The Medium

# The Medium with Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

This combo ranks 483rd out of 2,911 tested combinations in The Medium, placing it comfortably in the top 17% of all systems evaluated. The pairing of Intel's Core Ultra 5 235 with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 produces a system that handles the horror title with notable headroom at lower settings, though it struggles to maintain smooth framerates at maximum quality presets. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 5070 is the dominant partner in this duo, with the CPU's mid-range positioning creating no visible bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K performance falls off sharply as settings climb.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 5070 sits at position 483 out of 2,911 tested combos in The Medium, a percentile placement of roughly 83.4% — meaning it outperforms about five out of every six systems tested in this game. That ranking is driven primarily by the GPU's strong showing; the RTX 5070 itself holds the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU sits at the 89th percentile among all processors. The slight gap between CPU and GPU percentiles suggests the graphics card is the more limiting factor in this pairing, which is typical for a horror title with heavy rendering demands.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 235's average benchmark score of 46,062 places it in a tight cluster. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46,030, a delta of just 0.1% — essentially a statistical tie. The Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46,098, putting the Ultra 5 235 0.1% behind, again within noise. Two AMD EPYC server chips, the 4364P and 7303, score 45,970 and 45,960 respectively, both 0.2% behind the Ultra 5 235. This clustering means the CPU's contribution to game performance is broadly comparable to a wide range of modern processors, and the measured FPS deltas between settings are almost certainly GPU-driven rather than CPU-driven.

For the GPU, the RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 40,377 places it near the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40,318, 0.1% ahead) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40,063, 0.8% behind). The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40,870, which is 1.2% higher, and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile trails at 39,568, 2% behind. These rivals are professional/workstation cards rather than gaming-focused parts, which highlights that the RTX 5070's gaming performance in The Medium is driven by its architectural strengths rather than raw compute parity with those products.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070 brings 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In The Medium, a game that renders dense, layered scenes with heavy post-processing, memory bandwidth becomes a key factor at higher resolutions. The measured FPS drops from 106 at 4K Low to 47 at 4K High and 38 at 4K Ultra, a decline that aligns with the GPU's memory subsystem being pushed harder as texture and shadow quality increase. The 12 GB capacity is sufficient for this title's demands; none of the measured rows show signs of VRAM overflow, as even the lowest FPS values (56 at 4K Medium) remain well above single-digit stutter territory.

Clock speeds for the RTX 5070 are a 2,325 MHz base and 2,512 MHz boost, with memory running at 1,750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). These clocks are modest compared to what the architecture can sustain, but the Blackwell 2.0 design compensates through efficiency. The GPU's 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s. For The Medium, which uses fixed camera angles and pre-baked lighting in many scenes, the texture rate matters more than raw pixel throughput; the game's environments are richly detailed, and the 482.3 GTexel/s keeps texture filtering from becoming a bottleneck even at 4K.

The RTX 5070's FP32 compute stands at 30.87 TFLOPS, with FP16 matching at 30.87 TFLOPS (1:1). This compute headroom is relevant for The Medium's use of volumetric effects and ray-traced reflections in certain scenes, though the game does not rely on RT as heavily as some newer titles. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores provide dedicated acceleration for those features, but the measured FPS suggests the game's default rendering path leans more on traditional rasterization. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs reflects this balanced capability — it is neither a compute monster nor a raster specialist, but it handles The Medium's mixed workload competently.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in The Medium?

A: 2560x1440 with Medium settings delivers 84 FPS average, with minimums of 71 and maximums of 97. This is the sweet spot where the game looks detailed while staying above 60 FPS consistently. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average rises to 100 FPS with minimums of 85, but the visual upgrade at 1440p is substantial enough to justify the 16 FPS average cost.

Q: Can this system handle 4K in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 106 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 66 FPS with minimums of 56, which is borderline for smooth play. 4K High (47 FPS) and 4K Ultra (38 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold and are not recommended for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in The Medium?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235's 14 cores and 14 threads, with a 3.40 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost clock, are more than adequate for this game. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking and benchmark scores (14,769 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 2,085 single-core) indicate it will not bottleneck the RTX 5070 at any tested setting. The measured FPS differences between resolutions scale primarily with GPU load, not CPU capability.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 160 FPS while Ultra averages 57 FPS — a 103 FPS gap, meaning Ultra delivers only 35.6% of Low's framerate. This massive drop is consistent with the GPU's rendering load increasing sharply with shadow quality, texture filtering, and post-processing effects. Medium sits at 100 FPS, offering a balanced middle ground.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's 12 GB VRAM enough for The Medium?

A: Yes. The measured data shows no evidence of VRAM-related stuttering or performance cliffs. The lowest average FPS recorded (38 at 4K Ultra) is a performance limitation, not a memory capacity failure. The 672.0 GB/s bandwidth and 12 GB capacity handle the game's asset streaming without issue across all tested configurations.

Q: How does this combo compare to other RTX 5070 systems?

A: The combo rank of 483 out of 2,911 suggests it performs slightly better than the average RTX 5070 system, since the CPU's high percentile (89th) complements the GPU's 82nd percentile. Systems with faster CPUs would rank higher, but the delta would be small given the game's GPU-bound nature at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the RTX 5070 shows a wide spread across settings. Low averages 106 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K and indicates the game is well-optimized at minimal settings. Medium drops to 66 FPS average, with a minimum of 56 and maximum of 76 — the only 4K row with min/max data, suggesting this is the most variable configuration. High falls to 47 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 38 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 68 FPS drop, a 64.2% reduction in average framerate. This steep curve means 4K players must choose between visual fidelity and smoothness; there is no middle ground above 60 FPS except Low.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats but with more headroom. Low averages 135 FPS, Medium 84 FPS (min 71, max 97), High 60 FPS, and Ultra 48 FPS. The Medium row's min/max spread of 26 FPS (71 to 97) indicates scene-dependent variability — quiet areas run faster, combat or scripted sequences slower. High at exactly 60 FPS average is notable; it sits right at the standard refresh rate boundary, meaning players with 60 Hz monitors will see a mostly smooth experience with occasional dips. Ultra at 48 FPS is playable but noticeably less fluid.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its strongest performance. Low averages 160 FPS, Medium 100 FPS (min 85, max 115), High 72 FPS, and Ultra 57 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 103 FPS, a 64.4% reduction. Interestingly, the 1080p Medium row has the tightest min/max spread relative to average (85 to 115, a 30 FPS range) among all Medium rows, indicating good frame pacing. High at 72 FPS provides a comfortable margin above 60, while Ultra at 57 FPS is just under the threshold. For competitive play or maximum smoothness, 1080p Low at 160 FPS is exceptional, but the visual downgrade is severe.

Comparing across resolutions, the scaling is not linear. At Medium settings, 1080p delivers 100 FPS, 1440p delivers 84 FPS, and 4K delivers 66 FPS. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 16%, while 1440p-to-4K drops 21.4%. This suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth and pixel throughput become progressively more strained as resolution increases, which matches the 672.0 GB/s bandwidth and 201.0 GPixel/s pixel rate figures. The RTX 5070's 80 ROPs are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but 4K pixel fill requirements push the architecture harder.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on TSMC's 3 nm process. It has no hyperthreading, so each core handles one thread, which is unusual for a modern desktop CPU but works well for gaming workloads that favor single-thread performance. The base clock of 3.40 GHz boosts to 5.00 GHz, and the 24 MB shared L3 cache provides ample capacity for game data. Memory support is DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, offering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth — sufficient to feed the RTX 5070 without starving it.

In benchmark terms, the Ultra 5 235 scores 14,769 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,085 in single-core. These figures place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46,062. Its nearest rivals, as noted, are within 0.2% — the Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Core i9-13900HX, and two EPYC server chips. For The Medium specifically, the CPU's role is to manage game logic, AI, and scene streaming. The game's fixed-camera design means fewer draw calls than open-world titles, reducing CPU load. This explains why the combo achieves 160 FPS at 1080p Low — the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at that resolution and settings.

The 14 threads are more than enough for The Medium, which likely uses 4-8 threads for its main simulation. The 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance for the game's primary thread, while the 14 cores handle background tasks and shader compilation without contention. The CPU's 65 W TDP means it runs cool and quiet, which is beneficial for sustained gaming sessions — thermal throttling is unlikely to cause FPS dips. The 3 nm process node and 17,800 million transistors indicate a dense, efficient design that balances performance and power draw.

One notable aspect is the lack of hyperthreading. While this reduces multi-threaded throughput compared to 14-core/28-thread rivals, gaming performance is rarely thread-bound beyond 8 threads. The measured FPS data confirms this — the combo's performance scales predictably with GPU settings changes, with no sudden drops that would indicate CPU bottlenecks. Even at 4K Ultra (38 FPS), the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU is clearly maxed out. The CPU's integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU is irrelevant for this game since the discrete RTX 5070 handles all rendering.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target display and framerate preference. For 60 FPS gaming, 2560x1440 with Medium settings is the best choice — it averages 84 FPS with minimums of 71, providing a comfortable cushion above the 60 FPS threshold. This configuration captures most of the game's visual detail while maintaining smooth motion. At 1080p, High settings at 72 FPS average is also viable for 60 Hz displays, offering better visual quality than Medium at the cost of 28 FPS average.

For players with 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, 1920x1080 on Medium settings delivers 100 FPS average with minimums of 85, which stays above 120 FPS for most of the game but dips during heavy scenes. Dropping to Low at 1080p yields 160 FPS average, which saturates any standard high-refresh display. At 1440p, Low at 135 FPS is the only option that consistently exceeds 120 FPS, though the visual sacrifice is substantial.

At 4K, the recommendation is straightforward: use Low settings for 106 FPS average, or accept Medium at 66 FPS if visual fidelity matters more than a locked 60. The 4K Medium row shows minimums of 56, meaning some scenes will dip below 60, which could be noticeable. 4K High and Ultra are not recommended for smooth play, as their 47 and 38 FPS averages respectively fall well below acceptable thresholds for a horror title where timing and atmosphere matter.

The data shows a clear "sweet spot" at 1440p Medium: it offers 84 FPS average, which is above 60 for the vast majority of gameplay, while delivering significantly more detail than Low. The min/max spread (71-97) indicates good frame pacing without severe spikes. For players prioritizing maximum visual quality regardless of framerate, 1080p Ultra at 57 FPS is just below 60 but playable, and 1440p Ultra at 48 FPS is a cinematic experience rather than a competitive one.

Ultimately, the RTX 5070's 12 GB VRAM and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are best utilized at 1440p with Medium-to-High settings. The card's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs means it is a strong mid-high tier part, and The Medium's measured performance reflects that positioning — capable but not top-tier at maximum settings. The Core Ultra 5 235 complements this well, providing enough CPU headroom to keep the GPU fully utilized across all tested configurations.