The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror game that leans heavily on atmosphere, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 shows a combination that can handle the game across a wide range of resolutions and presets, though with significant performance cliffs at the highest settings. The measured frames per second reveal a system that is capable of smooth play at 1080p and 1440p with moderate settings, but which struggles to maintain acceptable frame rates at 4K Ultra, making preset and resolution choices critical for the intended experience.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 are the most viable resolutions. At 1080p, the combo achieves 63 FPS on Medium and 45 FPS on High, while at 1440p it hits 53 FPS on Medium and 38 FPS on High. The 3840x2160 (4K) results are much lower, with only the Low preset reaching a playable 67 FPS.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K resolution smoothly?

A: The data shows that 4K is challenging for this combo. At 4K High, the average FPS is 30, and at 4K Ultra it drops to 24 FPS. The only 4K setting that provides a comfortable frame rate is Low, which averages 67 FPS. Medium at 4K averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS, which may be borderline for some players.

Q: How does the CPU's core and thread configuration impact performance in The Medium?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. While the game’s benchmark results show a clear GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2445, ensures that it is unlikely to be the limiting factor in The Medium, which is a DirectX 12 title.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM capacity and how does it relate to performance in this game?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The benchmark results show a significant drop in FPS when moving from Medium to High settings at every resolution, suggesting that the 8 GB VRAM allocation is a limiting factor for texture and asset loading at higher quality presets in The Medium.

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

A: The combo ranks 1648 out of 2911 tested combinations. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is consistent with the GPU's percentile of 59, indicating it performs better than 59% of all GPUs in general synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the difference is substantial. The Low preset averages 85 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages only 30 FPS. This represents a 55 FPS drop, or a performance reduction of approximately 65%, when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings presets offer the best balance between visual quality and performance for this hardware combination. The primary goal is to maintain a frame rate that is consistently above 60 FPS for a smooth experience, while the secondary goal is to push visual fidelity as high as possible without falling below that threshold.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 101 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate displays. However, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, achieving an average of 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS. This preset offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while still keeping the frame rate in a comfortable range. The High preset drops to 45 FPS, which is a noticeable step down in smoothness, and Ultra falls to 36 FPS. For 1080p, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it provides the best experience per the measured data, balancing a solid 60+ FPS average with improved visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance expectations shift. The Low preset averages 85 FPS, which is very fluid. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS. This is a playable range for many, though it may not be ideal for those sensitive to frame rate drops. The High preset at 38 FPS and the Ultra preset at 30 FPS are both too low for a consistently smooth experience. For 1440p, the Medium preset is again the best choice, as it delivers a playable frame rate that is far superior to the High and Ultra options, which fall below 40 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset averages only 24 FPS, which is unplayable. The High preset averages 30 FPS, which is on the edge of playability but will feel stuttery. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, which is a better experience but still not ideal. The Low preset is the only setting that achieves a high frame rate, averaging 67 FPS. For 4K, the Low preset is the only recommended option for a smooth experience, while Medium can be considered if the user prioritizes visual quality over a locked 60 FPS, accepting the 42 FPS average and 35 FPS minimum.

The data indicates that the Medium preset provides the most balanced experience across all three resolutions, offering a substantial improvement over Low while avoiding the severe performance penalties of High and Ultra. For users with 1080p or 1440p displays, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. For 4K users, the choice is between the smoothness of Low and the visual improvement of Medium, with the latter requiring a tolerance for lower frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. Its core configuration includes a mix of performance and efficiency cores, though the exact breakdown is not detailed in the data. The processor has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, which allows for high single-threaded performance when needed. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 2 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 24 MB L3 cache.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the game’s logic. The benchmark results show that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the FPS drops significantly when resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. However, the CPU’s performance is still relevant, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less taxed. The CPU’s strong single-thread score in Geekbench (2445) and Cinebench R23 (4594) suggests that it can handle the game’s main thread efficiently, preventing CPU-bound scenarios that would limit the overall frame rate.

The CPU’s multicore performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32544 and a Geekbench multicore score of 17085, indicates that it has ample processing power for background tasks and any multithreaded aspects of the game engine. The 14 cores and 20 threads provide a high level of parallelism, which is beneficial for modern games that can utilize multiple threads for streaming, physics, and AI. However, the data does not show a scenario where the CPU limits performance in The Medium, as the FPS scales primarily with resolution and settings, which are GPU-dependent variables.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 and DDR5, with a dual-channel memory bus, ensures that it can provide sufficient memory bandwidth for the GPU. The processor’s PCIe Gen 5 support with 16 lanes allows for high-bandwidth communication with the GPU, which is important for a modern graphics card like the RX 9060. The CPU’s 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate that it is designed for performance, and its benchmark results place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, showing that it is a high-end processor. In this game, the CPU does not appear to be a limiting factor, as the frame rates are consistent with what would be expected from the GPU’s capabilities at each resolution and settings combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1648 out of 2911 tested combinations for The Medium. This places the combo in the lower half of all tested systems, specifically at the 56.6 percentile mark among combos. This ranking is primarily driven by the GPU’s performance, as the CPU is a high-end part that ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. The GPU, in contrast, ranks in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, which is a more moderate position.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU is capable of supporting high-end gaming, the GPU limits the overall system performance in The Medium. This is evident in the FPS data, where the system struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K resolution and at High/Ultra presets. The combo’s rank of 1648 indicates that there are 1647 other tested combinations that perform better in this specific game, which includes systems with more powerful GPUs. Conversely, there are 1263 combinations that perform worse, showing that this system is not at the bottom of the performance spectrum.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has a slightly higher average score (16129 vs 16014) and a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the RX 9060 is about 0.7% slower. The AMD Radeon R9 370X and AMD Radeon RX 7700 are also close, with the R9 370X scoring 15862 (1% faster) and the RX 7700 scoring 15852 (1% faster). This indicates that the RX 9060 is in the same performance tier as these GPUs, and the combo’s ranking reflects this mid-range positioning.

The combination’s rank in The Medium is also influenced by the game’s specific requirements. The Medium is a horror game with a fixed-camera perspective, which can be less demanding than other genres, but it still requires a capable GPU for high settings. The data shows that the combo can handle the game at Medium settings across all resolutions, but it falls short at High and Ultra, particularly at 1440p and 4K. This suggests that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming at medium to high settings, and its rank of 1648 reflects this capability.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is a mid-range GPU based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. It features the Navi 44 chip with 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die. The GPU has a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, along with 28 ray tracing cores.

In The Medium, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, as the FPS scales significantly with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the GPU delivers 101 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 63 FPS on Medium and 45 FPS on High. The drop from Low to Medium is 38 FPS, while from Medium to High is 18 FPS, indicating that the transition to High settings is particularly demanding. At 2560x1440, the same pattern is observed, with 85 FPS on Low, 53 FPS on Medium, and 38 FPS on High. At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed, with 67 FPS on Low, 42 FPS on Medium, 30 FPS on High, and 24 FPS on Ultra.

The GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM is likely a limiting factor at higher settings and resolutions. The significant FPS drops when moving from Medium to High at all resolutions suggest that the High presets require more than 8 GB of VRAM, causing the GPU to rely on slower system memory or to reduce texture quality dynamically. The memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is also a consideration, as higher resolutions and settings require more data to be transferred, and the 128-bit bus may not be sufficient for the highest workloads.

The GPU’s benchmark scores show that it performs at a level comparable to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, with a deltaPct of -0.7% in average score. Its PassMark G3D score is 17631, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3322. The GPU’s percentile of 59 indicates that it is better than 59% of all GPUs, which positions it as a mid-range part. In The Medium, this translates to a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming at medium settings, but which struggles at higher resolutions and presets. The GPU’s ray tracing cores are present, but the game’s fixed-camera design may not heavily utilize them, and the data does not include ray tracing-specific benchmarks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium with the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9060 provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. The data includes average FPS for all combinations, with minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS of 101. The Medium preset averages 63 FPS, with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS, providing a solid 60+ FPS experience with some headroom. The High preset averages 45 FPS, which is a 28.6% drop from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 36 FPS, which is a further 20% drop from High. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 38 FPS reduction, while the scaling from Medium to Ultra is a 27 FPS reduction, showing that the quality presets have a non-linear impact on performance.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 85 FPS, which is 16 FPS lower than the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS. This is a 10 FPS drop from the 1080p Medium result. The High preset averages 38 FPS, which is a 15 FPS drop from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 30 FPS, which is an 8 FPS drop from High. The resolution increase from 1080p to 1440p results in an average FPS loss of approximately 16% across all settings, as the GPU has to render more pixels.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 67 FPS, which is an 18 FPS drop from the 1440p Low result. The Medium preset averages 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. This is an 11 FPS drop from the 1440p Medium result. The High preset averages 30 FPS, which is an 8 FPS drop from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 24 FPS, which is a 6 FPS drop from High. The jump from 1440p to 4K results in an average FPS loss of approximately 21% across all settings, with the GPU struggling to maintain playable frame rates at the higher presets.

The data shows that the Medium preset at 1080p is the most balanced, offering 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, which is above the 30 FPS threshold for playability. The Low preset at 4K offers 67 FPS, which is also a viable option for 4K gaming. The High and Ultra presets are only playable at 1080p, with 45 FPS and 36 FPS respectively, which may be acceptable for some players but are not ideal for smooth gameplay. The minimum FPS data for the Medium preset shows that the frame rate can dip below the average, with the lowest minimum recorded at 35 FPS at 4K, which could result in noticeable stutters in demanding scenes. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming at Medium settings, with 4K gaming only viable at Low settings.