The Medium

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT presents a fascinating case study in resource allocation for The Medium, a horror title from 2021. This combination, ranked 937th out of 1689 tested combos in this game, sits in the middle of the pack, and the measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher settings. The data shows a classic pattern where the CPU's substantial processing power is held back by the GPU's inability to keep up with the demands of 4K and Ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling across resolutions tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 110.5 FPS, but this drops to 94.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 71.4 FPS at 4K. This is a relatively mild 35% decrease from 1080p to 4K, which suggests that at lower settings, the GPU is still managing to push frames quickly enough that the CPU's performance is a significant factor. However, the picture changes dramatically when we look at higher quality presets.

With High settings, the frame rate falls from 48.7 FPS at 1080p to 40.8 FPS at 1440p and finally to 30.4 FPS at 4K. This represents a 38% drop from 1080p to 4K, a steeper decline than at Low settings. The Ultra preset shows the most extreme scaling: 41.3 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 33.9 FPS at 1440p, and a very demanding 28.2 FPS at 4K. The pattern is clear: as the resolution and settings increase, the GPU becomes the limiting component, and the frame rate penalty for each step up in resolution becomes more severe. The data implies that the RX 6700 XT is simply overwhelmed by the combination of 4K resolution and the higher graphical workloads present in the High and Ultra presets.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, with its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, is the primary driver of performance in The Medium. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s and its boost clock of 2581 MHz are key specifications that influence how it handles the game's assets. The benchmark results indicate that this card, which holds a 77th percentile ranking among all GPUs, is capable at 1080p and 1440p but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher settings.

The jump from Medium to High settings at 1440p is telling: the frame rate drops from 55.6 FPS to 40.8 FPS, a significant 27% reduction. This suggests that the High preset introduces rendering features that heavily tax the GPU's shading units and memory subsystem. The card's 2560 shading units and 160 TMUs are put under considerable strain. The fact that the 4K Ultra average is just 28.2 FPS, below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for acceptable performance, strongly implies that this GPU is not suited for the game's highest visual fidelity at that resolution. The data suggests the 12 GB frame buffer is sufficient, but the raw compute power is not enough for the most demanding scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: Based on the measured FPS, the only preset that achieves over 60 FPS at 1080p is Low, with an average of 110.5 FPS. At 1440p, the Low preset also crosses this threshold at 94.6 FPS. No settings at 4K reach 60 FPS, with the fastest being Low at 71.4 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to its closest rivals in terms of overall benchmark scores?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 33721 is 0.7% above the AMD Radeon RX 6800 and 1.3% above the NVIDIA RTX A5000. It is 1% behind both the AMD Radeon HD 7950 and the AMD Radeon RX 480.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and High presets at 1440p?

A: The data shows a substantial gap. Medium settings yield 55.6 FPS, while High settings drop to 40.8 FPS. This 14.8 FPS difference indicates a significant increase in graphical load on the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU a limiting factor at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The high frame rates at this setting, 110.5 FPS, suggest that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck there. The Intel Core i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, provides ample processing power to feed the GPU in this scenario.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for The Medium?*

A: The combo is ranked 937th out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the 55th percentile of all systems tested for this game.

Q: What is the performance cost of moving from 1440p High to 4K High?

A: The average frame rate drops from 40.8 FPS to 30.4 FPS, a 25.5% decrease. This highlights the GPU's difficulty in handling the increased pixel count at the High preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The data provides a clear matrix of performance for this specific combination. At 1080p, the system delivers 110.5 FPS on Low, 67.2 FPS on Medium, 48.7 FPS on High, and 41.3 FPS on Ultra. This shows a clear step-down in performance as visual quality increases, with the most significant single drop occurring between Low and Medium, a 43.3 FPS decrease.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates are predictably lower: 94.6 FPS on Low, 55.6 FPS on Medium, 40.8 FPS on High, and 33.9 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Medium and High at this resolution is 14.8 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 6.9 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns in performance cost as you climb the quality ladder. At 4K, the system produces 71.4 FPS on Low, 44.5 FPS on Medium, 30.4 FPS on High, and 28.2 FPS on Ultra. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is a marginal 2.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU is so heavily taxed that the additional settings in Ultra have little impact on the already low frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing of an Intel Core i5-14600K with an AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT achieves a rank of 937 out of 1689 tested combinations for The Medium. This places it just above the median of all systems tested, suggesting it is a competent but not exceptional match for this specific game. The CPU itself is a top-tier performer, holding a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 49166, which is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X.

However, the GPU's 77th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 33721, is the limiting factor in this pairing. The data implies that the i5-14600K has more than enough processing power to support a more powerful graphics card. The rank of this combo is likely pulled down by the GPU's inability to fully utilize the CPU's potential in the most demanding scenes at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a formidable processor with 14 cores and 20 threads, a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In The Medium, this CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 110.5 FPS, a frame rate where CPU limitations often surface, yet the system handles it without issue.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and single-core score of 4642 indicate its strength. The data suggests that even at 4K Low, where the frame rate is 71.4 FPS, the CPU is still not a limiting factor. The performance drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low is 39.1 FPS, which is entirely attributable to the GPU's workload increasing with resolution. The CPU consistently provides enough headroom, meaning that any performance upgrades would need to focus on the graphics card first.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points towards a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. If a smooth 60 FPS is the priority, the Low preset at 1440p is the optimal choice, delivering 94.6 FPS. This provides a very fluid experience that is well above the 60 FPS target. At 1080p, the Low preset offers even higher headroom at 110.5 FPS, but the higher resolution of 1440p is a better use of the system's capabilities.

For those who prefer higher visual quality, the Medium preset at 1080p is the only option that comes close to 60 FPS, with an average of 67.2 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the frame rate drops to 55.6 FPS, which is a playable but not perfectly smooth experience. The High and Ultra presets are only recommended for players who prioritize graphics over frame rate and are playing at 1080p, where they deliver 48.7 and 41.3 FPS respectively. The data clearly shows that the Ultra preset at 4K is not a viable option, as it only achieves 28.2 FPS. The most balanced experience appears to be the Medium preset at 1080p, offering a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is still smooth.