The Medium

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER produces a specific and somewhat constrained experience in The Medium, a horror title that demands significant GPU resources. The benchmark data shows a combination that ranks near the bottom of tested configurations, with performance heavily dependent on lowering resolution and graphical presets to achieve playable frame rates. The following analysis breaks down the measured results, component roles, and practical settings based solely on the provided data.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall rank of this CPU-GPU combination in The Medium?*

A: The combo ranks 1493 out of 1689 tested combinations, placing it in the lower percentile of systems for this specific title.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, scores 70074 with a deltaPct of 0. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is 0.4% ahead, while the AMD EPYC 9115 is 0.3% behind, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 is 1.3% behind.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER sits in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14286.

Q: What is the best average FPS recorded for this combo in the game?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 69.7 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the worst average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 17.5 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How much VRAM does the GPU have, and what is its memory bandwidth?

A: The GPU has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this configuration at rank 1493 out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium, which is a low standing. This rank indicates that the pairing of a high-end 20-core CPU with a mid-range, older GPU creates a bottleneck that severely limits performance in this game. The CPU itself is a strong performer, sitting in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU is only in the 55th percentile. This disparity is a key factor explaining the low combo rank; the processor's potential is largely untapped because the graphics card cannot keep up with the game's demands.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the i7-14700KF is essentially tied with the i7-14700K (deltaPct of 0) and is within a fraction of a percent of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (-0.4%). This shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in the overall performance. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (deltaPct -0.7) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (-0.2%), have very similar average scores, indicating that the GTX 1660 SUPER is performing as expected for its class. The low combo rank is therefore a consequence of the GPU's tier relative to the game's requirements, not a defect in either component.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the primary determinant of performance in this combo for The Medium. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1530 MHz and a boost clock of 1785 MHz. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory, paired with a 192-bit bus, yields a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a likely bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, as the game's textures and effects can easily exceed the available VRAM capacity, leading to significant frame rate drops.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context. Its PassMark G3D score is 12699, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1278. These figures place it in the 55th percentile, and its average score is 14286. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution and settings increase, the GPU's limitations become more pronounced. For instance, at 1920x1080 on Low, the combo achieves 69.7 FPS, but at 3840x2160 on Ultra, it falls to 17.5 FPS. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that lacks the raw compute power and memory bandwidth for high-fidelity rendering at high resolutions. The GPU also lacks dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores, which are not listed in the fact pack, further limiting its ability to handle advanced graphical features in modern titles.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's capabilities across different settings. At 1920x1080, the performance ranges from 69.7 FPS on Low to 24.4 FPS on Ultra. Medium settings produce 42.6 FPS, while High yields 31.9 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the combo approaches smooth, playable performance, and only at the Low preset does it exceed 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across the board. Low settings yield 60.3 FPS, which is playable, but Medium produces 35.4 FPS, High 25.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 21.1 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance is largely untenable for a smooth experience. Low settings average 50.2 FPS, but Medium drops to 30 FPS, High to 19.9 FPS, and Ultra to 17.5 FPS. The data indicates that the step from Low to Medium is a significant performance hit at all resolutions, suggesting that the game's medium preset activates graphical features that heavily tax the GTX 1660 SUPER. The gap between High and Ultra is also substantial, but the gap between Low and Medium is the most critical for playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a high-end processor that is vastly more powerful than the GPU paired with it. It features 20 cores and 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU has a 33 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 44557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6290 in single-core, and it has a PassMark multi-thread score of 52425. These numbers place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data. Given the GPU's limitations, the CPU is almost certainly not the bottleneck. The benchmark results support this, as the frame rates scale more with resolution and settings changes than with any CPU-related factor. The CPU's nearest rivals all score within 1.3% of its average, confirming that its performance is not a differentiator here. Even with a slower CPU, the frame rates would likely be similar because the GTX 1660 SUPER is the limiting factor. The i7-14700KF's massive thread count and high clocks are simply underutilized in this configuration, as the game's performance ceiling is set by the graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS experience, the only viable option is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields 69.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low settings can produce 60.3 FPS, but this is borderline and may dip below 60 in more demanding scenes.

For a stable 30-40 FPS experience at 1920x1080, Medium settings are recommended, as they produce 42.6 FPS. This preset offers a better visual experience than Low while maintaining playable frame rates. At 2560x1440, Medium yields 35.4 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced horror game but not ideal. High settings are generally not recommended, as they drop frame rates to 31.9 FPS at 1080p and 25.9 FPS at 1440p, which is a significant visual gain for a relatively small performance cost compared to Medium.

Ultra settings are not viable at any resolution, as they produce frame rates below 25 FPS even at 1920x1080. At 3840x2160, all settings are essentially unplayable, with even Low only hitting 50.2 FPS and Medium falling to 30 FPS. The data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, balancing graphical quality with a frame rate that remains above 40 FPS. For players prioritizing smoothness over visuals, 1080p Low is the clear choice. The data shows no scenario where High or Ultra settings provide a good experience, making Medium the highest recommended preset for this GPU.