The Medium

The Medium presents a unique challenge for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination, with benchmark results revealing a system that is heavily influenced by the game's fixed-camera perspective and its demanding rendering techniques. The data across three resolutions and four quality presets illustrates a clear hierarchy where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher settings, while the CPU demonstrates its capability at lower presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS to understand where this combo excels and where it struggles, providing a clear picture of its performance profile in this 2021 horror title.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 in The Medium shows a significant and predictable drop, confirming that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant limiting factor at higher resolutions. At the "High" settings preset, the average frame rate falls from 86 FPS at 1080p to 72 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 57 FPS at 4K. This represents a 33.7% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial hit that clearly demonstrates the increasing pixel workload on the GPU.

The trend becomes even more pronounced at the "Ultra" preset, where the frame rate drops from 68 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 1440p, and then to 45 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 45 FPS is notably below the 60 FPS target that many gamers prefer, indicating that this combination, while powerful, cannot fully saturate a 4K display with maximum settings in this game. Conversely, the "Low" preset shows the least scaling impact, with performance moving from 189 FPS at 1080p to 161 FPS at 1440p and 127 FPS at 4K. The smaller percentage drop at "Low" settings suggests that the CPU and other system components are better able to keep up with the GPU, which is not as heavily burdened by pixel count and effects.

These results indicate that the RTX 4080 is the component that dictates the performance ceiling at higher resolutions. The 45 FPS at 4K Ultra is a clear indicator that the GPU is reaching its limits with this game's demanding visual features. The scaling pattern shows that to maintain high frame rates at 4K, users would need to lower the settings preset, as the gap between "Medium" (79 FPS) and "Ultra" (45 FPS) at 4K is a substantial 34 frames per second. The data suggests that for a consistently smooth 4K experience, a settings preset of "High" or "Medium" would be the more practical choice for this hardware combo.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with "High" settings for this combo?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4080 combination produces an average of 72 FPS at 2560x1440 with the "High" settings preset.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 achieve a playable frame rate at 4K with "Ultra" settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with "Ultra" settings, the combo manages an average of 45 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold often considered ideal for smooth gameplay, indicating that maximum settings at 4K are a stretch for this hardware.

Q: How does the "Low" settings preset at 1080p compare to the "Ultra" preset?

A: The difference is significant. At 1920x1080, the "Low" preset achieves 189 FPS, while the "Ultra" preset drops to 68 FPS, showing a 121 FPS gap and underscoring the heavy performance cost of the game's high-end visual features.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system if targeting 60 FPS?

A: Based on the data, 1440p with "Ultra" settings achieves 57 FPS, and 4K with "High" settings achieves 57 FPS. To comfortably exceed 60 FPS, users could opt for 1440p "High" (72 FPS) or 1080p "Ultra" (68 FPS), which both provide a good balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between "Medium" and "High" settings at 1440p?

A: Yes, the jump from "Medium" to "High" at 2560x1440 results in a 29 FPS drop, from 101 FPS to 72 FPS. This is a substantial decrease that suggests "High" settings introduce demanding effects that greatly impact performance on this system.

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in The Medium?*

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 189 FPS, which was achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the "Low" settings preset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 256-bit memory bus delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, is the clear performance driver in this configuration. The GPU's role in The Medium is paramount, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling with resolution. The 4K "Ultra" result of 45 FPS, contrasted with the 1080p "Low" result of 189 FPS, demonstrates that the GPU's compute and memory resources are the primary constraint as visual fidelity increases. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is a significant asset, providing ample headroom for the game's high-resolution textures and assets at 4K, as the performance drop is more attributable to raw processing power than to memory limitations.

The Ada Lovelace architecture's capabilities are on full display, with a boost clock of 2505 MHz helping to drive the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. The data indicates that the GPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p "Low," allowing the frame rate to soar to 189 FPS. However, the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 4K "Ultra," where it delivers just 45 FPS. This suggests that the RTX 4080's 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is substantial but not enough to fully handle the most demanding preset at the highest resolution without compromise. The "Medium" settings at 4K, which deliver 79 FPS, represent a more balanced point where the GPU's power is effectively utilized.

The GPU's memory bandwidth is another key factor in its performance. The 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth ensures that the data transfer between the GPU and its memory is not a limiting factor, allowing the RTX 4080 to perform at its peak in most scenarios. The benchmark results show that the GPU can handle the game's requirements well at 1440p and below, with "High" settings at 1440p yielding a smooth 72 FPS. The challenge only arises when pushing the absolute maximum resolution and settings, where the GPU's raw compute power becomes the bottleneck, as seen in the 4K "Ultra" numbers.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations for The Medium, the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 190 out of 3724 combos. This places the system in the top 5.1% of all configurations tested, indicating a very high level of overall performance. This strong ranking reflects the power of both components, as they work together to deliver frame rates that are better than the vast majority of systems.

The combo's ranking reflects that it is a high-end setup, capable of delivering an excellent experience in most scenarios. The high rank suggests that this pairing is well-balanced for the game, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other in the most common usage scenarios. While the 4K "Ultra" performance is not ideal, the combo's strong showing at other settings and resolutions solidifies its position as a top-tier performer. The data shows that this system is positioned for gamers who want to play at high resolutions with high settings, and it only falls short of the very best possible performance at the absolute maximum of 4K with "Ultra" settings.

The rank of 190 is particularly impressive when considering the vast number of possible combinations, which includes both more powerful and less powerful parts. This result indicates that users of this specific CPU and GPU pairing are getting a highly capable system that can handle the game's demands with authority. The performance numbers that contribute to this rank, such as the 120 FPS at 1080p "Medium" and the 101 FPS at 1440p "Medium," show a consistent level of high performance that is likely to satisfy most users looking for a smooth and detailed experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235, with its 14 cores and 14 threads, plays a supporting role in The Medium, primarily ensuring that the GPU is fed with data and that frame pacing remains consistent. The CPU's performance is best illustrated by the frame rates at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. At 1080p "Low," the system achieves 189 FPS, a high number that indicates the CPU is capable of processing the game's logic and draw calls quickly enough to avoid limiting the RTX 4080.

The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz is crucial for maintaining high minimum frame rates, as seen in the "Medium" settings results. At 1080p "Medium," the combo delivers an average of 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 FPS, showing strong frame consistency. This consistency suggests that the CPU is able to handle the game's demands without causing stutters or significant frame time spikes. The 14 cores and threads provide ample parallel processing capability for the game's background tasks and any additional system processes, ensuring a stable gaming experience.

However, the CPU's role becomes less critical as the resolution increases. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings preset is almost entirely due to the GPU's workload increasing. For instance, at "High" settings, the frame rate falls from 86 FPS at 1080p to 57 FPS at 4K, a drop of 29 FPS that can be attributed to the GPU struggling with the higher pixel count. The CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up with the GPU in these scenarios, as the bottleneck is clearly on the graphics side. The data does not show a scenario where the CPU is the limiting factor, even at 1080p "Low" with 189 FPS, which proves its strong single-thread and multi-thread performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4080 demonstrate their raw power, delivering frame rates that are well above the threshold for competitive or high-refresh-rate gaming. The "Low" preset produces an average of 189 FPS, which is an exceptionally high result. The "Medium" preset still delivers a very smooth 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS, indicating excellent frame pacing. Moving to "High" settings, the average drops to 86 FPS, which remains very playable, while the "Ultra" preset brings the average down to 68 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is never CPU-bound and the RTX 4080 has plenty of headroom to spare.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as the GPU is tasked with rendering more pixels. The "Low" preset still delivers a high 161 FPS, showing the combo's strength. The "Medium" preset averages 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS, which is still an excellent experience for most users. The "High" preset yields a solid 72 FPS, which is suitable for a smooth single-player experience. The "Ultra" preset, however, begins to show the strain, with the average dropping to 57 FPS. This is right on the cusp of the 60 FPS target and suggests that 1440p "Ultra" is the boundary for maintaining a consistently high frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is firmly the limiting factor. The "Low" preset produces a playable 127 FPS, which is impressive for 4K. The "Medium" preset averages 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 91 FPS, offering a good balance of fidelity and performance. The "High" preset drops to 57 FPS, which is still acceptable for a slower-paced horror game, but it shows the performance cost of the higher settings. The "Ultra" preset delivers just 45 FPS, which is the lowest average recorded in the dataset. This number indicates that to achieve a solid 60 FPS at 4K, users will need to select the "Medium" or "High" preset, as "Ultra" is not a viable option for smooth gameplay on this hardware.