The Medium

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER lands at rank 269 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the top 16th percentile of all configurations. This is a strong position for a 1440p-focused horror title that rewards both strong rasterization and solid CPU overhead. The combo sits comfortably above the median, meaning the vast majority of tested systems will deliver lower average frame rates, while the data shows this pairing has headroom to handle the game's demanding fixed-camera angles and volumetric effects without becoming the bottleneck in most scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The 269th position out of 1689 combos is a decisive indicator of upper-tier performance. With a percentile rank of 88 for the CPU and 84 for the GPU, both components are well above average, but the combo ranking suggests the pairing works cohesively rather than one part dragging the other down. The CPU's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-12800H (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (deltaPct 0.2), AMD Ryzen 7 250 (deltaPct -0.2), and Intel Core i7-13705H (deltaPct -0.2). This cluster shows the i5-14400F is effectively trading blows with mobile and desktop parts that cost more, meaning the performance ceiling is not artificially low due to the CPU.

For the GPU, the RTX 4070 SUPER sits nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (deltaPct -0.2) and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (deltaPct -0.3), while outpacing the AMD Radeon Pro 580X (deltaPct 1.4) and NVIDIA Tesla M40 (deltaPct 1.6). The deltaPct values are small, but the consistency across rivals suggests the 4070 SUPER is a stable performer in this title, not a wild card that spikes or dips unpredictably. In practical terms, this combo should handle The Medium without the frame pacing issues that can plague less balanced systems, and the rank reflects that.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER brings 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. In The Medium, which uses a dual-reality mechanic that can render two perspectives simultaneously, memory capacity and bandwidth are critical. The 12 GB buffer is sufficient for the game's texture streaming at 4K, though the measured FPS drops suggest the GPU is the primary limiter at that resolution. The boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1980 MHz are respectable for Ada Lovelace architecture, and the 7168 shading units provide ample compute for the game's lighting effects.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its position: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 and a Passmark G3D score of 29995 put it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival data shows the RTX A6000 and RX 7650 GRE are within 0.3% of the 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 42576, which means in The Medium, the GPU is performing as expected for its class. The 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores are not heavily utilized in this title, but the raw FP32 throughput of 35.48 TFLOPS handles the game's shader complexity well. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU has enough headroom to push high frame rates, but at 4K Ultra, the 39.4 FPS average shows the limits of the 192-bit memory bus.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better for 1080p or 1440p gaming in The Medium?

A: The data shows 1440p High delivers 63.5 FPS, while 1080p High reaches 74 FPS. For a 60 FPS target, 1440p is viable, but 1080p offers a more comfortable margin, especially if you want to enable Ultra settings without dropping below 60 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K in The Medium?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Low, the average is 112.6 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 39.4 FPS. The GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, as the 12 GB VRAM and 192-bit bus struggle with the game's highest settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14400F's average benchmark score of 32508 is within 0.2% of the Intel Core i7-12800H and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, and within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 7 250. It performs identically to these parts in synthetic tests, meaning CPU bottlenecks are unlikely in this game.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth experience?

A: For 1440p, Medium gives 87.6 FPS, which is a good balance. For 1080p, High at 74 FPS is solid, but Medium at 106.8 FPS offers more headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra settings are only recommended if you have a high refresh rate monitor and can tolerate dips below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the CPU at any resolution?

A: Yes, at 4K. The FPS drop from 1440p High (63.5) to 4K High (48.1) is 24%, which is a GPU-bound scaling pattern. At 1080p, the CPU has more influence, but the i5-14400F's 16 threads and 4.70 GHz boost clock are sufficient to feed the GPU.

Q: Is this a good pairing for future games?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER is end-of-life, but its 84th percentile GPU rank suggests it will remain capable for several years. The i5-14400F, with a 88th percentile CPU rank, has similar longevity. For The Medium specifically, the combo is well-balanced.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression across presets. Low settings average 153.8 FPS, which is extremely fluid and suitable for high refresh rate monitors. Medium drops to 106.8 FPS, still excellent for competitive play or smooth exploration. High comes in at 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold but leaves less headroom for scenes with heavy particle effects. Ultra is the most demanding, averaging 62 FPS, which is playable but will dip below 60 in intense dual-reality sequences.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 139 FPS, maintaining a high refresh rate experience. Medium hits 87.6 FPS, which is ideal for 1440p gaming on a 144 Hz monitor. High drops to 63.5 FPS, right at the edge of 60 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48.2 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth. The 1440p data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for this resolution, as it provides a 38% improvement over High while still looking good.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. Low averages 112.6 FPS, which is surprising for 4K, but Medium drops to 70.9 FPS, High to 48.1 FPS, and Ultra to 39.4 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K is a 37% performance hit, indicating that memory bandwidth and fill rate are the limiting factors. For 4K, Low is the only preset that maintains a consistently playable frame rate, while Medium is borderline.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic, revealing the GPU's limitations as resolution increases. At Low settings, the drop from 153.8 FPS (1080p) to 112.6 FPS (4K) is a 27% reduction. At Medium, the drop from 106.8 FPS to 70.9 FPS is a 34% reduction. At High, the drop from 74 FPS to 48.1 FPS is a 35% reduction. At Ultra, the drop from 62 FPS to 39.4 FPS is a 36% reduction. The consistent 27-36% scaling range indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance headroom is not fully utilized.

The scaling pattern also shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER's 192-bit memory bus is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the GPU has enough bandwidth to feed the shading units, but at 4K, the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient for the higher pixel count and texture loads. The 12 GB VRAM is not the issue, as the game fits within the buffer, but the bus width constrains fill rate. This means that for 4K gaming, you would need to rely on upscaling or lower presets, as the data shows the GPU cannot sustain high frame rates at native 4K with high settings.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience, the data points to Medium as the best preset across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 106.8 FPS, which is 44% higher than High and only 31% lower than Low, providing a strong visual upgrade without sacrificing fluidity. At 1440p, Medium's 87.6 FPS is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS while still offering meaningful graphical improvements over Low. At 4K, Medium's 70.9 FPS is playable, but Low's 112.6 FPS is the only preset that guarantees a smooth experience on standard 60 Hz displays.

High settings are a viable option only at 1080p, where 74 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, High's 63.5 FPS is borderline, and at 4K, High's 48.1 FPS is not recommended for action-heavy sequences. Ultra settings are best avoided unless you have a 1080p monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate, as the 62 FPS average at 1080p Ultra is the only Ultra preset that stays above 60 FPS. For most users, the sweet spot is 1440p Medium, which balances visual fidelity with performance, or 1080p High if you prioritize image quality over frame rate headroom. The data does not support Ultra as a practical choice for this GPU in The Medium, given the steep performance penalty relative to Medium.