The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that stresses both the processor and the graphics card, and this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER produces a system that is consistently capable of high refresh rates at lower resolutions but begins to show its limits when pushed to 4K with maximum details. The data shows a balanced platform, yet the benchmark results indicate that the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution climbs.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and can boost up to 5.30 GHz, which is a substantial frequency range for handling both the heavy single-threaded tasks and the multi-threaded workloads that The Medium can present. The processor features a 24 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache, along with 80 KB per-core L1 cache, which helps keep data flowing efficiently to the cores. It supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and its 125 W TDP indicates a part that requires robust cooling, though it is a capable air cooler scenario for most builds.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 32,889 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,643 in single-core, which places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 49,367 sits extremely close to its nearest rivals; it is 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, while being 0.5% behind the AMD EPYC 4345P and 1.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H. For a game like The Medium, which is known for its fixed camera angles and dual-world rendering, the CPU's ability to maintain high minimum frame rates is crucial. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 178.9 FPS, which is a clear indicator that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower settings, as the frame rate is exceptionally high. Even at 1440p Low, the system achieves 163.2 FPS, showing strong headroom. The core count and clock speed ensure that the game's logic and physics are handled without introducing stutter, allowing the GPU to work unimpeded.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a die size of 379 mm² and 45,900 million transistors. It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2295 MHz and boosts to 2550 MHz, with memory running at an effective 23 Gbps. It has 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, delivering 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. This is a high-end card with a 320 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 700 W, and it is now classified as end-of-life, having been succeeded by the GeForce 50 series.

In terms of raw performance, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 34,245 in Passmark G3D and 24,6994 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it in the 88th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 53,610 is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, while being 2.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700S and 2.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. For The Medium, the 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's textures, even at 4K Ultra, and the high bandwidth ensures that the dual-world rendering sequences, which often require loading large textures simultaneously, do not cause frame drops. The measured data shows that at 4K Low, the system hits 128.8 FPS, which is a demonstration of the GPU's raw compute power when visual effects are reduced. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 46.6 FPS, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the game's advanced lighting and shadow effects.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 77th out of 1,689 tested combos in The Medium. This is a strong placement, putting it in the top 5% of all systems tested, which confirms the balance between the CPU and GPU. The rank suggests that while there are faster combinations, particularly those with higher-end CPUs like the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 parts paired with even more powerful GPUs, this combo is far above the median system. The data indicates that the CPU's performance, being in the 93rd percentile, and the GPU's performance, being in the 88th percentile, complement each other well. The 77th rank out of 1,689 means that the vast majority of tested systems are slower, and this build is positioned for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and solid 4K performance, albeit with some settings compromises. The proximity of the CPU to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks suggests that swapping to a slightly different 14th-gen or AMD part would not yield a significant change in this game's results, as the GPU is often the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this system scales. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 178.9 FPS on Low, 116.7 FPS on Medium, 82.8 FPS on High, and 69.8 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is capable of extremely high frame rates on lower settings, which is ideal for competitive play or for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, as even Ultra settings stay above 60 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops to 163.2 FPS on Low, 97.6 FPS on Medium, 71.6 FPS on High, and 59.2 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p results are still very strong, with Low settings providing a massive frame rate headroom and Ultra settings just barely dipping below the 60 FPS threshold, which is acceptable for a horror game where frame pacing is more important than raw speed. At 3840x2160, the system achieves 128.8 FPS on Low, 76.6 FPS on Medium, 54.9 FPS on High, and 46.6 FPS on Ultra. The 4K data shows a significant drop-off, particularly at High and Ultra settings, where the game becomes less fluid. The jump from Low to Medium at 4K is a 52.2 FPS difference, while the jump from Medium to High is a 21.7 FPS difference, and the jump from High to Ultra is an 8.3 FPS difference, indicating diminishing returns as settings increase.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the nature of the bottleneck in this system. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 178.9 FPS at 1080p to 128.8 FPS at 4K, which is a 28% reduction. This relatively modest drop indicates that at Low settings, the CPU is still able to feed the GPU adequately, and the GPU is not fully saturated at 1080p, allowing it to maintain high performance at 4K. However, at Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 69.8 FPS at 1080p to 46.6 FPS at 4K, which is a 33% reduction. This larger drop, combined with the fact that the frame rates at 4K Ultra are below 60 FPS, clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions and settings. The RTX 4080 SUPER, while powerful, is being pushed to its limits by the game's rendering demands at 4K Ultra. The data at Medium settings shows a drop from 116.7 FPS at 1080p to 76.6 FPS at 4K, a 34% reduction, which further confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU, with its high single-core performance, is not the limiting factor here, as evidenced by the fact that even at 4K Low, the system maintains a frame rate above 120 FPS, which requires a capable processor to handle the game's logic at such high speeds.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For the best experience, the data suggests that users should prioritize a balance between visual fidelity and frame rate. At 1080p, the High preset offers 82.8 FPS, which is smooth and visually rich, while Ultra at 69.8 FPS is still playable but with a noticeable drop in fluidity. For most users at 1080p, High is an excellent choice, as it provides a substantial improvement over Medium's 116.7 FPS without the performance cost of Ultra. At 1440p, the Medium preset at 97.6 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a high refresh rate experience with good visual quality, while High at 71.6 FPS is also viable for those who prefer more detail. Ultra at 1440p at 59.2 FPS is borderline, and the slight dip below 60 FPS may be noticeable in a horror game where smooth camera movement is essential. At 4K, the recommendation changes significantly. The Low preset at 128.8 FPS is the only setting that provides a truly fluid experience, but it compromises visual quality. The Medium preset at 76.6 FPS is the best compromise for 4K, as it maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS while still offering acceptable detail. High at 54.9 FPS and Ultra at 46.6 FPS are not recommended for 4K, as the frame rate drops become more apparent and can detract from the game's atmosphere. The data indicates that the system is best utilized at 1440p Medium or High, where it delivers a high-performance experience without sacrificing too much visual quality. For 4K users, Medium is the practical choice, as it keeps the game smooth while still taking advantage of the higher resolution.