The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera environment where the visual load shifts dramatically between resolutions. The data for the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination shows a system that is firmly balanced toward 1080p and 1440p play, with 4K representing a significant compromise. The measured frame rates reveal a clear story about where this hardware pairing excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and tells a clear story about GPU limitation. At Medium settings, the system delivers 63 FPS at 1920x1080, drops to 53 FPS at 2560x1440, and falls to 42 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 33% reduction in performance from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 21% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is consistent, but the absolute numbers at 4K are concerning for smooth play.

The Low preset shows the same pattern with higher baseline performance. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 101 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 85 FPS, a 16% reduction. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 67 FPS, another 21% drop from 1440p. The game remains playable at 4K on Low, but the margin for error is thin.

High settings exacerbate the problem. The system manages 45 FPS at 1080p, 38 FPS at 1440p, and only 30 FPS at 4K. This is a 33% total reduction from 1080p to 4K, and the 30 FPS average at 4K is right at the edge of what most players consider acceptable for a horror title. Ultra settings are worse still, with 36 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and just 24 FPS at 4K.

The limiting component is clearly the GPU. The CPU has 20 cores and 28 threads with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which is more than sufficient for a game like The Medium that relies on fixed camera angles and pre-rendered environments. The Radeon RX 9060, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The data supports this conclusion because the frame rate scales almost linearly with resolution, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a Raptor Lake Refresh part built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features 20 cores (a mix of performance and efficiency cores) and 28 threads, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache provides ample headroom for game logic and asset streaming. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. Its Geekbench scores are 19620 multicore and 2429 single-core.

For The Medium, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU. The game's horror genre relies on atmospheric rendering and lighting, which taxes the graphics card far more than the processor. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 101 FPS, which suggests the CPU is not holding back performance even at lower resolutions. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all tested CPUs confirms it is a high-end part that will not be the limiting factor in this title.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which scores 0.6% higher on average, and the AMD EPYC 7313P, which scores 0.8% higher. The Intel Xeon 6505P is essentially identical at -0.2% delta. These comparisons show the i7-14700F sits in a competitive position for multi-threaded workloads, but none of these rival CPUs would meaningfully change the frame rates in The Medium because the game is not CPU-limited at any resolution tested.

The processor's 65 W TDP is modest for a 20-core part, and it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving builders flexibility. The PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 lanes ensures the GPU has full bandwidth available, though the RX 9060 uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface itself, so there is no bottleneck there. In practical terms for this game, the CPU is a non-issue.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K smoothly?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 67 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter in a horror game. High settings fall to 30 FPS, and Ultra drops to 24 FPS, both of which are below smooth playability thresholds.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: The data indicates 1440p is the sweet spot. At Medium settings, the system delivers 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS, which is a comfortable experience for a narrative-driven horror game. At 1080p, the same settings yield 63 FPS, but the visual quality improvement at 1440p justifies the 16% frame rate cost.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The frame rate drops consistently as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. The i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads with a 5.40 GHz boost clock, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35122 places it well above what The Medium requires.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16014. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129, putting the RX 9060 at -0.7% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 scores 15852, meaning the RX 9060 is 1% faster. The 9060's 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates mid-range performance.

Q: What settings should I use for a stable 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1080p, Low settings achieve 101 FPS, which is well above 60. At 1440p, Low settings deliver 85 FPS, also above 60. For 4K, only Low settings at 67 FPS exceed the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at any resolution fall below 60 FPS, so you must use Low to guarantee a 60 FPS average.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RX 9060 cause issues in this game?

A: The measured data does not show VRAM-related stuttering or crashes. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the tested settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 24, but this appears to be a raw compute limitation rather than a memory capacity issue, as the frame rate scales predictably with resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers a wide range of performance depending on settings. Low settings produce 101 FPS average, which is exceptionally smooth. Medium settings yield 63 FPS average with a minimum of 53 FPS and a maximum of 72 FPS. High settings drop to 45 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 36 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 65 FPS, a 64% reduction, which shows that the visual quality presets have a massive impact on this GPU.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates step down across the board. Low settings produce 85 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS. High settings drop to 38 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 30 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p is the most balanced option, providing a playable experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. Low settings produce 67 FPS, which is acceptable. Medium settings average 42 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 48 FPS. High settings drop to 30 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 24 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 42 FPS is borderline, but the minimum of 35 FPS suggests occasional dips that could be jarring in a horror game.

The Medium settings at each resolution provide the most complete data, with minimum and maximum FPS recorded. At 1080p, the range is 53 to 72 FPS, a 19 FPS spread. At 1440p, the range is 45 to 61 FPS, a 16 FPS spread. At 4K, the range is 35 to 48 FPS, a 13 FPS spread. The shrinking spread at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming more consistently saturated, which reduces frame time variance but also lowers the average.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1648 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. That places it in the 43rd percentile of all tested hardware pairs, meaning roughly 57% of combinations perform better in this specific game. This is a mid-pack ranking, which aligns with the GPU's 59th percentile standing among all GPUs and the CPU's 91st percentile standing among all CPUs.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier part, the GPU holds this combo back. The RX 9060's average benchmark score of 16014 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129. In practical terms, this means the combo performs similarly to a system with a high-end CPU and a mid-range GPU from the previous generation. The CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is.

For a horror game like The Medium, this ranking translates to a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but not a high-refresh-rate experience. The combo is better suited for 60 FPS targets at 1080p or 1440p with adjusted settings, rather than chasing 100+ FPS at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 1648 out of 2911 indicates that there is headroom for improvement, but the pairing is not a bad choice for this title.

Settings Recommendations

The data shows a clear hierarchy of presets, and the best choice depends on your target resolution and frame rate preference. For a 60 FPS target, Low settings are required at all resolutions. At 1080p, Low delivers 101 FPS, which is far above the target. At 1440p, Low delivers 85 FPS, still above 60. At 4K, Low delivers 67 FPS, just above the threshold.

For a 45-55 FPS target, Medium settings are viable at 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p, Medium delivers 63 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, which is comfortable. At 1440p, Medium delivers 53 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced horror game. At 4K, Medium drops to 42 FPS with a 35 FPS minimum, which is borderline and may cause noticeable stutter during intense scenes.

High settings are only recommended at 1080p, where the system achieves 45 FPS. At 1440p, High drops to 38 FPS, and at 4K, High is at 30 FPS. These are playable but not ideal for a genre that relies on smooth camera movement and atmospheric tension. Ultra settings should be avoided entirely, as they only achieve 36 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K.

The most balanced recommendation is 1440p with Medium settings. This configuration provides 53 FPS average with a 45 FPS minimum, which is smooth enough for the game's fixed-camera angles and deliberate pacing. The visual improvement from 1080p to 1440p is significant, and the frame rate cost is only 10 FPS compared to 1080p Medium. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, 1080p Low at 101 FPS is the only way to take full advantage of it, but the visual compromise may not be worth it for a game like The Medium, where atmosphere and detail matter more than raw speed.