The Medium

The Medium is a demanding title, and the data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB paints a clear picture of a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card. The benchmark results show a configuration that can handle the game at lower presets but struggles significantly as visual fidelity and resolution increase. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to show exactly where this combo stands.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drops are steep and consistent as resolution increases, clearly indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this system. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers an average of 66.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset drops the average to 53.2 FPS, and at 4K it falls further to 45.2 FPS. This scaling pattern—a 20% drop from 1080p to 1440p and another 15% drop to 4K—shows that even at the lowest settings, the rendering load is exceeding what the RTX 3050 4 GB can comfortably handle at higher resolutions.

The situation becomes more pronounced at higher settings presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 28.6 FPS at 1080p to 22.6 FPS at 1440p, and then to 18 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings is a 37% reduction in performance. This demonstrates that the combination of increased resolution and higher graphical fidelity creates an insurmountable load for this GPU. The data suggests that 1080p is the only viable resolution for a playable experience, and even then, only with significant settings adjustments.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows show that the choice of settings preset is the single most critical factor for achieving playable frame rates with this hardware. At 1080p, the Low preset is the only one that breaks the 60 FPS threshold, achieving an average of 66.9 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 41.4 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. High and Ultra at 1080p drop to 28.6 FPS and 24.2 FPS respectively, which are below the threshold for a comfortable experience in a slow-paced horror game.

For a target of 60 FPS, the Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration in the entire data set that achieves it. If the user can tolerate a lower frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a better balance of visual quality and performance at 41.4 FPS. The data indicates that the Ultra preset is essentially not viable at any resolution, with the best result being 24.2 FPS at 1080p. The recommendation is clear: for a stable experience, use Low at 1080p; for better visuals, Medium at 1080p is the ceiling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is the definitive limiting factor in this combination. Its 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, paired with a 128-bit bus and a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s, proves insufficient for the demands of The Medium at higher settings. The benchmark results show that the performance collapse occurs not just with resolution, but with settings presets that increase texture and memory load. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p causes a 38% drop in average frame rate, from 66.9 FPS to 41.4 FPS, which points to a memory bandwidth and capacity bottleneck.

The GPU's core clocks are a base of 1545 MHz and a boost of 1740 MHz. While these are not low figures, the FP32 performance of 7.127 TFLOPS is simply not enough to drive the game's rendering engine at high details. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 3050 4 GB is a card designed for 1080p gaming at medium to low settings in modern titles, and The Medium is no exception. The 90 W TDP and the suggested 250 W PSU are consistent with an entry-level card, and the performance data confirms this classification.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB ranks 1525 out of 1689 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the bottom 10% of all tested systems, which is a direct reflection of the GPU's limitations. The CPU itself is a high-end part, scoring in the 96th percentile against all CPUs and averaging 70104 in benchmark scores. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700K and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, have average scores within 1% of this chip, showing that the processor has ample headroom.

The low rank of this combo is entirely attributable to the pairing. The CPU's power is wasted when coupled with a GPU that cannot utilize it in this specific game. The benchmark data shows a system where the processor is capable of far more, but the graphics card holds it back. The rank of 1525 out of 1689 serves as a warning that this is not a balanced configuration for a game like The Medium.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?

A: The data shows that at 4K, the best average frame rate is 45.2 FPS on Low settings. At Medium, High, and Ultra, the averages are 24.6 FPS, 18 FPS, and 17.5 FPS, respectively. These results indicate that 4K is not a viable resolution for this game with this hardware.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p?

A: The Low preset is the only one that achieves an average above 60 FPS, hitting 66.9 FPS. If you prefer better visuals, the Medium preset at 41.4 FPS is the highest settings level that remains playable.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU benchmarks put it in the 96th percentile, and its nearest rival scores are within 1.3%. The frame rate scaling with resolution and settings indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB is the limiting component.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Low preset averages 53.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 18.4 FPS. This represents a 189% increase in average frame rate when using Low settings.

Q: What is the average frame rate difference between High and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the High preset delivers an average of 28.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 24.2 FPS. The difference is 4.4 FPS, showing that the step from High to Ultra provides a minor performance hit relative to the step from Medium to High.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1525 out of 1689 tested combinations for The Medium, placing it in the lower percentile of all tested hardware pairings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact average frame rates measured for this hardware combination across all tested resolutions and settings presets.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ------: |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 17.5 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 18.0 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 24.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 45.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 18.4 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 22.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 35.3 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 53.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 24.2 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 28.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 41.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 66.9 |

The data shows a consistent hierarchy. The 1080p Low result is the standout, providing the only average above 60 FPS. Every other configuration falls below 54 FPS, with the 4K Ultra and High presets dipping below 20 FPS, making them effectively unplayable. The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a significant performance cost for increased graphical fidelity, reinforcing that users should prioritize the Low or Medium presets to maintain acceptable frame rates.