The Medium

The Medium presents a unique challenge for hardware analysis, as it is a horror title that relies heavily on a fixed-camera perspective and intricate lighting to build atmosphere. The data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising headroom at 1080p. This analysis will break down the measured performance, contextualize it within the broader benchmark database, and explore what the numbers suggest about the limiting factors in this specific gaming scenario.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1194th out of 2911 tested combinations for this specific game, placing it in the upper half of all systems benchmarked.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its closest rivals in general GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070's average benchmark score is 17208. It is 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M, while being 1.5% behind the NVIDIA Tesla K40c.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 123 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this configuration?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 29 FPS, observed at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the CPU outperform its nearest rivals in general processing benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. It performs on par with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta), slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (-0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5%).

Q: What are the key specifications of the Core Ultra 5 225?

A: The processor features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary driver of visual output in this configuration, and its role becomes increasingly critical as the resolution and settings are pushed higher. The GPU is built on the Ampere architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory subsystem is a key factor; at higher resolutions, the demand for texture data and frame buffer space grows, and the 8 GB capacity can become a point of constraint. The GPU's base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1725 MHz, and its performance is reflected in its 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs.

In the context of The Medium, the GPU's workload is substantial. The game's design emphasizes detailed environments and volumetric effects, which are taxing on the shading units and rasterizers. The RTX 3070 has 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, providing a solid foundation for these tasks. However, the benchmark data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p, the configuration achieves a playable 55 FPS on High settings, but this drops to 36 FPS at 4K on the same settings. This 34.5% decrease in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings indicates that the GPU is being saturated as the pixel count increases.

The relationship between the GPU's compute capabilities and the game's demands is further highlighted by the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162. This score, while a synthetic metric, aligns with the observed gaming performance, suggesting that the card's DirectX 12 performance is a good predictor of its behavior in this title. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 22214 places it in the 61st percentile, reinforcing its position as a mid-to-high-tier card. The data indicates that while the RTX 3070 is the performance bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, its capabilities are sufficient to provide a smooth experience at 1080p with adjusted settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent trend of declining performance as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at Medium settings results in a drop from 77 FPS to 65 FPS, a 15.6% performance hit. The scaling continues when moving to 3840x2160, where the average FPS falls to 51, representing another 21.5% decrease. This pattern strongly suggests that the RTX 3070 is the limiting component; the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but as the pixel workload grows, the GPU's capabilities are exhausted.

This is more evident when examining the Low settings preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 123 FPS, but this plummets to 104 FPS at 1440p and 81 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is a 34.1% reduction in FPS. Interestingly, this percentage is very similar to the drop seen at High settings (34.5%), which indicates that the resolution scaling is consistent regardless of the visual fidelity preset. This consistency implies that the bottleneck is purely related to pixel throughput and memory bandwidth, rather than specific effects that might be disabled at Low settings.

The 4K Ultra setting represents the most extreme stress test, with an average of 29 FPS. This is the only configuration in the data where the system dips below 30 FPS, which is often considered the minimum for a playable console-like experience. The fact that the system can maintain 81 FPS at 4K Low but only 29 FPS at 4K Ultra underscores the massive performance cost of the game's highest visual quality settings. The data suggests that users targeting 4K will need to make significant compromises in settings, whereas 1080p and 1440p offer much more flexibility for balancing visual quality and frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds a combo rank of 1194 out of 2911 tested combinations in The Medium. This puts it in the 59th percentile of all systems tested, meaning it outperforms a majority of configurations. The rank is a composite measure that takes into account the performance of both the CPU and GPU in the context of this specific game. Given the GPU-bound nature of the title at higher resolutions, the rank is likely more heavily influenced by the RTX 3070's performance than the CPU's.

To contextualize this rank, we can look at the individual components' standings. The RTX 3070 is in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, and the Core Ultra 5 225 is in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. The fact that the combo ranks lower than the CPU's individual percentile suggests that the GPU is holding the system back from achieving a higher overall rank. The CPU is a top-15% performer, but its capabilities are not fully utilized in The Medium because the GPU becomes the limiting factor at the resolutions where the game's visual demands are high.

The rank of 1194 also indicates that there are 1717 other tested combinations that perform worse, but 1193 that perform better. This places the system in a competitive mid-to-upper tier. The data implies that this configuration is well-balanced for 1080p gaming, where the CPU has enough power to push the GPU to its limits. However, for 1440p or 4K gaming, the system is effectively a solo-GPU show, and its rank would likely improve if paired with a more powerful graphics card. The performance gap between this combo and top-tier systems is not due to a weak CPU, but rather the inherent limits of the RTX 3070 at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the performance across four resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably, starting with 123 FPS on Low, 77 FPS on Medium, and 55 FPS on High. The Ultra preset at this resolution yields 44 FPS. The Medium preset offers a good balance, with a minimum FPS of 65 and a maximum of 88, showing a stable frame delivery. The 1080p results indicate that the system is fully capable of high-refresh-rate gaming at lower settings, and even at High settings, it maintains a smooth 55 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops as expected. The Low preset still provides a very playable 104 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 65 FPS, with a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. High settings at 1440p yield 46 FPS, while Ultra drops to 37 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system is still viable for competitive play on Low and Medium settings, but users seeking a more visually rich experience will need to accept lower frame rates. The data suggests that 1440p High is a borderline experience, while 1440p Ultra is only suitable for those who prioritize visuals over smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly pushed to its limits. Low settings provide a respectable 81 FPS, but Medium drops to 51 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS. High settings at 4K yield only 36 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an unplayable 29 FPS. The 4K results show that the RTX 3070's 8 GB of VRAM and 448 GB/s of bandwidth are insufficient for high-fidelity gaming at this resolution in The Medium. The frame rates at 4K High and Ultra are below the threshold for a smooth experience, indicating that this configuration is not suited for 4K gaming without significant compromises.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this configuration depend heavily on the target resolution and the user's preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 55 FPS provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, offering a cinematic experience that suits the game's horror genre. The Medium preset at 77 FPS is also an excellent choice, providing a smoother experience with a minimal visual downgrade. The Ultra preset at 44 FPS is playable, but the frame rate is not as consistent, and the visual gains over High may not be worth the performance cost.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, as it delivers a solid 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS. This ensures a stable and enjoyable experience. The High preset at 46 FPS is playable but may feel less smooth, especially in scenes with rapid camera movements. The Low preset at 104 FPS is ideal for users who prioritize performance above all else, but the visual quality will be noticeably reduced. At 1440p, the Ultra preset should be avoided, as the 37 FPS average is too low for a smooth experience.

For 3840x2160, the system is not recommended for high-fidelity gaming. The Low preset at 81 FPS is the only way to achieve a smooth frame rate. While the Medium preset at 51 FPS is technically playable, the minimum FPS of 43 suggests potential stuttering in demanding scenes. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended, as they fall below 36 FPS, which is too low for a playable experience. In summary, the data suggests that this configuration is best suited for 1080p High and 1440p Medium, where it can deliver a balanced and enjoyable experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a supporting role in The Medium, but its capabilities are essential for ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data. This processor features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and its PassMark single-thread score of 4412. This is crucial for gaming, as many game engines, including those used in horror titles, still rely heavily on a few high-performance cores for main thread logic and physics.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, while not fully utilized by the game, are also robust. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and PassMark multi-thread score of 30459 place it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. In the context of The Medium, the data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 123 FPS, which is a high frame rate that requires a capable CPU to feed the GPU. The fact that the frame rate scales down consistently as resolution increases indicates that the GPU is reaching its limits, not the CPU.

The 10-core, 10-thread configuration is interesting, as it lacks hyper-threading. This means the operating system sees 10 logical processors. While this is sufficient for modern games, it could be a limiting factor in scenarios with heavy background tasks. However, the game's performance data suggests that this is not an issue. The CPU's performance is on par with its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which further confirms that the processor is providing a solid foundation. In this game, the CPU's role is to ensure a stable frame pipeline, and the data indicates that it does so without introducing any measurable bottlenecks.