The Medium

The Medium presents a significant challenge for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER paired with the Intel Core i5-14400F. The measured data shows a system that can handle the game at lower settings but is quickly overwhelmed as graphical demands increase. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results to understand the performance profile and limitations of this specific hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound title like The Medium. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 69.2 FPS, which drops to 56.9 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 47.5 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 31% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is working progressively harder at higher resolutions.

The scaling becomes more dramatic when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the average is 33.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces this to 26.8 FPS, and at 4K High, the frame rate plummets to 19.4 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is roughly 43%, showing that the combination of higher resolution and more demanding settings creates a compounding load on the graphics card.

The most telling data point comes from the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages only 23.2 FPS, which is already below playable thresholds for most users. At 1440p Ultra, this falls to 23.6 FPS (a slight anomaly in the scaling pattern), and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 15.7 FPS. The fact that 1080p Ultra and 1440p Ultra produce nearly identical results suggests that at these settings, the GPU has hit a hard performance wall where resolution differences matter less than the sheer computational load of the Ultra preset.

The data clearly indicates that the limiting component is the GPU. The frame rate drops are consistent with a graphics card struggling to maintain throughput as pixel count increases. The Intel Core i5-14400F, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, does not appear to be the bottleneck, as the performance degradation follows the expected pattern of GPU-bound workloads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary driver of the performance characteristics observed in these benchmarks. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, the card provides 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 1408 shading units and 48 ROPs work at a base clock of 1530 MHz, boosting to 1785 MHz under load. These specifications position the card at the 55th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14286.

The VRAM capacity becomes a critical factor in The Medium, a horror game known for its demanding visual fidelity. At 4K resolution with High settings, the 6 GB frame buffer is likely being stressed, contributing to the low 19.4 FPS average. The game's use of dual-reality rendering (showing two worlds simultaneously) places additional pressure on both memory capacity and bandwidth.

Comparing the GTX 1660 SUPER to its nearest rivals from the benchmark database provides context. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 14314, which is 0.2% higher, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14315, also 0.2% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 14389, putting it 0.7% ahead. These negligible differences suggest that the GTX 1660 SUPER is performing right at the expected level for its class, and the frame rates in The Medium reflect this mid-range positioning.

The GPU's compute performance is notable, with a Passmark G3D score of 12699 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 62664. However, these synthetic benchmarks do not translate into playable frame rates at higher settings in this particular title. The card's DirectX 12 score of 50 in Passmark is particularly low, which may explain some of the struggles in a modern DirectX 12 game like The Medium.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings achieves 69.2 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 56.9 FPS, while 4K Low produces 47.5 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in terms of raw GPU score?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 14286. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 scores 14314 (0.2% higher), the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14315 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT scores 14389 (0.7% higher).

Q: Can this system run The Medium at Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The measured data shows an average of 23.2 FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra. This is below the typical 30 FPS minimum for playable performance, indicating that Ultra settings are not viable at any resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 56.9 FPS while High settings produce 26.8 FPS. This represents a significant 53% drop in frame rate when moving from Low to High.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The frame rate scaling across resolutions indicates a GPU bottleneck. The Intel Core i5-14400F, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914, provides ample processing power, while the GTX 1660 SUPER struggles at higher resolutions and settings.

Q: How many FPS can be expected at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured average at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 27.1 FPS, which is marginally playable but below the 30 FPS threshold that most players consider acceptable for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured frame rate data for this system in The Medium is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the system achieves 69.2 FPS on Low settings, 45.2 FPS on Medium, 33.8 FPS on High, and 23.2 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline, with Ultra producing only 33.5% of the Low setting's frame rate.

At 2560x1440, performance drops across all settings. Low produces 56.9 FPS, Medium 37.4 FPS, High 26.8 FPS, and Ultra 23.6 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows significantly at this resolution, with only a 3.2 FPS difference between the two presets.

At 3840x2160, the system shows its weakest performance. Low produces 47.5 FPS, Medium 27.1 FPS, High 19.4 FPS, and Ultra 15.7 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest recorded in the entire dataset, representing a 77% reduction from the 1080p Low result.

The data reveals an interesting pattern: the difference between 1440p and 4K is less pronounced at Ultra settings (23.6 vs 15.7 FPS) than at Low settings (56.9 vs 47.5 FPS). This suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU is so heavily loaded that the additional pixels from 4K resolution have a diminished relative impact on frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides the processing foundation for this system. With 10 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosting to 4.70 GHz, this CPU offers substantial compute capability for gaming workloads. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain data throughput for game logic and physics calculations.

The CPU's benchmark scores demonstrate its capability. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21914 places it at the 88th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32508. In single-core performance, the Geekbench single-core score of 2333 shows strong per-thread performance, which is important for games that rely on a few heavily loaded threads.

Comparing the i5-14400F to its nearest rivals shows it is well-positioned in the market. The Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32513 (0% difference), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 scores 32446 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i7-13705H scores 32586 (0.2% lower). This tight grouping indicates that the i5-14400F performs at the expected level for its class.

In The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The game's fixed-camera angles and pre-rendered environments place more load on the graphics card than the processor. The measured frame rates show a clear GPU bottleneck, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops at higher resolutions. The CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads provide sufficient headroom to ensure that it does not become the limiting factor in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience for this system in The Medium is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, producing 69.2 FPS. This configuration offers the smoothest gameplay and is the only setting that approaches the 60 FPS standard that most players prefer for a responsive experience.

For players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the 1920x1080 Medium preset at 45.2 FPS represents a reasonable compromise. This provides a playable frame rate while offering improved visual fidelity over Low settings. The 1440p Low preset at 56.9 FPS is also a viable option for those with 1440p monitors who are willing to sacrifice graphical detail for smoother gameplay.

The High preset is only marginally playable at 1080p, with 33.8 FPS. This is below the 30 FPS minimum that many consider the floor for playable performance, but some players may tolerate it. The Ultra preset should be avoided entirely, as even at 1080p it produces only 23.2 FPS, which is well below acceptable thresholds.

For 1440p displays, the Low preset at 56.9 FPS is the recommended option. The Medium preset at 37.4 FPS is playable but not ideal. The High and Ultra presets at 26.8 and 23.6 FPS respectively are not recommended due to poor frame rates.

At 4K, only the Low preset at 47.5 FPS approaches playability. The Medium preset at 27.1 FPS is borderline, while High and Ultra at 19.4 and 15.7 FPS respectively are not viable for actual gameplay. The data indicates that 4K gaming is only possible with significant graphical compromises on this hardware.