upgrade target to improve 4K performance.