The Medium

This combo, pairing the Intel Core i7-14700F with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, lands in the lower tier of tested configurations for The Medium, holding the 3,179th position out of 3,724 recorded combos. The data places this build in the 15th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that while it can run the game, it consistently delivers frame rates well below the curve of higher-performing hardware. The benchmark results show a system that is fundamentally constrained by its graphics card, a fact that becomes increasingly apparent as resolution and graphical fidelity demands rise.

How This Combo Ranks

The measured performance for this pairing in The Medium is underwhelming, with the combo ranking 3,179 out of 3,724 tested combinations. This places the system in the bottom 15% of all recorded results, a position that suggests the hardware is not well-suited for a smooth experience at higher settings. The data indicates a significant bottleneck, where the CPU's substantial processing power is largely held back by the GPU's output limits. Across all resolutions tested, the average frame rates rarely reach the 60 FPS threshold that is often considered the baseline for fluid gameplay, with the system only achieving this mark at the 1080p Low preset.

When contextualizing the CPU's synthetic performance, it becomes clear that the processor is not the limiting factor. The Intel Core i7-14700F achieves an average benchmark score of 53,620, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and the AMD EPYC 7313P, are within a 0.8% margin, confirming its position as a high-end processor. However, the GPU tells a different story; the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER sits in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 12,986. This mid-range standing is a clear indicator that the graphics card is the primary constraint in this system, as its performance is nearly on par with the AMD Radeon RX 580 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile. The pairing of a top-tier CPU with a mid-tier GPU creates a stark imbalance that is reflected in the game's overall ranking.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus offers a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s, which is adequate for older titles but proves insufficient for the demands of The Medium. The GPU's Turing architecture, built on a 12nm process, provides a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. These clocks, while respectable for the card's generation, cannot compensate for the sheer amount of data required to render the game's scenes. The card's average benchmark score of 12,986 and its 53rd percentile ranking among all GPUs place it in direct competition with the AMD Radeon RX 580, which is only 0.4% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which is also 0.4% faster.

The implications are clear in the frame rate data. At 1080p with High settings, the GPU manages an average of 32 FPS, which drops to 27 FPS at 1440p and a nearly unplayable 21 FPS at 4K. The card's performance scales predictably with resolution, but it never achieves a comfortable margin. Even at the Low preset, which is the least demanding test, the GPU can only push 70 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,278 further underscores the GPU's struggle with modern rendering workloads, and its Passmark G3D score of 12,699 aligns with its mid-range classification. The data suggests that this GPU is only viable for the lowest graphical presets in this title, and even then, it cannot maintain a consistent high refresh rate experience.

CPU Role

In stark contrast to the GPU, the Intel Core i7-14700F provides an overabundance of processing power for this game. With 20 cores and 28 threads, this Raptor Lake Refresh processor is a multi-threaded powerhouse. Its base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz, combined with a 33 MB shared L3 cache, allow it to handle complex calculations and asset streaming with ease. The CPU's synthetic benchmarks are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,122 and a single-core score of 4,958. Its Geekbench multi-core score of 19,620 and single-core score of 2,429 reinforce its high-end status, positioning it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals shows no weakness; it sits within a 0.8% margin of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and the AMD EPYC 7313P. However, this power is largely untapped in The Medium. The benchmark results show that the CPU is never the limiting factor, as the frame rates are consistently dictated by the GPU's output. For instance, at 1080p Medium, the system averages 44 FPS, a figure that is significantly lower than what this CPU is capable of feeding. The data implies that the CPU is idling, waiting for the GPU to complete its work. This is a classic case of a CPU that is overqualified for the task, rendering its high core count and clock speeds irrelevant to the final gaming experience in this specific title. The system would perform identically with a much weaker processor, as the GPU is the sole arbiter of performance here.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded for this system is 70 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does this system perform at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system delivers an average of 37 FPS, with a minimum of 32 FPS and a maximum of 43 FPS, indicating a playable but not smooth experience.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F a high-performing CPU compared to its rivals?

A: Yes, the data shows the CPU has an average benchmark score of 53,620 and ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, is only 0.6% faster, and the Intel Xeon 6505P is 0.2% faster.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12,986, placing it in the mid-range of graphics hardware.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160, the system cannot reach 60 FPS on any preset. The highest average at this resolution is 47 FPS on Low settings, while High, Medium, and Ultra presets yield 21, 29, and 17 FPS, respectively.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck for this combination in The Medium?

A: The benchmark results clearly indicate the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's high percentile ranking and the GPU's mid-range ranking, combined with frame rates that scale directly with GPU load, point to the graphics card as the limiting component.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a predictable and steep decline in performance as resolution increases, highlighting the GPU's limitations. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 15-20% across all settings. For example, on High settings, the system goes from 32 FPS at 1080p to 27 FPS at 1440p, and then to 21 FPS at 4K. The most significant drop occurs between 1440p and 4K, where the pixel count more than doubles, causing the GTX 1660 SUPER to struggle considerably.

This scaling pattern is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p, the GPU is already working hard, but as resolution increases, the demand on the graphics card grows exponentially. The CPU's influence on performance remains constant and negligible, as it has ample headroom to process the game's logic at any resolution. The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution; at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 45 FPS (70 vs 25), but at 4K, this gap narrows to 30 FPS (47 vs 17). This indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even reducing settings yields diminishing returns, as the sheer number of pixels becomes the primary obstacle.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the only viable settings for a consistently playable experience are at the Low preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 70 FPS, which is the only configuration that allows for smooth, responsive gameplay. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 59 FPS, which is borderline acceptable but may experience stutters in more demanding scenes. The Medium preset offers a visual upgrade but comes at a significant performance cost; at 1080p, it yields an average of 44 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a horror title that benefits from a stable frame rate.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the High preset at 1080p is the maximum recommended setting, providing an average of 32 FPS. Any attempt to play at Ultra settings or at 4K resolution is not recommended, as the average frame rates fall to 25 FPS or below, which is below the threshold for a functional gaming experience. The data suggests that to maintain a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, users must accept the Low preset at 1080p. Sacrificing visual quality is necessary to achieve performance that is not detrimental to the game's atmosphere and gameplay. The benchmark data makes it clear that this system is not equipped for high-fidelity horror; it is a 1080p Low-settings machine for this specific title.