The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a unique stress profile that separates CPU and GPU demands more cleanly than most open-world games. The measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile shows a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at high resolutions, yet reveals the processor's limitations at lower settings and resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS table, contextualizing the scores against the hardware's synthetic benchmarks and the broader combo ranking of 1999 out of 3724 tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas across the three tested resolutions paint a clear picture of a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, but the slope of that bottleneck is surprisingly moderate. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 49 FPS to 41 FPS, a reduction of roughly 16%. The jump from 1440p to 3840x2160 is more severe, with the High preset falling from 41 FPS to 32 FPS, a further 22% decline. This non-linear scaling is classic behavior for a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth as the resolution increases.

However, the data for the Low preset reveals a different dynamic. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 108 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower graphical loads. When scaling up to 1440p Low, the frame rate only drops to 91 FPS (a 16% decrease), and at 4K Low, it sits at 72 FPS (a 21% decrease from 1440p). The fact that the 1080p Low score exceeds 100 FPS indicates that the CPU overhead is not crippling performance at this resolution. Still, the scaling pattern suggests that as resolution climbs, the GPU rendering load quickly dominates, pushing the system towards a GPU-bound state.

The Medium preset is the only one with min and max FPS data, offering a glimpse into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the average is 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 78. The variance of 20 FPS shows that the scene complexity in The Medium can cause noticeable hitches. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 45 FPS, with a min of 38 and max of 52, maintaining a similar 14 FPS variance. This consistency in variance across resolutions suggests that the frame time spikes are not solely resolution-dependent, but rather tied to specific in-game events or camera transitions.

The overall pattern indicates that the RTX 4070 Mobile is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, regardless of preset. The 1080p results, particularly the 108 FPS Low score, show that the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H can push a high number of frames when the GPU load is low. The 4K Ultra result of 25 FPS is the most telling; it is a playable-but-not-ideal frame rate that clearly demonstrates the GPU hitting its absolute ceiling with this game's highest visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its synthetic benchmark scores are respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700. These numbers place it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which it trails by a negligible 0.1% in average benchmark score. This suggests the CPU has ample multi-threaded and single-threaded muscle for gaming.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is evident in the 1080p Low preset results. The 108 FPS average indicates that the processor is not the primary constraint at this resolution and settings level. The game's fixed-camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds often reduce the CPU's scene-management load compared to fully dynamic 3D worlds, allowing the processor to focus on game logic and asset streaming. However, the data shows a ceiling. At 1080p High, the FPS drops to 49, but this is likely more attributable to the GPU handling increased shading and texture work than a CPU limitation.

The real test of the CPU's capability comes from comparing the scaling between Low and High at the same resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (108 FPS) and High (49 FPS) is 59 FPS. This massive drop is almost entirely a GPU workload increase. The CPU is not the bottleneck here; if it were, the FPS would remain similar across settings. The 14 cores and 18 threads are sufficient for the game's parallel tasks, and the boost clock of 4.60 GHz provides the single-thread performance needed for the main game thread. The data suggests that users will not be CPU-limited in this title until they either drop to very low resolutions or have a significantly faster GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the star of this show, and its specifications dictate the performance envelope. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. Its 4608 shading units and boost clock of 1695 MHz give it a FP32 throughput of 15.62 TFLOPS. These numbers place it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, which it matches exactly (0% deltaPct) in average benchmark score.

The GPU's VRAM capacity is a critical factor in The Medium. The game's high-resolution textures and complex lighting can be memory-hungry. The 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 25 FPS suggests the GPU is not only compute-bound but potentially memory-bandwidth-limited. The 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is likely a constraining factor at 4K, where the demand for texture fetches and framebuffer writes increases dramatically. The 4K Medium score of 45 FPS, compared to 4K High at 32 FPS, shows that reducing the graphical fidelity provides a significant relief to the GPU's compute and memory subsystems.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is instructive. At 1440p Low, the GPU delivers 91 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 57 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 41 FPS, and at Ultra, it bottoms out at 32 FPS. This pattern shows that the RTX 4070 Mobile has a performance ceiling that is hit quickly when the preset is raised. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 9 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset's additional effects (likely ray tracing or advanced shadows) are disproportionately expensive relative to their visual impact. The GPU is clearly the dominant factor in determining the playability of this title, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that rarely interferes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and acceptable frame rate floor. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data points to the Medium preset. At 1080p Medium, the card achieves an average of 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS, which is playable and consistent. At 1440p Medium, the average is 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS, which is borderline for 60 FPS but acceptable for a slower-paced horror game. The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, balancing visual quality with a stable frame rate.

For users prioritizing a locked 60 FPS and willing to sacrifice visuals, the Low preset is the only guaranteed option. At 1080p Low, the system hits 108 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it maintains 91 FPS. Even at 4K Low, it achieves 72 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Low the only preset that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS across all resolutions in the data set. The High preset is not recommended for 60 FPS gaming, as it only reaches 49 FPS at 1080p and falls to 41 FPS at 1440p.

The Ultra preset is not viable for this hardware in The Medium. With 39 FPS at 1080p and 25 FPS at 4K, it is best reserved for screenshots or situations where frame rate is not a priority. The data suggests that the visual jump from High to Ultra does not justify the performance penalty. The most balanced experience is the Medium preset at 1080p, offering a 68 FPS average that is close to the 60 FPS target while still providing a significant visual upgrade over Low. Users with 1440p displays should use Medium, accepting the 49 FPS minimum as a minor compromise for the higher resolution. 4K users are advised to stick with Low to maintain playability, as the 72 FPS average is the only 4K result that clears the 60 FPS bar.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile ranks 1999 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the 46th percentile of all configurations, meaning it performs better than roughly half of the systems tested for this specific title. This ranking is notably lower than the individual component percentiles (CPU at 81st, GPU at 73rd), which suggests that the pairing is not optimally balanced for this game's demands.

The lower combo ranking relative to the component scores implies that the GPU is holding the system back. While the CPU is a high-percentile performer, the RTX 4070 Mobile's 73rd percentile score is the limiting factor. The game's heavy reliance on GPU compute and bandwidth means that a stronger GPU would yield a disproportionately larger benefit than a stronger CPU. The 1999th rank indicates that there are many other tested combos that achieve higher frame rates, likely featuring more powerful desktop GPUs or higher-tier mobile parts. The data shows that this combo is a mid-pack performer, not a top-tier one, for The Medium specifically.

FAQ

Q: Can this laptop combo run The Medium at 4K smoothly?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 25, which is not smooth. At 4K High, it is 32 FPS. Only at 4K Low does it achieve a playable 72 FPS average. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 4K is only viable with the Low preset.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 60 FPS target?

A: The 1920x1080 resolution with the Medium preset is the best option, yielding a 68 FPS average and a 58 FPS minimum. The 2560x1440 Medium preset is also close, with a 57 FPS average and 49 FPS minimum.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 108 FPS, showing the CPU is capable of high frame rates. The FPS scales down consistently as resolution and settings increase, which is a classic GPU-bound signature.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 27435, which is exactly the same as the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT (0% deltaPct). It is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell.

Q: Which preset should I avoid entirely?

A: The Ultra preset should be avoided. It only achieves 39 FPS at 1080p and drops to 25 FPS at 4K, making it unsuitable for gameplay on this hardware.

Q: What is the CPU's multi-core performance relative to its rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 29093, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and 0.5% lower than the Intel Xeon Phi 7210. It is 0.5% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details all measured average frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile in The Medium.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 108 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 68 | 58 | 78 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 49 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 39 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 91 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 57 | 49 | 66 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 41 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 32 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 72 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 45 | 38 | 52 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 32 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 25 | — | — |

The 1080p Low result of 108 FPS is the highest recorded, highlighting the CPU's ability to drive high frame rates when the GPU load is minimal. The 4K Ultra result of 25 FPS is the lowest, representing the absolute performance floor for this configuration. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, showing a consistent frame time variance of approximately 14-20 FPS across resolutions, which points to scene-dependent performance fluctuations rather than resolution-related instability.