The Medium

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination delivers a playable but demanding experience in The Medium, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, a pattern typical of a horror title that relies heavily on fixed camera angles and pre-baked lighting, which places less stress on the CPU. This combo ranks in the 77th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating a strong, though not top-tier, pairing for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values reveal a dramatic drop when moving from 1080p to 4K, confirming that the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the limiting factor in this configuration. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 93 FPS at 1920x1080 to 79 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 15%. The decline accelerates at 4K, where the average plummets to 62 FPS, representing a 33% decrease from the 1440p figure and a 33% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario; the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions, but the graphical workload at 3840x2160 overwhelms the graphics card.

The trend is even more pronounced at the High preset. At 1080p, the combo achieves 67 FPS, which drops to 56 FPS at 1440p (a 16% loss) and further to 44 FPS at 4K (a 21% loss from 1440p and a 34% loss from 1080p). The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, starting at 53 FPS at 1080p, falling to 45 FPS at 1440p, and collapsing to 35 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is particularly telling: 99 FPS versus 35 FPS. This wide spread indicates that the game's visual effects, not the resolution itself, are the primary driver of the performance penalty at 4K.

Interestingly, the Low preset shows the least relative drop from 1080p to 4K, going from 149 FPS to 99 FPS. This suggests that even at low graphical fidelity, the sheer pixel count of 4K still exerts a heavy toll on the GPU. For a horror game like The Medium, which relies on atmosphere and lighting, the jump from 1440p Medium (79 FPS) to 4K Medium (62 FPS) is a significant compromise, but the 4K High result of 44 FPS is borderline unplayable for smooth motion. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and Navi 48 chip, is the dominant component in this pairing. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, which is ample for the textures and assets in The Medium at all tested settings. The GPU's 4096 shading units and 128 ROPs are responsible for the raw pixel throughput, and the benchmark results show that this hardware is fully utilized at 4K. The card's boost clock of 2970 MHz is high, but the data suggests that it is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 3840x2160 with High or Ultra presets.

The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 7260 and a Passmark G3D score of 26795, places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs. This mid-range standing is reflected in the game's measured FPS. At 4K Ultra, the 35 FPS average is a clear sign that the card is hitting its limits with the most demanding settings. The 53 FPS minimum at 4K Medium, alongside a 71 FPS maximum, shows a frame time variance that could be noticeable in a game that relies on tension and timing.

Comparing the RX 9070 XT to its nearest rivals in the database, the data shows it is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, with a deltaPct of 0.1 and 0.2, respectively. This is a stark reminder that the average benchmark score does not always translate to modern gaming performance, as these older cards would struggle with The Medium's DirectX 12 Ultimate requirements. The GPU's 16 GB VRAM is a forward-looking feature, but in this title, it is not the limiting factor; raw compute and memory bandwidth are. The 304 W TDP and dual-slot design mean this is a power-hungry card, but the data shows that the performance it delivers is consistent with its positioning in the market.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT holds a combo rank of 857 out of 3724 configurations. This places it in the top 23% of all tested combos, which is a strong result for a mid-to-high-end setup. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong multi-core performance and the GPU's capable mid-range gaming prowess. The i5-14600KF, with a percentile of 90 against all CPUs, is clearly not the weak link. Its average benchmark score of 49394 is within 1% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and Intel Core Ultra 5 245, indicating that the processor is performing as expected.

The combo's rank is dragged down by the GPU, which sits in the 55th percentile. This means that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the graphics card is a middle-of-the-road component. The result is a system that is excellent for 1080p and good for 1440p, but not optimized for 4K. The rank of 857 suggests that many other combinations, likely with more powerful GPUs, will outperform this one in The Medium at higher resolutions. However, for a user targeting 1080p or 1440p, this rank is more than acceptable, as the measured FPS shows a smooth experience in most scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo provides a wide range of performance depending on the preset. With Low settings, the average FPS is 149, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium settings yield a 93 FPS average, with minimums of 79 FPS and maximums of 107 FPS, indicating a consistent frame delivery. High settings drop the average to 67 FPS, which is still playable for a horror title. Ultra settings bring the average down to 53 FPS, which is the threshold for acceptable smoothness but may feel slightly stuttery in fast-moving scenes. The data shows that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with all presets except Ultra providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings still provide a high 126 FPS average, making it a viable option for competitive play. Medium settings average 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS, which is a solid experience for most gamers. High settings average 56 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target, but is still playable. Ultra settings average 45 FPS, which is the first sign of strain. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings results in a 14 FPS loss, which is a significant but expected penalty for the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 99 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K, but Medium settings drop to 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that provides a playable frame rate. High settings average 44 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 35 FPS, both of which are too low for a smooth experience in a game that relies on atmospheric pacing. The data indicates that 4K is only feasible with Low or Medium settings, and even then, the frame times at Medium show some variance. The 4K Medium result of 62 FPS is the recommended maximum for this resolution, as the 53 FPS minimum suggests it will dip below 60 FPS at times.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is more than capable of handling The Medium's CPU demands. The game's fixed camera angles and scripted events are not heavily multi-threaded, but the CPU's single-core performance is crucial. The processor's single-core benchmark scores, such as a Geekbench single-core score of 2445 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594, indicate strong per-thread performance. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is high, and the data shows that this CPU is unlikely to bottleneck the GPU at any resolution tested.

The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provide ample bandwidth for feeding the GPU. In this game, the CPU's role is to process the game logic and manage the rendering pipeline, and with a Passmark multithread score of 38697, it has substantial headroom. The nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 with a deltaPct of 0.3, show that this CPU is performing at the expected level. The 125 W TDP is a consideration for cooling, but the data does not show any thermal throttling impact on the measured FPS.

The evidence that the CPU is not the limiting factor is clear when examining the FPS scaling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions. Instead, the FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is less stressed, the 149 FPS average is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery rate, but it is still high enough to avoid any perceived stutter. The i5-14600KF is a robust pairing for the RX 9070 XT, ensuring that the graphics card is the primary driver of performance in this title.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this combo, the data points to 1080p Medium as the optimal balance of visual quality and performance. The 93 FPS average, with a minimum of 79 FPS, ensures smooth gameplay without any dips below the refresh rate of most monitors. This preset provides a 39% performance uplift over High settings at the same resolution, while the visual difference between Medium and High in a horror game like The Medium is often subtle, given its dark and atmospheric environments. At 1080p, High settings are also viable at 67 FPS, but the margin for error is smaller.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear winner, offering a 79 FPS average with a 67 FPS minimum. This is a playable and smooth experience for a story-driven game. The High preset at 56 FPS is the bare minimum for acceptable play, but the data suggests that the frame pacing may suffer during intense scenes. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS should be avoided, as it compromises the gameplay experience without adding enough visual fidelity to justify the loss. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the only reasonable choice, with a 62 FPS average and a 53 FPS minimum. This is a playable result, but users should be prepared for occasional dips below 60 FPS.

The Low preset, while offering high frame rates at all resolutions (149 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p, and 99 FPS at 4K), sacrifices the game's atmospheric lighting and shadow quality, which are critical to the horror genre. The data suggests that Medium settings are the sweet spot for this combo, as they provide a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining frame rates that are 20-30% higher than High. For users with a 144Hz monitor, 1080p Medium is the recommended choice, while 1440p Medium is perfect for a 75Hz or 100Hz display. The 4K Medium option is for those who prioritize resolution over absolute smoothness, but it is the only 4K preset that yields a playable result.