The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that stresses both CPU and GPU, but the data shows the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combo delivers a playable experience across most settings. The i5-14400F provides a solid foundation with 10 cores and 16 threads, boosting up to 4.70 GHz, which is more than sufficient for the game's fixed-camera angles and pre-rendered scenes. The real bottleneck lies with the RTX 3080 Ti, which shows its age at higher resolutions and settings in this 2021 title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor includes 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, which helps with the game's asset streaming.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-14400F achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 11268, and single-core is 2058. The Passmark multi-thread score is 25470, with a single-thread score of 3701. These figures place the CPU in the 83rd percentile against all CPUs, indicating strong performance for gaming.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14400F is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% ahead), the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (0.2% behind). It is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H. These deltas are negligible, meaning the CPU is not a differentiating factor in this game's performance.

For The Medium, the CPU's role is secondary. The game relies heavily on the GPU for rendering its dual-reality mechanic, where two worlds are displayed simultaneously. The i5-14400F's 16 threads ensure that background tasks and the game's logic don't cause stutters, but the measured FPS scales more with resolution and GPU settings than with CPU load. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 149 FPS, showing the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 35 FPS, which is clearly a GPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 901 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the top 24% of all configurations tested, which is respectable but not elite. The rank reflects that while the CPU is strong, the RTX 3080 Ti is an older GPU that struggles with the game's demanding effects at high resolutions.

The combo's rank is influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling. The RTX 3080 Ti has a 12 GB GDDR6X memory buffer and a 384-bit bus, providing 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This is sufficient for the game's textures, but the GPU's compute power (34.10 TFLOPS FP32) is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with Ultra settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 35, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

In contrast, the CPU's benchmark scores are competitive with newer mobile and desktop parts, but the GPU holds the combo back. The rank of 901 out of 3724 suggests that other combos with newer GPUs or less demanding CPUs achieve better results. For a builder considering this pairing, the data indicates that the CPU has headroom, but the GPU will be the limiting factor in this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with Medium settings delivers an average of 78 FPS (min 67, max 90), which is the sweet spot for a balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 1920x1080 with Medium, the average is 93 FPS, but the visual difference from 1440p is noticeable.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 98, which is playable. At Medium, it drops to 61 FPS, and at High, it is 44 FPS. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as the average is 35 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti's average benchmark score is 41187, which is 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 and 2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070. It is 1.2% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB and 1.7% behind the Tesla M40. These are small differences, so performance in The Medium will be similar.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 Ti?

A: No. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score is 3701, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 3055, which are strong. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 149, indicating the CPU can push high frame rates. The bottleneck is the GPU at higher settings and resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU's launch MSRP?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F had a launch MSRP of $196. This is a factual detail from the data, but the page does not comment on value.

Q: Does the game use more than 12 GB of VRAM at 4K?

A: The data does not provide VRAM usage. The RTX 3080 Ti has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory with 912.4 GB/s bandwidth, which is ample for the game's textures, but the FPS drop at 4K Ultra suggests the GPU's processing power is the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo performs across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo is very capable. With Low settings, the average FPS is 149, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. Medium settings yield 93 FPS (min 79, max 107), providing a smooth experience. High settings drop to 67 FPS, which is still playable, but Ultra falls to 53 FPS, which may feel less fluid. The jump from Low to Medium is a 56 FPS drop, while from Medium to High is a 26 FPS drop, indicating diminishing returns.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down. Low settings average 125 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings average 78 FPS (min 67, max 90), which is a good balance. High settings average 56 FPS, and Ultra averages 45 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 47 FPS, and from Medium to High is 22 FPS. At this resolution, the GPU starts to feel the load.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3080 Ti is strained. Low settings average 98 FPS, which is surprisingly high, showing the game scales well. Medium settings average 61 FPS (min 52, max 71), which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 44 FPS, and Ultra averages 35 FPS. The difference between Low and Medium is 37 FPS, and between Medium and High is 17 FPS)Skip. Ultra is not viable for smooth gameplay at 4K.

The min and max FPS data for Medium settings shows stability. At 1080p, the range is 79-107 FPS (a 28 FPS spread). At 1440p, the range is 67-90 FPS (a 23 FPS spread). At 4K, the range is 52-71 FPS (a 19 FPS spread). This indicates that as resolution increases, the frame time variance decreases, but the average FPS also drops.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is based on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, built on Samsung's 8 nm process. It has 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, with 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz, with memory clocked at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3080 Ti scores 5077 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 170037 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 192697 in Geekbench Vulkan. Its Passmark G3D score is 26896, and GPU compute is 15282. The GPU is in the 83rd percentile against all GPUs.

The GPU's performance in The Medium is directly tied to its memory bandwidth and compute power. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 35, which is below playable thresholds. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures, but the GPU's raw throughput is not enough to handle the dual-reality rendering at high resolutions with Ultra settings. The data shows that lowering settings has a significant impact: at 4K Low, the FPS jumps to 98, indicating that the game's Ultra preset includes effects that heavily tax the GPU.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 3080 Ti's average benchmark score is 41187, which is 2% ahead of the RTX 5070 and 0.8% ahead of the Radeon Pro 5300. It is slightly behind the Tesla M40 cards, but those are different products. In practice, the RTX 3080 Ti delivers consistent performance in this game, but it is not a 4K Ultra card for The Medium.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience is achieved at 2560x1440 with Medium settings. This yields an average of 78 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, ensuring no significant dips below 60 FPS. The visual quality at Medium is acceptable for a horror game, where atmosphere matters more than ultra textures.

For 1920x1080, Medium settings at 93 FPS (min 79) is the recommended preset. Low settings at 149 FPS are overkill unless using a 144 Hz monitor, but the visual downgrade is not worth the frame rate gain. High settings at 67 FPS are playable, but Medium offers a 26 FPS improvement with minimal visual loss.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests using Low settings, which provide 98 FPS. This is surprising, but it indicates that the game's Low preset is well-optimized. Medium at 61 FPS is also viable, but the min FPS of 52 means there will be occasional stutters. High and Ultra are not recommended, as they dip to 44 and 35 FPS respectively.

The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it averages 53 FPS. This is playable for a slow-paced horror game, but the frame rate is inconsistent. For most players, Medium at 1440p is the best compromise between visual fidelity and smoothness, as the data shows a stable frame time range of 67-90 FPS.