The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror title that places significant load on both the CPU and GPU, but the measured frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination reveal a clear bottleneck hierarchy. Across the twelve data points captured, the system demonstrates that its performance ceiling is dictated by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor’s capabilities become more apparent only when resolution drops. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, CPU and GPU roles, and the practical settings recommendations derived from the measured rows.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary limiting component at higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 92 at 1920x1080 to 77 at 2560x1440, then to 61 at 3840x2160. That is a 31 FPS reduction from 1080p to 4K, which translates to a 33.7% performance loss. The scaling is not linear, suggesting that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading resources are saturated as pixel count increases.

At Medium settings, the same pattern emerges: 57 FPS at 1080p drops to 48 FPS at 1440p, and further to 38 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 9 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 10 FPS, showing a consistent penalty per resolution tier. High settings show a similar trend, with 41 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with 33 FPS at 1080p falling to 27 FPS at 1440p, and then to 21 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the bottleneck at 4K, as even the lowest settings produce only 61 FPS, which is well below the processor’s potential. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely stressed by The Medium’s high-resolution textures. At 1080p, the system achieves playable frame rates across all settings, but the 4K Ultra result of 21 FPS reveals the GPU’s inability to handle the game’s full visual fidelity at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. In the context of The Medium, the CPU’s role is to manage the game’s fixed-camera scenes and AI logic, which are not heavily multithreaded. The passmark single-thread score of 4412 places it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, indicating strong per-core performance. The multi-thread benchmark scores, such as 25891 in Cinebench R23, show that the processor has ample headroom for this title.

Given that the measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 92, the CPU is clearly capable of feeding the GPU with frames. However, the gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p (92 vs 33 FPS) suggests that the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at lower resolutions when settings are increased. The CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game’s data streaming requirements, as evidenced by the consistent frame times at Medium settings (49 min, 66 max at 1080p).

The processor’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, have similar average benchmark scores (36945 and 37018 respectively), with deltas of 0% and -0.2%. This means the Core Ultra 5 225 is statistically on par with those CPUs in synthetic tests. In The Medium, the CPU’s performance is unlikely to be a differentiator, as the game’s frame rate is more sensitive to GPU load. The data shows that at 4K, even the lowest settings yield 61 FPS, which is still below the CPU’s maximum frame output capability, confirming that the processor is not the primary constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2026 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, indicating that while the system is functional, it is not competitive with higher-end pairings. The rank reflects the GPU’s age and the CPU’s mid-range positioning. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s percentile ranking among all GPUs is 62, meaning it outperforms 62% of graphics cards, but the combination’s overall rank is dragged down by the demanding nature of the game.

Compared to other combos, the system’s performance is moderate. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, has an average score of 18159, which is 0.4% higher than the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 18093. This suggests that the desktop RTX 2060 SUPER is nearly equivalent to a mobile RTX 3060 in synthetic benchmarks, but in actual game tests, the desktop card’s higher power limit (175 W TDP) may provide an edge. The combo’s rank of 2026 out of 2911 means that roughly 30% of tested systems perform worse, but the majority of systems deliver higher frame rates.

The rank also indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the combo would rank lower relative to other RTX 2060 SUPER systems. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint, as evidenced by the steep frame rate drops at higher resolutions. For users with this combo, upgrading the GPU would yield a more significant performance boost than upgrading the CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 92 FPS, which is smooth for a horror title. Medium settings drop to 57 FPS, with a minimum of 49 and a maximum of 66, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings average 41 FPS, which is still acceptable for a slow-paced game. Ultra settings average 33 FPS, which may feel stuttery in fast-paced scenes but is playable for the genre.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease significantly. Low settings average 77 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 48 FPS, with a minimum of 41 and a maximum of 55. High settings drop to 35 FPS, which is borderline playable. Ultra settings average 27 FPS, which is too low for a comfortable experience. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is more pronounced at higher settings, with Ultra losing 6 FPS and High losing 6 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 61 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings drop to 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43. High settings average 27 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. Ultra settings average 21 FPS, which is unplayable. The 4K results clearly show that the RTX 2060 SUPER is not designed for this resolution in The Medium, even at the lowest settings.

The Medium settings at 1080p provide the best balance, with 57 FPS average and a narrow frame time range. The 4K Low settings offer 61 FPS, but the visual quality is likely compromised. The data suggests that 1080p Medium or 1440p Low are the optimal choices for this hardware.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is based on the TU106 chip, fabricated on a 12 nm process. It features 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The GPU has 34 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores, which are underutilized in The Medium, as the game does not heavily rely on ray tracing. The core clocks are 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 256-bit bus.

The GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is a critical factor. At 4K Ultra, the game likely exceeds the memory capacity, leading to texture swapping and the observed 21 FPS average. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the higher pixel count and larger textures saturate the bus. The FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS is moderate for a 2019-era card, and the pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s limits fill-rate-heavy scenes.

The GPU’s percentile rank of 62 indicates that it is an average performer in the database. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 and the Intel Arc A770M, have similar average scores (18189 and 18383 respectively), with deltas of -0.5% and -1.6%. This places the RTX 2060 SUPER in a competitive but aging segment. In The Medium, the GPU’s role is dominant, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo are 1080p Medium. This preset delivers 57 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the frame time range of 49-66 FPS indicates stable performance. The 1080p Low preset offers 92 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but the visual quality is reduced. For users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low is the best choice.

At 1440p, the Medium preset provides 48 FPS, which is acceptable for a horror game that does not require fast reflexes. The 1440p Low preset is smoother at 77 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. The 4K resolution is not recommended, as even the Low preset only achieves 61 FPS, and the Medium preset drops to 38 FPS. The Ultra preset is unplayable at all resolutions, with 33 FPS at 1080p and 21 FPS at 4K.

For a balanced experience, 1080p Medium is the recommended preset. It maintains a consistent frame rate while preserving the game’s atmospheric details. The 1080p High preset at 41 FPS is playable, but the frame rate is not as stable. The data indicates that the system’s sweet spot is 1080p, with the Medium preset offering the best trade-off between performance and visual quality.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, with all settings producing playable frame rates. The 1080p Medium preset averages 57 FPS, while the 1080p Low preset averages 92 FPS.

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

A: The 4K results are poor. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, but Medium drops to 38 FPS, High to 27 FPS, and Ultra to 21 FPS. Only the Low preset is playable at 4K.

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

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s memory and shading resources are saturated. The CPU’s single-thread performance is sufficient for the game.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 18093, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159) and 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189). This places it in a similar performance tier.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 49 and the maximum is 66, indicating a stable frame pacing. At 1440p Medium, the range is 41-55 FPS, which is also consistent. At 4K Medium, the range is 32-43 FPS, showing more variance.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset with this hardware?

A: No. The Ultra preset averages 33 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. These frame rates are too low for a smooth experience. The Medium preset offers a much better balance of performance and visual quality.