The Medium

The Medium presents a demanding fixed-camera horror experience, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti produces a wide spread of performance depending on how the workload is configured. The measured data reveals a system that is primarily bound by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor's capability becomes more apparent at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the FPS measurements to understand where the bottleneck lies and what the playable performance envelope truly is.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about which component is under the heaviest load. At Medium settings, the transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 sees the average frame rate fall from 110 FPS to 73 FPS, a reduction of 33.6%. This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario where the rendering resolution directly impacts the pixel throughput required from the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.

The pattern intensifies when examining the Low preset. Here, the data shows a 175 FPS average at 1080p, which drops to 148 FPS at 1440p, and then plummets to 116 FPS at 4K. While the 1080p to 1440p drop is a modest 15.4%, the jump to 4K represents a 21.6% loss from the 1440p figure. This suggests that even at the lowest graphical settings, the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 begins to saturate the GPU's capabilities, though the high absolute numbers indicate the card still has headroom.

Looking at the High preset, the scaling is more linear but still severe. The 79 FPS at 1080p falls to 66 FPS at 1440p (a 16.5% drop), and then to 52 FPS at 4K (a 21.2% drop from 1440p). The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory, with 62 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The consistent ~20% penalty when moving from 1440p to 4K across multiple presets indicates that the RTX 4070 Ti's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and its 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are the defining constraints at the higher resolution, rather than the CPU's processing power.

The implication of this scaling is that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat regardless of resolution. Instead, the steady decline in performance as pixel count increases points directly to the GPU. The only scenario where the CPU might begin to matter is at 1080p Low, where the 175 FPS average could be approaching a threshold where the 14-core processor's single-thread performance and 24 MB of L3 cache start to influence the final frame output.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware configurations, this specific pairing of the Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4070 Ti achieves a rank of 269 out of 2911 combos in The Medium. This places the system in the top 9.2% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a desktop setup. The percentile data for the individual components supports this: the CPU sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 84th percentile against all GPUs.

The combo rank suggests that while the individual parts are both high-performers, their combined output is slightly less than the sum of their parts in this specific title. The RTX 4070 Ti's nearest rival in the database is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, which scores 0.8% higher on average, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, which scores 1.3% higher. These are close margins, indicating that the desktop 4070 Ti is performing at the expected level for its class.

The CPU's ranking against its nearest rivals shows a tight cluster of performance. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores just 0.1% higher, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 0.1% lower. This means the Core Ultra 5 235 is essentially tied with these other processors in average benchmark score, making the choice between them largely irrelevant for this game's performance. The data suggests that the combo's rank is primarily driven by the GPU's ability to handle the game's visual demands, and the CPU is providing a stable, high-performance foundation that does not drag the average down.

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 by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz are the key specifications for gaming performance. Unlike many modern CPUs, this model does not feature Hyper-Threading, meaning each core handles one thread, but the 14 physical cores provide substantial parallel processing capability for the game's background tasks.

In The Medium, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the resolution scaling. However, the benchmark data for the CPU shows strong single-thread and multi-thread capabilities. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085 and multi-core score of 14769 indicate a processor that can handle both the primary game logic and any background processes without creating a bottleneck. The PassMark single-thread score of 4516 further confirms this, placing the CPU in the 89th percentile.

The fact that the CPU and its nearest rivals (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Intel Core i9-13900HX) are within 0.2% of each other in average score suggests that any of these processors would deliver nearly identical performance in this game. The Medium is not a CPU-intensive title in the traditional sense; it does not appear to require the absolute highest single-thread performance to achieve high frame rates. Instead, the data implies that the CPU needs to maintain a steady supply of frames to the GPU, and the Core Ultra 5 235's 14 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient for that task. The L3 cache of 24 MB shared across the cores provides ample memory for the game's asset streaming, but the performance ceiling is clearly set by the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system is highly capable, with the Low preset hitting an average of 175 FPS and the Medium preset achieving 110 FPS. The High preset delivers 79 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 62 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p shows a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS, indicating a stable frame delivery without significant dips.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset averages 148 FPS, while Medium drops to 92 FPS. The High preset averages 66 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, which is still a very playable range. The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining frame rates above 60 FPS for most presets.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to struggle with the heavier presets. The Low preset still manages a respectable 116 FPS, and Medium achieves 73 FPS. However, High drops to 52 FPS, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS, suggesting that while the average is playable, there can be dips into less smooth territory. The data clearly indicates that 4K Ultra is not a viable option for this combination, but 4K Medium or Low remains playable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the performance ceiling observed in the data. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, the card provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a substantial amount, but the data shows it is still a constraint at 4K resolutions, where the memory requirements for textures and frame buffers increase significantly.

The card's boost clock of 2610 MHz and its 7680 shading units are the primary drivers of its raw compute power. The FP32 performance of 40.09 TFLOPS allows for rapid shading calculations, which is reflected in the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The card's 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores also provide hardware acceleration for any ray-traced effects and DLSS features, though the measured data does not specify if these were enabled.

The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 5090 Mobile, scores just 0.8% higher on average, which is a marginal difference. This suggests that the desktop 4070 Ti is performing at the upper end of its expected range. The data shows that the card is the main bottleneck at 4K, as the FPS drop from 1440p to 4K is consistent across all presets. The 41 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that the card's 12 GB memory and compute capabilities are being fully saturated. The 73 FPS at 4K Medium, however, shows that with the right settings, the card can still deliver a smooth experience at the highest resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable resolution for this combo?

A: The data shows that 3840x2160 is playable at Medium settings with an average of 73 FPS. At High settings, the average drops to 52 FPS, which is still technically playable but less smooth. For a consistently higher frame rate, 2560x1440 is the recommended resolution, where even High settings average 66 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in The Medium?

A: The benchmark data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases, from 110 FPS at 1080p Medium to 73 FPS at 4K Medium. This pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, as the CPU's role becomes less critical at higher pixel counts.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In average benchmark score, the Core Ultra 5 235 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (0.1% lower). This means there is no meaningful performance difference between these processors for this game.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 148 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 52 FPS. This is a 65% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant load on the GPU.

Q: Can this system run The Medium at 4K with High settings?

A: The data shows an average of 52 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings. This is technically playable, but it falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider ideal. The Medium preset, with 73 FPS, provides a more comfortable margin.

Q: How stable is the frame rate at 1080p Medium?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the system averages 110 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 126 FPS. The narrow gap between the minimum and maximum indicates a very stable frame delivery with minimal stuttering.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings on this system. For players prioritizing a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience at 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the best choice. It delivers 110 FPS average with a minimum of 93 FPS, ensuring no significant dips below the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. The Low preset at 175 FPS is only necessary for competitive play or if the user has a 240Hz monitor, but the visual quality loss is likely not worth it for a horror game where atmosphere matters.

At 2560x1440, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The 66 FPS average is above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 92 FPS is also an excellent option if the user prefers a higher frame rate buffer. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS is not recommended, as the visual gains are marginal compared to the 21% performance loss from High.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the clear winner. The 73 FPS average is surprisingly high and provides a playable experience. The High preset at 52 FPS is borderline, but the risk of drops below 50 FPS makes it less desirable. The Low preset at 116 FPS reflects the card's power, but it sacrifices too much visual quality. The Ultra preset at 41 FPS should be avoided entirely. The data suggests that the Medium preset at 4K is the only configuration that delivers both a high resolution and a smooth frame rate, making it the definitive recommendation for this combo.