The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that stresses both GPU and CPU, but for the combination of an Intel Core i5-14600KF and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, the benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card at higher resolutions. This pairing ranks 1398 out of 1689 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of all configurations. The data shows a playable experience only at 1080p with adjusted settings, while 1440p and 4K require significant compromises to maintain acceptable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, clearly identifying the RTX 2060 as the limiting component in this system. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 37.6 FPS at 1920x1080 to 31.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 5.8 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 at High settings drops the average to 24.8 FPS, which is a 34% decrease from the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth as resolution increases.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this trend. At Low settings, the game runs at 82 FPS on 1080p, which is a strong result, but this falls to 69.2 FPS at 1440p and 57.2 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 24.8 FPS, showing that even with reduced graphical load, the RTX 2060 cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K. The most demanding Ultra preset shows the harshest drop, going from 30.5 FPS at 1080p to 22.6 FPS at 1440p and finally 19.1 FPS at 4K.

The data suggests that the i5-14600KF is not the bottleneck in these scenarios, as the frame rate scales almost entirely with resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions at the same settings. Instead, the consistent decline from 1080p to 4K points directly at the GPU's fill rate and 6 GB VRAM capacity being insufficient for this game's high-resolution textures and effects.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF brings substantial processing power to this pairing, even if the GPU holds it back in The Medium. This processor features 14 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its architecture is Raptor Lake-R on a 10 nm process, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache.

Benchmark results for the CPU show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and a single-core score of 4643. Geekbench results are equally robust at 15636 multi-core and 2778 single-core. In PassMark tests, the CPU scores 38697 in multithread and 4273 in single-thread, with a physics score of 2449. The data compression score of 485140 and floating point math score of 93048 indicate that this CPU can handle heavy computational workloads, which is typical for modern horror games that may use complex AI and physics simulations.

The CPU's percentile ranking against all CPUs is 93, meaning it outperforms 93% of all tested processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores an average of 49166 with a delta of 0.4%, making these two chips effectively identical in performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is also close, with a delta of 0.6%. This level of CPU performance is far more than what The Medium requires, as evidenced by the resolution scaling analysis. At 1080p Low settings, the game hits 82 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's frame delivery limit for this engine, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as soon as resolution or settings increase.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the clear performance bottleneck in this configuration. This GPU is based on the TU106 chip using Turing architecture on a 12 nm process from TSMC. It features 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, along with 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The memory configuration is 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz or 14 Gbps effective.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning. In PassMark G3D, it scores 14111, and in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it manages 1242. The Geekbench OpenCL score is 71278, with Vulkan at 67425. Its percentile ranking against all GPUs is 58, placing it in the upper-middle tier of graphics cards. The nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7600S with a delta of 0.5%, showing that the RTX 2060 is competitive with newer mid-range mobile parts. However, the 6 GB VRAM capacity is a concern for modern titles, as The Medium's texture-heavy scenes at 4K likely exceed this limit, causing the severe frame rate drops observed.

The GPU's compute performance is modest, with an FP32 rating of 6.451 TFLOPS and FP16 at 12.90 TFLOPS. Pixel rate is 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate is 201.6 GTexel/s. These figures explain the performance cliff at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU can keep up with the CPU's frame delivery, but at 1440p and 4K, the fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient. The Ultra preset at 4K yields only 19.1 FPS, which is unplayable by any standard.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i5-14600KF and RTX 2060 ranks 1398 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the bottom 17% of all configurations. This low ranking is almost entirely due to the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a high-end part that would normally be paired with a much stronger graphics card. The data indicates that this pairing is unbalanced for this specific game, with the GPU unable to take advantage of the CPU's capabilities.

This rank suggests that most other combinations tested perform better in The Medium, likely because they include faster GPUs. The i5-14600KF's strong benchmark scores are irrelevant when the GPU cannot render frames quickly enough. For a user considering this combo, the data shows that it is better suited for less demanding games or esports titles, where the CPU's power can shine through. In The Medium, the experience will be limited to 1080p or lower resolutions with medium settings at best.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the game is playable with adjustments. Low settings produce an average of 82 FPS, which is smooth. Medium settings yield 52.7 FPS, and High settings drop to 37.6 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 30.5 FPS, which is borderline playable but inconsistent. For a horror game that relies on atmosphere, the 37.6 FPS at High settings might be acceptable, but the frame rate will drop in intense scenes.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more limited. Low settings average 69.2 FPS, which is good, but Medium drops to 41.5 FPS. High settings are at 31.8 FPS, which is marginal. Ultra settings fall to 22.6 FPS, making it difficult to enjoy the game without noticeable stutter. The 1440p resolution is only recommended with Low or Medium settings for a playable experience.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 is clearly overmatched. Low settings average 57.2 FPS, which is surprisingly playable, but Medium drops to 33.1 FPS. High settings are at 24.8 FPS, and Ultra is at 19.1 FPS. The 4K resolution is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not consistently smooth. The data suggests that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in The Medium, as the GPU's VRAM and bandwidth are insufficient for the game's demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings gives the highest average FPS at 82, but 1440p with Low settings is also playable at 69.2 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1080p with Medium settings at 52.7 FPS is recommended.

Q: How does the i5-14600KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49367, which is 0.4% higher than the i5-14600K and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. It is 0.5% lower than the AMD EPYC 4345P.

Q: Is the RTX 2060's 6 GB VRAM enough for The Medium?

A: The benchmark data indicates that at 4K resolution, the frame rate drops dramatically, suggesting the 6 GB VRAM is a limiting factor. At 1080p and 1440p, the VRAM appears sufficient for most settings, but Ultra at 1440p only yields 22.6 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2060 ranks in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it performs better than 58% of tested graphics cards.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: The data shows that at 4K, only Low settings are playable at 57.2 FPS. Medium settings drop to 33.1 FPS, and Ultra is at 19.1 FPS, which is not recommended for a smooth experience.

Q: What does the combo rank of 1398 out of 1689 mean?

A: This rank places the i5-14600KF and RTX 2060 combination in the bottom 17% of all tested combos for The Medium, indicating that most other configurations deliver better performance in this game.