The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile produces a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection. The measured data reveals a system capable of smooth 1080p gameplay at lower settings, but one that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra. The benchmark results indicate a configuration where the GPU’s capabilities and the game’s engine demands create a narrow window of optimal settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a clear and steep decline as resolution increases, which is the expected behavior for a GPU-bound title. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 94 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 79 FPS, and at 4K Low, the average falls to 62 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that even at the lowest graphical preset, the rendering load increases substantially with pixel count, directly impacting the GPU’s throughput.

The scaling becomes more punishing at higher presets. With Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 59 FPS at 1080p to 49 FPS at 1440p, and then to 39 FPS at 4K. This represents a 17% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a further 20% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The High preset shows a similar trend: 42 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with averages of 33 FPS at 1080p, 28 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the limiting component is the GPU, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels rendered. The transition from 1080p to 4K at any given setting results in a frame rate roughly halved or worse, which is characteristic of a system where the graphics processor is the primary bottleneck. The CPU role appears secondary, as the frame rate differences across resolutions are consistent and large, pointing to pixel fill-rate and shader work as the dominant factors.

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 architecture is Meteor Lake, built on a 7 nm process, and it features 18 MB of shared L3 cache. In the context of The Medium, these specifications provide ample headroom for the game’s logic and streaming, but the benchmark results do not show the CPU becoming a limiting factor at any tested resolution. The frame rate differences between 1080p and 4K at the same settings are large, confirming that the GPU is the bottleneck.

The processor’s benchmark scores support its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 11,875.5 in multi-core and 1,700 in single-core. This single-core performance is relevant for game logic, but the data shows that even with a strong CPU, the frame rates are dictated by the GPU load. The CPU’s percentile ranking against all CPUs is 81, and its average benchmark score of 29,093 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which has a delta of -0.1%. This indicates the 135H is a high-performing mobile processor, yet it does not rescue frame rates at higher resolutions.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 94 FPS, which is the highest recorded average. This suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s rendering time dominates, and the CPU’s role becomes less critical to the final frame rate. The 18 threads and high boost clock are sufficient for the game’s requirements, but the measured FPS breakdown clearly shows that graphical settings and resolution have a far greater impact on performance than any CPU limitation.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for The Medium, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile holds a rank of 2,476 out of 3,724 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum, indicating that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it is also not among the slowest. The rank suggests that many other CPU and GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game, likely due to more powerful GPUs or more favorable system configurations.

The GPU’s individual benchmark scores help contextualize this rank. The RTX 5060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 22,435 and a percentile ranking of 67 against all GPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, with a delta of -0.5%, meaning the RTX 5060 Mobile is nearly on par with that desktop card. It is also 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile. These comparisons show that the GPU is a solid mid-range performer, but it lacks the raw power to push The Medium to high frame rates at demanding settings.

The combo rank of 2,476 out of 3,724 is likely dragged down by the game’s heavy GPU requirements. Since the CPU is not a bottleneck, the rank is primarily determined by the GPU’s performance relative to other tested graphics cards. The data shows that at 1080p High, the combo only manages 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many gamers prefer. This modest result, combined with the steep drop-offs at higher resolutions, explains why the combo sits in the lower half of the rankings for this particular game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers its best results. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 94 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 67 FPS. High settings yield 42 FPS, and Ultra settings drop the average to 33 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases across the board. Low settings average 79 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium settings fall to 49 FPS, with a range of 42 to 57 FPS. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average 28 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1440p is only viable for smooth gameplay at Low settings, as Medium dips below 60 FPS and higher presets fall into the 20s and 30s.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles significantly. Low settings average 62 FPS, which is the only preset to remain above the 60 FPS threshold at 4K. Medium settings drop to 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS. High settings average 28 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 22 FPS. The data shows a clear trend: the RTX 5060 Mobile is only capable of delivering a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1080p Low, and it cannot maintain that level at any other resolution or preset combination.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile is the primary driver of the measured performance. It features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. The GPU has 3,328 shading units, 104 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units. Its base clock is 952 MHz, with a boost clock of 1455 MHz. These specifications are modest for a modern GPU, and the benchmark results reflect this.

The GPU’s memory allocation of 8 GB is sufficient for The Medium at 1080p and 1440p, but it may become a constraint at 4K with higher textures. The 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS suggests that both the GPU’s compute power and memory bandwidth are overwhelmed. The GPU’s FP32 performance is rated at 9.684 TFLOPS, which is on the lower end for a dedicated graphics card. The data shows that this level of compute power is not enough to handle The Medium’s visual effects at high resolutions.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide further context. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3,013.5, and in Passmark G3D, it scores 18,852. These scores place it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, has a delta of -0.5%, indicating near-identical performance. However, the RTX 5060 Mobile is 1.3% slower than the RTX 4060 Mobile, which suggests that the generational uplift is minimal. This performance level is the root cause of the low frame rates at high settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s resolution and frame rate target. For a 60 FPS experience, the only viable option is 1080p with Low settings, which delivers 94 FPS. This provides a significant margin above 60 FPS, allowing for potential frame rate capping to reduce power consumption and heat. At 1440p, Low settings average 79 FPS, which is also above 60 FPS and offers a good balance of visual clarity and performance.

For users who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, 1080p Medium is a reasonable choice, as it averages 59 FPS, nearly hitting the 60 FPS target. The minimum of 50 FPS indicates occasional dips, but it remains playable. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 49 FPS, which is still acceptable for slower-paced horror games, but the minimum of 42 FPS may be noticeable during intense scenes. High settings at 1080p yield 42 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a smooth experience.

Ultra settings are not recommended for this combo at any resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 33 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K, the only playable option is Low settings, which averages 62 FPS. Medium settings at 4K average 39 FPS, which is too low for a comfortable experience. The data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p Low for maximum smoothness, or 1080p Medium for a balance of visuals and performance. At 1440p, Low settings offer the best frame rate, while higher presets should be avoided.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in The Medium?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 94 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K, only Low settings achieve a playable average of 62 FPS. Medium settings drop to 39 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 22 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 Mobile compare to the RTX 4060 Mobile in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 22,435, which is 1.3% lower than the RTX 4060 Mobile's score of 22,729.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates scale dramatically with resolution and settings while the CPU provides ample headroom.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in The Medium?

A: This combo ranks 2,476 out of 3,724 tested combinations.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 42 FPS.