The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title, and the benchmark data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by graphics load at higher settings, yet possesses ample headroom to deliver high refresh rate gameplay at lower presets. The measured results show a clear performance hierarchy where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K Ultra, while the powerful 20-core processor ensures frame rates remain fluid even when the graphics card is not fully saturated.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 75.1 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 58.9 FPS, a reduction of 16.2 FPS. The jump to 4K Ultra is more severe, with the average falling to 47.4 FPS. This 27.7 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings indicates that the RTX 5080's rendering pipeline is the limiting factor, as the pixel count increase directly impacts the GPU's fill rate and shader workload.

However, the scaling pattern changes dramatically at lower graphical presets. When settings are set to Low, the performance delta between resolutions narrows significantly. The 1080p Low result of 184.4 FPS only drops to 172.6 FPS at 1440p, a modest 11.8 FPS decline. At 4K Low, the average is 136.1 FPS. This smaller percentage drop suggests that at Low settings, the workload shifts away from the GPU's fixed-function units and becomes more balanced, allowing the processor to play a larger role in maintaining frame rates. The fact that 4K Low still delivers over 136 FPS proves that the CPU is not a bottleneck even at high pixel counts when the visual load is light.

The most telling comparison for identifying the limiting component is the Ultra preset. The 4K Ultra result of 47.4 FPS is only 63% of the 1080p Ultra score. This large proportional drop indicates that the RTX 5080 is struggling to keep up with the combined demands of 4K resolution and the game's most intensive effects. In contrast, the Medium preset shows a more moderate scaling, with 1080p at 130.1 FPS, 1440p at 108.3 FPS, and 4K at 82.7 FPS. The data clearly shows that any attempt to run The Medium at its highest visual quality will be limited by the graphics card, not the processor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core processor with 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its high core count and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide substantial computational headroom for gaming. In this benchmark, the CPU's influence is most evident at lower resolutions and settings where the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 184.4 FPS, a figure that requires the processor to feed frames to the GPU at a very high rate. The chip's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6290, is critical for this task.

The data indicates that even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is heavily loaded, the CPU manages to keep the pipeline full, resulting in a respectable 75.1 FPS. The processor's performance percentile of 96 versus all CPUs suggests it ranks in the top tier for handling the game's logic and draw calls. When comparing to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, the 14700KF shows a 0% delta in average benchmark score, meaning the two chips perform identically in synthetic tests. This parity is reflected in the gaming results, as the CPU's role is not to boost raw frame rates but to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

The real test of the CPU comes at 4K Low, where the graphics load is minimal. The 136.1 FPS result at this setting is only 48.1 FPS lower than the 1080p Low score. This relatively small gap demonstrates that the processor can still deliver high frame rates even when the GPU is not working hard, but it also shows that the CPU is not the primary limiter in this game. The 20 cores and 28 threads are more than sufficient for The Medium's requirements, which is a fixed-camera horror title that does not heavily utilize multi-threading. The data suggests that the i7-14700KF provides a stable platform, but the game's performance is overwhelmingly determined by the GPU's capabilities.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p Medium offers a strong balance, with an average of 108.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. For a higher fidelity experience, 4K Medium at 82.7 FPS is also viable, though 1440p High at 76.9 FPS provides a similar frame rate with better visuals than Medium at the same resolution.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium, the average frame rate is 82.7 FPS, which is playable. However, 4K Ultra drops to 47.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard many players prefer. The data indicates that 4K is best used with Medium or High settings, not Ultra.

Q: How much of a performance drop occurs between 1080p and 4K?

A: The drop depends heavily on settings. At Ultra, the average frame rate falls from 75.1 FPS at 1080p to 47.4 FPS at 4K, a 27.7 FPS reduction. At Low, the drop is smaller, from 184.4 FPS to 136.1 FPS, a 48.3 FPS reduction, but the proportional decrease is larger.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a bottleneck for the RTX 5080?

A: The benchmark results do not indicate a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 184.4 FPS, showing the processor can feed the GPU effectively. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K follows a pattern typical of GPU-limited scenarios, suggesting the CPU has ample headroom.

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

A: The average frame rate at 1080p High is 88.7 FPS, while at Ultra it is 75.1 FPS. This 13.6 FPS difference represents the cost of the additional visual effects enabled by the Ultra preset.

Q: How does the CPU's benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, which is 0% different from the Intel Core i7-14700K's score of 70074. It is also 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115 and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of performance across all standard resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the lowest preset delivers the highest frame rate of 184.4 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 130.1 FPS, still very smooth. High settings at 1080p yield 88.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 75.1 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear progression where each preset step costs roughly 30 FPS, from Low to Medium, then slightly less from Medium to High, and finally a 13.6 FPS drop from High to Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings produce 172.6 FPS, which is still exceptionally high. Medium delivers 108.3 FPS, High results in 76.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 58.9 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result is the first preset to dip below 60 FPS, indicating that this resolution and quality combination is demanding. The step from Low to Medium at 1440p is the largest single drop in the entire dataset, at 64.3 FPS, which suggests that the Medium preset enables significant GPU-intensive effects.

At 3840x2160, the results show the hardware's limits. Low settings still manage an impressive 136.1 FPS. Medium drops to 82.7 FPS, which is playable. High produces 63 FPS, right at the edge of the 60 FPS target. Ultra at 4K produces 47.4 FPS, which is the lowest measured result. The data shows that 4K requires careful settings selection to maintain a smooth experience, as the gap between Medium and High at this resolution is 19.7 FPS, and the gap between High and Ultra is 15.6 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this configuration, and its characteristics directly explain the measured performance. With 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample resources for high-resolution textures. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the card's 10752 shading units are heavily taxed, resulting in a 47.4 FPS average. The GPU's boost clock of 2617 MHz and its 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power are not sufficient to maintain 60 FPS at the highest settings in this game.

The GPU's role becomes clearer when examining the scaling from Medium to Ultra. At 1080p, the Medium preset produces 130.1 FPS, while Ultra produces 75.1 FPS. This 55 FPS difference is a direct result of the increased shader and texture work required by the Ultra preset. At 4K, the same preset comparison shows a drop from 82.7 FPS to 47.4 FPS, a 35.3 FPS difference. The smaller absolute drop at 4K suggests that the GPU is already saturated at Medium settings, and the additional Ultra effects have a diminishing relative impact.

The RTX 5080's performance percentile of 89 versus all GPUs indicates it is a high-end part, but its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks are not direct competitors. The data shows the GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where it cannot keep up with the demand. However, at 1080p Low, the card delivers 184.4 FPS, proving it has the raw power to handle less demanding scenarios with ease. The 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios, as The Medium's requirements are well within this capacity.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data suggests that the best experience depends on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For players with a 1080p display, the High preset at 88.7 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 75.1 FPS is also viable, providing maximum quality while staying above 60 FPS. For those prioritizing high refresh rates, the Medium preset at 130.1 FPS is the best choice, as it still looks good while delivering a very high frame rate.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, as its 108.3 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a fluid experience. The High preset at 76.9 FPS is a solid alternative for better visuals, but the Ultra preset at 58.9 FPS is below the ideal target and should be avoided unless a lower frame rate is acceptable. The data shows that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for this resolution, as it offers a 31.4 FPS advantage over High with only a moderate reduction in visual quality.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 82.7 FPS is the clear winner, providing a smooth and detailed experience. The High preset at 63 FPS is playable but close to the edge, and any dips would be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 47.4 FPS is not recommended, as it falls well below the standard for playable frame rates. The Low preset at 136.1 FPS is an option for players who want the highest possible frame rate at 4K, but the visual compromise is significant. Overall, the data indicates that Medium is the optimal preset for this GPU at 4K, with High being acceptable for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate stability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 32nd out of 1689 tested combos in The Medium. This places the configuration in the top 2% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a high-end setup for this game. The rank reflects the strong performance of both components, but the measured frame rates show that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher settings. The high ranking is a result of the CPU's ability to avoid bottlenecking the GPU, allowing the RTX 5080 to perform to its full potential.

The rank of 32 out of 1689 is particularly notable because it shows that only 31 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs are faster in this specific game. This suggests that the i7-14700KF is well-matched to the RTX 5080 for The Medium, as the processor provides enough throughput to keep the graphics card fed. The data does not include comparisons to other specific combos, but the percentile ranking of the CPU at 96 and the GPU at 89 indicate that both components are in the upper echelon of their respective categories.

The fact that this combo achieves this high rank despite the GPU being a bottleneck at 4K Ultra suggests that most other tested combos perform worse in this scenario. The 47.4 FPS at 4K Ultra is low in absolute terms, but the ranking shows it is still better than the vast majority of alternatives. This indicates that The Medium is a challenging game for all hardware, and the i7-14700KF + RTX 5080 combo is one of the best available for handling it. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU results in a system that can deliver playable frame rates at 4K Medium and excellent performance at lower resolutions.