The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile delivers a highly capable, if occasionally CPU-conscious, experience in The Medium. The data indicates that the combination is firmly in the upper echelon of tested systems, ranking 758th out of 3724 combos, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations. However, the benchmark results reveal a clear pattern: the RTX 5090 Mobile is the dominant force, with frame rates scaling dramatically with resolution and settings, while the 14-core Meteor Lake processor provides enough headroom to avoid becoming a severe bottleneck at most settings, though its influence becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and higher frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a thermal design power (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. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700, with a Passmark multithread score of 22422. These numbers place the processor at the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29093. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (scoring 29123, a -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i5-13500HX (scoring 29270, a -0.6% delta), indicating that the 135H is statistically on par with these desktop and high-end mobile parts in general compute tasks.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The measured FPS data shows that the processor is not the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. For example, at 4K Ultra, the system produces 37 FPS, while at 4K Medium, it jumps to 65 FPS. This 28 FPS difference is a direct result of GPU workload changes, not CPU capability. The CPU can maintain a high enough frame delivery rate to support these GPU-bound scenarios. However, the situation changes at 1080p. Here, the GPU is less taxed, and the frame rates climb significantly higher. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 146 FPS. This is where the CPU's single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1700, becomes more critical. The data suggests that while the 135H is sufficient, it is the component that will likely cap performance if frame rates were pushed even higher, as the GPU has more headroom to render frames than the CPU can issue. The processor's performance relative to its rivals, being nearly identical to the Ryzen 7 5800X, suggests that its gaming performance is robust and not a weak link in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H compare to its closest rivals in raw processing power?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 29093. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, scores 29123, which is a negligible -0.1% difference. Similarly, the Intel Core i5-13500HX scores 29270, a -0.6% delta. This indicates that the 135H performs essentially on par with these other high-end chips.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo at 1920x1080?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded in the data is 146 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. At the Medium preset, the average drops to 98 FPS, and at High, it is 70 FPS.

Q: Is the GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile the main performance driver in this system?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests this. The GPU's Passmark G3D score is 30034, placing it at the 84th percentile of all GPUs. The FPS scaling between resolution and settings is substantial, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. For instance, moving from 1080p Ultra (56 FPS) to 4K Ultra (37 FPS) shows a significant performance drop, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound rendering.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any tested configuration?

A: The data implies the CPU may become more of a limiting factor at lower resolutions with high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the system hits 146 FPS. While this is excellent, it is the lowest resolution and settings combo, which places the most stress on the CPU relative to the GPU. The CPU's single-core performance, with a Cinebench R23 score of 1700, is sufficient for this task, but the frame rate ceiling is likely influenced by the processor.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440 resolution, the Low preset achieves an average of 132 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 47 FPS. This is a substantial 85 FPS difference, highlighting the significant graphical workload increase of the Ultra preset.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 758th out of 3724 total tested combinations, placing it in the top 20.3% of all systems. This indicates that it is a high-performance setup overall, though not the absolute top-tier.

Resolution Scaling

The benchmark data for The Medium shows a clear and consistent pattern of frame rate scaling with resolution, which provides insight into the system's bottleneck characteristics. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 70 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 47 FPS at 3840x2160. This is a total drop of 23 FPS, or approximately 33%, from 1080p to 4K. This scaling is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary limiting component. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the RTX 5090 Mobile must render grows exponentially, directly impacting its fill rate and shading workload.

This GPU-bound nature is even more pronounced at the Medium preset. The system achieves 98 FPS at 1080p, 83 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K. The performance gap between 1080p and 4K here is 33 FPS. The fact that the frame rate drops are not linear but rather show a steep decline at 4K suggests that the GPU is hitting its memory bandwidth limits (896.0 GB/s) and raw compute limits (31.80 TFLOPS) as pixel count increases. The data shows that the GPU is the main driver of performance, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that does not interfere with the scaling pattern. The only configuration where the CPU's role might become more prominent is at 1080p Low, where the system hits 146 FPS. At this point, the GPU has less work to do, and the CPU's ability to process game logic and issue draw calls becomes more critical. The 146 FPS result, while high, is still proof of the CPU's capability, but the scaling data overall points to a system that is heavily dependent on the graphics card for its final output.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combo depends heavily on the user's target resolution and preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate. For a balance of visual quality and smooth gameplay, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 appears to be the sweet spot. The data shows an average of 83 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays, ensuring a responsive and fluid experience while still enjoying a significant step up in visual detail from the Low preset.

At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 70 FPS, which is also a solid choice for players with high refresh rate monitors who prioritize visual quality over maximum frame rates. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 56 FPS, which is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action due to the lower frame rate. For players seeking the highest possible fidelity at 4K, the Medium preset is the only viable option, as it achieves an average of 65 FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 47 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS, both of which are below the ideal smoothness threshold for many users. The Low preset, while achieving high frame rates, significantly compromises visual quality. Therefore, the data suggests that Medium settings at 1440p offer the best overall experience, balancing frame rate and visual detail effectively for this hardware combination. The Ultra preset should be reserved for screenshot purposes or for players who prioritize absolute visual fidelity over gameplay smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile ranks 758th out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This places the system in the top 20.3% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing. This rank is a holistic measure of the system's ability to run the game across all tested resolutions and settings. While the GPU is a top-tier mobile part, the CPU is a mid-to-high-end mobile processor. The rank reflects the synergy between these two components. The high percentile of the GPU (84th) suggests that it is the primary driver of this high ranking. The CPU, while not the absolute best, is competent enough not to drag the overall score down significantly.

In comparison to its nearest rivals, the CPU's average benchmark score is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and the Intel Core i5-13500HX. This suggests that swapping the 135H for either of those CPUs would likely result in a very similar in-game performance, as the GPU would still be the limiting factor in most scenarios. The rank of 758 out of 3724 means that there are 757 other configurations that perform better. These are likely to include systems with more powerful desktop-class CPUs or higher-tier GPUs. However, for a mobile platform, this is an exceptional result. The data indicates that this combo is a high-performance pairing that can handle the game with high frame rates at up to 1440p and provides a playable experience at 4K with adjusted settings. The ranking confirms the strength of the Blackwell architecture GPU in this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS, and where available, the minimum and maximum FPS, for each tested resolution and settings preset.

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

|:--------- |:------- |:------ |:------ |:------ |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 37 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | High | 47 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 65 | 55 | 75 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 104 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 47 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 59 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 83 | 70 | 95 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 132 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 56 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 70 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 98 | 84 | 113 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 146 | - | - |

At 4K, the system is clearly GPU-bound, with a wide spread from 37 FPS on Ultra to 104 FPS on Low. The Medium preset's minimum of 55 FPS indicates that even at this setting, there can be dips below 60 FPS, making it the minimum viable setting for a smooth 4K experience. At 1440p, the data shows a more comfortable range. The High preset at 59 FPS is borderline, while Medium at 83 FPS provides a solid experience. The Low preset at 132 FPS shows the system's capability for high refresh rate gaming. At 1080p, all presets are playable, with the Low preset reaching a very high 146 FPS average. The Medium preset shows a tight range between 84 and 113 FPS, indicating good frame pacing. The Ultra preset at 56 FPS is the only one that falls below the 60 FPS mark, suggesting that even at 1080p, the Ultra preset is demanding. These measurements provide a complete picture of the combo's performance, highlighting its strengths at lower resolutions and the significant impact of higher graphical settings on the GPU.