The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination delivers a playable but constrained experience in The Medium, with performance heavily dictated by resolution and settings. The data shows that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve smooth frame rates, but it struggles to maintain playability at 4K, particularly on higher presets. The measured results reveal a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom even at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly illustrates the GPU's limitations. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 84 at 1920x1080 to 71 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 13 FPS, and then plummets to 55 at 3840x2160. This represents a total decrease of 29 FPS, or roughly 35%, from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not linear, indicating that the Radeon RX 6600's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput are increasingly stressed as the resolution climbs. The 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and 159.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

The trend is even more pronounced at Medium settings. The average FPS drops from 52 at 1080p to 44 at 1440p, and then to 35 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K is 17 FPS, a 33% reduction. This pattern confirms that the GPU is the limiting component; the CPU's performance is not the constraining factor in this scenario. The data suggests that the fixed-function hardware, such as the 64 ROPs, is being saturated, as the frame rate drop is consistent with the increase in pixel count.

At High settings, the scaling is similar, with averages of 37 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 12 FPS, a 32% reduction. This consistency across settings indicates that the resolution scaling is a fundamental property of the GPU's architecture, not a quirk of a specific preset. The 4K High result of 25 FPS is on the edge of playability, and the 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS is firmly in the unplayable range, showing that the card is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity.

The most telling data point is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K: 55 FPS versus 20 FPS. This 35 FPS gap demonstrates that while the GPU can produce a decent frame rate at 4K with minimal graphical load, it has no headroom for additional visual effects. The game's rendering demands, which include complex lighting and shadow calculations, quickly exhaust the GPU's resources when the preset is raised. Benchmark results indicate that for a consistent 60 FPS experience, users must target 1080p, as even 1440p Low only reaches 71 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the central figure in these results, and its specifications explain the measured performance. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the capacity and bandwidth become limiting factors. The game's high-resolution textures and effects can exceed the 8 GB VRAM buffer, forcing the system to rely on slower memory, which negatively impacts frame times and average FPS.

The GPU's clock speeds also play a role. The base clock is 1626 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz and a boost clock of 2491 MHz. The boost clock is only achieved under ideal thermal and power conditions, and sustained gaming loads will likely see the card settle between the game and boost clocks. This dynamic clocking behavior means that the GPU's performance is not static; it varies based on the workload. The measured FPS at 4K Medium (35 FPS) and 4K Low (55 FPS) show that the card can still deliver playable performance when the settings are adjusted, but the gap between these settings highlights the clock speed's inability to compensate for increased shading and texture work.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are defined by its 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s and the FP32 performance of 8.928 TFLOPS are modest figures in the current landscape. In The Medium, these numbers translate to a card that can handle the game's fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds at lower resolutions, but the dynamic lighting and particle effects at higher presets cause the frame rate to drop. The GPU's percentile ranking of 63rd among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19036, positions it as a mid-range part that is not designed for 4K gaming.

The nearest rivals for the RX 6600 include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile, with deltaPct values of 0 and -0.1, respectively. This indicates that the RX 6600's performance is nearly identical to these cards, making it a well-understood quantity. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1492 further confirms its mid-range status. In the context of The Medium, the GPU is the clear bottleneck at 4K, and even at 1440p, the frame rates on High and Ultra presets (32 and 25 FPS) are not smooth enough for a satisfying experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides a strong foundation for this gaming configuration. With 10 cores and 10 threads, it offers sufficient parallelism for modern game engines. The base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz are respectable, and the 20 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. The CPU's performance is not a limiting factor in the measured results, as the frame rate drops are consistently attributed to the GPU's resolution scaling.

The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 25891 points in the multi-core test and 3655 points in the single-core test. The single-core score is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines still rely on a few heavily-threaded processes. The PassMark single-thread score of 4412 is also strong, indicating that the CPU can deliver the instructions needed by the game's main thread without becoming a bottleneck. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938, places it in the upper echelon of processors.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, with deltaPct values of 0 and -0.2, respectively. This shows that the Core Ultra 5 225 is competitive with these popular gaming CPUs. The data suggests that the CPU is more than capable of feeding the RX 6600 at all tested resolutions. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 84, and at 4K Low, it is 55. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates across these resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the frame rates scale with the GPU's workload, confirming that the CPU is not the limiting component.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 and its dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s provide ample data throughput for the game. The 17,800 million transistors on a 3 nm process node from TSMC indicate a modern, efficient design. In The Medium, which features a fixed-camera perspective, the CPU's role is to manage the game's logic, AI, and asset streaming. The benchmark results indicate that the Core Ultra 5 225 handles these tasks with ease, leaving the GPU as the sole determinant of frame rate. The data shows no scenario where the CPU holds back the GPU, making it a solid pairing for this game, even if the overall performance is limited by the graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this configuration are at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This combination yields an average FPS of 52, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 60. This provides a smooth, consistent experience that is suitable for a horror game, where pacing and atmosphere are critical. The 1080p High preset, at 37 FPS, is playable but may exhibit noticeable frame drops during intense scenes. The 1080p Low preset, at 84 FPS, is the fastest option, but it sacrifices visual fidelity.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the 1080p High preset is the best choice. The 37 FPS average is on the lower end of playability, but the game's slower pace makes it tolerable. However, the 4K resolutions are not recommended. The 4K Medium preset averages 35 FPS, but this is a marginal experience, and the 4K Low preset at 55 FPS is the only 4K option that approaches smoothness. The 4K High and Ultra presets, at 25 and 20 FPS respectively, should be avoided entirely.

The data indicates that the 1440p Medium preset, with an average of 44 FPS, is a viable alternative for users with 1440p monitors. The minimum FPS of 37 is acceptable, but the lower frame rate compared to 1080p Medium might be noticeable. The 1440p Low preset at 71 FPS is another strong option, offering a high frame rate with reduced graphical details. In summary, the best experience is found at 1080p Medium, which balances visual quality and performance. The 1080p High preset is for those who want more detail, while the 1440p Medium preset is for users with higher-resolution displays.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combination in The Medium?*

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 provides the most consistent performance. The average FPS at 1080p ranges from 30 on Ultra to 84 on Low, with Medium hitting 52 FPS. 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 are playable only on Low settings, with 71 and 55 FPS averages, respectively.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in The Medium?*

A: Yes, but only on lower presets. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 55, which is playable. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 35 FPS, and at 4K High and Ultra, it falls to 25 and 20 FPS, respectively, which are not smooth experiences.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases, from 84 FPS at 1080p Low to 55 FPS at 4K Low. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be similar across resolutions. The CPU's strong single-thread score of 4412 in PassMark indicates it has ample headroom.

Q: What are the frame times like at 1080p Medium?

A: The 1080p Medium preset has an average FPS of 52, with a minimum measured FPS of 44 and a maximum of 60. This indicates a relatively stable frame pacing, with no severe dips below the average.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark performance?

A: The RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036, placing it in the 63rd percentile. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, has a deltaPct of 0, meaning they perform identically. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile is also within 0.1% performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 84 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 30 FPS. This is a 54 FPS difference, or a 64% reduction in performance, showing the significant impact of the Ultra preset's graphical effects on the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for The Medium with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 84 FPS
• Medium: Average 52 FPS, Minimum 44 FPS, Maximum 60 FPS
• High: Average 37 FPS
• Ultra: Average 30 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 71 FPS
• Medium: Average 44 FPS, Minimum 37 FPS, Maximum 51 FPS
• High: Average 32 FPS
• Ultra: Average 25 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 55 FPS
• Medium: Average 35 FPS, Minimum 29 FPS, Maximum 40 FPS
• High: Average 25 FPS
• Ultra: Average 20 FPS

These results show a clear hierarchy of performance. The 1080p Low setting is the fastest, while 4K Ultra is the slowest. The data confirms that the combination is best used at 1080p, with the Medium preset offering the best balance of visual quality and frame rate. The 1440p Medium preset is a secondary option for higher-resolution displays. All data is measured and reflects the real-world performance of this specific hardware pairing.