The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon 880M produces a specific performance profile. The benchmark data shows this is a configuration that struggles to maintain smooth framerates, with the integrated GPU being the primary bottleneck across all tested settings. This analysis breaks down how the CPU and GPU components contribute to the measured results, how this combo compares to others, and what the resolution scaling reveals about the system's limitations.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor built on the Meteor Lake architecture, featuring 14 cores and 18 threads. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, and it carries a 28 W TDP, indicating a focus on efficiency within a power-constrained laptop chassis. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications position the 135H as a capable multi-threaded performer for a mobile part, but its role in The Medium is secondary to the graphics subsystem.

Benchmark results for the CPU show strong synthetic performance. In Cinebench R23, the 135H scores 11,875.5 in multi-core and 1,700 in single-core tests. Its Passmark multi-thread score of 22,422 and single-thread score of 3,521 further illustrate a balanced processing capability. The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 81, meaning it outperforms the majority of processors in the database. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, has an average score of 29,123, which is a delta of -0.1%, indicating the 135H is essentially on par with that desktop-class chip in overall CPU benchmarks.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU is likely not the limiting factor. The game's measured FPS at 1080p Low is 43, which is the highest result across the entire test matrix. This suggests that the processor has enough headroom to feed the GPU at this lowest setting. The fact that FPS drops dramatically when increasing resolution or settings points to the GPU being the bottleneck. The CPU's 18 threads and high multi-core scores are more than sufficient for a game like this, which typically does not scale heavily beyond a handful of cores. The data indicates that the Core Ultra 5 135H provides a solid foundation, but the system's overall performance is capped by what the Radeon 880M can deliver.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and AMD Radeon 880M ranks 2843 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the bottom 2.3% of all configurations tested, which is a poor showing. The rank of 2843 out of 2911 indicates that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher average framerates in this game. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the integrated GPU's performance, as the CPU itself is not a weak component relative to its peers.

To put this in perspective, the Radeon 880M's nearest GPU rivals are all older discrete parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX has an average score of 8,427, which is a delta of 0.1% against the 880M's average of 8,436. The NVIDIA GeForce MX330 scores 8,458 (delta -0.3%), and the AMD Radeon HD 8870M scores 8,462 (delta -0.3%). These comparisons show that the 880M is competing with mobile graphics solutions from a previous generation. While the 880M is an integrated part, it performs in the same ballpark as these older discrete GPUs, but that is not enough to make The Medium playable at higher settings.

The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the measured FPS. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 15, which is below playable thresholds for most users. Even at 1440p Low, the average FPS is 36, which is barely acceptable for a slower-paced horror game. The data shows that this combo is only viable at the lowest settings and resolutions, and even then, it does not provide a smooth experience. The rank of 2843 reflects this reality, positioning it as a configuration for users who must accept significant compromises to play the game at all.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides a clear picture of the system's scaling behavior. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 19 at 1080p to 16 at 1440p and then to 13 at 4K. This represents a 31.6% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is a relatively modest decline compared to what a more powerful GPU might show. For Low settings, the drop is from 43 FPS at 1080p to 36 FPS at 1440p and 28 FPS at 4K, a 34.9% reduction from 1080p to 4K. Medium settings show a similar trend, going from 27 FPS at 1080p to 22 FPS at 1440p and 18 FPS at 4K, a 33.3% drop.

These scaling patterns are telling. The percentage drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K is relatively consistent across settings, hovering around 32-35%. This behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the render resolution is the primary factor affecting performance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain more constant across resolutions, as the CPU workload would not change significantly with resolution. The fact that FPS scales down with resolution confirms that the AMD Radeon 880M is the limiting component.

However, the absolute FPS numbers are low even at 1080p. At 1080p High, the average is 19 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it is 27 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is also struggling at the lowest resolution, meaning it is not just a resolution scaling issue but a fundamental performance ceiling. The 880M's 4.454 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is simply not enough to handle the graphical demands of The Medium at playable framerates. The data shows that even reducing the resolution does not unlock a smooth experience, as the GPU is already near its limit at 1080p.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 43, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon 880M compare to its nearest GPU rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Radeon 880M has an average benchmark score of 8,436. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX, scores 8,427, a delta of 0.1%. The 880M is also 0.3% behind the GeForce MX330 (8,458) and 0.3% behind the Radeon HD 8870M (8,462).

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 2843 out of 2911 total tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the bottom percentile of performance.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 27, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 31.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU act as the primary bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as FPS scales down consistently with resolution, dropping from 43 FPS at 1080p Low to 28 FPS at 4K Low, which is a GPU-bound behavior.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Core Ultra 5 135H and its closest CPU rival?

A: The Core Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29,093, which is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X at 29,123, a delta of -0.1%.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon 880M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process node. It has a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz, with a TDP of 15 W. The memory is system shared, meaning its VRAM size, type, and bandwidth are all system dependent, which is a critical limitation for a game like The Medium that requires substantial memory bandwidth. The GPU features 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with 12 ray tracing cores. Its compute performance is rated at 4.454 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16.

The GPU's benchmark results show a mixed profile. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 535, and its Passmark G3D score is 7,615. The Geekbench OpenCL score is 31,285, and the Vulkan score is 40,006. The Passmark GPU Compute score is 3,719. The GPU's percentile vs all GPUs is 43, meaning it performs better than only 43% of the GPUs in the database. This is a low ranking, and it is reflected in The Medium's performance.

The 880M's reliance on system shared memory is a major factor in its poor performance in The Medium. The game's fixed-camera angles and detailed environments require consistent memory bandwidth, and sharing system RAM with the CPU creates contention. The GPU's boost clock of 2900 MHz is high, but the architecture's 4.454 TFLOPS is insufficient for modern gaming loads. The measured FPS data shows that the 880M cannot maintain a playable framerate at any resolution above Low settings. Even at 1080p Low, the 43 FPS average is just at the edge of playability, and any increase in settings or resolution pushes it into unplayable territory. The GPU's role in this combo is clearly the limiting factor, and its integrated nature makes it unsuitable for a demanding title like The Medium.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable settings for this combo are at Low with lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 43, which is the best result in the entire test matrix. This is the only configuration that approaches a playable framerate, as even 1440p Low drops to 36 FPS, and 4K Low falls to 28 FPS. For a horror game that relies on atmosphere and pacing, 43 FPS is acceptable, though not ideal. The 1080p Low setting provides the best balance of visual clarity and performance, as it is the only setting that keeps the framerate above 30 FPS.

Medium settings are not recommended, as the average FPS at 1080p is 27, with a minimum of 23. This is below the threshold for a smooth experience, and the frame drops could be noticeable during gameplay. High settings at 1080p yield an average of 19 FPS, which is not playable. Ultra settings at 1080p produce an average of 15 FPS, which is essentially a slideshow. The data shows a clear progression: as settings increase, the average FPS drops by roughly 8-10 FPS per step from Low to Medium, then 8 FPS from Medium to High, and 4 FPS from High to Ultra.

The recommendation is to run the game at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This provides the highest average FPS of 43, which is the only measured result that meets a minimum playability standard. Users could attempt to run at 1440p Low for a sharper image, but the drop to 36 FPS may not be worth the visual gain. The 4K resolution should be avoided entirely, as even at Low settings, the average FPS is only 28. The data indicates that this combo is not designed for high-fidelity gaming, and users should prioritize framerate over visual quality to achieve a playable experience. For those who must play The Medium on this hardware, the 1080p Low preset is the only sensible choice.