The Medium

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is a mid-range desktop configuration that, in The Medium, lands at the lower end of the performance spectrum. With a combo rank of 2007 out of 2911 tested combinations, this pairing places itself in the 31st percentile of all systems tested for this specific title. This indicates that while the hardware is capable of running the game, a significant majority of tested configurations deliver higher frame rates, making this combo a baseline for 1080p gaming rather than a high-performance solution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2007 out of 2911 places it firmly in the lower third of tested systems for The Medium. This is a telling statistic, as it suggests that the combination of the Core Ultra 5 245 and RX 7600 is not optimized for the game’s demanding rendering engine. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for users who prioritize other aspects of system performance over maximum frame rates in this particular horror title. The rank is a holistic measure, incorporating both the CPU and GPU contributions, and the result points to a significant bottleneck that holds the system back.

When dissecting the individual components, the CPU’s overall average benchmark score of 48995 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, showing a strong processor on paper. However, its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and AMD Ryzen 9 7900, score nearly identically (49196 and 49228 respectively, with a deltaPct of -0.4 and -0.5). This indicates that the CPU is performing as expected for its class. The GPU, on the other hand, has an average benchmark score of 15171, placing it in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, scores 15199, a difference of only -0.2%. This suggests that the GPU is also performing within its expected range. The low combo rank, therefore, is not due to a defective part but rather the inherent performance ceiling of this specific hardware pairing when faced with The Medium’s requirements.

The disparity between the CPU’s strong 90th percentile ranking and the GPU’s mid-range 57th percentile ranking highlights a potential imbalance. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in this configuration, and its performance level is what drags the combo rank down to the 31st percentile for this game. The high CPU rank does not translate into high gaming performance because the workload is primarily dependent on the graphics card. This is a classic case where a powerful processor is paired with a more modest graphics solution, resulting in a system that is excellent for productivity but only average for gaming.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the critical component for gaming performance in this combo. It comes equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU’s clocks are a base of 1720 MHz, a game clock of 2250 MHz, and a boost clock of 2655 MHz. The data shows that the GPU’s performance is heavily dependent on the settings and resolution, as expected. Its mid-range benchmark percentile of 57% suggests it is a mainstream part, and this is reflected in the measured frame rates.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is a significant factor in The Medium, a game that can be demanding on memory. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is a mere 22 FPS, while dropping to Low settings at the same resolution yields 61 FPS. This massive swing indicates that the game is not only resolution-bound but also highly sensitive to texture and effect quality, which directly impacts VRAM usage and GPU compute load. The GPU’s FP32 compute power of 21.75 TFLOPS and its 2048 shading units are the raw resources that must handle the game’s rendering, and the results show that they are strained at higher settings.

The performance difference between the RX 7600 and its nearest rivals is minimal in synthetic benchmarks, with the GeForce RTX 3050 OEM being only 0.2% faster and the AMD Radeon 680M being 0.7% faster. This indicates that in this class, the RX 7600 is competitively positioned. However, the real-world performance in The Medium is what matters for the combo ranking. The GPU’s boost clock of 2655 MHz provides the peak speed, but sustained performance will settle closer to the game clock of 2250 MHz, which is still a respectable speed for its class. The GPU’s role is clearly the primary driver of the combo’s ranking, as its performance directly dictates the playability at each resolution and setting combination.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p, the system achieves its highest frame rates, with a Low setting average of 92 FPS. When moving to 1440p, the Low setting average drops to 77 FPS, a decrease of 15 FPS. At 4K, the Low setting average falls further to 61 FPS. This scaling shows that the GPU is the limiting component, as the workload increases with pixel count, and the RX 7600’s compute and memory bandwidth are progressively overwhelmed.

The impact of resolution on higher settings is even more pronounced. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 41 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p, and then to 27 at 4K. This demonstrates that the gap between resolutions widens as the settings increase, because the game is doing more work per pixel, compounding the load on the GPU. The data indicates that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can provide a consistently smooth experience across all settings, and even then, the Ultra preset only manages 33 FPS.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Low settings results in a 31 FPS drop (from 92 to 61), which is a 33.7% reduction in performance. This is a substantial penalty, but it also shows that the game is still playable at 4K with the lowest settings. The Ultra preset, however, becomes nearly unplayable at 4K with an average of 22 FPS. This scaling behavior confirms that the RX 7600’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface are insufficient for high-fidelity 4K gaming in The Medium. The limiting component is unequivocally the GPU, as the CPU’s strong benchmark scores do not mitigate the FPS drops that occur with increased resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a granular look at the combo’s performance across the tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 92 FPS on Low, 57 FPS on Medium, 41 FPS on High, and 33 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 66 FPS, indicating some frame pacing variance. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, offering playable frame rates across all presets, though Ultra is on the edge of smoothness.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop to 77 FPS on Low, 48 FPS on Medium, 35 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 41 FPS and a maximum of 56 FPS. At this resolution, the Low and Medium settings are acceptable, but High and Ultra begin to struggle, with the latter falling below 30 FPS, which is often considered the threshold for playability in slower-paced games. The data suggests that 1440p requires a settings compromise to maintain a consistent frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly lower, with averages of 61 FPS on Low, 38 FPS on Medium, 27 FPS on High, and 22 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 32 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. This resolution pushes the GPU to its limits, and only the Low preset provides a truly smooth experience. The jump from 1080p to 4K on High settings shows a 14 FPS drop, while the jump on Low settings shows a 31 FPS drop, highlighting the different scaling behavior depending on the preset. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming is only viable with significant graphical compromises.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play The Medium with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, as it provides the highest average frame rates across all settings, with a peak of 92 FPS on Low and 41 FPS on High.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in The Medium?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which yields an average of 61 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 38 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 27 and 22 FPS respectively, which may not be a smooth experience.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct competitors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49196, a deltaPct of -0.4. It is also comparable to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its direct competitors?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 has an average benchmark score of 15171, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, which scores 15199, a deltaPct of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon 680M scores slightly higher at 15270.

Q: What is the impact of the Ultra settings preset at 1080p?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 33, which is a significant drop from the 57 FPS average on Medium. This suggests that the Ultra preset is very demanding on the GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck in this system?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 57th percentile. Furthermore, the FPS drops significantly with increased resolution, indicating that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the rendering load.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1080p with Medium settings, which delivers an average of 57 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual fidelity and smooth performance, ensuring that the game remains playable during intense scenes. While Low settings offer a higher average of 92 FPS, the visual quality is significantly reduced, and the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot for a horror game where atmosphere is key.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is also the recommended choice, as it provides an average of 48 FPS with a minimum of 41 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, though users who prefer a higher frame rate may need to drop to Low settings, which average 77 FPS. The High preset at 1440p averages 35 FPS, which may be acceptable for some, but the Medium preset is a safer choice for consistency. The Ultra preset should be avoided at this resolution, as it averages only 27 FPS.

For 4K gaming, the data shows that only the Low preset is viable, providing an average of 61 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 38 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that many players prefer. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended, as they average 27 and 22 FPS respectively, which will likely result in a stuttery and unenjoyable experience. Therefore, the most balanced experience across all resolutions is the Medium preset, with the understanding that it requires a resolution drop to maintain a solid frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. With a TDP of 65 W, it is a power-efficient part, but its performance in The Medium is secondary to the GPU. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 48995 places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, showing that it is a powerful processor for general and multi-threaded tasks. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, is only 0.5% faster, indicating that the Core Ultra 5 245 is competitively positioned in the market.

The CPU’s role in this combo’s gaming performance is largely to feed the GPU with data. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the FPS scales with resolution and settings, which are GPU-dependent variables. The CPU’s high benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, suggest that it has ample processing power to handle game logic and physics without slowing down the GPU. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s provide a solid foundation for data throughput.

The fact that the combo ranks in the 31st percentile despite having a 90th percentile CPU underscores the fact that gaming performance is not solely determined by the CPU. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RX 7600, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations. In this configuration, the CPU is a high-performing component that is held back by the graphics card in gaming scenarios. The data indicates that this processor is a strong choice for a balanced system, but for maximum gaming performance, a more powerful GPU would be required to fully utilize its capabilities.