The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a performance profile in The Medium that is heavily dictated by graphics settings and resolution. The data shows a configuration capable of high refresh rates at lower presets but one that struggles to maintain smooth gameplay at the highest visual quality in 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to explain the role each component plays and how they interact.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. With a TDP of 125 W, this is a high-end desktop part designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads. In The Medium, a horror title with a fixed-camera style, the CPU’s role is primarily to maintain a stable frame pacing baseline, ensuring the GPU is fed with enough data to render scenes.

Benchmark results for the i7-14700KF show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290. These scores place the processor in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. In the context of this game, the single-core performance is often more relevant, as many game logic and physics threads rely on high clock speeds. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz is a strong asset here, allowing the CPU to quickly process the game’s simulation tasks without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

However, the measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor in most scenarios. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 161.7 FPS, which is a high frame rate that still leaves headroom. The processor’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-14700K, which has an average score of 70074 with a 0% delta, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70420 with a -0.4% delta. This shows the i7-14700KF is within a very tight performance band of other top-tier CPUs, meaning any differences in gaming performance are likely minimal and more dependent on the GPU or game engine optimization.

The data indicates that even at 1080p Low, where CPU load is typically highest relative to GPU load, the system is not fully CPU-bound. The frame rate scales down consistently as resolution increases, suggesting the GPU takes over as the limiting component. Therefore, while the i7-14700KF’s powerful multi-core design is capable of handling the game’s requirements with ease, it is not the bottleneck in this configuration. The processor’s high percentile ranking (96th) confirms it has substantial headroom for this title, making the GPU the more critical factor in determining final FPS numbers.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the dominant force in this configuration, and its specifications align with the observed FPS scaling. It features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1387 MHz, a boost clock of 2394 MHz, and a game clock of 2025 MHz. With 5376 shading units and 84 RT cores, this is a high-end graphics card built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture.

In The Medium, the GPU’s memory capacity and bandwidth are crucial, as the game’s dual-reality mechanic often requires rendering two separate scenes simultaneously. The 20 GB VRAM buffer is more than sufficient for any resolution tested, preventing texture streaming or memory allocation issues. The GPU’s benchmark scores reflect its strong compute capabilities, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5623 and a Passmark G3D score of 29009.

The GPU’s performance percentile is 82nd among all GPUs, which is slightly lower than the CPU’s 96th percentile, but still indicates a very capable card. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, FPS drops significantly. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 71.9 at 1080p to 60.6 at 1440p, and finally to 45.8 at 4K. This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering load increases exponentially with pixel count.

The GPU’s clock speeds are also relevant. The high boost clock of 2394 MHz allows for sustained performance under load, but the data suggests that at 4K Ultra, the card is heavily taxed. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is stark: 105.1 FPS versus 40 FPS. This indicates that the GPU’s raw compute power, while substantial, is not enough to maintain high frame rates with all visual features enabled at the highest resolution. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, which has a similar average score, indicating that the RX 7900 XT is positioned competitively in the market.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested configurations, this combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 319th out of 1689 combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 19% of all tested systems, which is a solid position given the high-end nature of both components. The rank is a composite measure of performance across all tested resolutions and settings, weighted by the FPS achieved.

This ranking suggests that while the individual components are top-tier, the combination is not at the very top of the leaderboard. This is likely because other combinations with even more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, could achieve higher FPS, especially at 4K. The rank of 319 also reflects the fact that the RX 7900 XT is outperformed by some flagship cards in specific scenarios, despite its strong specifications.

Looking at the data, the combo’s performance is consistent with its rank. At 1080p Low, it achieves 161.7 FPS, which is excellent, but not the highest possible. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 40 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many gamers consider playable. The rank of 319 indicates that there are 318 other combinations that achieve better overall performance in this game. This is a nuanced result, showing that the combo is very capable but not without its limitations at the extreme end of the settings spectrum.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across different configurations. At 1080p, the system delivers high frame rates. With Low settings, it averages 161.7 FPS. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 100.1 FPS. High settings yield 71.9 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 57.3 FPS. This shows a smooth progression, with each settings tier reducing performance by a significant margin.

At 1440p, the same pattern emerges but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 133.7 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings drop to 83.2 FPS, while High settings average 60.6 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of 48.1 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 17% at Low settings, but the percentage loss increases at higher settings, indicating a growing GPU bottleneck.

At 4K, the performance takes a significant hit. Low settings still manage an average of 105.1 FPS, which is respectable. Medium settings drop to 67.1 FPS, while High settings average 45.8 FPS. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of just 40 FPS. This is the only scenario where the system falls below the 60 FPS threshold for all settings except Low. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial, with a difference of over 65 FPS, highlighting the GPU’s sensitivity to visual quality settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions is a key indicator of where the bottleneck lies. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 17-21% depending on the settings. For example, at High settings, the drop is from 71.9 to 60.6 FPS, a decrease of about 15.7%. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more pronounced. At High settings, the FPS goes from 60.6 to 45.8, a decrease of 24.4%. This pattern is consistent across all settings, with the percentage drop increasing as resolution rises.

This scaling behavior is classic for a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to maintain a high frame rate at lower resolutions, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU’s rendering workload grows quadratically. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 161.7 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame rate for this game. However, at 4K Ultra, the FPS drops to 40, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated.

The fact that the FPS does not drop proportionally to the pixel count (4K has 4x the pixels of 1080p, but FPS does not drop by 4x) suggests that the GPU is still managing to utilize its resources efficiently. However, the absolute numbers at 4K Ultra are low, indicating that the RX 7900 XT is not powerful enough to handle the game’s most demanding settings at that resolution. This confirms that the GPU, not the CPU, is the limiting component in this configuration, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: The data shows that 1080p High achieves 71.9 FPS, and 1440p Medium achieves 83.2 FPS, both above 60 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings reach above 60 FPS, with an average of 105.1 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS, 1440p High is borderline at 60.6 FPS, while 1080p Ultra is below at 57.3 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, scores 70074 with a 0% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70420 with a -0.4% delta. This indicates near-identical performance.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 40, which is the lowest measured value. The FPS drops from 105.1 at 4K Low to 40 at 4K Ultra, a decrease of over 60%, showing the GPU is struggling with the highest visual quality.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in The Medium?*

A: This combo ranks 319th out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the top 19% of systems for this game.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings average 161.7 FPS, while Ultra settings average 57.3 FPS. This is a difference of 104.4 FPS, showing a significant performance cost for higher visual fidelity.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for this game?

A: Yes. The GPU has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is more than sufficient for The Medium at any resolution or settings tested. The FPS drops are due to compute limitations, not memory capacity.