The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER presents a formidable setup for The Medium, a horror title that leans heavily on fixed-camera angles and pre-rendered environments. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s substantial headroom becomes apparent only at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the data to show exactly where this combo excels and where it begins to strain, providing a practical roadmap for optimizing your experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a classic pattern of GPU limitation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 179.1 FPS, but this drops to 117.4 FPS at 4K with the same settings. This 61.7 FPS drop (a 34% reduction) indicates that even at Low settings, the game’s visual output is increasingly taxing the GPU’s pixel-pushing capabilities. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s raw compute is the limiting factor here, not the i7-14700K.

The scaling becomes more severe with higher graphical presets. Moving from 1080p to 4K on Medium settings results in a drop from 109.7 FPS to 74.6 FPS. On High settings, the drop is from 76.6 FPS to 54.7 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, shows the steepest decline: 65.1 FPS at 1080p falls to 40.8 FPS at 4K. This pattern confirms that the game’s Ultra preset introduces effects that scale aggressively with resolution, likely including high-resolution shadow maps and volumetric effects. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, this combo is best suited to Medium or Low settings to maintain a smooth experience, while 1440p and 1080p offer much more flexibility.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested configurations for The Medium, this specific pairing ranks 143rd out of 1689 combos. This places it in the top 8.5% of all tested systems, a strong showing that underscores its high-end positioning. The rank reflects a balance of CPU and GPU power that is well-matched for this title’s demands.

The CPU’s individual performance is a key contributor to this ranking. The i7-14700K achieves an average benchmark score of 70074, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70104 (0% difference), the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420 (-0.5%), and the AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69887 (0.3% higher). This indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration. The GPU, with an average score of 48704 and an 86th percentile ranking, is also a top-tier part, though its nearest rivals show a slightly wider variance: the NVIDIA CMP 50HX is 0.7% faster, while the RTX A2000 is 1.6% slower. This high combo ranking is a direct result of both components performing near the top of their respective classes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. This substantial memory pool is crucial for The Medium at high resolutions, as the game’s detailed textures and effects can quickly consume VRAM. The GPU’s 8448 shading units and 66 RT cores are supported by boost clock of 2610 MHz, which helps drive the high frame rates seen at 1080p.

The GPU’s role as the primary performance limiter is evident when comparing the FPS at 1080p Low (179.1 FPS) versus 4K Low (117.4 FPS). The CPU is capable of feeding frames far faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions. This is also reflected in the GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 31811, which is a strong indicator of its DirectX 11 performance, the API most relevant to this game. The data shows the GPU’s performance is the deciding factor between a playable and a slideshow experience at 4K with Ultra settings, where it produces only 40.8 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

A resolution-by-resolution look provides the clearest picture of this combo’s capabilities.

At 1080p, the system is exceptionally capable. With Low settings, the average FPS is 179.1, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. Medium settings yield an average of 109.7 FPS, still very smooth. High settings drop to 76.6 FPS, which remains playable, but Ultra settings pull the average down to 65.1 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the GPU can handle even the most demanding presets, though the frame rate is noticeably lower than the lower presets.

At 1440p, the resolution scaling becomes more pronounced. Low settings average 150.3 FPS, a 16% drop from 1080p. Medium settings still deliver a very playable 91.6 FPS, while High settings drop to 64.3 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 54.3 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. This resolution is the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and performance, with Medium and High settings both offering excellent experiences.

At 4K, the GPU’s limits are clearly defined. Low settings produce an average of 117.4 FPS, which is still quite good. Medium settings drop to 74.6 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced horror game. High settings fall to 54.7 FPS, and Ultra settings plummet to 40.8 FPS, which would be noticeably stuttery. For 4K, the data strongly suggests sticking to Medium or Low settings to maintain a comfortable frame rate.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K with High settings smoothly?*

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 54.7 FPS. While playable, it falls short of the 60 FPS target that most consider smooth. For a more comfortable 4K experience, Medium settings average 74.6 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this setup to achieve over 100 FPS?

A: At 1080p, Low (179.1 FPS), Medium (109.7 FPS), and even High (76.6 FPS) settings achieve playable frame rates. At 1440p, only Low (150.3 FPS) and Medium (91.6 FPS) presets break the 90 FPS mark. For a consistent 100+ FPS, 1080p Medium is the safest choice.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700K a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER in this game?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark percentile (96th) and its close scores to rivals like the Ryzen 9 9950X indicate it has ample headroom. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are directly tied to GPU load, showing the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 143rd out of 1689 tested combos, placing it in the top 8.5%. This is a very strong result, confirming it as a high-end configuration for this title.

Q: What is the difference in performance between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The average FPS drops from 150.3 FPS on Low to 54.3 FPS on Ultra. This is a 96 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset nearly triples the rendering load on the GPU.

Q: Is the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes. The data shows no signs of VRAM-related performance issues, such as stuttering or texture pop-in. The 16 GB capacity is more than adequate for the game’s highest settings at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear path to the optimal experience. For players with a 1080p monitor, the High preset at 76.6 FPS offers a great balance of visual quality and smoothness, though Medium at 109.7 FPS is recommended for those prioritizing frame rate above all else. The Ultra preset at 65.1 FPS is only advisable if you prefer maximum visual fidelity over a rock-solid frame rate.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset at 91.6 FPS is the standout choice. It provides a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate that is smooth for this genre. High at 64.3 FPS is also viable, but the drop below 70 FPS may be noticeable. Ultra at 54.3 FPS is best avoided unless you are sensitive to visual details and can tolerate a lower frame rate.

For 4K displays, the recommendation is clear: use the Low preset. The 117.4 FPS average is excellent for 4K and provides a far superior experience compared to the 40.8 FPS of Ultra. If you must have higher visual fidelity, Medium at 74.6 FPS is the highest preset that maintains a comfortable pace. The data shows that chasing Ultra at 4K is not worth the significant performance cost.