The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-14600KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by the GPU at higher settings. The data indicates a clear hierarchy across presets, with the choice of settings being the primary determinant of playability, especially at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates show that the Ultra preset is largely impractical for this combination. At 1080p, the Ultra preset yields an average of 34.1 FPS, which dips to 24.4 FPS at 4K. These figures are below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience, making Ultra a poor choice for general play. The High preset offers a more playable, though still demanding, experience. At 1080p, High delivers 46.8 FPS, which is a 37.2% improvement over Ultra at the same resolution. However, at 1440p, High drops to 40.8 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 30.4 FPS. While playable at 1080p, the High preset struggles to maintain fluid motion at higher resolutions.

The most balanced experience is found at the Medium preset. This setting provides a substantial performance uplift over High while retaining a reasonable level of visual fidelity. At 1080p, the Medium preset averages 63.8 FPS, which is a 36.3% increase over the High preset at the same resolution. This frame rate is well-suited for a smooth experience. At 1440p, Medium still maintains a respectable average of 50.6 FPS, and even at 4K, it achieves 42.6 FPS, which is surprisingly playable given the GPU's age. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the optimal choice for this hardware, as it provides the best combination of frame rate and visual quality across all tested resolutions.

For users seeking the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset is the only option that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. At 1080p, Low delivers 98.4 FPS, and at 1440p, it remains high at 87.8 FPS. Even at 4K, the Low preset achieves 68.1 FPS, a remarkable figure that indicates the game is not completely GPU-bound at this setting. However, the visual sacrifices are significant. The recommendation is clear: the Medium preset offers the best overall experience, balancing the need for smooth gameplay with the visual atmosphere that defines this horror title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary bottleneck in this configuration for The Medium, particularly at higher settings. The GPU, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor, as the game's high-resolution textures and effects can put significant pressure on VRAM. The data shows a steep performance cliff when moving from Medium to High and Ultra, which indicates that the GPU's compute and memory resources are being exhausted.

The GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz and its Turing architecture, with 2560 shading units, are responsible for the raw rendering throughput. The measured frame rates show that the GPU is the limiting factor, as the performance scales almost linearly with resolution. For instance, at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 46.8 at 1080p to 40.8 at 1440p, and then to 30.4 at 4K. This consistent drop with increasing pixel count confirms that the GPU's fillrate and shading capacity are the limiting constraints. The RTX 2070 SUPER's DirectX 12 Ultimate support allows for advanced effects, but enabling them via the Ultra preset causes a severe performance penalty, highlighting the card's limitations with this game's most demanding settings.

The GPU's end-of-life production status and its 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs suggest it is a mid-range performer by current standards. In The Medium, it is capable of delivering playable frame rates, but only when settings are moderated. The data indicates that the 8 GB VRAM is sufficient at Medium settings, but the transition to High and Ultra likely increases memory usage beyond what is comfortable, contributing to the significant FPS drops.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and preset combination for a smooth experience with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that the Medium preset at 1440p, which averages 50.6 FPS, or the Medium preset at 1080p, which averages 63.8 FPS, provide the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 4K also achieves a playable 42.6 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to the High preset in terms of performance?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 1080p, Ultra averages 34.1 FPS, which is 12.7 FPS lower than the High preset's 46.8 FPS. This performance gap widens at higher resolutions, with Ultra at 4K averaging only 24.4 FPS.

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

A: The benchmark results suggest the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The performance scales consistently with resolution changes, which is a characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The Intel Core i5-14600KF, with its high average benchmark score of 49367 and 93rd percentile ranking, appears more than capable of feeding the GPU.

Q: Can this configuration achieve 60 FPS in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only at the Low preset. At 1080p, Low averages 98.4 FPS, and at 1440p, it averages 87.8 FPS. Even at 4K, the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS with an average of 68.1 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is the highest setting that comes close to 60 FPS, with an average of 63.8 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance in this game compare to its overall standing?

A: The GPU has a 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs. In The Medium, its performance is consistent with a mid-range card, requiring settings to be lowered from the maximum to achieve high frame rates. It is not capable of handling the Ultra preset smoothly at any resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Medium presets?

A: The Low preset provides a substantial performance boost over Medium. At 1080p, the difference is 34.6 FPS (98.4 vs. 63.8). At 4K, the difference is 25.5 FPS (68.1 vs. 42.6). This indicates that the Low preset reduces the rendering load significantly, making it the only option for very high refresh rate play.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration, the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, ranks 1024th out of 1689 tested combinations in The Medium. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is expected given the GPU's age and performance class. The ranking reflects that this is a mid-range setup that can play the game, but it will not be at the top of the performance charts.

The CPU itself is a high performer, ranking in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs and holding an average benchmark score of 49367. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, has an average score of 49166, a delta of just 0.4%. This indicates that the processor is not the source of the combo's mid-tier ranking. Instead, the GPU is the limiting factor. The RTX 2070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 22206 places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA RTX A400, has a score of 22307, a delta of -0.5%, showing that the GPU is performing as expected. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is firmly in the middle of the pack for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a strong dependency on resolution, which further confirms the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent across all presets, but the magnitude varies. At the Medium preset, the average FPS drops from 63.8 at 1080p to 42.6 at 4K, a reduction of 33.2%. At the High preset, the drop is from 46.8 to 30.4 FPS, a reduction of 35.0%. This scaling pattern is typical for a system where the GPU is the primary constraint, as the number of pixels to render quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

Interestingly, the Low preset shows the smallest relative drop, from 98.4 FPS at 1080p to 68.1 FPS at 4K, a 30.8% reduction. This suggests that at the Low preset, the game becomes less dependent on the GPU's raw shading power and more dependent on other factors, such as fillrate. The fact that the Low preset can maintain an average above 60 FPS at 4K is notable and indicates that the game's engine scales well when visual effects are reduced. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe, with the Medium preset dropping from 63.8 to 50.6 FPS, a 20.7% decrease. The data clearly shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component, and users should prioritize resolution and settings adjustments on the GPU side to achieve their target frame rates.