The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and this particular configuration—an Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090—produces a fascinating set of results. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rates, but one where the balance between CPU and GPU shifts dramatically depending on your resolution and quality settings. This analysis breaks down exactly what those measured frames mean for your experience, focusing on where the bottlenecks lie and how to configure the game for the best possible performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo for The Medium?

A: The combination ranks 82nd out of 3,724 tested hardware combos for this game, placing it in the top 2.2% of all configurations in the database. This is a high-performing setup, though the ranking shows that other combinations can deliver even higher frame rates.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14600KF compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49,394, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49,228) and 0.8% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 (48,995). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 by 0.8%, as that chip scores 49,796. The differences are minimal, indicating the CPU is performing exactly as expected.

Q: Is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 a significant step up from its closest competitors?

A: Based on the average benchmark score, the RTX 5090 (79,842) is 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605) and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). It is only 1.4% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (80,959). The performance deltas are small, suggesting these cards are in a similar performance tier in general compute benchmarks.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: For a locked 60 FPS experience, 4K with High settings yields an average of 64 FPS, making it a viable option. If you want more headroom, 1440p with High settings averages 82 FPS, while 1080p with High settings averages 97 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K also provides a comfortable 90 FPS average.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest frame rates?

A: The Low preset provides the highest average frame rates at all resolutions. The data shows 178 FPS at 1080p, 168 FPS at 1440p, and 143 FPS at 4K. This preset is for maximizing refresh rate, but it comes with a significant visual quality trade-off.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the components in this test system?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has a launch MSRP of $294, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has a launch MSRP of 1,999 USD.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the undisputed powerhouse in this system. Its specifications are formidable, starting with a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, which provides a staggering 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is critical for a game like The Medium, which features high-resolution textures and complex scenes. The sheer amount of VRAM ensures that texture streaming is not a bottleneck, even at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are also noteworthy, with a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. This allows the 21,760 shading units to operate at a high frequency, pushing the card's FP32 performance to 104.8 TFLOPS. The RTX 5090's architecture also includes 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, which are designed to handle ray tracing and AI-driven tasks, though the measured FPS data for this game does not specify if these features were enabled.

In practical terms, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the average frame rate drops. At 1080p with Medium settings, the game averages 135 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 114 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 90 FPS. This scaling suggests that the RTX 5090 is being tasked with more pixel rendering, and its performance is scaling accordingly. The GPU's percentile rank of 92 versus all GPUs confirms it is a top-tier part, and its benchmark scores (e.g., 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355) reflect its raw compute capability. The data indicates the RTX 5090 provides an enormous amount of headroom, but it is not infinite; even this card will be challenged by the most demanding settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This high boost clock is crucial for gaming, as it allows for strong single-threaded performance. The CPU's benchmark results support this, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,594 and a multi-core score of 32,544 assets. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep data readily available for the cores.

While the GPU handles the heavy lifting of rendering, the CPU is responsible for game logic, physics, and preparing draw calls for the GPU. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU becomes more of a factor. This is evident in the measured FPS data. The difference between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is only 10 FPS (178 vs. 168), which is a smaller percentage drop than the difference between 1440p and 4K (168 vs. 143). This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is having a harder time keeping up with the GPU's ability to render frames.

The i5-14600KF is a strong gaming CPU, but it is not the absolute top-of-the-line. Its average benchmark score of 49,394 places it in the 90th percentile versus all CPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, are incredibly close in performance, with a delta of only 0.3%. This means the CPU is unlikely to be the primary bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. However, the data suggests that in this specific game, the CPU does limit frame rates at lower resolutions, preventing the system from hitting the very high refresh rates that the RTX 5090 could theoretically support.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities across a matrix of resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the performance is very high. The Low preset delivers an average of 178 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset still manages a strong 97 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 77 FPS. The Medium preset, which is the only one with full data, shows an average of 135 FPS with a minimum of 115 FPS and a maximum of 156 FPS.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates scale downward as expected. The Low preset averages 168 FPS, a minor drop from 1080p. High averages 82 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. The Medium preset averages 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. This resolution is the sweet spot for balancing high visual quality with high refresh rates.

At 4K (3840x2160), the demand on the GPU becomes significant. The Low preset averages 143 FPS, which is still very playable. The High preset drops to an average of 64 FPS, which is right at the edge of a smooth 60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of only 51 FPS. The Medium preset averages 90 FPS, with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPSikuha. This makes Medium the best choice for 4K if you want to stay comfortably above 60 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals the nature of the bottleneck. When comparing the Low preset, the frame rate drops from 178 FPS at 1080p to 168 FPS at 1440p. This is a drop of only 5.6%, which is surprisingly small. However, dropping from 1440p to 4K decreases the frame rate from 168 FPS to 143 FPS, a drop of 14.9%. This pattern shows that at low settings, the CPU is a significant limiter at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU has enough headroom to render these resolutions quickly, but it is waiting for the CPU to provide instructionsadows. The large performance drop from Low to Ultra at all resolutions confirms that the game's visual effects are very demanding.

The scaling is much more pronounced at higher settings. With the Medium preset, 1080p averages 135 FPS, 1440p averages 114 FPS (a 15.6% drop), and 4K averages 90 FPS (a 21.1% drop from 1440p). This shows that as settings increase, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, and its performance scales more predictably with resolution.

At Ultra settings, the pattern continues. 1080p averages 77 FPS, 1440p averages 65 FPS (a 15.6% drop), and 4K averages 51 FPS (a 21.5% drop). The fact that the percentage drops for Medium and Ultra are very similar indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at these settings. The data clearly shows a system that is CPU-bound at low resolutions and low settings, but transitions to being GPU-bound as resolution and visual fidelity increase.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings depend entirely on your display and performance goals. For a 4K display, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 90 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, and its minimum of 76 FPS ensures that the experience remains fluid even in demanding scenes. Moving up to High drops the average to 64 FPS, which is playable, but you will be closer to the edge of noticeable frame drops. Ultra should be avoided at 4K, as its 51 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold and will not feel as smooth.

For 1440p users, the High preset provides an excellent balance, with an average of 82 FPS. This offers a significant visual uplift over Medium while maintaining a high frame rate. The Medium preset is also a great option if you want to push a 144Hz monitor closer to its limit, as it averages 114 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p, with an average of 65 FPS, is viable for those who prioritize visual fidelity above all else, but it is a significant step down in smoothness from High.

At 1080p, the system has plenty of power. The High preset averages 97 FPS and is a great choice for a 100Hz+ monitor. For those with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate display, the Medium preset, with its 135 FPS average, is the better option to fully utilize the monitor's capabilities. The Low preset offers the absolute highest frame rates (178 FPS), but the visual sacrifices are substantial. The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best overall experience at 1080p, providing a high frame rate without making the game look significantly worse than High. Ultimately, the "Medium" preset is the most versatile choice across all resolutions, offering the best balance of high average FPS and a solid minimum FPS floor.