The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, presents a unique challenge for the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. Benchmark data for this pairing shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all settings and resolutions provide a clear picture of where this combo excels and where it falls short, making the choice of settings and resolution critical for a playable experience.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo achieves consistently playable frame rates above 60 FPS, and only on the Low preset. At this resolution, the Low preset yields an average of 89.5 FPS, while the Medium preset drops to 57.3 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K (3840x2160) gaming in The Medium?

A: According to the measured results, 4K is only viable on the Low preset, which produces an average of 62.1 FPS. All other settings at 4K fall below 40 FPS, with the Ultra preset yielding an unplayable 19.9 FPS average.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals based on benchmark scores?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 19774, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, has an average score of 19706, making the RTX 2060 SUPER a mere 0.3% faster. It also leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 by 0.5% and the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 by 0.8%.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 74.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages only 28.8 FPS. This represents a significant performance cost, with the Ultra preset being roughly 61% slower than the Low preset at this resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a bottleneck for this GPU in this game?

A: The data does not suggest a CPU bottleneck. The i7-14700KF is a top-tier processor with a 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs. The significant FPS drops when increasing graphical settings indicate the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor.

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 89.5, achieved at the 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. The next highest is 74.5 FPS at 2560x1440 with the Low preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the definitive performance ceiling for this system in The Medium. Its benchmark data shows a mid-range standing, with a percentile ranking of 63 against all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 19774. This score places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals, being only 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2070 and 0.3% ahead of the GTX TITAN. The GPU's architecture and memory configuration are critical to understanding its performance in this title.

The card features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory subsystem is a key factor, as The Medium’s high-resolution textures and rendering techniques can be demanding on VRAM. The core clock speeds are listed at 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost. The performance data indicates that these clock speeds and memory resources are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming at lower presets, but they become overwhelmed at higher settings and resolutions.

For instance, the transition from Low to Ultra at 1920x1080 shows a drop from 89.5 FPS to 34.2 FPS. This pattern is consistent across all resolutions, showing that the GPU's compute and memory throughput are not enough to maintain high frame rates under maximum load. The card's FP32 performance is rated at 7.181 TFLOPS, which, when combined with its memory bandwidth, gives it a fixed performance envelope. The measured FPS data shows that this envelope is best utilized at lower quality settings, where the GPU is not overburdened, allowing it to push higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds a rank of 1226 out of 1689 total combinations. This places it in the lower 28th percentile of all tested combos for this game. This rank is a holistic measure that considers the average performance across all tested settings and resolutions. The low rank relative to the CPU's high standing suggests that the GPU is heavily holding back the system.

The i7-14700KF is a powerhouse, with an average benchmark score of 70104 and a percentile rank of 96. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, scores 70074, a negligible 0% difference. This means the CPU has immense processing power available. However, the combo's overall rank in The Medium is dragged down by the RTX 2060 SUPER, which only achieves a 63rd percentile ranking among all GPUs. The data suggests that the GPU's inability to maintain high frame rates at high settings is the primary reason for the combo's low position. The benchmark results indicate a significant mismatch in capability, where the CPU is capable of far more than the GPU can deliver in this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in The Medium prioritizes resolution and settings to stay above a playable frame rate threshold. The data shows that the Low preset is the only setting that allows for high refresh rate gaming. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 89.5 FPS, which is excellent for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, the Low preset still yields a respectable 74.5 FPS, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and performance.

The Medium preset provides a significant step up in visual quality but at a substantial performance cost. At 1920x1080, it delivers 57.3 FPS, which is playable but not optimal for a smooth experience. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended for any resolution if a consistent frame rate is desired. At 1920x1080, High only manages 38.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 34.2 FPS. At higher resolutions, these presets become even less viable. For the best overall experience, the data suggests using the Low preset at 2560x1440 for a good balance of detail and performance, or the Low preset at 1920x1080 for maximum smoothness. The Medium preset at 1920x1080 is a viable compromise for those who prioritize visuals over a high frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear, resolution-by-resolution breakdown of performance. At 3840x2160, the system is heavily GPU-bound. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, with an average of 62.1 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 39.4 FPS, High to 27.8 FPS, and Ultra to a very low 19.9 FPS. This stark progression shows that 4K gaming is only feasible on the lowest settings.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves. The Low preset yields a comfortable 74.5 FPS average. The Medium preset offers 47.2 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players. The High preset averages 35.4 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 28.8 FPS, making it difficult to play. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution is steep, with a difference of 45.7 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the resolution most likely to be used with this GPU, the results are more varied. The Low preset achieves the highest average of all tests at 89.5 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 57.3 FPS, which is a solid result for a medium-quality setting. The High preset averages 38.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the lowest of the 1080p set at 34.2 FPS. The data shows that at 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 55.3 FPS, highlighting the significant performance cost of higher graphical fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF plays a supporting but crucial role in this combo. Its specifications are formidable: 20 cores, 28 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This processing power is reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290. Its 96th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms that it is one of the most powerful processors available.

However, in The Medium, the data indicates that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. The performance, as shown by the measured FPS, scales dramatically with changes to graphical settings, which are primarily GPU-bound workloads. For example, at 1920x1080, the FPS drops from 89.5 on Low to 34.2 on Ultra, a change of over 55 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, this variance would be much smaller, as the CPU load would remain similar across different graphics presets.

The CPU's large L3 cache of 33 MB (shared) and high single-thread performance are more than adequate for the game's logic and rendering commands. The data strongly suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the sole performance limiter. The CPU is effectively a high-performance component that is waiting for the GPU to catch up. This is a classic case of a pairing where the processor's capabilities far exceed what the graphics card can deliver in a demanding title like The Medium, resulting in the GPU dictating the overall performance level.