The Medium

The Medium is a fixed-camera horror title that leans heavily on atmosphere, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti shows a system that is capable but requires careful settings management to hit smooth frame rates at higher resolutions. The benchmark results place this combo at rank 1415 out of 2911 tested combinations, putting it just below the median of the database. This is a pairing where the GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM and the CPU’s 10 cores create a balanced platform, but the game’s demands at 4K expose clear limitations. The measured frames per second across three resolutions and four quality presets provide a complete picture of what to expect, and the data suggests that this system is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming with tuned settings rather than maxing out everything at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, which indicates that the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 113 FPS at 1920x1080 to 95 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 74 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 34.5% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 22.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. The trend is similar at Medium settings, where the 1080p average of 70 FPS drops to 59 FPS at 1440p and then to 47 FPS at 4K. This pattern shows that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, since the CPU’s workload does not scale with pixel count in the same way.

At High settings, the scaling is more punishing. The 1080p result of 50 FPS falls to 42 FPS at 1440p and then to 33 FPS at 4K. That is a 34% total loss from 1080p to 4K. Ultra settings follow a similar trajectory: 40 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The difference between Medium and High is notable, with High costing about 28-30% performance compared to Medium at the same resolution. The gap between High and Ultra is smaller, around 20-24%, suggesting diminishing returns from the highest preset.

The most telling data point is the 4K Ultra result of 26 FPS, which is essentially unplayable for a game that relies on tension and timing. Even 4K Medium at 47 FPS is borderline, since the minimum frame rate recorded was 40 FPS, which can cause noticeable stutter in a horror title. The 1080p Low result of 113 FPS shows that the system has plenty of headroom when the GPU is not stressed, which points to the CPU being more than adequate for this game. The scaling pattern across all settings suggests that the RTX 3060 Ti’s memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and 8 GB VRAM become bottlenecks at 4K, particularly with higher quality textures and effects.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, and its specifications are directly relevant to how it performs in The Medium. The GPU has 4864 shading units, 152 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation pipelines. Its boost clock is 1665 MHz, with a base clock of 1410 MHz, and the memory runs at 14 Gbps effective across a 256-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is a key factor for a game that loads large, detailed environments with fixed camera angles.

In the benchmark data, the GPU’s performance at 1080p Medium (70 FPS average) and 1080p Low (113 FPS) shows that the card has enough raw throughput for smooth gameplay at lower resolutions. However, the 8 GB VRAM capacity appears to be a limiting factor at 4K, where the Ultra preset averages only 26 FPS. The game’s high-resolution textures and lighting effects likely exceed the VRAM buffer, causing the GPU to rely on slower memory transfers. The measured minimum frame rates at Medium settings support this: at 1080p Medium the minimum is 60 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 50 FPS, and at 4K Medium it drops to 40 FPS. These minimums degrade more than the averages, which is typical of a GPU that is running out of memory or bandwidth.

The GPU’s percentile rank versus all GPUs is 59, meaning it sits slightly above the median, and its average benchmark score is 16129. Among its nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014 (0.7% lower), while the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 16351 (1.4% higher). The RTX 3060 Ti’s passmark G3D score of 20349 and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2626 are consistent with a mid-range card that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles at 4K. The GPU’s launch MSRP is 399 USD, and it has been marked as end-of-life, which is relevant for anyone considering this pairing on the used market.

The ray tracing cores (38) and tensor cores (152) on this GPU are present, but The Medium’s benchmark results do not show a significant uplift from these features at the tested settings. The data indicates that standard rasterization performance is what drives the frame rates, and the 16.20 TFLOPS FP32 compute is adequate for the game’s visual complexity at lower resolutions. The GPU’s power draw of 200 W and its suggested PSU of 550 W are not directly tested in the FPS data, but they are specifications to keep in mind for system planning.

How This Combo Ranks

The overall ranking of this CPU-GPU combination in The Medium is 1415 out of 2911 tested combos, which places it in the 51st percentile, just barely above the halfway point. This is a modest result, indicating that while the system is not weak, it is also not a high-end performer for this specific game. The rank reflects the balance between the Intel Core Ultra 5 225’s strong single-thread performance and the RTX 3060 Ti’s mid-range GPU capabilities. In a game like The Medium, which is not heavily multithreaded, the CPU’s 10 cores and 10 threads are more than sufficient, so the ranking is largely determined by the GPU’s ability to push frames at various resolutions.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing sits in the middle of the pack. The CPU’s percentile versus all CPUs is 85, which is high, while the GPU’s percentile versus all GPUs is 59, which is much lower. This mismatch suggests that the CPU is capable of supporting a stronger GPU, and that the RTX 3060 Ti is holding the system back at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 1415 reflects this imbalance; if the same CPU were paired with a faster GPU, the rank would likely improve significantly.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, -0.4%). The Intel Core Ultra 5 225’s average benchmark score is 36938, which is essentially tied with these processors. This means that the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo; the GPU’s performance is what determines the final ranking. For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014, 0.7% higher) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351, 1.4% higher), which shows that the RTX 3060 Ti is competitively positioned within its own performance class.

The data indicates that for a 1080p gaming setup, this combo would rank higher, but the measured FPS at 4K drags the overall ranking down. The rank of 1415 is an aggregate across all resolutions and settings, so users who primarily play at 1080p or 1440p will experience a better-than-average result, while those targeting 4K will be disappointed. The benchmark data confirms that this is a balanced mid-range combo, not a high-end one.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p Medium, which delivers an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS. This settings level provides a smooth, consistent frame rate that is suitable for a horror game where sudden movements and camera cuts require responsive rendering. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 20 FPS (from 70 to 50), which is a significant drop that brings the average below the 60 FPS threshold. High at 1080p is playable but not ideal, and Ultra at 1080p averages only 40 FPS, which is too low for a game that benefits from fluid motion.

At 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS. This is playable, but the minimum frame rate is close to the edge of comfort. High at 1440p drops to 42 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth, and Ultra at 34 FPS is not recommended. Low at 1440p averages 95 FPS, which is excellent, but the visual quality loss is substantial. For users who prefer higher fidelity, Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot, trading some visual detail for a playable frame rate.

At 4K, the situation is more challenging. Medium averages 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS, which is borderline for a horror title. Low at 4K averages 74 FPS, which is smooth, but the game’s atmosphere relies heavily on lighting and shadows, so dropping to Low may compromise the intended experience. High at 4K averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS, both of which are too low for comfortable gameplay. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable target for this combo unless the user is willing to accept Low settings, and even then, the visual quality loss is significant.

For the best balance of performance and visual fidelity, the recommendation is to use Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p. The measured data shows that Medium provides the highest average frame rate that still maintains a minimum above 60 FPS at 1080p and above 50 FPS at 1440p. Users who prioritize frame rate above all else can drop to Low at 1440p or 4K, but the Medium preset is the practical choice for this hardware combination.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings levels, providing a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 113 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. Medium at 1080p averages 70 FPS, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 81 FPS. High at 1080p averages 50 FPS, and Ultra averages 40 FPS. These results show a clear progression: each step up in settings costs approximately 20-30% performance. The 1080p Medium result is the most balanced, offering a frame rate that is well above the minimum for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 95 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium at 1440p averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. The minimum of 50 FPS is worth noting, as it indicates that there are moments of heavier load that could cause brief stutters. High at 1440p averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 34 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium at 1440p costs 36 FPS (from 95 to 59), which is a large drop, but the Medium result is still acceptable for most players.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 74 FPS, which is surprisingly good for a 4K result, but the visual quality is likely too degraded for a game that relies on dark, detailed environments. Medium at 4K averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. The minimum of 40 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, which makes this preset risky for a smooth experience. High at 4K averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS, both of which are unplayable for a game that requires responsiveness.

The data shows that the system has a wide performance envelope, from 113 FPS at 1080p Low to 26 FPS at 4K Ultra. The Medium settings at each resolution provide the most usable frame rates, with 70 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. The minimum frame rates at Medium settings (60, 50, and 40 FPS respectively) show a consistent degradation as resolution increases, which aligns with the GPU’s memory bandwidth and VRAM limitations.

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 node. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz, and it boosts up to 4.90 GHz. The CPU has a 20 MB shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 cache per core and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. This configuration provides strong single-thread performance, which is what matters most for The Medium, a game that likely does not scale well across many threads.

The CPU’s benchmark scores are competitive: it scores 25891 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3655 in single-core, and 6317 in Cinebench R20 multicore with 891 in single-core. Its passmark single-thread score is 4412, and its multithread score is 30459. These numbers place the CPU in the 85th percentile versus all CPUs, which is a strong result. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 36938, which is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018). This indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this test.

In The Medium, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage game logic. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (113 FPS) shows that the CPU is capable of high frame rates, and the fact that the FPS drops significantly at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s dual-channel DDR5 memory support with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is sufficient for this game, and the 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes provide ample bandwidth for the GPU. The CPU’s TDP of 65 W is modest, and its integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 16EU is not relevant for gaming with a discrete GPU.

The CPU’s boost clock of 4.90 GHz is high enough to ensure that frame times are consistent, which is important for a horror game where pacing matters. The benchmark data does not show any CPU-related stuttering, as the minimum frame rates at Medium settings are consistent with the averages. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a capable gaming CPU, and its performance in this test is limited only by the GPU’s capabilities. For users who plan to upgrade the GPU in the future, this CPU would be able to support a significantly faster card without becoming a bottleneck.