The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, presents a unique workload that stresses both the CPU and GPU in distinct ways. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile, using measured frame rate data to understand the balance between the processor, graphics card, and resolution scaling. The data reveals a system capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, but one that becomes increasingly GPU-bound as resolution and settings are pushed to their limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings is 67 FPS.

Q: How does the frame rate change when moving from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 94 FPS at 1920x1080 to 62 FPS at 3840x2160, a significant reduction of 32 FPS.

Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved in this test set?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 146 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is there a frame rate data point with a minimum and maximum value?

A: Yes, the Medium settings preset at every resolution includes min and max FPS data. For example, at 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H has an average benchmark score of 29093, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X's score of 29123, a difference of only -0.1%.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile sits in the 84th percentile, indicating it outperforms the majority of GPUs in the database.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 576.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This large frame buffer and high bandwidth are critical for The Medium, a game that often renders complex scenes with dual-world mechanics, requiring large textures and significant memory allocation. The GPU's architecture is Ada Lovelace, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 379 mm² and a transistor count of 45,900 million. Its core configuration includes 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs, which are backed by 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores.

The clock speeds are listed with a base of 1335 MHz and a boost of 1695 MHz, which are relatively modest for a top-tier part, likely due to the 120 W TDP for mobile. This power envelope is the primary constraint; the GPU must balance high core counts with thermal and power limits. The benchmark results show its raw compute capability, with a Passmark G3D score of 27212 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 180831, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. In The Medium, the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 35 FPS, while at 4K Low it reaches 99 FPS, a 64 FPS swing that is directly attributable to the GPU's workload in rendering effects, shadows, and geometry. The GPU's performance is not the bottleneck at lower settings, but its capabilities are fully taxed when the game's visual fidelity is maximized.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K reveal a classic scaling pattern that identifies the limiting component at each stage. At Low settings, the frame rates are 146 FPS (1080p), 127 FPS (1440p), and 99 FPS (4K). This represents a 19 FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 28 FPS drop to 4K. The percentage decreases are 13% and 22% respectively, which suggests the CPU is still providing enough headroom but the GPU is starting to feel the load of the increased pixel count.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at higher settings. At High settings, the average FPS is 67 (1080p), 57 (1440p), and 45 (4K). The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 10 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 12 FPS. This steeper decline indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck, as the per-pixel cost of High settings is much higher. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 53 (1080p), 45 (1440p), and 35 (4K). The absolute frame rates are lower, but the relative drop between resolutions is similar. The data points to a system that is heavily GPU-limited once settings are raised beyond Low, particularly at resolutions above 1080p. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but the RTX 4090 Mobile's performance is the deciding factor for the overall experience at 1440p and 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear matrix of performance across all combinations. At 1920x1080, the results show a wide range: Low settings deliver 146 FPS, Medium settings average 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 and maximum of 108, High settings average 67 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 53 FPS. The Medium setting shows the only complete set of min/max/avg data at this resolution, indicating a stable performance range.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down. Low settings still achieve a high 127 FPS, Medium settings average 79 FPS (min 67, max 91), High settings drop to 57 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 45 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs 19 FPS at Low, 15 FPS at Medium, 10 FPS at High, and 8 FPS at Ultra. This shows that as settings increase, the resolution penalty in absolute terms decreases, but the relative impact on the already-lower frame rates is more significant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low settings produce 99 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 62 FPS (min 53, max 71), High settings drop to 45 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 35 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 64 FPS, demonstrating the massive impact of settings on the GPU workload. The data shows that for a smooth 60 FPS experience, players must use Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p, or Low settings at 4K. High settings are only viable if targeting 60 FPS at 1080p is not a requirement, as the 67 FPS average is close but not guaranteed.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on a 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a TDP of 28 W. Its cache configuration includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 11875.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1700 in single-core, with a Passmark multithread score of 22422. Its average benchmark score is 29093, placing it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, showing a delta of -0.1%. It is also 0.5% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT and 0.6% slower than the Intel Core i5-13500HX. The processor's role in The Medium is to handle game logic, AI, and physics, which are not typically as demanding as rendering. The frame rate data suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any tested resolution or setting. The fact that frame rates drop significantly from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra, while the CPU's workload remains constant, confirms this. Even at 1080p Low (146 FPS), the processor is able to supply frames faster than the GPU can render them, indicating it has ample headroom. The CPU's 18 threads and high boost clock are sufficient for this title, allowing the RTX 4090 Mobile to be the sole determinant of performance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS target, the data shows that Medium settings are the highest preset that reliably achieves this goal. At 1080p Medium, the average is 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 79 FPS with a minimum of 67 FPS, still holding above the 60 FPS threshold. Even at 4K Medium, the average is 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS, which is borderline but mostly playable.

For players with high-refresh-rate monitors, Low settings are the only option to approach or exceed 120 FPS. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 146 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it reaches 127 FPS. High settings are a middle ground, providing better visual fidelity at the cost of frame rate. At 1080p High, the average is 67 FPS, which is just above 60 FPS, but the lack of a minimum FPS data point means it could dip below. At 1440p High, the average drops to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings are only recommended for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, as the averages are 53 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that Medium is the best balance of quality and performance for most users, as it provides a solid frame rate at all resolutions while maintaining a stable minimum FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile ranks 833rd out of 3724 total combos. This places it in the top 22% of all tested systems, indicating a strong overall performance. The ranking is a combined metric that considers all aspects of the hardware, but the frame rate data suggests that the GPU is the major contributor to this position. The CPU's 81st percentile ranking and the GPU's 84th percentile ranking are both above average, but the GPU's raw power is what allows this combo to achieve high frame rates in a demanding game like The Medium.

While the rank is high, it is not a top-tier position. This is likely due to the CPU's relatively modest performance compared to other high-end processors. The CPU's average benchmark score of 29093 is close to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, a desktop part from an older generation, and it is only 0.6% faster than the Intel Core i5-13500HX. This suggests that while the CPU is sufficient, it does not provide the same level of headroom as a flagship desktop processor. The combo's rank of 833 indicates that other systems with faster CPUs and similar GPUs likely achieve better frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU is more influential. The data shows a well-balanced system, but one where the CPU is the weaker link in the chain, preventing the combo from climbing higher in the rankings.