The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built around cinematic tension and dual-reality rendering, presents a demanding workload that stresses both GPU and CPU. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivers a specific performance profile across resolutions. The data shows a system that is capable of high refresh rates at 1440p and 1080p, but which requires careful settings management at 4K to maintain smooth gameplay. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and settings recommendations based strictly on the provided benchmark data.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific pairing at rank 394 out of 3724 tested combos for The Medium. This percentile placement indicates that the configuration sits in the top 11% of all system combinations tested in this database for this game. The ranking reflects a strong overall capability, positioning the system well above the median performer.

This high rank is a direct result of the synergy between the CPU and GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 sits in the 85th percentile for all CPUs, with a strong average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which scores 36945, and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, which scores 37018 (a -0.2% delta). The performance delta between these CPUs is negligible, meaning the Ultra 5 225 is firmly in the competitive mid-range tier for processing power.

On the graphics side, the RTX 4070 Ti achieves an 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 44795, placing it just below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, which scores 45152 (-0.8% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, which scores 45384 (-1.3% delta). This indicates the GPU is a high-end performer, and its 84th percentile ranking aligns closely with the CPU's 85th percentile, creating a balanced foundation for the combo's strong overall rank.

The combo's rank of 394 out of 3724 is not just a sum of its parts; it reflects how these two specific components interact under the load of The Medium. A lower-performing CPU could bottleneck the GPU, and a weaker GPU would not fully utilize the CPU's potential. The data suggests this pairing is well-matched, allowing the system to achieve frame rates that place it in the top echelon of tested configurations. This rank provides a clear context for the performance expectations at various settings and resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the primary driver of frame rates in The Medium, and its specifications directly influence the measured results. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's textures and assets at all tested resolutions, preventing VRAM capacity from being a limiting factor in the measured frame rates.

The GPU's clock speeds are a key indicator of its performance ceiling. With a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, the RTX 4070 Ti is designed for high-frequency operation. The boost clock is particularly relevant for sustained gaming loads, as it represents the maximum speed the card can achieve under typical thermal conditions. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, which translates to 21 Gbps effective, working in tandem with the core clocks to feed the processor data quickly.

The RTX 4070 Ti's architecture includes 7680 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. This configuration allows for a pixel rate of 208.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s. These figures explain the GPU's ability to handle the game's fixed-camera scenes and complex visual effects. The FP32 performance of 40.09 TFLOPS is the raw compute throughput that handles the heavy shader work required for the game's dual-world rendering mechanic.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's scaling across settings. At 4K, the frame rate drops from 116 FPS on Low settings to 41 FPS on Ultra settings. This dramatic shift of 75 FPS highlights how sensitive the game is to graphical fidelity on this GPU at this resolution. The GPU's performance is less constrained at lower resolutions; at 1080p, the frame rate ranges from 175 FPS on Low to 62 FPS on Ultra. The GPU is clearly the bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, as the CPU's role becomes less significant when the GPU is working at full capacity. The RTX 4070 Ti's 60 RT cores and 240 Tensor cores are also present for ray-traced effects and DLSS, though the measured data does not include specific results for those features.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run The Medium at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The data shows an average of 52 FPS at 4K High settings and 73 FPS at 4K Medium settings. For a consistent smooth experience, Medium settings are the safest choice, as they provide a 62 FPS minimum, while High settings may dip below 60 FPS depending on the scene.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: At 2560x1440, the combo delivers 148 FPS on Low and 92 FPS on Medium settings. At 1920x1080, it achieves 175 FPS on Low and 110 FPS on Medium. These results indicate that 1440p Medium or 1080p High are viable for 100+ FPS gameplay, making them suitable for high refresh rate displays.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate jumps from 62 FPS on Ultra to 175 FPS on Low, a 113 FPS difference. At 2560x1440, the gap is from 52 FPS on Ultra to 148 FPS on Low. At 3840x2160, the difference is from 41 FPS on Ultra to 116 FPS on Low.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the primary performance limiter. The frame rate scales significantly with resolution and settings changes, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up with the GPU's output at all tested settings, as evidenced by the high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates like for this combo?

A: The data only provides minimum frame rate values for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 93 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 79 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 62 FPS. These values suggest that the Medium preset provides a consistent experience without major frame time spikes.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti's average benchmark score is 44795. This is 1.6% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (score 44075) and 0.8% lower than the RTX 5090 Mobile (score 45152). The data shows it performs on par with these high-end cards in general compute tasks.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 3840x2160 (4K) , the combo produces its lowest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 116 FPS. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 73 FPS, with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, indicating a stable performance window. The High preset averages 52 FPS, which is on the edge of playability for some users. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of only 41 FPS, which is not ideal for a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440 (1440p) , the performance scales up considerably. The Low preset delivers an average of 148 FPS, making it excellent for high refresh rate gaming. The Medium preset provides an average of 92 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, offering a strong balance between visual quality and speed. The High preset averages 66 FPS, providing a solid 60+ FPS experience. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS, which is similar to the 4K High result and may not be preferable for fast-paced sections.

At 1920x1080 (1080p) , the combo shows its peak performance. The Low preset hits an average of 175 FPS, a very high frame rate. The Medium preset averages 110 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS, ensuring a smooth and responsive experience. The High preset averages 79 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays. The Ultra preset averages 62 FPS, providing a playable frame rate but not the highest possible.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the jump from Medium to High settings incurs a significant performance cost across all resolutions. For example, at 1440p, the drop from 92 FPS to 66 FPS is a 28% reduction in performance. Similarly, the jump from Low to Medium is also substantial, showing that The Medium's settings have a large impact on GPU load.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to the Medium preset as the optimal choice for most users. This setting provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all three tested resolutions. The measured minimum frame rates at Medium settings (62 FPS at 4K, 79 FPS at 1440p, and 93 FPS at 1080p) are all above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a consistently smooth experience without the risk of significant stutters.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it is the only setting that guarantees a 60+ FPS minimum. The High preset's 52 FPS average is playable, but the lack of a measured minimum frame rate suggests potential dips that could be disruptive. Ultra is not recommended at this resolution due to its low 41 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, Medium is again the standout choice, offering a 92 FPS average and a 79 FPS minimum. This provides a highly responsive experience that is well-suited for the game's tense atmosphere. High is also viable at 66 FPS average, but the 26 FPS difference from Medium is a significant trade-off for the visual improvements. Low is only recommended if maximum frame rates are the sole priority, as it reaches 148 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset provides a 110 FPS average, which is excellent. The High preset, at 79 FPS, is also a strong choice for users who prefer higher visual quality over raw frame rate. The Low preset's 175 FPS is for competitive play or on very high refresh rate displays. Ultra, at 62 FPS, is the least desirable option, as it does not offer a significant visual upgrade over High while costing 17 FPS in performance.

For the majority of users, starting with the Medium preset at any resolution is the safest path to a smooth, enjoyable experience in The Medium. From there, users can experiment with the High preset if they prioritize visuals and have a monitor with adaptive sync.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a supporting but essential role in this combo's performance. With 10 cores and 10 threads, it provides a solid foundation for modern gaming workloads. The processor's base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz allow it to handle the game's logic, AI, and scene management without becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by the high frame rates achieved at lower resolutions.

The CPU's architecture, Arrow Lake, is built on a 3 nm process node from TSMC. This modern process contributes to its efficiency and performance. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache is a critical resource for gaming, as it stores frequently accessed data for the cores. The benchmark results for the CPU show strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance; for example, it scores 25891 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3655 in single-core. These scores indicate it has sufficient headroom to feed the RTX 4070 Ti in The Medium.

The CPU's role is most apparent when the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 175 FPS. This high frame rate is only possible if the CPU can process the game's simulation and draw calls quickly enough. The data suggests the Ultra 5 225 is more than capable in this regard, as the frame rates scale down as GPU load increases, not because of CPU limitations. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s with dual-channel DDR5 support also ensures that data can flow quickly to the cores.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU's performance is nearly identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has an average score of 36945, which is a 0% delta from the Ultra 5 225's score of 36938. This indicates that in a GPU-bound scenario like The Medium at high settings, users would see no practical difference between these processors. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking confirms that it is a high-performing part, but its influence on the final frame rate in this game is secondary to the GPU's workload. The processor provides the necessary computational headroom to avoid stutters and ensure a stable frame delivery, but the RTX 4070 Ti is the component that determines the ultimate visual fidelity and resolution the system can handle.