The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title, presents a unique testing scenario for the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination. The measured frame rates across its four quality presets and three resolutions reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound, with the processor providing ample headroom. This analysis breaks down the performance data to show how the combo scales, where it excels, and the most efficient ways to play.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop varies significantly depending on the graphics preset. This variance is the key to understanding which component is the bottleneck. At the Low preset, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 sees the average frame rate fall from 191 FPS to 161 FPS, a reduction of 30 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 brings the average down to 127 FPS, another 34 FPS drop. While these are substantial absolute decreases, the frame rates remain exceptionally high, suggesting that even at 4K, the GPU is not fully saturated and the CPU is still feeding it frames efficiently.

The scaling story changes dramatically at the Medium preset. Here, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 120, which drops to 101 FPS at 2560x1440 and then to 79 FPS at 3840x2160. The relative performance hit from 1440p to 4K is a 21.8% reduction, which is slightly steeper than the 15.8% drop seen from 1080p to 1440p. This indicates that as the preset increases visual fidelity, the GPU's workload grows faster than the resolution change alone would suggest, pulling the system closer to a pure GPU limit.

At the High preset, the scaling becomes even more pronounced. The average frame rate starts at 86 FPS at 1080p, decreases to 72 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 57 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1440p and 4K is a 20.8% performance loss, while the 1080p to 1440p step costs 16.3%. The final and most demanding preset, Ultra, shows the steepest curve. The average FPS at 1080p is 68, falling to 57 at 1440p, and reaching a low of 45 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is the only measured average below 60 FPS in the entire dataset.

The overall pattern is clear: the RTX 4080's performance is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions and presets. The gap between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p is 123 FPS (191 vs 68), but at 4K, this gap narrows to 82 FPS (127 vs 45). This convergence at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU's ability to render frames becomes less relevant when the GPU is struggling to process the increased pixel count and graphical complexity. The i9-14900K, with its high core count and boost clock, is never the limiting factor in these tests.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings balance visual quality with a consistently smooth frame rate. The Medium preset emerges as the standout choice for a high-refresh-rate experience. At 1920x1080, it delivers a 120 FPS average with a minimum of 102 FPS, ensuring fluid motion. At 2560x1440, the average of 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays and provides a significant smoothness advantage. Even at 3840x2160, the Medium preset achieves a 79 FPS average with a minimum of 67 FPS, which is playable on standard 60Hz monitors and opens the door for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming on capable displays.

The High preset is a viable alternative for users prioritizing visual fidelity over raw frame rate. It provides a 57 FPS average at 4K, which is just shy of a locked 60 FPS experience but still playable. At 1440p, the 72 FPS average is good, but the 101 FPS average of Medium offers a more substantial performance buffer for the same resolution. The data suggests that the visual jump from Medium to High is not worth the 29-FPS average loss at 1080p (120 to 86) or the 22-FPS loss at 1440p (101 to 72).

The Ultra preset is difficult to recommend based on the numbers. While it produces a 68 FPS average at 1080p, the performance degrades rapidly. The 45 FPS average at 4K is below the standard for smooth gameplay, and the 57 FPS at 1440p does not provide a consistent 60 FPS experience. The Low preset, while achieving incredibly high frame rates, likely sacrifices too much visual detail for the horror atmosphere of the game. The 127 FPS at 4K is impressive, but the visual compromise is severe. Therefore, the benchmark results indicate that the Medium preset provides the best measured experience, delivering high frame rates with a minimum FPS that stays well clear of stutter territory across all tested resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the central figure in this performance analysis, and its specifications explain the observed scaling. The card features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This substantial memory configuration is more than sufficient for The Medium at all tested resolutions and presets, meaning VRAM capacity is not a bottleneck in any of the measured scenarios. The GPU's architecture, Ada Lovelace, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, housing 45,900 million transistors.

Clock speeds play a significant role in the performance consistency. The base clock is 2205 MHz, which boosts up to 2505 MHz. This boost behavior allows the GPU to dynamically increase its performance when thermal and power headroom permits, which is typical for a triple-slot card with a 320 W TDP. The GPU's raw compute capabilities are substantial, with 9,728 shading units and a FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS. This raw power is what drives the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions and presets.

However, the data reveals that the RTX 4080's performance ceiling is reached at the higher settings. The frame rate drops from 127 FPS at 4K Low to 45 FPS at 4K Ultra, a 64.6% reduction in performance. This significant drop is attributable to the increased graphical load from the Ultra preset, which taxes the GPU's shading units, texture mapping units, and raster operations pipelines. The GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are present for ray tracing and DLSS, but their specific impact on The Medium is not isolated in this dataset. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the definitive limiting factor for this combo, as evidenced by the steep performance cliffs at higher resolutions and presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average frame rates provides a comprehensive view of the combo's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low 191 FPS, Medium 120 FPS (minimum 102, maximum 138), High 86 FPS, and Ultra 68 FPS. This resolution shows the widest spread, with the GPU able to flex its muscles at the lower presets. The jump from Low to Medium is a 37.2% reduction in performance, while the jump from High to Ultra is a 20.9% reduction, showing diminishing returns for the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 161 FPS, Medium 101 FPS (minimum 86, maximum 116), High 72 FPS, and Ultra 57 FPS. The 1440p resolution is likely the sweet spot for this hardware. The Medium preset's 101 FPS average is excellent for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, and the 86 FPS minimum ensures that even the most demanding scenes remain fluid. The Ultra preset's 57 FPS average is just below the 60 FPS target, making it a borderline choice.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 127 FPS, Medium 79 FPS (minimum 67, maximum 91), High 57 FPS, and Ultra 45 FPS. The 4K results show a clear hierarchy. The Low preset's 127 FPS is surprisingly high, but the visual quality is likely unacceptable for a modern title. The Medium preset's 79 FPS average is the most playable option at this resolution, offering a solid experience. The High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less desirable for smooth gameplay. The minimum FPS data, only provided for the Medium preset, shows a consistent 15-16% drop from the average, indicating stable frame pacing without major hitches.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 holds a rank of 173 out of 3,724 total combos. This places it in the top 4.6% of all tested systems, signifying a very high-performing configuration. The rank is a holistic measure that considers all the measured FPS data points, and its high position confirms that this hardware pairing is exceptionally well-suited for this specific game.

The GPU's individual standing in the broader benchmark suite reinforces this. The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54,247, and it sits in the 86th percentile against all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which has an average score of 54,209, a negligible delta of 0.1%. This indicates that the standard 4080 is virtually identical in performance to its SUPER counterpart in synthetic tests, and the measured FPS in The Medium reflects this high level of capability. The CPU also performs well, with the i9-14900K sitting in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, but the game's overall ranking is more heavily influenced by the GPU, as the FPS data suggests.

The combination's rank of 173 is a strong result, indicating that there are only 172 other tested systems that perform better in this game. This is a clear statement that the Intel Core i9-14900K and RTX 4080 is a top-tier pairing for The Medium, capable of delivering high frame rates at demanding settings. The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals, such as the -1.1% for the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and -2.6% for the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, show that the 4080 is a clear leader among its closest competitors in synthetic benchmarks, a trend that likely carries over to this game's performance.

CPU Role

While the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates, the Intel Core i9-14900K plays a crucial supporting role. This processor features 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. This high boost clock is critical for gaming, as it ensures that the CPU can quickly process game logic and feed the GPU with draw calls, preventing a CPU-side bottleneck. The processor's 36 MB of shared L3 cache also helps by keeping frequently accessed data close to the cores.

The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 191 FPS, a frame rate that would strain many processors. The fact that this i9-14900K can maintain such high speeds indicates its immense processing power. Even at the most demanding setting, 4K Ultra, the 45 FPS result is clearly a GPU limitation, not a CPU one. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see a smaller performance penalty when moving from 1440p to 4K, as the GPU would be waiting for the CPU. Instead, the consistent frame rate drops with increasing resolution confirm that the GPU is the limiting component.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores support this conclusion. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 39,399.5, and its single-core score is 2,262.5. The single-core performance is particularly relevant for gaming, as most game engines rely heavily on a few fast cores. The i9-14900K's 6.00 GHz boost clock confirms its single-threaded strength, ensuring that even in CPU-intensive scenarios within The Medium, such as complex scripted events, the processor can keep up. The data shows a system with perfect balance for this game: the GPU is the performance ceiling, and the CPU is powerful enough to ensure that the GPU is always the one hitting that ceiling.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and preset combination for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: The data shows that the Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides an average of 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS. This is the most balanced option for monitors with refresh rates above 60Hz. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset yields an even higher 120 FPS average.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS for the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 is 45 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target. To achieve 60 FPS at 4K, the settings must be lowered to the High preset, which yields an average of 57 FPS, or the Medium preset, which provides a more comfortable 79 FPS average.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this game?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The benchmark results show that frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU, with its high boost clock and core count, is never the limiting factor, as evidenced by the exceptionally high frame rates at the Low preset.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 in this combo compare to its closest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 has an average score of 54,247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209. The deltaPct is a negligible 0.1%, indicating that the two cards perform virtually identically. The measured FPS in The Medium for this combo reflects this high level of performance.

Q: Is the VRAM capacity of the RTX 4080 a concern for this game?

A: No. The RTX 4080 features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This is more than sufficient for The Medium at all tested resolutions and presets, so VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios.

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this specific hardware combination?

A: This combo of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 173rd out of 3,724 tested combinations for The Medium. This places it in the top 4.6% of all tested systems, indicating an exceptionally high-performing configuration.