The Medium

The pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 in The Medium produces a severely constrained experience. The data places this combination at rank 2817 out of 2911 tested combos, putting it in the bottom 3% of all systems. This is a horror title that punishes hardware, and the measured frames per second across all resolutions and settings tell a consistent story of a system that is out of its depth. The following analysis breaks down exactly where the bottlenecks lie and what the numbers reveal about playability.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and exposes the GPU as the primary limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 44 FPS, which is the only remotely playable figure in the entire dataset. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset drops the average to 37 FPS, a reduction of 7 frames or roughly 16%. At 4K Low, the average collapses to 29 FPS, which is another 8-frame drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern is not linear; it accelerates as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU that is running out of raw pixel-pushing power.

The situation becomes even more telling when examining the Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum frame data. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 27 FPS with a range of 23 to 31 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 23 FPS, with a range of 20 to 26 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 18 FPS, with a range of 15 to 21 FPS. The frame ranges at each resolution step show that the lows are getting closer to the averages, meaning the frame time consistency is also degrading. When a system is CPU-limited, the FPS often scales poorly with resolution changes; here, the consistent and significant drops with every resolution increase confirm that the GTX 1650 is saturated.

The high and ultra presets reinforce this conclusion. At 1080p High, the average is 20 FPS, and at 4K High, it drops to 13 FPS. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 16 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it bottoms out at 10 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K on the High preset is 7 FPS, and on Ultra it is 6 FPS. While the absolute numbers are low, the fact that the spread tightens at higher settings suggests the game's rendering load is overwhelming the GPU's 4 GB memory and 128-bit bus. The resolution scaling analysis indicates that no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for this GPU bottleneck.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in The Medium?*

A: The highest measured average is 44 FPS, achieved only at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the sole configuration that approaches playable territory.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the averages range from 37 FPS on Low to 13 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset yields 23 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this setup?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the averages are 29 FPS on Low, 18 FPS on Medium, 13 FPS on High, and 10 FPS on Ultra. All of these figures are well below playable standards.

Q: What is the frame range on Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the measured range is 23 to 31 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 20 to 26 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 15 to 21 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2817 out of 2911 total combinations, placing it in the bottom percentile of systems tested for this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the low performance?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The consistent FPS drops across increasing resolutions, even with a capable CPU, point directly to the GTX 1650 as the limiting component.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2817 out of 2911 is a stark indicator of this system's position in the performance hierarchy. Being in the bottom 3% of all tested combos means that virtually any modern dedicated GPU would provide a better experience. The ranking is not a judgment on the CPU, which sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, but rather a reflection of the mismatch between the processor's capability and the graphics card's limitations.

To contextualize this, the GTX 1650's average benchmark score is 7472, placing it in the 40th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel UHD Graphics 750, which scores 7441 (0.4% difference), and the AMD Radeon R7 350, which scores 7425 (0.6% difference). The fact that this dedicated GPU is competing with integrated graphics solutions in benchmark scores underscores its low position. In contrast, the Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, with nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at 46030 (0.1% difference) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46098 (-0.1% difference). This CPU is performing at the top of its class, making the GPU the clear weak link.

The ranking in The Medium is therefore a direct consequence of the GPU's 40th percentile standing. A system with this CPU paired with a higher-tier GPU would likely rank significantly higher, as the processor has the headroom to feed a more powerful graphics card. The data shows a system where the CPU is waiting on the GPU at every turn.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's capabilities across all settings. At 1920x1080, the breakdown is as follows: Low settings yield an average of 44 FPS, Medium yields 27 FPS with a range of 23 to 31, High yields 20 FPS, and Ultra yields 16 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 17 FPS loss, which is substantial. The step from Medium to High is a 7 FPS loss, and from High to Ultra is a 4 FPS loss. This pattern shows that the Low preset is the only one that provides a playable frame rate, and the diminishing returns on higher presets suggest that the game's effects are heavily taxing the GPU.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades further. Low settings average 37 FPS, Medium averages 23 FPS with a range of 20 to 26, High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 13 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 14 FPS, between Medium and High is 7 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 3 FPS. The frame ranges on Medium show that the lows are now below 30 FPS, which means the experience will feel stuttery and inconsistent.

At 3840x2160, the numbers become nearly unplayable. Low settings average 29 FPS, Medium averages 18 FPS with a range of 15 to 21, High averages 13 FPS, and Ultra averages 10 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 11 FPS, between Medium and High is 5 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 3 FPS. At this resolution, every setting produces a slideshow-like experience. The data across all resolutions shows a clear trend: the system can only approach acceptable performance at the lowest settings and resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is unequivocally the bottleneck in this configuration. Its specifications reveal why. The GPU features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. In a modern horror title like The Medium, which likely uses high-resolution textures and complex shaders, 4 GB of VRAM is insufficient. The memory bus width also limits the amount of data that can be transferred simultaneously, contributing to the severe frame drops at higher resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds are 1485 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost, which are modest figures. The chip is built on a 12 nm process and contains 896 shading units. The FP32 performance is 2.984 TFLOPS, which is low by modern standards. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its age and position: it scores 7880 on Passmark G3D and 3048 on Passmark GPU Compute. These scores place it in the 40th percentile, and its nearest rivals include integrated graphics like the Intel UHD Graphics 750. This is a GPU that was entry-level at launch and is now end-of-life.

The measured FPS data aligns perfectly with the GPU's capabilities. The fact that 4K Ultra yields only 10 FPS, while 1080p Low yields 44 FPS, shows that the GPU is struggling to handle the pixel count and the graphical effects. The VRAM is likely overflowing at higher settings, causing texture thrashing and stutters. The GPU's 75 W TDP and lack of power connectors suggest it was designed for low-power systems, but this also limits its performance ceiling. In The Medium, the GTX 1650 is simply outmatched, and no CPU can save it.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only viable way to play The Medium with this combo is to use the Low preset at 1080p. The 44 FPS average at 1920x1080 Low is the only configuration that approaches a playable frame rate. While 44 FPS is not ideal for a smooth experience, it is the best this system can offer. The Medium preset at 1080p drops to 27 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, and the frame range of 23 to 31 FPS indicates instability.

At 1440p, the Low preset yields 37 FPS, which is playable but not recommended due to the lower resolution. The 4K Low preset at 29 FPS is technically playable, but the visual quality at Low settings is likely poor, and the frame rate is still below 30 FPS, which can cause noticeable judder. The High and Ultra presets should be avoided entirely, as they produce averages below 20 FPS at all resolutions.

The data suggests that the Low preset is the only option that provides a reasonable balance between visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset is a compromise that results in an inconsistent experience, as evidenced by the minimum frame rates dropping into the low 20s. For a game like The Medium, which relies on atmosphere and tension, a stable frame rate is crucial. Therefore, the recommendation is to play at 1080p with Low settings to maximize the chance of a consistent experience. Any attempt to increase settings will result in a significant loss of playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a high-performance processor that is not the limiting factor in this configuration. The CPU features 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It is built on a 3 nm process and has 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive: it scores 14769 on Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2085 on single-core. It ranks in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, both of which score within 0.1% of it.

In The Medium, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics. The data shows that the CPU is more than capable of handling these tasks, as the FPS is consistently low across all resolutions, which is a sign of GPU limitation rather than CPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS at 1080p and 4K, but the data shows a clear drop in performance as resolution increases, which is the opposite of a CPU bottleneck.

The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 2085 score in Cinebench R23, ensures that it can feed the GPU with draw calls and instructions. However, the GPU cannot keep up with the demands of the game. The CPU's 14 threads are more than sufficient for a title like The Medium, which is not known for being heavily multithreaded. The data implies that if this CPU were paired with a more powerful GPU, the system would see a massive improvement in FPS. The processor is waiting idle for the GPU to finish its work, which is a clear waste of its potential. The CPU is a modern, capable component that is being held back by an old, low-end graphics card.