The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers a highly variable experience in The Medium, with frame rates swinging dramatically based on resolution and quality settings. The data shows a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, but the CPU’s substantial headroom prevents it from ever becoming a limiting factor in this horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, confirming that the Radeon RX 7600 is the component under pressure. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 90.2 at 1920x1080 to 60.9 at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 32%. This scaling is relatively mild because Low settings reduce the pixel shader workload, allowing the GPU to keep pace better as resolution climbs.

The gap widens significantly at higher presets. Moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings drops the average from 55.5 FPS to 38.2 FPS, a 31% decrease. However, the most punishing scenario is at High settings, where the 1080p average of 41.1 FPS plummets to 26.5 FPS at 4K — a 36% loss. At Ultra, the trend continues: 35.7 FPS at 1080p falls to 22.1 FPS at 4K, a 38% reduction. These numbers indicate that the RX 7600’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, coupled with its 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, are overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and intensive graphical effects.

The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the GPU is still the dominant constraint, but the CPU’s 20 cores and 28 threads are never the cause of a bottleneck. The i7-14700KF’s boost clock of 5.60 GHz and its 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs mean it can feed frames far faster than the RX 7600 can render them. At 1440p, the data shows a similar story: Low settings yield 79.8 FPS, Medium drops to 46.5 FPS, and High falls to 33 FPS. The 4K results are the clearest indicator of the GPU’s limits, as even Low settings only manage an average of 60.9 FPS, which is marginal for smooth gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

For a playable experience, the measured data points to Low settings as the only reliable choice at higher resolutions. At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 90.2 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium at 1080p still provides 55.5 FPS, which is acceptable for most players, but High drops to 41.1 FPS and Ultra falls to 35.7 FPS, both of which may feel stuttery in a horror game where reaction time matters.

At 2560x1440, the situation tightens. Low settings produce 79.8 FPS, which is excellent, but Medium falls to 46.5 FPS, and High drops to 33 FPS. Ultra is nearly unplayable at 28.4 FPS. The data strongly suggests that 1440p users should stick with Low to maintain a smooth frame rate, as the visual fidelity gain from Medium is not worth the 33 FPS average loss. The 4K results are even more restrictive: Low settings are the only option that exceeds 60 FPS, delivering 60.9 FPS, while Medium drops to 38.2 FPS and High/Ultra fall below 30 FPS.

The best experience per the measured rows is clearly Low settings at 1080p, offering 90.2 FPS, or Low at 1440p with 79.8 FPS. For players who prioritize visuals over frame rate, Medium at 1080p is the highest preset that remains above 50 FPS, but the drop from Low to Medium is a 38% reduction in performance, making it a tough trade-off. The data does not support using High or Ultra at any resolution, as even at 1080p they fail to reach 45 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600’s specifications explain its performance ceiling in The Medium. The GPU features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines, all running at a boost clock of 2655 MHz. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a common bottleneck for modern games at high resolutions. The card’s 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is modest for a 2023 release, and its 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier.

In this game, the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are critical. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 22.1, which is likely due to the GPU running out of memory bandwidth rather than raw compute power. The card’s 64 ROPs and 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate are also limiting at higher settings, as the game’s fixed camera angles and heavy post-processing effects demand more fill rate than the card can provide. The RX 7600’s nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the RX 7600 XT (0.6% higher average score) and the Intel Arc B570 (1.5% lower), but in this specific game, the RX 7600’s measured performance is what defines its capability.

The GPU’s 6 nm process node from TSMC, with 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die, gives it a transistor density of 65.2M / mm². This efficiency does not translate into high frame rates in The Medium, as the game appears to be heavily shader-bound. The card’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is present, but the measured FPS data suggests that even with this API, the GPU cannot handle the game’s demands at higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression: Low settings achieve 90.2 FPS, Medium drops to 55.5 FPS, High falls to 41.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 35.7 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 38% performance hit, while the jump from Medium to High is another 26% loss. The difference between High and Ultra is smaller at 13%, indicating diminishing returns for the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings deliver 79.8 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium manages 46.5 FPS, High drops to 33 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28.4 FPS. The 1440p results are roughly 12-20% lower than 1080p at each setting, showing that resolution scaling has a consistent impact.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overmatched. Low settings yield 60.9 FPS, which is playable but close to the edge. Medium drops to 38.2 FPS, High falls to 26.5 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 22.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is a 37% reduction, and the gap between Medium and High is another 31%. This breakdown confirms that the RX 7600 is only viable at Low settings for 4K, and even then, the 60.9 FPS average leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this GPU/CPU combo in The Medium?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers 90.2 FPS, which is the highest measured average. At 2560x1440, Low settings still achieve 79.8 FPS, making it a viable alternative. 4K is only playable at Low settings with 60.9 FPS.

Q: Can the i7-14700KF handle this game without bottlenecking the RX 7600?

A: Yes. The CPU has 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs and its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 indicate it has far more processing power than the game needs, so the GPU is always the limiting factor.

Q: How does the RX 7600 compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The RX 7600’s average benchmark score is 20258, which is 0.6% lower than the RX 7600 XT and 1.5% higher than the Intel Arc B570. In The Medium, the measured FPS shows it performs as expected for its mid-range position, with playable frame rates only at Low or Medium settings.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM enough for The Medium?

A: The data suggests 8 GB is insufficient for high resolutions and presets. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 22.1, and even at 1440p Ultra it is only 28.4 FPS. These low numbers likely stem from VRAM capacity and bandwidth limitations, as the card’s 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is modest.

Q: What preset should I use for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1080p, Low settings achieve 90.2 FPS, which is well above 60. At 1440p, Low settings reach 79.8 FPS. At 4K, Low settings hit 60.9 FPS. No other preset at any resolution reaches 60 FPS in the measured data.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1194 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This ranking reflects the GPU’s 63rd percentile performance, which is the main constraint in The Medium.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, and it boosts to 5.60 GHz, with a 33 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark results are exceptional: it scores 44557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6290 in single-core, and it ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 70104 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-14700K (0% delta) and slightly higher than the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.3% delta).

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. Given the game’s fixed camera angles and linear progression, the CPU demands are moderate. The i7-14700KF’s 28 threads are more than sufficient, and its high single-core performance (6290 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures that the game’s main thread never becomes a bottleneck. The data confirms this: at 1080p Low, the FPS is 90.2, which is likely near the GPU’s maximum output, not a CPU limit. At 4K, the FPS drops to 60.9 at Low settings, further proving that the GPU is the constraint.

The CPU’s 125 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory are relevant for system configuration, but they do not directly impact the game’s FPS. The processor’s 33 MB L3 cache is a significant asset, as it reduces memory latency for frequently accessed data. The i7-14700KF’s nearest rival, the i7-14700K, has an average score of 70074, which is essentially identical, meaning there is no meaningful performance difference between the two in this game. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is slightly ahead at 70420, a 0.4% delta, but this difference is negligible in gaming workloads.

The CPU’s boosting behavior is also critical. With a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, the processor can maintain high frequencies under load, ensuring that frame times are consistent. The measured FPS data shows no anomalies that would indicate CPU stuttering, even at 1080p Low where the GPU is producing 90 FPS. The CPU’s Passmark multi-thread score of 52425 and single-thread score of 4480 further support its capability to handle this game without issues. In summary, the i7-14700KF is overkill for The Medium, but it ensures that the RX 7600 is the only component holding back performance.