The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and this pairing of an Intel Core i7-14700KF with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 creates a significant bottleneck. The data shows that the GTX 1650, a GPU that ranks in the 43rd percentile among all graphics cards, is the primary limitation, while the CPU ranks in the 96th percentile. This combination results in a system that can run the game but requires substantial compromises in settings and resolution to achieve playable frame rates, as detailed in the measured performance data below.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where you can achieve a consistently playable frame rate. At this resolution, the Low preset averages 44 FPS, while Medium drops to 28.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, the best average is 35.3 FPS on Low, and at 4K, the maximum average is 30.5 FPS on Low, both of which are less stable for a horror game that benefits from smooth motion.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713. This puts it statistically on par with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746, -0.4% delta) and the AMD Radeon 550X (8749, -0.4% delta). It is slightly ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (8671, 0.5% delta), but these differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the opposite. The Core i7-14700KF scores 44,557 in Cinebench R23 multicore and ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. The GTX 1650 is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the FPS dropping from 44 FPS at 1080p Low to 11 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: Can I use the Ultra preset with this setup?

A: Technically, yes, but the experience will be poor. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields an average of only 16.9 FPS. This is below the threshold for a smooth experience. The data suggests that High and Ultra presets are not viable for this GPU, as even at 1080p they produce averages of 19.6 FPS and 16.9 FPS, respectively.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Medium settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 44 FPS, while the Medium preset drops to 28.2 FPS. That is a 36% reduction in average frame rate. This trade-off between visual quality and smoothness is the key decision point for this hardware.

Q: How does the combo rank in the game's database?

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 1622 out of 1689 total tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the bottom 4% of tested systems, confirming that it is a low-performance configuration for this specific title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the defining component in this system's performance. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. This is a fundamental limitation for The Medium, which is a game with high-resolution textures. The GPU's 896 shading units and 32 ROPs are also relatively few, which directly impacts the pixel fill rate and shader processing required for the game's fixed-camera angles and lighting effects.

The GPU's clock speeds are set to a base of 1485 MHz and a boost of 1665 MHz. While these clocks are respectable for the architecture, the sheer lack of processing power is evident in the scores. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 39,112 and the Passmark G3D score of 7,880 illustrate this. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 305 is particularly telling, as it indicates a very low capacity for modern DirectX 12 workloads, which The Medium relies on for its rendering.

The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. When comparing the 1080p Low (44 FPS) to the 1080p Ultra (16.9 FPS), the 27.1 FPS difference is a direct result of the GPU being overwhelmed by the increased shader complexity and texture loads. The GTX 1650's position in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs, and its close rivalry with the Quadro P2200, which is a workstation card, further underscores that this is entry-level hardware that is not suited for demanding modern games at high detail.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and dramatic impact from resolution scaling, which is the definitive proof of a GPU-bound system. As the resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 (4K), the frame rate collapses regardless of the settings preset. This is because the GPU must render exponentially more pixels, and its limited ROPs and memory bandwidth cannot keep up.

For instance, on the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 44 at 1080p to 35.3 at 1440p, and then to 30.5 at 4K. This is a 30.7% performance loss from 1080p to 4K. The trend is even more severe on the High preset, which sees a drop from 19.6 FPS at 1080p to 13.7 FPS at 1440p and finally to 13.3 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 4K High and 4K Ultra scores (13.3 and 11 FPS) are so close to the 1440p High score (13.7 FPS) suggests that the game is becoming less sensitive to resolution at these low frame rates because the GPU is completely saturated.

This scaling behavior indicates that the CPU is not a limiting factor. A CPU-bound system would show relatively stable FPS across resolutions, as the CPU workload does not change much with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops sharply with every step up in resolution, confirming that the GTX 1650's pixel processing capabilities are the sole determinant of performance. The only way to get a smooth experience is to stay at the lowest resolution and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average FPS data provides a clear picture of the hardware's capabilities. For this breakdown, we focus on the average FPS figures, as min and max FPS were not recorded.

• 3840x2160 (4K): The results here are uniformly poor. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability at an average of 30.5 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 20.3 FPS, High to 13.3 FPS, and Ultra to an unplayable 11 FPS. This resolution is not recommended for this hardware.

• 2560x1440 (1440p): The performance is still heavily constrained. The Low preset averages 35.3 FPS, which is a marginal improvement over 4K. The Medium preset averages 25.2 FPS, while High and Ultra sink to 13.7 FPS and 12.5 FPS, respectively. This resolution is only viable on the Low preset.

• 1920x1080 (1080p): This is the only resolution where this system can function. The Low preset is the clear winner, achieving an average of 44 FPS, which is a playable frame rate for a slow-paced horror game. The Medium preset drops to 28.2 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable stutter. The High preset (19.6 FPS) and Ultra preset (16.9 FPS) are not recommended for active gameplay.

The data shows a stark contrast between presets. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p is a 15.8 FPS loss, which is significant. The jump from Medium to High is another 8.6 FPS loss. This indicates that the settings have a massive impact on the GTX 1650's ability to render the game. The GPU's 4 GB VRAM is also likely a factor at higher presets, as it may be forced to swap textures, further reducing performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this hardware is to prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity. The only setting that consistently delivers a playable experience is the Low preset at 1920x1080, which yields an average of 44 FPS. This should be the baseline for any playthrough of The Medium on this system.

The Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 28.2 FPS, is a secondary option for players who can tolerate a less fluid experience in exchange for better visuals. However, the 15.8 FPS penalty is steep, and in a game that relies on atmosphere and tension, a stutter-free experience is more valuable. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided entirely, as their average frame rates of 19.6 FPS and 16.9 FPS fall below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

For players who want to try higher resolutions, the Low preset at 1440p (35.3 FPS) is the only viable option, but it is still inferior to the 1080p Low experience. The 4K resolution is not a practical option, as even the Low preset only manages 30.5 FPS, which is marginal. The recommendation is to stick with 1080p and the Low preset to ensure the most stable frame rate. The data suggests that this is a case where playing at the lowest settings is the only way to enjoy the game without significant performance issues.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is an exceptionally powerful processor that is completely overshadowed by the GTX 1650 in this gaming scenario. With 20 cores and 28 threads, a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44,557, it is a top-tier CPU, ranking in the 96th percentile of all processors. Its nearest rivals, such as the Core i7-14700K, show a negligible performance delta of 0%, proving its high standing.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. The data indicates that this CPU is more than capable of handling these tasks at any resolution. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are entirely attributable to the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions. Instead, we see a consistent decline, which points directly to the GPU.

The i7-14700KF's Passmark scores further illustrate its strength. A multithread score of 52,425 and a single-thread score of 4,480 show that it has ample headroom for gaming workloads. The "Passmark Physics" score of 2,961 is also relevant, as it suggests strong performance for in-game physics calculations. This CPU is not just sufficient for this game; it is overkill for a system paired with a GTX 1650. The bottleneck is so severe that the CPU is likely idle for a significant portion of the frame rendering time. For this specific game, the i7-14700KF provides no performance benefit over a much weaker processor because the GTX 1650 is the sole limiting factor.