The Medium

The Medium with an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a capable pairing that lands in the upper-middle tier of tested configurations. The combo ranks 663rd out of 2911 tested combinations, placing it in the top 22% of all systems measured. That rank reflects a system that can handle the game’s fixed-camera horror presentation with solid headroom at most settings, though it will not top leaderboards at maximum quality. The data shows a balanced pairing where neither component is an obvious bottleneck at common resolutions, but the GPU becomes the deciding factor as resolution climbs.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 2911 tested combos, this configuration sits at rank 663. That is a strong result, placing it ahead of roughly 77% of all systems in the database for The Medium. The ranking is influenced by both the CPU and GPU, but the measured frames suggest the RTX 3080 Ti is doing the heavy lifting. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 149 FPS average, which is higher than many systems with newer CPUs but weaker GPUs would manage. The rank is not top-tier, however; systems with newer flagship GPUs will sit above it, particularly at 4K where the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth become critical.

The percentile data for the individual parts reinforces this. The CPU sits in the 85th percentile among all processors, while the GPU is in the 83rd percentile among all graphics cards. This means both components are above average, but neither is an outlier. The combo’s rank of 663 benefits from this balance, as a weaker CPU would drag down 1080p performance, and a weaker GPU would cripple 4K results. In practice, the system delivers playable frame rates across all tested presets, with the notable exception of 4K Ultra, where the average drops to 35 FPS.

Comparing to rivals, the CPU’s nearest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, with a delta of 0% in average benchmark score. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, and the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 is 0.4% slower. These are negligible differences, meaning the Ultra 5 225 is effectively performance-par with those chips. For the GPU, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, which is 0.8% faster, while the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB is 1.2% slower. The RTX 3080 Ti also sits 2% ahead of the GeForce RTX 5070 in average score. The practical takeaway is that this combo is not held back by either component relative to its direct peers.

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. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. For The Medium, a game that relies on a mix of scripted sequences and real-time rendering, the CPU’s single-thread performance is more relevant than its multi-thread capacity. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and multi-core score of 25891 show a strong balance. The PassMark single-thread score of 4412 places it well above the average consumer CPU, which helps maintain consistent frame pacing in scenes with many interactive objects.

The game is not heavily threaded, so the 10 cores and 10 threads are ample. The lack of hyperthreading is not a disadvantage here, as The Medium’s engine typically uses fewer than eight threads. The L3 cache is 20 MB shared, which is sufficient for the game’s data access patterns. The CPU’s memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is more than enough to feed the GPU in this scenario. The PassMark data compression score of 302811 and encryption score of 22285 indicate strong general-purpose performance, but these are not directly relevant to gaming.

The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking means it outperforms most processors on the market. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average score, so swapping to any of them would yield no meaningful difference in The Medium. The 4.90 GHz boost clock is the key figure for this game, as it ensures the CPU can keep up with the GPU at 1080p Low, where the combo reaches 149 FPS. At higher resolutions, the CPU’s role diminishes, and the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The data confirms this: at 4K Low, the average FPS is 98, which is still high, but the gap between 1080p and 4K at the same settings shows the GPU is the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is an Ampere-generation card with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost of 1665 MHz. For The Medium, which uses heavy volumetric effects and fixed-camera angles with detailed environments, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and raw compute are critical. The 34.10 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 80 RT cores provide ample headroom for the game’s lighting and reflection work, though the game does not heavily rely on ray tracing.

The GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking places it above average, but its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, is 0.8% faster in average score. The RTX 3080 Ti is also 2% faster than the RTX 5070, which is a newer card but with less memory bandwidth. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for The Medium at 4K, as the game does not exceed that capacity at the tested settings. The GPU’s memory clock of 1188 MHz, effective 19 Gbps, ensures data flows quickly enough to maintain high frame rates.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU’s strength. At 1080p Medium, the combo averages 93 FPS, and at 1440p Medium it drops to 78 FPS. The step to 4K Medium brings a further drop to 61 FPS. These numbers indicate that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s performance is sufficient to drive high frame rates at 1080p Low (149 FPS). The GPU’s 12 GB VRAM and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth are well-matched to the game’s demands, but the card’s 350 W TDP and suggested 750 W PSU should be respected in a build. The GPU is end-of-life, but its performance remains competitive in this title.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo good for 1080p gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes. The data shows 149 FPS average at 1080p Low and 93 FPS at Medium, which are both well above the 60 FPS threshold. Even at High, the combo delivers 67 FPS, so most players will have a smooth experience at 1080p.

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

A: It depends on settings. At 4K Low, the combo averages 98 FPS, which is excellent. At Medium, it drops to 61 FPS, and at High it falls to 44 FPS. Ultra is not playable, with an average of 35 FPS. For 4K, Medium settings are the practical limit.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, Ryzen 5 5500X3D, and Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 in average benchmark score. The performance difference is negligible for gaming, so the choice between them should not affect frame rates in The Medium.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance relative to the RTX 5070?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti is 2% faster than the RTX 5070 in average benchmark score. This means the older card holds its own against a newer generation, though the 5070 has different feature support.

Q: What is the main bottleneck for this combo in The Medium?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to push much higher frame rates at 1080p Low (149 FPS), but the GPU’s rendering capacity caps the average FPS as resolution increases.

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

A: Yes. The data shows playable frame rates at 4K Medium (61 FPS) and 4K High (44 FPS), indicating the 12 GB VRAM is not exhausted at these settings. The game does not appear to exceed the memory capacity.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 149 at 1080p to 125 at 1440p, and then to 98 at 4K. That is a 34% drop from 1080p to 4K, which is moderate and indicates the GPU is still capable of feeding the display at lower quality presets. At Medium settings, the drop is steeper: 93 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. The 4K Medium result is 34% lower than 1080p Medium, which mirrors the Low setting’s scaling.

At High settings, the drops become more pronounced. The combo averages 67 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop is 21%, while the 1080p to 4K drop is 34%. Ultra settings show the worst scaling: 53 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K drop is 34% as well, but the absolute numbers are low enough that Ultra is not viable at any resolution above 1080p.

These numbers indicate that the GPU is the primary limiter as resolution increases. The CPU’s performance is consistent across resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the 1080p Low result (149 FPS) is much higher than any 4K result. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the 1080p results would be closer to the 4K results. The scaling pattern shows that the RTX 3080 Ti’s rendering capacity is the constraint, and the 12 GB VRAM and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth are not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher quality presets. For players targeting 4K, Medium settings are the sweet spot, as the 61 FPS average is just above the 60 FPS target. For 1440p, High settings at 56 FPS are borderline, but Medium at 78 FPS is a safer choice. At 1080p, High at 67 FPS is acceptable, and Medium at 93 FPS provides a comfortable margin.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance for the best experience. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 93 FPS average with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS. This is the best balance of visual quality and performance, as High drops to 67 FPS and Ultra to 53 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 79 ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes, making it the recommended choice for 1080p.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again stands out with 78 FPS average, a minimum of 67 FPS, and a maximum of 90 FPS. High settings at 56 FPS are playable but leave less headroom for drops, while Ultra at 45 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 125 FPS is overkill for most displays, so Medium offers the best visual fidelity without sacrificing frame rate.

At 4K, the choice is more constrained. Medium settings produce 61 FPS average with a minimum of 52 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target but with occasional dips below it. Low settings at 98 FPS are smooth but sacrifice visual quality. High at 44 FPS and Ultra at 35 FPS are not viable for consistent gameplay. For 4K, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides the highest visual quality while remaining mostly playable. Players who prioritize frame rate over visuals should drop to Low, which nearly doubles the FPS to 98.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions. It offers a balance of visual detail and performance that the other presets do not. The minimum FPS values for Medium are 79 at 1080p, 67 at 1440p, and 52 at 4K, which are all acceptable for a horror game where frame pacing is less critical than in competitive shooters. For players with 120 Hz or higher refresh rate displays at 1080p, the Low preset at 149 FPS is worth considering, but the visual downgrade from Medium is noticeable. Overall, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point, with adjustments up or down based on personal preference for visual quality versus frame rate.