The Medium

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a study in contrast for The Medium. The CPU is a high-end Raptor Lake part with 16 cores and 24 threads, while the GPU is an end-of-life Turing architecture card with 6 GB of VRAM. This pairing produces a system where the graphics card is the definitive bottleneck across all tested resolutions and settings. The data shows a processor capable of feeding far more powerful GPUs, yet held back by a mid-range card that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher quality presets. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is best suited for low settings at 1080p or 1440p, where the GPU’s limitations are less apparent.

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This CPU has a substantial 30 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 39000 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 5505 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile among all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 47282, which is nearly identical to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which scores 47334 (a delta of -0.1%). The data shows the i7-13700K marginally outperforms the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131, +0.3%) and the Intel Core i9-12900F (47081, +0.4%).

For The Medium, this CPU is overqualified. The game is a horror title with fixed camera angles and pre-rendered environments, which typically rely more on GPU throughput than CPU thread scaling. The 16 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom for any background tasks or streaming overhead. The high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that single-threaded performance is not a limiting factor. In this specific combo, the CPU’s role is to avoid being the bottleneck, a task it achieves easily. The measured FPS data shows no signs of CPU-induced stuttering or frame dips, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings, indicating the GPU is the sole constraint.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing architecture GPU with a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. With 1408 shading units, it offers 5.027 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its average benchmark score is 14286, placing it in the 55th percentile among all GPUs. The closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, which scores 14314 (-0.2%), and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics, which scores 14315 (-0.2%).

The 6 GB VRAM capacity is the primary constraint in The Medium. At 4K resolution with High settings, the combo averages 19.8 FPS, which is unplayable. Dropping to Low settings at 4K yields 47.6 FPS, a significant improvement, but still below the 60 FPS target. The GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading power are insufficient for the game’s high-resolution textures and effects. The data shows a clear pattern: the GTX 1660 SUPER is a 1080p-oriented card that can handle 1440p only at the lowest settings. The 12 nm process and 6,600 million transistors on a 284 mm² die are dated, and the card’s end-of-life status reflects its inability to keep pace with modern titles at higher presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings is the only configuration that approaches a smooth experience, averaging 73.1 FPS. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average drops to 61.9 FPS, which is still playable but closer to the edge.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, even with Low settings, the average FPS is 47.6, which is below 60. High, Medium, and Ultra settings all produce averages below 30 FPS (19.8, 28.1, and 19.2, respectively), making them unplayable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i7-13700KF (47334). It is 0.3% higher than the AMD EPYC 4364P (47131) and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i9-12900F (47081).

Q: Is there a significant performance gap between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, Low settings average 73.1 FPS, while Medium settings drop to 41.7 FPS. This is a 31.4 FPS difference, indicating that the GPU struggles with the increased texture quality and effects at Medium.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER is in the 55th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 14286 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, with differences of only -0.2% to -0.5%.

Q: Does the CPU’s high core count help with this game?

A: The data suggests it does not hurt. The i7-13700K has 16 cores and 24 threads, but The Medium’s frame rates are consistently GPU-bound. The CPU’s 3DMark scores, such as 12412 for max threads and 1136 for single-thread, are more than sufficient, so the game never becomes CPU-limited.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 1460 out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the bottom 14% of all tested configurations, which is a poor result for a system with a top-tier CPU. The ranking reflects the severe GPU bottleneck. The i7-13700K is a 93rd percentile CPU, but the GTX 1660 SUPER is only a 55th percentile GPU. The data shows that the CPU’s potential is wasted because the GPU cannot translate it into higher frame rates. In comparison, a combo with a more balanced GPU would likely rank much higher, as the CPU’s overhead is immense. The 1460th rank indicates that most other tested systems, even those with weaker CPUs, achieve better performance because they have more capable graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo’s capabilities across nine configurations.

At 3840x2160, the results are poor. Low settings average 47.6 FPS, which is the only playable option. Medium settings drop to 28.1 FPS, High to 19.8 FPS, and Ultra to 19.2 FPS. These numbers show that 4K is not viable for this GPU, as even the lowest preset fails to reach 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves slightly. Low settings average 61.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 36.4 FPS, High averages 27.7 FPS, and Ultra averages 23.9 FPS. The 1440p Low setting is the sweet spot for this resolution, offering a decent experience.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs best. Low settings average 73.1 FPS, which is the highest score recorded. Medium averages 41.7 FPS, High averages 30.6 FPS, and Ultra averages 27.4 FPS. Only Low settings provide a consistently smooth experience. The gap between Low and Medium is 31.4 FPS, indicating a steep performance cliff as settings increase.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data clearly points to Low settings. At 1920x1080, Low averages 73.1 FPS, which is the only configuration that provides comfortable headroom above 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low averages 61.9 FPS, which is playable but leaves less margin for demanding scenes. For 4K, Low is the only option, but at 47.6 FPS, it is borderline.

Medium settings are not recommended. At 1080p, it drops to 41.7 FPS, and at 1440p, it falls to 36.4 FPS. The visual improvement from Low to Medium is not worth the substantial frame rate loss, given the GPU’s limitations. High and Ultra settings are effectively unplayable at any resolution, with all averages below 31 FPS.

The practical advice is to run the game at 1920x1080 with Low settings to achieve a smooth experience, or accept 2560x1440 at Low if visual clarity is more important than frame rate. The GTX 1660 SUPER does not have the VRAM or compute power to handle higher presets in The Medium. This combo is a classic case of a CPU that is far too powerful for its GPU partner, resulting in a system that must be configured to the GPU’s strengths to remain playable.