The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT combination delivers a highly playable experience in The Medium, though the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by graphics workload at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combo demonstrates strong performance, but scaling to 4K shows a significant drop-off, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 149 at 1080p to 126 at 1440p, a reduction of 23 frames. Scaling further to 4K yields an average of 99 FPS, which represents a 50-frame drop from the 1080p baseline. This translates to a 33.5% performance loss when moving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings.

The scaling behavior at Medium settings follows a similar trajectory. The average frame rate falls from 93 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 1440p, and then to 62 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K here is 31 frames, showing that the GPU's workload is intensifying with resolution. At High settings, the pattern continues: 67 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest curve, starting at 53 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 45 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 35 FPS at 4K.

These numbers indicate that the RX 9070 XT is the limiting component in this configuration. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings costs 11 FPS, while the move from 1440p to 4K costs 12 FPS. This consistency suggests that the GPU's rendering throughput is the bottleneck, rather than the CPU. The 20-core i7-14700F with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz provides ample headroom for the game's logic, but the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth are what determine the final output at each resolution.

The data also reveals that the game is not particularly demanding on the CPU even at lower resolutions. The fact that 1080p Low yields 149 FPS while 1080p Ultra yields 53 FPS shows a 96-frame spread, which is almost entirely attributable to GPU load. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates at 1080p across different settings would be closer together, as the processor would cap the maximum output. Instead, the wide variance points squarely at the GPU as the performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance for this combo is the Medium preset. At 1080p, Medium delivers 93 FPS average with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. The 1440p Medium row shows 79 FPS average with 67 FPS minimum, which remains fluid and playable on high-refresh monitors.

High settings are a viable alternative for users prioritizing image quality over raw frame rate. At 1440p, High produces 56 FPS average, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced sections. At 1080p, High yields 67 FPS, which is acceptable for a horror title where atmospheric tension matters more than competitive reaction times. The Ultra preset, however, is not recommended based on the data. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 35 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS standard and may introduce noticeable stutter in a game that relies on smooth camera movement for its horror effects.

The Low preset is the only option that maintains high frame rates at 4K, with 99 FPS average. However, this comes at a significant visual cost, and the data suggests that Medium at 1440p (79 FPS) provides a better experience than Low at 4K (99 FPS) for most users. The 1440p Medium configuration offers nearly identical frame rates to 1080p High (79 vs 67 FPS) while delivering higher resolution detail, making it the sweet spot for this hardware pairing.

For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset at 62 FPS average is the only playable option above the 60 FPS mark, though the 53 FPS minimum indicates occasional dips. The Ultra preset at 4K is effectively unplayable at 35 FPS, and High at 4K at 44 FPS is marginal. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where Medium delivers 79 FPS and even Ultra manages 45 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F brings 20 cores and 28 threads to this configuration, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In The Medium, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The processor's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and single-core score of 4958 indicate strong computational capability, but the game's frame rates are not constrained by these figures.

The benchmark results show that the i7-14700F ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53620. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6505P with a score of 53701 (0.2% higher), the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 at 53469 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X at 53288 (0.6% lower), and the AMD EPYC 7313P at 53206 (0.8% lower). This places the i7-14700F in a competitive position against high-end workstation and desktop processors, though the performance differences are minimal.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's 20 cores are likely underutilized. The game's horror genre typically relies on scripted sequences and environmental interaction rather than complex physics simulations or large-scale AI. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 149 FPS while 1080p Ultra achieves 53 FPS suggests that the CPU can easily feed the GPU at lower settings, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as graphical load increases. The processor's high single-thread performance, as indicated by its Geekbench single-core score of 2429, helps maintain consistent frame pacing even when the GPU is fully loaded.

The i7-14700F's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, along with its dual-channel memory bus, provides flexibility for system builders. However, the game's performance data does not show any CPU-related bottlenecks, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and settings rather than plateauing due to processor limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT ranks 857 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium. This places the pairing in the top 23% of all configurations tested, indicating that it performs well above the median but does not reach the upper echelon of enthusiast setups.

The rank of 857 suggests that while this combo delivers solid performance, there are many other configurations that achieve higher frame rates in this game. Given that the GPU's benchmark percentile is 55, which is below the CPU's 91st percentile, the overall combo ranking is likely held back by the graphics card. The RX 9070 XT's Passmark G3D score of 26795 places it in the lower half of all GPUs, which is surprising given its modern RDNA 4.0 architecture and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Radeon HD 7770M with an average score of 13536 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 at 13515 (0.2% higher), the NVIDIA P106-090 at 13470 (0.5% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555 at 13407 (1% higher). These comparisons are based on average benchmark scores, and the RX 9070 XT's actual in-game performance in The Medium may differ from these synthetic results.

The combo's rank of 857 out of 3724 indicates that the i7-14700F's strong CPU performance helps boost the overall standing, but the GPU's mid-tier positioning prevents this from being a top-tier gaming setup. The data shows that 4K Ultra at 35 FPS and 1440p Ultra at 45 FPS are not competitive with higher-performing combos, while 1080p Low at 149 FPS demonstrates the pairing's capability when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p with Medium settings delivers 79 FPS average with a 67 FPS minimum, making it the optimal balance. 1080p Medium achieves 93 FPS, while 4K Medium drops to 62 FPS, so 1440p provides the best quality-to-performance ratio.

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which yields 99 FPS average. Medium at 4K produces 62 FPS, High at 4K produces 44 FPS, and Ultra at 4K drops to 35 FPS. Users must compromise on visual quality to maintain playable frame rates at 4K.

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

A: The GPU is clearly the limiting component. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases (149 FPS at 1080p Low to 99 FPS at 4K Low), while the CPU's 20 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile while the GPU ranks in the 55th percentile.

Q: How does the i7-14700F compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 53620, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Xeon 6505P (53701), 0.3% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53469), 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53288), and 0.8% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P (53206).

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows 53 FPS average at 1080p Ultra. This is lower than the 67 FPS at High settings and 93 FPS at Medium, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant performance penalty.

Q: Does the game favor CPU or GPU performance?

A: The game is GPU-bound. The frame rate spread between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 96 FPS (149 to 53), which is entirely due to graphics load. The CPU's performance remains consistent regardless of settings, as shown by the predictable resolution scaling.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average frame rates: Low settings produce 149 FPS, Medium produces 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS, High produces 67 FPS, and Ultra produces 53 FPS. The 1080p Medium row is the only one at this resolution with complete min/max data, showing a variance of 28 FPS between the minimum and maximum readings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops across all presets. Low settings yield 126 FPS average, Medium yields 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS and maximum of 90 FPS, High yields 56 FPS, and Ultra yields 45 FPS. The 1440p Medium row shows a 23 FPS variance between minimum and maximum, which is slightly tighter than the 1080p Medium variance.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall further. Low settings produce 99 FPS average, Medium produces 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and maximum of 71 FPS, High produces 44 FPS, and Ultra produces 35 FPS. The 4K Medium row exhibits an 18 FPS variance, indicating that the GPU's workload at this resolution leads to more consistent frame pacing despite the lower average.

The data reveals that the Medium preset consistently provides the only complete min/max measurements across all three resolutions. This suggests that Medium is the most stable preset for this hardware, offering a balance between graphical load and frame time consistency. The min/max values at 1080p (79/107), 1440p (67/90), and 4K (53/71) show that the frame rate range narrows as resolution increases, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario where the graphics card is fully saturated at higher pixel counts.