The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a demanding workload that shifts dramatically between resolutions and settings. For the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination, the data reveals a system that excels at 1080p and 1440p but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K. The measured results indicate a configuration where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial core and thread count ensures consistent performance across all tested presets.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a steep performance curve that clearly identifies the RTX 4060 as the limiting component. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 108 FPS at 1920x1080 to 72 FPS at 3840x2160, a 33% reduction that highlights how pixel count directly taxes the GPU’s 272.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 15.11 TFLOPS of compute throughput. The gap widens further at High settings, where the average falls from 49 FPS at 1080p to 41 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 32 FPS at 4K. This progression shows that the RTX 4060’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are saturated well before the 14700K’s capabilities are fully utilized.

The scaling pattern across Medium settings provides the most detailed insight. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 68 FPS, which drops to 57 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 16% decrease) and then to 45 FPS at 3840x2160 (a 21% decrease from 1440p). This non-linear drop suggests that the game’s rendering pipeline becomes increasingly memory-bound as resolution increases, with the 45 FPS at 4K Medium falling just below the 49 FPS achieved at 1080p High. The data implies that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4060 is operating at its effective ceiling, and any settings increase beyond Medium will push the average below the 30 FPS threshold.

Ultra settings reinforce this GPU-bound narrative. The 4K Ultra result of 25 FPS is not only the lowest measured average across all configurations but also represents a 36% decrease from the 39 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This steep decline contrasts with the more moderate 23% drop from 1080p to 1440p Ultra (39 to 32 FPS), indicating that the 4K Ultra workload exceeds both the memory capacity and processing power of the RTX 4060. The benchmark results clearly show that resolution scaling is the dominant factor in performance degradation, with the CPU maintaining consistent frame delivery while the GPU struggles to keep pace.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K brings 20 cores and 28 threads to this pairing, a configuration that provides ample headroom for The Medium’s fixed-camera scenes. The CPU’s base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensure that even single-threaded tasks, which are common in this genre, receive responsive handling. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache contribute to the processor’s ability to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic data without introducing stutter or frame pacing issues.

The benchmark data suggests that the 14700K is rarely the bottleneck in this combination. At 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the system achieves 108 FPS, demonstrating that the CPU can sustain high frame rates when the graphics load is minimal. The single-core performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2569 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2160, ensures that The Medium’s AI-driven enemy interactions and scripted events do not cause frame drops. The processor’s 94th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 69355, places it near the top of the performance hierarchy, with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X just 0.2% ahead in average score.

The multi-threaded capabilities of the 14700K, reflected in a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 20767, provide substantial overhead for background tasks and game engine threads. However, the measured FPS data shows that this CPU power does not translate into higher frame rates at 4K, where the GPU’s 8 GB memory capacity becomes the limiting factor. The CPU’s role is more pronounced at lower resolutions, where the 14700K’s ability to process the game’s logic and physics allows the RTX 4060 to reach its full potential, as seen in the 108 FPS Low result.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 achieves a rank of 1999 out of 3724 total configurations for The Medium. This places the combo in the 46th percentile, indicating that while it outperforms a slight majority of tested systems, it falls short of the mid-range pack. The ranking reflects the RTX 4060’s position as a 61st percentile GPU, with an average benchmark score of 17639, which is notably lower than the 94th percentile ranking of the CPU.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU rankings is evident in the combo’s overall performance. The 14700K’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515 (0.2% higher) and the AMD EPYC 9115 at 69288 (0.1% lower), showing that the CPU is competitively positioned. However, the RTX 4060’s nearest rivals are far less powerful, with the AMD Radeon HD 7790 at 17666 (0.2% higher) and the integrated AMD Radeon 780M at 17588 (0.3% lower). This mismatch suggests that the combo’s rank is constrained by the GPU, and pairing the 14700K with a more capable graphics card would likely yield a significantly higher placement.

The data indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the GPU can deliver playable frame rates without being overwhelmed. At 4K, the combo’s rank would likely drop further, as the measured FPS at that resolution falls below the thresholds that most users consider acceptable for a smooth experience. The 1999th rank implies that while the system is functional and capable, it does not represent an optimal balance for The Medium’s demanding rendering requirements.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest average FPS is 108, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settingscreations. This represents the maximum performance the RTX 4060 can deliver when the graphics load is minimized.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 2560x1440 resolution?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 91. At Medium settings, the average drops to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and High settings yield just 41 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K performance compare to 1080p performance?

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 25 at Ultra settings to 72 at Low settings. In comparison, 1080p delivers 39 FPS at Ultra and 108 FPS at Low, showing a significant performance penalty at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The minimum FPS recorded is 38, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings. The maximum FPS recorded is 78, achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor, particularly at higher resolutions. The RTX 4060’s 8 GB of memory and 128-bit bus are saturated at 4K, while the 14700K’s 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample processing power, as evidenced by the CPU’s 94th percentile ranking.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, built on the AD107 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, serves as the primary performance determinant in this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s, which proves sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but becomes a critical constraint at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz allow it to achieve a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 and a Passmark G3D score of 19545, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs.

The RTX 4060’s 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s. These specifications translate to a peak FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS, which is adequate for The Medium’s horror-themed visuals but not sufficient for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The GPU’s 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores provide hardware support for ray tracing and DLSS, though the measured FPS data does not include ray-traced scenarios, suggesting that enabling such features would further reduce performance.

The memory configuration is the most significant limitation. At 4K Medium settings, the 45 FPS average with a minimum of 38 FPS indicates that the GPU is operating near its memory capacity limits. The 17 Gbps effective memory speed and 8 GB capacity are insufficient for the high-resolution textures and effects that The Medium employs at Ultra settings, resulting in the 25 FPS average at 4K Ultra. The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon HD 7790 with a score of 17666 (0.2% higher), highlight that the RTX 4060 is positioned in the mid-range tier, and its performance in this game reflects that classification.

Settings Recommendations

For optimal performance, the data suggests prioritizing Medium settings at 1080p and 1440p, as this preset offers the best balance between visual quality and playable frame rates. At 1920x1080 Medium, the combo achieves 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPSament, ensuring smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 57 FPS, which remains acceptable for most users, though the 49 FPS minimum may cause occasional stutter in demanding scenes.

For users willing to sacrifice some visual fidelity, Low settings provide the highest frame rates, with 108 FPS at 1080p and 91 FPS at 1440p. This preset is recommended for competitive play or for users who prioritize frame rate over graphics quality. High settings offer a middle ground, with 49 FPS at 1080p and 41 FPS at 1440p, which may be suitable for users with variable refresh rate monitors.

At 4K, the data strongly recommends Low settings, which deliver 72 FPS, or Medium settings at 45 FPS for a more balanced experience. High settings at 32 FPS and Ultra at 25 FPS are not recommended, as they fall below the 30 FPS threshold that most users consider the minimum for a playable experience. The 4K Ultra preset, in particular, should be avoided, as the 25 FPS average indicates that the RTX 4060 is overwhelmed by the workload.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 108 FPS at Low settings, 68 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 78), 49 FPS at High, and 39 FPS at Ultra. These results demonstrate a clear scaling pattern, with Low settings providing more than double the frame rate of Ultra settings. The 68 FPS at Medium represents the sweet spot for 1080p gaming, offering a 39% improvement over High settings while maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 91 at Low, 57 at Medium (minimum 49, maximum 66), 41 at High, and 32 at Ultra. The 1440p results show a 16% reduction in frame rate from 1080p at Medium settings, indicating that the GPU is beginning to feel the pressure of increased pixel count. The 32 FPS at Ultra falls below the playable threshold, confirming that 1440p Ultra is not viable with this hardware.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS is 72 at Low, 45 at Medium (minimum 38, maximum 52), 32 at High, and 25 at Ultra. The 4K results reveal a severe performance cliff, with the Ultra preset delivering just 23% of the frame rate achieved at 1080p Low. The 45 FPS at Medium is the only 4K configuration that approaches playability, while the 25 FPS at Ultra is clearly unsuitable for a smooth experience. The data across all resolutions and settings consistently shows that the RTX 4060’s performance degrades significantly as resolution increases, while the 14700K maintains stable frame delivery throughout.