The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 produces a specific set of trade-offs. The data shows a combination that can handle the game at lower settings with high frame rates, but one that struggles to maintain playability at the highest visual presets, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to help you decide where to set your expectations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?

A: Based on the measured frames per second, 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution. At this resolution, the combo achieves an average of 58.0 FPS on Medium settings and 91.6 FPS on Low settings, providing the smoothest experience. At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly, with the Medium preset averaging 48.8 FPS, and at 3840x2160, all settings except Low fall below 40 FPS.

Q: Can this setup run The Medium at Ultra settings?

A: The data indicates that Ultra settings are not practical for this combination. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields an average of 31.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, it drops to 28.7 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it falls to 23.2 FPS. These averages are below the threshold for a consistently smooth gaming experience.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Medium settings?

A: The performance gap is substantial. At 1920x1080, switching from Low to Medium settings reduces the average frame rate from 91.6 FPS to 58.0 FPS, a drop of 33.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, the difference is 30.1 FPS (from 78.9 to 48.8), and at 3840x2160, the difference is 26.5 FPS (from 63.9 to 37.4).

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations for this game?

A: This specific CPU and GPU pairing ranks 1154 out of 1689 tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, indicating that while it is capable, there are many more powerful combinations that achieve higher frame rates.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 a strong performer relative to its direct competitors?

A: The GPU's benchmark data shows it is a close competitor to its nearest rivals. Its average benchmark score is 20258, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 460. It is 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 1.5% slower than the Intel Arc B570.

Q: Does the CPU's performance bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K is a very high-performing processor, with an average benchmark score of 49166, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which has a deltaPct of 0.2%. Given its high capability, it is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck in this pairing; the GPU's performance is the more limiting factor at higher settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the central component determining visual fidelity in The Medium. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. Its architecture is RDNA 3.0, built on a 6 nm process, with a base clock of 1720 MHz and a boost clock of 2655 MHz. The game clock, which is more representative of sustained performance, is listed at 2250 MHz.

The benchmark results show a clear correlation between the GPU's workload and frame rates. At 3840x2160, the demand on the 8 GB VRAM and the GPU's compute units is immense. The data shows a steep drop-off as settings increase: from 63.9 FPS on Low to 37.4 FPS on Medium, and then a more gradual decline to 25.7 FPS on High and 23.2 FPS on Ultra. This pattern suggests that at 4K, the GPU is quickly overwhelmed by the game's rendering demands, and the VRAM capacity or memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor.

At 2560x1440, the RX 7600 shows more headroom. The Low preset achieves a comfortable 78.9 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 48.8 FPS. This indicates that 1440p is a playable resolution, but only at lower settings. The pattern at 1920x1080 is more encouraging, with the card providing a 91.6 FPS average on Low and a still-respectable 58.0 FPS on Medium. The GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are sufficient for 1080p gaming at medium presets, but the data consistently shows that the card's performance degrades sharply when moving to higher resolutions and more demanding settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and AMD Radeon RX 7600 is ranked 1154 out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 32nd percentile of tested systems, meaning that roughly two-thirds of the other combinations tested were able to achieve higher average frame rates. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU is a top-tier performer.

The GPU's overall benchmark score is 20258, which puts it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. This suggests it is a solidly mid-range card. The CPU, on the other hand, with an average benchmark score of 49166, sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The disparity in these rankings highlights an imbalance in this particular pairing for this specific game. The CPU has significant headroom, but the GPU's performance ceiling prevents the system from achieving frame rates that would place the combo higher in the rankings. The data indicates that this is a system where the graphics card is the limiting factor, and the CPU's potential is not fully utilized in The Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset averages 23.2 FPS, which is unplayable. High settings are not much better at 25.7 FPS. Medium settings yield 37.4 FPS, which is borderline. Only the Low preset, at 63.9 FPS, provides a playable frame rate at this resolution.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the situation improves. The Low preset is very smooth at 78.9 FPS. The Medium preset, at 48.8 FPS, is workable for a slower-paced horror game, though it may not be ideal for action sequences. High and Ultra settings drop to 37.6 FPS and 28.7 FPS, respectively, making them less desirable.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system performs at its best. The Low preset hits 91.6 FPS, offering a very fluid experience. The Medium preset, at 58.0 FPS, is the sweet spot for a balance of visual quality and smoothness. High settings drop to 38.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 31.6 FPS, showing that the higher presets still exact a heavy toll.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its substantial 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps with gaming performance. The CPU's raw power is evident in its benchmarks, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and a single-core score of 4642. Its Passmark multithread score is 38682, and its single-thread score is 4270.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics, while the GPU renders the frames. The data from this pairing suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 91.6 FPS, which shows the CPU can feed frames to the GPU without issue. The CPU's performance is so high, with a percentile rank of 93, that it is almost certainly capable of pushing even higher frame rates if the GPU were more powerful. The benchmark data for the CPU shows it is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, with a deltaPct of 0.2%, and it is 1.0% faster than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H. This context shows that the i5-14600K is a high-end processor whose performance is not the limiting factor in this specific system configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings for this pairing depend on your target resolution and preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate.

For a 1080p display, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It provides an average of 58.0 FPS, which is a solid, playable frame rate for a title like The Medium, while offering a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset. The Low preset at 91.6 FPS is an option if you prioritize maximum smoothness, but the Medium preset offers a better balance.

For a 1440p display, the Low preset is the only setting that delivers a consistently high frame rate, averaging 78.9 FPS. The Medium preset's 48.8 FPS may be acceptable if you prefer better visuals and can tolerate a less smooth experience, but for the most consistent performance, Low is the safer choice.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option, yielding an average of 63.9 FPS. Any higher preset results in average frame rates below 40 FPS, which will feel sluggish. The data strongly suggests that this combination is not intended for 4K gaming at high or ultra settings. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution due to its low frame rates, which fall below 32 FPS even at 1080p.