The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror title that stresses both the CPU and GPU through its dual-reality rendering technique. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 produces a distinct performance profile across resolutions and settings, characterized by a significant dependency on graphics configuration. The benchmark data shows that this pairing ranks 872nd out of 2911 tested combinations, placing it in the 70th percentile of all tested systems for this specific game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a mobile processor built on the Meteor Lake architecture with 14 cores and 18 threads, operating at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor is manufactured on Intel's 7 nm process node and features an integrated Arc Xe-LPG 96EU GPU, though the discrete RTX 4080 handles the rendering workload in this configuration.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700. The PassMark multithread score is 22422, with a single-thread score of 3521. These results place the processor at the 81st percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark performance include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with an average score of 29123 (a 0.1% difference), the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 at 29245 (0.5% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT at 28940 (0.5% higher). The Intel Core i5-13500HX scores 29270, which is 0.6% above the Ultra 5 135H.

For The Medium specifically, the CPU's role is largely secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but it becomes more relevant as settings are lowered. The processor's 18 threads provide sufficient parallelism for the game's dual-scene rendering logic, where two versions of the world are processed simultaneously. The data indicates that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 137 FPS on average, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at that level. However, the single-core performance of 1700 in Cinebench R23 is modest by desktop standards, and the benchmark results show that the CPU does not bottleneck the system at any tested configuration — the GPU remains the limiting factor throughout.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end desktop GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It features 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster operation units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2205 MHz and boosts to 2505 MHz. Memory is 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

This GPU scores 34457 in PassMark G3D and 20671 in GPU compute, achieving the 86th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 4080 SUPER with an average score of 54209 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54828 (1.1% higher), the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55698 (2.6% higher), and the Radeon 8060S at 55757 (2.7% higher). The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54247, placing it slightly below several competitors in raw compute tests.

In The Medium, the GPU's 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's texture and geometry demands, even at 4K Ultra. The performance data reveals a steep drop-off as settings increase: at 4K, the average FPS falls from 91 at Low to 57 at Medium, 41 at High, and 32 at Ultra. This pattern indicates that the game's higher presets introduce rendering effects that heavily tax the GPU's fill rate and shader throughput. The RTX 4080's 280.6 GPixel/s pixel rate and 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance are adequate for medium settings at 4K, but the Ultra preset pushes the card beyond its comfort zone for smooth frame rates.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H compare to its nearest rival in aggregate CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, scores 29123, which is 0.1% higher. The Intel Xeon Phi 7210 scores 29245 (0.5% higher), while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT scores 28940 (0.5% lower). The Intel Core i5-13500HX is 0.6% higher with a score of 29270.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks at the 86th percentile among all GPUs. Its PassMark G3D score is 34457, and its average benchmark score is 54247. The nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average score of 54209, which is 0.1% higher.

Q: What is the best average FPS the combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 137 FPS, achieved at Low settings. At Medium settings, the average drops to 86 FPS, while High yields 61 FPS and Ultra yields 49 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 73 and a maximum of 99.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 4K Low performance?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 91 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 32 FPS. This represents a 64.8% reduction in average frame rate. The Medium preset at 4K averages 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 137 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra it drops to 49 FPS. The CPU's single-core score of 1700 in Cinebench R23 does not appear to bottleneck the system, as frame rates scale consistently with graphics settings rather than resolution alone.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank for The Medium?

A: The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 872nd out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 30% of all tested systems for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 872 out of 2911 tested configurations places it in the 70th percentile of all systems benchmarked for The Medium. This ranking reflects the balance between the mobile-class CPU and the desktop-class GPU. The CPU's 81st percentile standing among all processors is offset by the GPU's 86th percentile, but the game's heavy reliance on graphics processing means the GPU's performance dominates the overall result.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is positioned above average but not among the top performers. The CPU's nearest rivals — the Ryzen 7 5800X and Core i5-13500HX — have nearly identical aggregate scores, so the ranking is driven primarily by the GPU configuration. The RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's 4K textures, but the measured frame rates at Ultra settings suggest that the game's rendering complexity exceeds what this GPU can handle at maximum quality.

The data shows that this combo performs best at 1440p Medium, where it achieves 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS. At 4K, the combo requires Low settings to maintain a playable frame rate of 91 FPS. The rank of 872 indicates that while this system is capable, it does not deliver the top-tier performance seen in higher-ranked combos, likely due to the CPU's mobile nature limiting overall system throughput in CPU-light scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance scaling.

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 137 FPS average at Low settings. The Medium preset drops to 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 and maximum of 99. High settings yield 61 FPS average, while Ultra produces 49 FPS average. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 64.2% reduction in frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 116 FPS, a 15.3% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 72 FPS with a range of 61 to 83 FPS. High settings produce 52 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 41 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1440p is only 9 FPS higher than the 4K Medium result.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 91 FPS, which is 33.6% lower than 1080p Low. Medium settings average 57 FPS with a minimum of 48 and maximum of 65. High settings produce 41 FPS average, and Ultra drops to 32 FPS average. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest measured frame rate in the dataset, falling below the 1440p Ultra average of 41 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each settings tier costs roughly 30-40% of the frame rate, while resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K costs an additional 30-40% at equivalent settings.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 86 FPS and a minimum of 73 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay while maintaining moderate visual quality. The High preset at 61 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced horror gameplay, but the Ultra preset at 49 FPS introduces noticeable frame pacing issues. The Low preset at 137 FPS is excessive for this game's genre and sacrifices visual atmosphere unnecessarily.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 52 FPS is playable but may exhibit stutter in demanding scenes. The Low preset at 116 FPS is smooth but undermines the horror atmosphere that relies on detailed environments and lighting.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only configuration that maintains a consistently playable frame rate, averaging 91 FPS. The Medium preset at 57 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 48 FPS that could cause perceptible hitches during scene transitions. The High preset at 41 FPS and Ultra at 32 FPS are not recommended for smooth gameplay. For the best 4K experience, users should start with Low settings and selectively adjust individual options upward, as the data shows the game's Ultra preset imposes a severe performance penalty.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU's dominance in this configuration. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 137 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p (a 15.3% reduction) and then to 91 at 4K (a 21.6% reduction from 1440p). The cumulative drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 33.6%.

At Medium settings, the scaling is more pronounced: 86 FPS at 1080p drops to 72 FPS at 1440p (16.3% reduction) and then to 57 FPS at 4K (20.8% reduction from 1440p). The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 33.7%.

At High settings, the pattern continues: 61 FPS at 1080p drops to 52 FPS at 1440p (14.8% reduction) and then to 41 FPS at 4K (21.2% reduction). The total reduction is 32.8%.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is steepest: 49 FPS at 1080p drops to 41 FPS at 1440p (16.3% reduction) and then to 32 FPS at 4K (22.0% reduction). The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 34.7%.

The consistent 30-35% reduction from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting performance, the frame rate would show less scaling at lower resolutions where the CPU must work harder to feed the GPU. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the CPU's workload is highest relative to the GPU, the system still achieves 137 FPS, suggesting the CPU has headroom. The GPU's compute resources — 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 and 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth — are fully utilized as resolution increases, confirming that the RTX 4080 is the performance-limiting component in this game.