The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine, presents a unique stress profile that combines heavy GPU load with significant CPU demands due to its dual-world rendering mechanic. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, a combination that ranks 548th out of 2911 tested configurations for this game. The data reveals a system that is consistently GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising CPU sensitivity at 1080p, making it a compelling case study in component balancing for a title that pushes both subsystems.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 98 FPS at 1920x1080 to 83 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 15.3%. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 65 FPS, a 21.7% decline from the 1440p figure. This progressive degradation indicates that the RTX 5090’s rendering pipeline is the primary bottleneck, as the pixel count increases by 78% from 1440p to 4K, yet the FPS penalty is proportionally smaller, suggesting some headroom in the GPU’s compute resources.

The pattern is even more pronounced at the higher settings. At High settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p yields a 15.7% drop (70 to 59 FPS), and from 1440p to 4K, a further 20.3% drop (59 to 47 FPS). At Ultra settings, the scaling is steeper: 56 FPS at 1080p, 47 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33.9% total reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is nearly linear with the increase in pixel count, confirming that the game’s most demanding preset is purely resolution-bound. The Low preset shows a different behavior, with 146 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p, and 104 FPS at 4K—a 28.8% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is less severe than Ultra, indicating that even at Low, the GPU is still the limiting factor, but with more overhead available.

The fact that the 4K to 1440p scaling is consistently steeper than the 1440p to 1080p scaling across all settings points to a GPU that is being pushed to its limits at 4K, especially at Ultra. The RTX 5090’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is not a constraint here, as the bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is ample for this title’s textures. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 5 135H, with its 14 cores and 18 threads, is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1440p and above, but at 1080p, the CPU’s role becomes more prominent, as evidenced by the smaller FPS gaps between resolutions at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 548 out of 2911 tested configurations in The Medium, placing it in the top 18.8% of all tested systems. This is a strong result, but it is not at the very top, which suggests that the CPU is holding back the GPU’s full potential. The GPU itself is a top-tier part, with a percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs, meaning it outperforms 92% of its peers in synthetic benchmarks. Its average benchmark score of 79,842 is just 0.3% behind the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, a data-center part, and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT.

In contrast, the CPU’s percentile rank is 81, and its average benchmark score of 29,093 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which scores 29,123 (a 0.1% delta). This places the Core Ultra 5 135H in the same performance class as a desktop processor from a previous generation, which is respectable for a mobile part but not exceptional. The combo rank of 548 indicates that when paired together, they perform well, but the CPU’s relative weakness compared to the GPU’s dominance creates a bottleneck. The fact that the GPU’s nearest rivals include professional compute cards like the Tesla P100, while the CPU’s rivals are mainstream desktop chips, highlights the imbalance in this pairing.

The data shows that in The Medium, this combo is not able to fully leverage the RTX 5090’s capabilities, as the measured FPS at 1080p Ultra (56 FPS) is far below what the GPU could theoretically deliver if unconstrained. The 548th rank out of 2911 means there are 547 other configurations that achieve higher frame rates, likely with more powerful CPUs. This suggests that for this specific game, the CPU is a limiting factor, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU has more headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 146 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This is the only setting where the combo exceeds 140 FPS, indicating that the CPU becomes the primary constraint at this resolution.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 37, which is the lowest measured score for this configuration. This is a playable frame rate for a horror title, but it is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players prefer, suggesting that Ultra settings are too demanding for 4K.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 the bottleneck at 1440p Medium?

A: Yes, the data indicates that at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 83, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 95. The 15.7% drop from 1080p Medium (98 FPS) to 1440p Medium (83 FPS) is consistent with GPU-bound scaling, confirming the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between High and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 70 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 56 FPS. This represents a 20% performance penalty for the Ultra preset, which is significant given the visual improvements may be marginal in a game like The Medium.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 548th out of 2911 tested configurations, placing it in the top 18.8% of all systems tested for The Medium. This is a solid result, but the CPU’s performance relative to the GPU suggests that the rank could be higher with a more powerful processor.

Q: Is the 4K Medium preset viable for smooth gameplay?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 65, with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 75. The minimum frame rate of 55 FPS is close to the 60 FPS target, but the average of 65 FPS indicates that the game is generally smooth, with occasional dips below the ideal threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combo in The Medium consists of 12 measured configurations, covering four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) across three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 146 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p yields an average of 98 FPS, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 113. The High preset drops to 70 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 56 FPS. This represents a 61.6% reduction from Low to Ultra at the same resolution, showing the massive performance cost of the highest quality settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 132 FPS, a 9.6% drop from 1080p Low. The Medium preset averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 95. High settings at 1440p average 59 FPS, and Ultra settings average 47 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across all settings, with reductions ranging from 9.6% (Low) to 16.1% (High). At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 104 FPS, which is still highly playable. Medium at 4K averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 75. High at 4K averages 47 FPS, and Ultra at 4K averages 37 FPS. The 4K Ultra figure is the only one below 40 FPS, making it the most demanding configuration tested.

The data reveals that the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience at each resolution, with the 1080p Medium (98 FPS) and 1440p Medium (83 FPS) both providing high frame rates. The 4K Medium (65 FPS) is the only 4K setting that approaches the 60 FPS target, while High and Ultra at 4K fall short. The Low preset is the only one that maintains above 100 FPS at all resolutions, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The minimum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset, showing 84 at 1080p, 70 at 1440p, and 55 at 4K, which indicates that this preset has the best frame time consistency.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile 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 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Its synthetic benchmark scores show a strong single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,700, but a more modest multi-core score of 11,875.5. The PassMark single-thread score is 3,521, which is respectable for a mobile part, but its multi-thread score of 22,422 is lower than many desktop processors.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is evident when examining the FPS at 1080p Low, where the average is 146 FPS. This is far below the GPU’s theoretical maximum, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. The game’s dual-world rendering mechanic, which requires simultaneous processing of two camera views, is likely to be CPU-intensive, and the Core Ultra 5 135H’s 18 threads are put to work. The fact that the 1080p Low to 1440p Low drop is only 9.6% (146 to 132 FPS) suggests that the CPU is still able to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, but it cannot push beyond the 146 FPS ceiling.

The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, has an average score of 29,123, which is only 0.1% higher. This puts the Core Ultra 5 135H in the same league as a desktop processor from 2020, which reflects its efficiency but also highlights its limitations for high-refresh-rate gaming. The data shows that at 1080p High (70 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (56 FPS), the CPU is not the primary constraint, as the GPU is taking on more of the load. However, at 1080p Low (146 FPS), the CPU’s limits are exposed. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz is sufficient for most scenarios, but the game’s reliance on multi-threaded performance means that the 18 threads are fully utilized, and the 28 W TDP likely limits sustained performance.

Settings Recommendations

For players using this combo, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 98 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience. The minimum FPS of 84 at this setting ensures that there are no significant frame drops, making it the most consistent option. At 1440p, Medium averages 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70, which is still excellent for a horror game that benefits from higher resolutions. The 4K Medium setting averages 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55, which is playable but may have occasional dips below 60 FPS.

The High preset is a viable alternative for those who prioritize visual fidelity, but it comes with a significant performance cost. At 1080p High, the average is 70 FPS, which is still smooth, but at 1440p High, the average drops to 59 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. At 4K High, the average is 47 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced sections. The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combo, as it only achieves 56 FPS at 1080p and 37 FPS at 4K. The 20% performance penalty from High to Ultra at 1080p is substantial, and the visual improvements in The Medium are unlikely to justify the frame rate loss.

The Low preset is the only option that maintains over 100 FPS at all resolutions, with 146 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p, and 104 FPS at 4K. However, this preset sacrifices significant visual detail, which detracts from the game’s atmospheric horror. For most players, the Medium preset at 1440p (83 FPS) or 1080p (98 FPS) provides the best experience, as it combines high frame rates with acceptable visual quality. At 4K, the Medium preset (65 FPS) is the only one that approaches the 60 FPS target, making it the recommended choice for 4K displays, despite the occasional dip to 55 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, with 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores. The GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS, and it has a TDP of 575 W, making it an extremely powerful but power-hungry component.

In The Medium, the RTX 5090’s role is dominant at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with an average FPS of 37, which is a 33.9% reduction from 1080p Ultra (56 FPS). This scaling is almost linear with pixel count, indicating that the GPU’s compute units are fully saturated. The GPU’s 32 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as The Medium’s textures are not particularly demanding, and the 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that there are no memory-related stutters.

The RTX 5090’s synthetic benchmark scores are impressive, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 and a PassMark G3D score of 39,650. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, has an average score of 79,605, which is just 0.3% lower, indicating that the RTX 5090 is at the top of the consumer GPU hierarchy. However, in this specific game, the GPU’s performance is constrained by the CPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the GPU is only delivering 146 FPS, which is likely far below its maximum potential, as the CPU cannot feed it fast enough.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1440p High (59 FPS) and 4K High (47 FPS), the GPU is the primary limiting factor, and the FPS drops are consistent with the increased pixel load. The RTX 5090’s high pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are well-suited for this game’s fixed-camera environments, which feature detailed textures and lighting effects. The data indicates that for this combo, the GPU is best utilized at 1440p Medium or High, where it can deliver 83 and 59 FPS respectively, without being overly constrained by the CPU.