The Medium

The Medium, a fixed-camera horror title built on Unreal Engine 4 with a split-world mechanic, presents a distinct workload for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is consistently capable but whose performance ceiling is dictated by the graphics card rather than the processor. This analysis examines the scaling behavior, the role of each core component, and the overall ranking of this specific configuration against other tested hardware pairings.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a predictable and steep decline, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the system produces an average of 93 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that average to 78 FPS, a reduction of approximately 16%. The jump to 3840x2160 yields 61 FPS, a further 22% decrease from the 1440p result. This pattern confirms that pixel throughput is the limiting factor; as resolution rises, the demand on the GPU’s rasterization and shading units increases proportionally.

The scaling is even more pronounced when examining the Low and High presets. At Low settings, the 1080p average of 149 FPS falls to 125 FPS at 1440p and then to 98 FPS at 4K. The High preset, which is more demanding than Medium, shows a tighter spread: 67 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset exhibits the most dramatic drop, starting at 53 FPS at 1080p, declining to 45 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 35 FPS at 4K. This trend suggests that while the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, the RTX 3080 Ti’s compute resources are saturated by the 4K pixel count, particularly under the heavier High and Ultra graphical loads.

The data indicates that the 4K resolution is only viable for playable frame rates when the preset is set to Low or Medium. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is substantial—37 FPS—which implies that the Medium preset introduces significant visual effects that heavily tax the GPU. Conversely, the difference between High and Ultra at the same resolution is a mere 9 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra settings add incremental visual fidelity that comes at a relatively high performance cost, pushing the average below 40 FPS. For a smooth experience at higher resolutions, the data strongly points to the Medium preset as the practical ceiling for this hardware combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide the single-thread performance necessary for game logic and draw call submission. In The Medium, a title that does not heavily utilize multi-threading for its core rendering path, the CPU’s role is primarily to maintain a consistent frame pacing without becoming a bottleneck. The processor’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085, indicate a high level of general processing power.

However, when comparing to its nearest rivals, the CPU’s performance is tightly clustered. The Intel Core i9-13900HX has an average benchmark score that is 0.1% higher, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 0.1% lower. This near-parity suggests that for this game, the choice between these processors would have a negligible impact on the final frame rate. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for the game’s asset streaming.

In practice, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU is not the limiting component at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 149 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that a weaker processor might struggle to keep up. Since the CPU maintains this performance without issue, it is clear that the Ultra 5 235 has ample headroom. The bottleneck shifts entirely to the GPU as resolution and settings increase. The CPU’s performance percentile of 89th out of all CPUs reinforces that it is a high-tier part, but its specific architecture with 14 threads (rather than a higher count) means it does not excel in heavily threaded workloads. For The Medium, this is irrelevant, as the game relies more on raw single-thread speed and memory latency, where this chip performs admirably.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the definitive performance driver in this setup. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus and a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s, it has the memory subsystem to handle high-resolution textures and the split-world rendering technique used in The Medium. The GPU’s compute power is substantial, offering 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. Its benchmark scores, including a Passmark G3D score of 26896 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5077, place it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is interesting. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 0.8% higher in average benchmarks, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 scores 2.0% lower. This indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti, despite being from an older generation, remains competitive with newer mid-range cards. However, the measured FPS in The Medium reveals that the 4K resolution with High or Ultra settings is too demanding for this card to maintain 60 FPS. The 4K Ultra average of 35 FPS is particularly low, suggesting that the game’s visual effects, such as volumetric lighting and reflections, are heavily taxing the GPU’s shader units.

The VRAM capacity of 12 GB is sufficient for all tested settings, as none of the measured results indicate a memory-related performance collapse. The GPU’s 8 nm process node and 350 W TDP contribute to its high power draw, but this is a trade-off for the raw performance on offer. The data shows that the RTX 3080 Ti excels in 1440p and 1080p gaming, where it can comfortably exceed 60 FPS on High settings. At 4K, it is best paired with the Low preset to achieve a playable 98 FPS, or the Medium preset for a more visually rich but still smooth 61 FPS. The GPU is the clear bottleneck in this configuration, and its performance scaling is directly tied to the resolution and preset chosen.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 663rd out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium. This places it in the top 23% of all configurations, indicating a strong overall gaming system. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU’s high single-thread performance and the GPU’s robust rasterization capabilities. While the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, the combo’s performance at 1440p and 1080p is excellent, allowing for high refresh rate gaming on High presets.

This ranking suggests that the system is well-suited for high-end gaming, but it is not at the absolute top tier. Combos with more powerful GPUs, such as those from the GeForce 40-series, would likely rank higher. However, the 3080 Ti’s performance is still formidable. The rank of 663 implies that most of the 2248 combos above it likely feature a newer or more expensive GPU. The CPU’s contribution to the rank is positive, as it does not hold the GPU back, but it also does not boost the combo beyond the GPU’s capabilities.

The deltaPct values from the nearest rivals provide context. The CPU’s rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7303 and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, have average scores within 0.2% of each other, meaning a swap of the CPU would not change the game’s performance ranking. Similarly, the GPU’s rivals, like the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, have scores within 2% of the RTX 3080 Ti. This suggests that the combo’s rank is stable; minor variations in component binning would not significantly alter its position in the database. The rank of 663 is a solid indicator of a high-performance gaming system that can handle most titles at high settings, with the caveat that 4K Ultra settings are beyond its reach.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable at 4K with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 98 FPS, which is achieved with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on the High preset?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX.

Q: What is the GPU’s VRAM size and memory type?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for performance in The Medium?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates drop significantly when resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU maintains sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 663rd out of 2911 tested combos for The Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset. The data shows a consistent pattern of decreasing performance with higher resolutions and more demanding settings.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 149 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 93 | 79 | 107 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 67 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 53 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 125 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 78 | 67 | 90 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 56 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 45 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 98 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 61 | 52 | 71 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 44 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 35 | - | - |

At 1080p, the system is highly capable, with all presets exceeding 50 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 56 FPS drop, indicating that Medium adds a significant graphical load. At 1440p, the Low preset still offers a very high 125 FPS, but the High preset falls below 60 FPS. The 4K results show a clear division: Low and Medium are playable, while High and Ultra are not, with Ultra averaging only 35 FPS. The min and max FPS data for the Medium preset shows a stable frame delivery at all resolutions, with the 4K result having a 19 FPS variance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this hardware combination depend entirely on the target resolution. For players using a 1080p display, the High preset is the best choice, delivering 67 FPS on average while offering a substantial visual upgrade over Medium. The Ultra preset is also viable at 53 FPS, but the 14 FPS cost over High may not justify the marginal visual gains for all users. For a smoother experience, the Medium preset at 93 FPS is an excellent option, providing a high frame rate without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the sweet spot, offering 78 FPS with a stable frame time (min 67 FPS, max 90 FPS). This allows for a very responsive gaming experience. The High preset at 56 FPS is playable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced scenes. The Low preset is unnecessary at this resolution unless the user prioritizes maximum frame rates, as it yields 125 FPS. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS is best avoided, as it drops below the 50 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the highest recommended setting, achieving 61 FPS on average. This provides a playable and visually rich experience, leveraging the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM effectively. The Low preset at 98 FPS is an option for those who prefer maximum performance, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. The High preset at 44 FPS and the Ultra preset at 35 FPS are not recommended for a consistent experience, as they fall below the 60 FPS target and approach the lower bounds of acceptable frame rates. The data suggests that for this combo, the Medium preset across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K provides the best balance of visual quality and performance.