The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title from 2021, presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card, yet the data also shows how CPU performance becomes a factor at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand the balance between the GPU, CPU, and the game's demanding rendering techniques.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured data shows a clear and pronounced performance drop as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 96 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings, the average falls to 81 FPS, a reduction of roughly 15.6%. The jump to 4K at Low settings brings the average down to 64 FPS, which is a 33.3% drop from the 1440p figure and a 33.3% drop from the 1080p figure. This consistent decline indicates that the rendering resolution is the primary factor limiting performance.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the Medium settings, which include min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 60 FPS with a range of 51 to 69 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 51 FPS (a 15% decrease) with a range of 43 to 58 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average plummets to 40 FPS (a 21.6% decrease from 1440p) with a range of 34 to 46 FPS. The percentage drop between each resolution step increases as we go higher, from 15% to 21.6%, which suggests that the graphics card's memory bandwidth and processing power are being saturated more aggressively at higher pixel counts.

This behavior strongly implies that the RTX 5050 is the limiting component in this configuration. The frame rate is inversely proportional to the number of pixels being rendered, which is the most direct indicator of GPU load. The CPU's role is less apparent in this scaling, as the frame rate does not plateau or become erratic at lower resolutions, which would indicate a CPU bottleneck. Instead, the smooth, predictable decline in FPS with each resolution increase points to a system where the graphics card is working at its maximum capacity, and the processor has ample headroom to feed it frames.

The data suggests that the transition from 1080p to 4K is not a linear performance hit but an exponential one, particularly at higher settings. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings is 29 FPS (43 to 29), while at Ultra settings, the gap is 11 FPS (34 to 23). This narrowing gap at higher settings is a consequence of the frame rate already being low at 1080p, meaning the absolute drop has less room to occur. The relative percentage drop, however, remains substantial, reinforcing that the GPU is the bottleneck.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz. These specifications are critical to understanding the performance. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a potential concern for a game like The Medium, which often uses high-resolution textures and dual-world rendering, but the benchmark data shows that the card can handle the load, albeit with significant frame rate sacrifices at higher settings.

The GPU's performance percentile of 66 indicates it is more powerful than a majority of all GPUs, but its position in the lower half of the performance spectrum is reflected in the measured FPS. The card's FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS is a modest figure, and the 32 ROPs are a limiting factor for fill-rate intensive scenes, which are common in horror games with complex lighting and post-processing effects. The benchmark scores for the GPU, such as the Passmark G3D score of 17326, place it in a performance class that is competitive but not high-end.

The relationship between the GPU's memory and clock speeds is evident in the scaling. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 23, which is likely a result of the GPU hitting its memory bandwidth and compute limits. The 320.0 GB/s bandwidth is a bottleneck for 4K rendering, where large amounts of texture data need to be streamed. The boost clock of 2572 MHz helps maintain performance at lower resolutions, but it cannot compensate for the sheer amount of pixel processing required at 4K.

The data implies that the RTX 5050 is a capable 1080p card that can also handle 1440p with some settings adjustments, but 4K is beyond its comfortable reach. The difference between the Low and Ultra settings at 4K is 41 FPS (64 vs. 23), a massive gap that shows how much headroom the graphics card has when settings are reduced. The card's 8 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for most settings, but the 128-bit bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are the primary architectural constraints that prevent higher performance at demanding resolutions.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

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. It has a 20 MB shared L3 cache and a TDP of 65 W. In this benchmark, the CPU's role is to provide enough processing power to feed the GPU. Given that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, the CPU appears to be more than sufficient for this game, but the data still shows its influence at lower resolutions.

At 1080p Low, the system achieves 96 FPS, which is a high frame rate that requires the CPU to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls efficiently. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4412 and multi-thread score of 30459 indicate strong performance, which is necessary for maintaining high frame rates. The CPU's boost clock of 4.90 GHz is particularly important for single-threaded tasks, which many game engines still rely on. The data shows that the CPU can support frame rates up to nearly 100 FPS, but the GPU limits the system from going higher.

As the resolution increases, the CPU's workload relative to the GPU decreases. At 4K, the frame rate drops significantly, meaning the CPU is spending more time idle, waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks. This is a typical pattern for a balanced system where the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's performance is not a constraint in this scenario, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate does not show signs of a CPU bottleneck, such as stuttering or inconsistent frame times.

The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 is a strong result, indicating that it can handle multi-threaded workloads, but The Medium may not be heavily multi-threaded. The processor's 10 cores and 10 threads are more than enough for this game, and the benchmark results suggest that the CPU is not the limiting component in any configuration tested. The data implies that users could potentially pair this CPU with a more powerful GPU to achieve higher frame rates, as the processor has headroom to spare.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the most viable resolution. The system achieves 60 FPS at Medium settings and 43 FPS at High, whereas 1440p drops to 51 FPS at Medium, and 4K falls below 40 FPS even at Medium.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 96 FPS at 1080p to 64 FPS at 4K, a 33.3% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 60 FPS to 40 FPS, a 33.3% reduction as well.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The data clearly indicates the GPU is the limiting component. The frame rate scales inversely with resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU appears to have sufficient headroom, as frame rates do not plateau at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the average frame rate is 81 FPS on Low settings and 29 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a 64.2% reduction in performance when moving to the highest quality preset.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 5050 cause issues in this game?

A: The measured data does not show any specific VRAM-related stuttering or crashes. However, the substantial frame rate drops at 4K Ultra (23 FPS) suggest that the GPU's memory bandwidth and capacity are being heavily taxed, even if they are not the sole cause.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combos?

A: This combination ranks 1765 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium, placing it in the 39th percentile of all tested systems, which is consistent with a mid-range GPU and a newer mid-range CPU.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the "Medium" preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this hardware. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is a playable and smooth experience for a horror game. The "High" preset at 1080p drops the average to 43 FPS, which is still playable but may feel less fluid, especially in action-heavy scenes.

For users with 1440p monitors, the Medium preset is the highest recommended setting, yielding an average of 51 FPS. The High preset at 1440p drops to 36 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay. The "Low" preset at 1440p achieves 81 FPS, but the visual quality loss is significant. At 4K, even the Low preset only reaches 64 FPS, and Medium drops to 40 FPS, making 4K a challenging resolution for this combo unless the user is willing to accept lower frame rates.

The data suggests that the "Ultra" preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it fails to achieve 60 FPS even at 1080p, averaging only 34 FPS. The jump from Medium to Ultra at 1080p is a 43.3% performance penalty, which is a steep cost for marginal visual improvements. The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, as it is the highest setting that consistently maintains a 60 FPS average at 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the exact average frame rates measured for each resolution and settings combination.

• 1920x1080: Low 96 FPS, Medium 60 FPS (min 51, max 69), High 43 FPS, Ultra 34 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Low 81 FPS, Medium 51 FPS (min 43, max 58), High 36 FPS, Ultra 29 FPS.
• 3840x2160: Low 64 FPS, Medium 40 FPS (min 34, max 46), High 29 FPS, Ultra 23 FPS.

The data shows that the Low preset is the only one that provides a comfortable 60+ FPS experience at all resolutions, with 96 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset is the highest quality option that remains playable, with 60 FPS at 1080p and 51 FPS at 1440p. The High and Ultra presets are only viable at 1080p if the user can tolerate frame rates below 45 FPS. The min and max FPS values for Medium settings show a consistent spread of around 12-15 FPS, indicating stable frame pacing without severe hitches.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for The Medium, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1765 out of 2911 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 39.4% of all systems tested, which is a lower-mid-range position. The GPU's percentile rank of 66 out of 100 indicates that it is better than 66% of all GPUs, but the CPU's rank of 85 out of 100 is higher, suggesting that the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU.

The combo rank is influenced more by the GPU's performance than the CPU's, as the game is graphically intensive. The data suggests that this system is not a top-tier performer for The Medium, but it is not a low-end system either. The rank of 1765 indicates that there are many more powerful combinations, but also a significant number of weaker ones. The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals show it is very close in performance to cards like the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (1.6% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (-0.6% slower), which places it in a specific performance tier.

The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and the Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5% delta), show that the Core Ultra 5 225 is a solid performer that is competitive with other mid-range processors. The overall combo rank, however, is a reflection of the system's total capability in this specific game, and the data indicates that users should expect a medium-quality experience with this hardware, particularly at higher resolutions.