The Medium

# The Medium with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT

This combination of an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and an AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT lands at rank 1707 out of 3724 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the 46th percentile of all configurations. The data reveals a system that can handle the game at playable framerates in most scenarios, but struggles at the highest settings and resolutions. The measured FPS values across twelve different resolution/settings combinations show a clear pattern: this pair is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming with medium-to-high presets, while 4K demands significant compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1707 out of 3724 tested combinations places this system squarely in the middle of the database's tested configurations for The Medium. Being in the 46th percentile means roughly 46% of all tested combos perform better, while 54% perform worse. This is not a top-tier pairing, but it is far from being an outlier on the low end. The ranking suggests a balanced mid-range system that delivers consistent, if unspectacular, performance in this horror title.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU's percentileVsAllCpus score of 85 indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 outperforms 85% of all processors in the benchmark database. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus score of 71 shows the Radeon RX 6750 XT is also above average, beating 71% of all graphics cards. When these two above-average components combine, they produce a system that is slightly below the midpoint of all tested combos in this specific game, which suggests The Medium is particularly demanding on the GPU side of the equation.

The CPU's nearest rival data shows a tight cluster of similarly-performing processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores within 0% of the Intel chip, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D trails by just 0.2%. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 and Intel Core i9-12900T are 0.4% and 0.5% behind respectively. This grouping indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 sits at a performance plateau where several competing processors deliver nearly identical results. For The Medium specifically, any of these CPUs would likely produce similar framerates when paired with the same GPU.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals are less expected. The AMD Radeon R9 M395X, a mobile GPU, scores 0.5% higher than the RX 6750 XT, while the AMD FirePro W7100 and FirePro D700 are 0.6% and 0.7% ahead. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is 1.1% ahead. These are all older or mobile parts that happen to have similar average benchmark scores, but the RX 6750 XT's modern architecture likely gives it an edge in actual gaming scenarios like The Medium.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT brings 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is substantial for a mid-range card and proves sufficient for The Medium's demands across all tested settings. The card's memory clock runs at 2250 MHz, or 18 Gbps effective, which is a solid figure for the RX 6000 series. The 12 GB capacity provides enough headroom for high-resolution textures and detailed environments without hitting memory limits.

The GPU's clock speeds are noteworthy for their aggressiveness. The base clock sits at 2150 MHz, but the boost clock reaches 2600 MHz, with a game clock of 2495 MHz. These high frequencies are a hallmark of the RDNA 2.0 architecture, allowing the card to extract maximum performance from its 2560 shading units. The 160 texture mapping units and 64 render output units work together to produce a pixel rate of 166.4 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 416.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 throughput of 13.31 TFLOPS places this card firmly in the capable mid-range tier.

The measured FPS data shows how these GPU specifications translate into real-world performance. At 1080p Low, the card pushes 115 FPS, indicating that the GPU is not the limiting factor at lower settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to just 27 FPS, showing the GPU's limits when pushed to maximum pixel throughput. The 40 ray accelerators on this card handle The Medium's lighting effects, but the performance cost is evident in the Ultra preset numbers. The card's 71st percentile ranking among all GPUs aligns with its mid-range positioning and the measured results in this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. The CPU operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and boosts up to 4.90 GHz, which provides strong single-threaded performance for gaming workloads. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency in game logic and scene transitions. This cache configuration is particularly beneficial for The Medium's fixed-camera angles and detailed environments.

The CPU's benchmark scores demonstrate its capabilities across different workloads. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655 show a well-balanced processor that handles both multi-threaded and single-threaded tasks effectively. The PassMark single-thread score of 4412 confirms strong per-core performance, which is crucial for games that rely heavily on one or two threads. The processor's 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database.

In The Medium, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS differences between settings at the same resolution follow a pattern typical of GPU-bound scenarios. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra drops the average from 115 FPS to 41 FPS, a 64% reduction that clearly stems from GPU workload rather than CPU limitations. The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads provide enough parallel processing power for the game's background tasks, while the high boost clock ensures smooth frame pacing in demanding scenes. The lack of hyperthreading might seem limiting, but The Medium does not appear to be heavily thread-bound based on these results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the resolution most gamers will likely use, the combo delivers solid results across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 115 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay. Medium settings drop to 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 and maximum of 83, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings yield 52 FPS average, which is playable but starts to show the GPU's limitations. Ultra settings bring the average down to 41 FPS, which may feel sluggish in a horror game that relies on atmosphere and tension.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings maintain 97 FPS average, still very smooth. Medium settings deliver 61 FPS average with a range of 52 to 70 FPS, right at the edge of acceptable smoothness. High settings drop to 43 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1440p gaming is best handled at Medium settings for this combination, where the frame rate stays above 60 FPS on average.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. Low settings produce 76 FPS average, which is surprisingly playable for 4K. Medium settings drop to 48 FPS with a range of 40 to 55 FPS, making for a less consistent experience. High settings fall to 34 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 27 FPS. The 4K results show that this card can handle the resolution at lower presets, but the higher settings are beyond its capabilities for this particular game.

The pattern across all resolutions shows a consistent scaling factor. At each resolution, Low settings roughly double the frame rate of Ultra settings. This consistent ratio suggests that the game's settings have a predictable impact on GPU load, allowing users to tune their experience based on their preference for visual fidelity or smoothness.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 at Medium settings provides an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 61 FPS, making it the safest choice for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, Medium settings maintain 61 FPS average, which is also viable.

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

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K Low settings, the combo achieves 76 FPS average, which is playable. However, 4K Medium drops to 48 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 27 FPS, making higher settings impractical at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores within 0% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, and is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 trails by 0.4%, and the Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% behind. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the GPU's strongest benchmark result?

A: The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 20700 is its highest recorded benchmark, while the Geekbench Metal score of 137249 shows strong compute performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2548 reflects modern gaming workloads.

Q: Is the 12 GB VRAM sufficient for The Medium?

A: The measured results suggest yes. Even at 4K Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops to 27, there is no indication of VRAM limitations causing stuttering or texture pop-in. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth provides adequate data throughput.

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

A: The combo ranks 1707 out of 3724 tested combinations, placing it in the 46th percentile. This means it performs better than 54% of all tested combos in this game, which is a moderate mid-pack result.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing smooth gameplay, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the optimal choice, delivering 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS and maximum of 83 FPS. This preset provides a good balance between visual quality and performance, keeping the frame rate comfortably above 60 FPS even during demanding scenes. The 61 FPS minimum ensures that even the most intense moments in the horror game remain fluid.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the recommended option, producing 61 FPS average with a 52 FPS minimum and 70 FPS maximum. While the average sits right at the 60 FPS mark, the minimum of 52 FPS could result in occasional dips below smoothness thresholds. For those who prefer a more consistent experience at 1440p, the Low preset at 97 FPS average provides plenty of headroom, though at the cost of visual fidelity.

For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 76 FPS average is the only viable option for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 48 FPS average might be acceptable for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, but the 40 FPS minimum could be problematic in action-heavy sequences. The High and Ultra presets at 34 FPS and 27 FPS respectively are best avoided if smoothness is a priority.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combination across all resolutions. It represents a balance where the GPU is utilized effectively without being pushed to the point of inconsistent frame delivery. Players who value high refresh rates should consider the Low preset, while those who want the best visuals should be prepared for frame rates in the 30-50 FPS range.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important characteristics about this combination's bottleneck. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 72 at 1080p to 61 at 1440p, a 15% decrease, then to 48 at 4K, a further 21% decrease from 1440p. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings is 33%, showing a relatively gentle scaling curve that suggests the GPU is handling the increased pixel count efficiently, but not without cost.

At Low settings, the scaling is more dramatic. The 1080p average of 115 FPS drops to 97 FPS at 1440p (16% decrease) and then to 76 FPS at 4K (22% decrease from 1440p, 34% total from 1080p). This larger drop at lower settings indicates that the CPU becomes a more significant factor when the GPU is less stressed, though the overall performance remains strong. At High settings, the scaling pattern is similar, with drops from 52 FPS at 1080p to 43 FPS at 1440p (17%) and then to 34 FPS at 4K (21% from 1440p, 35% total).

The Ultra preset shows the steepest proportional drops, falling from 41 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 1440p (17%) and then to 27 FPS at 4K (21% from 1440p, 34% total from 1080p). The consistency of these scaling patterns across settings indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at all resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck. The 10-core configuration with boost clocks up to 4.90 GHz ensures that frame time consistency is maintained as resolution increases, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of performance scaling.

The data implies that this system is well-balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with the GPU being the limiting component at 4K. Users planning to play at 4K should expect to use Low settings for playable frame rates, while those at lower resolutions can enjoy Medium or even High settings depending on their frame rate preferences.