The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4, presents a demanding workload that scales heavily with both resolution and graphical presets. For the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, the measured data reveals a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions but capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1080p with the right settings. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics of this specific hardware pairing across the game’s four available presets and three resolutions, drawing exclusively from the measured FPS data.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is stark and clearly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At the Medium preset, which is the only setting with complete average, minimum, and maximum FPS data across all resolutions, the transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 sees the average frame rate fall from 77 FPS to 65 FPS, a 15.6% reduction. Pushing further to 3840x2160, the average drops to 51 FPS, which is a 33.8% reduction from the 1440p figure and a 33.8% reduction from the 1080p figure. This pattern confirms a classic GPU-bound scenario; the CPU has ample headroom, and the RTX 3070’s rendering workload becomes exponentially heavier at higher pixel counts.

The scaling becomes even more aggressive on the High preset. The average FPS at 1920x1080 is 55, which drops to 46 at 2560x1440 (a 16.4% decrease), and then plummets to 36 at 3840x2160, a 34.5% reduction from the 1440p result. The 4K High setting is essentially unplayable for smooth gameplay, hovering just above the 30 FPS threshold with an average of 36 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most punishing, with the average FPS falling from 44 at 1080p to 37 at 1440p and finally to 29 at 4K. This final figure is below the 30 FPS minimum target for most players, making 4K Ultra a non-viable option for this hardware combination.

Interestingly, the Low preset shows a different scaling curve, suggesting that the CPU and GPU are more balanced at this low graphical load. At 1920x1080, the average FPS is 123, which is exceptionally high. Moving to 2560x1440, it drops to 104 (a 15.4% decrease), and at 3840x2160, it falls to 81 (a 22.1% decrease from 1440p). While still GPU-bound, the lower pixel shading and texture work at the Low preset allow the system to maintain high frame rates even at 4K, indicating that the Core Ultra 5 235 is capable of feeding the RTX 3070 well beyond the 60 FPS mark even at the highest resolution tested.

The data strongly suggests that for this specific game and hardware combo, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is not the limiting factor at any resolution. The consistent and predictable FPS drops proportional to the pixel count increase point directly at the RTX 3070’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and GA104 chip struggling to keep up with the fill rate demands of 4K. For gamers seeking to play at 2560x1440, the system is well-balanced, but at 3840x2160, users must accept significant compromises in visual fidelity to achieve playable frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience, balancing visual quality against the playability threshold. At 1920x1080, the High preset yields an average of 55 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a tense horror game where smooth camera transitions are crucial. The Medium preset, however, offers a much better experience with an average of 77 FPS and a minimum of 65 FPS. This 40% performance uplift over High, combined with a minimum FPS that never drops below 60, makes Medium the clear choice for 1080p gaming on this rig. The Ultra preset at 44 FPS is not worth the visual gains over Medium, as the frame rate dips into a range that can feel stuttery in fast-moving scenes.

At 2560x1440, the situation is more nuanced. The High preset’s average of 46 FPS is borderline, and the lack of a reported minimum FPS suggests potential for dips. The Medium preset, with an average of 65 FPS and a minimum of 55 FPS, is the only setting that consistently delivers a smooth experience at this resolution. The data indicates that Medium is the sweet spot for 1440p, providing a 41% improvement over High’s average frame rate. The Ultra preset at 37 FPS is too demanding, and the Low preset at 104 FPS sacrifices too much visual detail, especially in a game like The Medium which relies heavily on atmospheric lighting and shadow work.

For 3840x2160, the recommendations become about survival. The Low preset is the only option that delivers a fully playable experience, with an average of 81 FPS. The Medium preset at 51 FPS is technically playable but sits in a grey zone where frame pacing issues can become noticeable. The High and Ultra presets, at 36 and 29 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a comfortable experience. Given the genre’s emphasis on suspense and environmental storytelling, the visual degradation at Low might be acceptable to maintain the 81 FPS average, but the Medium preset’s 51 FPS is a more balanced choice if the user can tolerate occasional dips below 50 FPS.

The best overall experience, when considering the entire dataset, is achieved at 2560x1440 with the Medium preset. This combination offers an average FPS of 65, a minimum of 55 FPS, and a maximum of 74 FPS, ensuring that the game remains fluid during the dual-reality sequences that are a hallmark of The Medium. The jump from 1080p Medium to 1440p Medium costs 12 FPS on average but provides a significant increase in image clarity, making it the optimal trade-off for this hardware pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads based on the Arrow Lake architecture, plays a supporting role in this game's performance. The CPU benchmark data shows a strong single-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4516. This is critical for game logic, physics calculations, and draw call submission, which are often single-thread bound in Unreal Engine 4 titles. The 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that the CPU can quickly process the instructions needed to feed the RTX 3070.

The multi-threaded capabilities are also robust, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a Passmark multithread score of 37816. While The Medium may not utilize all 14 cores extensively, the high core count prevents any background tasks or system overhead from interfering with game performance. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the asset streaming that occurs as the camera pans across the game’s large, static environments.

However, the measured FPS data indicates that the CPU is never the primary constraint. The performance scaling between resolutions follows a GPU-bound trajectory precisely. For instance, at the Low preset, the 1920x1080 average of 123 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can push well over 120 frames per second without breaking a sweat. If the Core Ultra 5 235 were a bottleneck, we would expect to see a performance plateau at lower resolutions, where the FPS would remain constant regardless of the GPU load. This is not the case; the FPS continues to scale with resolution, even at 4K Low where the game is rendering a large pixel count.

The CPU’s 65W TDP and 3 nm process node indicate high efficiency, but for this game, the raw processing power is more relevant. The benchmark scores place the Core Ultra 5 235 in the 89th percentile versus all CPUs, showing it is a high-end part. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and the Intel Core i9-13900HX, have average benchmark scores within 0.1% of this chip, confirming that its performance level is competitive with top-tier laptop and desktop parts from the previous generation. For The Medium, the CPU’s job is to ensure the GPU is never starved for data, and the data confirms it does this job admirably.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1194 out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places the pairing in the upper half of all systems tested, approximately in the 59th percentile. This ranking is a direct result of the RTX 3070’s age and performance class; it was a high-end card at its launch in late 2020, but it has since been surpassed by newer generations. The CPU, being a 2025 release, is a modern part that ensures the system does not fall behind due to processor limitations.

The ranking suggests that this combo is a solid 1440p gaming system for most titles, but it is not a top-tier performer for The Medium specifically. The game’s heavy use of volumetric lighting and screen-space reflections likely taxes the RTX 3070’s Ampere architecture more than newer cards. The combo rank is a holistic view of the pair’s performance across all settings and resolutions, and the data shows that it excels at 1080p and handles 1440p well, but struggles at 4K with high visual fidelity.

When looking at the average benchmark scores for the individual components, the GPU has an average benchmark score of 17208, placing it in the 61st percentile versus all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, has a score of 17083, which is a 0.7% difference. This shows that the RTX 3070 is still competitive with mid-range modern GPUs, but it is not in the same league as high-end 4K cards. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 46062 places it in the 89th percentile, highlighting a significant performance disparity between the two components. This disparity is the reason for the combo’s mid-pack ranking; the CPU is capable of much more, but the GPU holds the system back from achieving higher frame rates at higher resolutions.

The rank of 1194 out of 2911 indicates that users with this setup should not expect to max out the game at 4K. Instead, the system is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming or smooth 1440p gameplay on Medium to High settings. The combo’s position in the database serves as a warning that the RTX 3070, while still relevant, is the limiting factor in this pairing.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in The Medium?*

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the best overall resolution. At the Medium preset, it delivers an average of 65 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS, offering a good balance between visual clarity and smoothness. While 1080p offers higher frame rates, the 1440p image quality is a significant upgrade.

*Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K?*

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. At 4K with the Low preset, the system achieves an average of 81 FPS, which is very playable. The Medium preset drops to 51 FPS, which is acceptable, but the High and Ultra presets at 36 and 29 FPS respectively are not recommended for a comfortable experience.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 bottlenecking the RTX 3070?

A: No. The measured FPS scaling between resolutions indicates a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s high single-thread and multi-thread benchmark scores, such as 2085 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 14769 in multi-core, ensure it can keep up with the GPU’s demands, even at 1080p Low where the average FPS reaches 123.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208. Its closest competitor, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, scores 17083, which is a 0.7% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and AMD Radeon HD 7970M are also close, with scores of 17037 and 17019 respectively.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 55 FPS. This is a crucial metric for a horror game, as it indicates the system can maintain a smooth experience during the most demanding scenes, avoiding jarring stutters.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in the database for this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combo ranks 1194 out of 2911 total tested combinations for The Medium. This places it in the upper half of systems, indicating it is a capable but not top-tier pairing for this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for this hardware combination across all tested resolutions and settings. Where available, minimum and maximum FPS values are provided for the Medium preset to illustrate frame pacing.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Maximum FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :---------- | :---------- | :---------- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 36 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 81 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 51 | 43 | 58 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 29 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 46 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 104 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 65 | 55 | 74 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 37 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 55 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 123 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 77 | 65 | 88 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 44 | - | - |

The data clearly shows the performance hierarchy. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it achieves 44 FPS. The High preset is a middle ground, offering playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p but struggling at 4K. The Medium preset provides the most consistent experience, with the 1440p configuration being the highlight of the dataset. The Low preset reveals the raw capability of the system, showing that it can exceed 120 FPS at 1080p and remain above 80 FPS at 4K, proving the CPU is more than adequate for this title.