The Medium

The Medium is a demanding horror title that relies on asynchronous rendering of two simultaneous worlds, placing a heavy load on both the processor and the graphics card. The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable experience primarily at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K proving challenging. The data indicates this system ranks in the 61st percentile (1765 out of 2911) for this game, suggesting a mid-tier performance profile.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. This indicates a consistently smooth experience, as the average perfectly hits the standard 60Hz refresh rate target.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

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. It also sits 0.2% above the AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303, placing it in a very tight performance band.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all graphics cards?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 falls into the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 21035, which is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT but 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL.

Q: Is the CPU's performance more aligned with its single-core or multi-core strength?

A: The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 14769, while its single-core score is 2085. This shows a strong multi-threaded capability, but the single-core performance is also substantial, which is often more critical for gaming frame pacing.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable at 1440p with Low settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 2560x1440 with Low settings is 81 FPS. This is the highest average FPS recorded at that resolution, though it comes with a significant visual quality trade-off.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5050 have and what is its bandwidth?

A: The GPU is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a total bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. This capacity is a key factor in performance at higher resolutions and detail settings.

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. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, which are the primary drivers for its responsiveness in game logic and physics. The processor's 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency.

In the context of The Medium, the CPU's role is to manage the game's complex scenes, AI, and the dual-world rendering system. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 indicates a significant amount of parallel processing power, which is beneficial for handling the overhead of rendering two perspectives simultaneously. However, the single-core score of 2085 suggests that the processor can also deliver the high per-core performance needed for the main game thread.

The benchmark results show the Ultra 5 235 is positioned within a very narrow performance window compared to its direct rivals. Its average benchmark score of 46062 is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098), with deltas of just 0.1%. This means that in synthetic tests, the CPU is effectively a performance peer to these parts, and any differences in gaming frame rates will be more attributable to the GPU or game engine.

Given the high frame rates observed at lower settings and resolutions, the CPU appears to be more than capable of feeding the RTX 5050. For example, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 96 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it reaches 81 FPS. These are not CPU-bound scenarios; rather, they highlight that the processor has ample headroom to handle the game's threading demands, allowing the GPU to become the primary bottleneck as resolution and settings increase.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the defining component for visual fidelity in this configuration. It is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture (chip GB207) using a 5 nm process and features 2560 shading units. Its base clock is 2317 MHz, with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, and it has 20 RT cores for ray tracing. The GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

This memory configuration is crucial for The Medium. The game's high-resolution textures and the need to process two environments can quickly fill an 8 GB frame buffer. The data shows a clear correlation between memory pressure and performance. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 23, suggesting that the GPU is struggling with both the computational load and the memory bandwidth required for the high-resolution assets.

The RTX 5050's benchmark scores show a mixed bag. Its Passmark G3D score is 17326, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2502. In the nearest rival list, it sits very close to the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which has an average score of 21153, a delta of -0.6%. It is also 1.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT. This places the RTX 5050 in a performance tier where it is capable of 1080p gaming with high detail, but it is not a high-end card meant for maximum settings at 4K.

The GPU's performance in The Medium reflects its mid-range positioning. At 1080p, it can handle Medium settings at a perfect 60 FPS average, and it can push Low settings to 96 FPS. However, the step to High settings drops the average to 43 FPS, and Ultra drops it to 34 FPS. This pattern indicates that the card has a distinct performance ceiling where the pixel and shader workload outpaces its raw compute power (13.17 TFLOPS FP32).

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a detailed look at the system's performance across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system shows a clear progression from a highly playable state at Low settings to a less fluid state at Ultra. The Low preset yields an average of 96 FPS, while Medium drops to 60 FPS (with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69). High settings further reduce the average to 43 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 34 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the demands on the GPU increase significantly. The Low preset still manages a respectable 81 FPS average, but Medium falls to 51 FPS (min 43, max 58). High settings drop to 36 FPS, and Ultra is only playable at 29 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at this resolution is 30 FPS, indicating that the Medium preset introduces a substantial graphical load that the RTX 5050 struggles to maintain at a high frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system is pushed to its limits. The only setting that provides a playable frame rate is Low, with an average of 64 FPS. Medium settings drop to 40 FPS (min 34, max 46), which is a borderline experience for a slow-paced horror game. High settings are nearly unplayable at 29 FPS, and Ultra is a slideshow at 23 FPS. The data shows that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combo unless the player is willing to sacrifice most visual features.

The frame time data available for Medium settings shows that the game is generally consistent. At 1080p Medium, the spread between min (51) and max (69) FPS is 18 FPS, which is a moderate variance. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 15 FPS (43 to 58). At 4K Medium, the spread is 12 FPS (34 to 46). This suggests that as the resolution increases, the frame pacing becomes more stable, even if the overall frame rate is lower, likely because the CPU is no longer a bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and indicative of a GPU-bound system. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 60 at 1080p to 51 at 1440p (a 15% decrease), and then to 40 at 4K (a further 22% decrease from 1440p). This pattern is a classic sign that the graphics card is the limiting factor, as the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally with resolution.

The data shows that the RTX 5050's 8 GB of VRAM and 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth are severely tested at higher resolutions. For example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 43 at 1080p to 36 at 1440p (an 16% decrease), but then drops more significantly to 29 at 4K (a 19% decrease from 1440p). This suggests that at 4K, the card is not only limited by its compute power but also by memory bandwidth and capacity, causing a more pronounced performance hit.

The Low preset shows a different scaling trend. The FPS drops from 96 at 1080p to 81 at 1440p (a 16% decrease), and then to 64 at 4K (a 21% decrease from 1440p). While the percentage drops are similar, the absolute frame rates remain high enough to be playable. This indicates that by reducing the texture and shader complexity, the game is able to fit within the GPU's memory and bandwidth constraints, allowing for a smoother experience.

The implication is clear: the system is balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1080p, the CPU and GPU are well-matched, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the overwhelming bottleneck. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and its scaling is the worst, with FPS dropping from 34 at 1080p to 29 at 1440p and then to 23 at 4K. This shows that the Ultra preset features effects that are disproportionately expensive at high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For a consistently smooth experience, the Medium preset is the optimal choice at 1080p. The measured 60 FPS average with a 51 FPS minimum ensures that the game remains fluid during intense scenes. Moving to High settings drops the average to 43 FPS, which is a noticeable step down in smoothness and may introduce more perceptible stutter. Ultra at 34 FPS is not recommended for action-oriented gameplay, though it could be acceptable for slow exploration.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only option that guarantees a high frame rate, averaging 81 FPS. The Medium preset, at 51 FPS, is the best balance for visual quality and playability, offering a 43 FPS minimum that should keep the experience largely smooth. High and Ultra settings at this resolution fall below 40 FPS, which is too low for a comfortable experience in a game that requires situational awareness.

For 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, providing an average of 64 FPS. Medium settings at 40 FPS are technically playable but will be noticeably less fluid. High and Ultra settings are effectively unplayable, with averages of 29 and 23 FPS respectively. Players with 4K displays should strongly consider lowering the resolution to 1440p to use the Medium preset for a better balance.

The data suggests that the system's "sweet spot" is either 1080p Medium or 1440p Low, both of which deliver an average of 60 FPS or higher. For players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, 1080p High at 43 FPS might be acceptable, but the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p offers the most stable and responsive experience without the significant visual compromises of the Low preset.