The Medium

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1418 out of 1689 tested combinations in The Medium. This places the combo in the bottom percentile of tested systems, indicating that while the CPU is a high-end part, the overall gaming experience is severely constrained by the graphics card. The data shows the combo is not positioned to deliver a smooth experience at demanding settings, as its ranking suggests it falls behind the majority of other configurations tested for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1418 out of 1689 puts it in the lower 16% of all tested pairings for The Medium. This is a poor showing for a system built around a Core i5-14600K, which sits in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs in general benchmark scores. The stark contrast between the CPU's high standing and the combo's low game-specific rank underscores a severe bottleneck. Benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the limiting factor, dragging the entire system down to a level where playable frame rates are only achievable at very low settings. The data shows this is not a balanced configuration for this specific horror title, which demands significant graphics processing power.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary constraint in this configuration. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. Its base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz. These are the specifications that dictate the frame rates seen in the measured data. The GPU's general benchmark average score is 12331, placing it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. It is nearly identical in performance to its closest rivals, with the data showing a 0.7% delta from the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and a -1.3% delta from the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M. In The Medium, the GTX 1070's age and architecture are evident; the benchmark results show that it cannot handle the game's visual load at higher presets, particularly at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and clearly illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 75.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 63.5 FPS at 2560x1440, and then further down to 50.5 FPS at 3840x2160. This is a 32.7% decrease from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar at Medium settings, where the average drops from 44.5 FPS at 1080p to 40.8 FPS at 1440p, and then to 28.9 FPS at 4K. The scaling shows that even at lower graphical presets, the resolution increase places a heavy load on the GPU. At High and Ultra settings, the frame rates are already low at 1080p, and the drop to 4K makes the game nearly unplayable, with High settings yielding 23.7 FPS and Ultra yielding 19.6 FPS at 4K. This data indicates that the GPU's processing power is the limiting factor across all resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations in The Medium?

A: This configuration ranks 1418 out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 16% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 75.1 FPS, which is achieved at the Low preset at 1920x1080 resolution.

Q: At what settings and resolution does the game become unplayable?

A: Based on the data, the Ultra preset at 4K yields an average of only 19.6 FPS, and the High preset at 4K is only 23.7 FPS. These are well below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the GTX 1070's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331, which is 0.7% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and 1.3% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M.

Q: Is the CPU a limiting factor in this game?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-14600K is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while the combo ranks in the bottom 16% for The Medium. The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the clear bottleneck.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 75.1 FPS at Low settings to 25.5 FPS at Ultra settings, a decrease of 49.6 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a high-performance processor with 14 cores and 20 threads. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its architecture is Raptor Lake, built on a 10 nm process. In general benchmarks, it scores 32881 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4642 in single-core. It holds a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, has an average score of 49062, a mere 0.2% difference. However, in The Medium, the CPU's power is largely untapped. The frame rates are consistently low across all settings and resolutions, which points to the GPU as the bottleneck. The data suggests that the CPU is not being fully utilized, as its performance headroom is far beyond what the GTX 1070 can feed it with graphical data.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rate data provides a clear picture of what settings are viable for this combo. For a playable experience, the Low preset is the only reliable option. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 75.1 FPS, which is smooth. At 2560x1440, the Low preset still manages an average of 63.5 FPS, which is also acceptable. Even at 3840x2160, the Low preset yields an average of 50.5 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset is a significant step down in performance, with averages of 44.5 FPS at 1080p and 40.8 FPS at 1440p. These are borderline playable. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided for any serious gameplay. At 1080p, the High preset only reaches 32.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 25.5 FPS. At higher resolutions, these settings become unplayable, with 4K averages of 23.7 FPS and 19.6 FPS for High and Ultra, respectively. The data recommends the Low preset, which offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, allowing for playable frame rates even at higher resolutions.