The Medium

The Medium is a horror title that relies on simultaneous world rendering, and the benchmark data shows this Intel Core Ultra 5 245 + AMD Radeon RX 7700 combination delivers a playable but demanding experience. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 115 FPS, while Ultra settings at 3840x2160 drop to 27 FPS. The data set provides twelve measured FPS points across three resolutions and four quality presets, with the Medium preset offering the most balanced performance envelope.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture and manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm process node. Its base clock sits at 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, and it carries a TDP of 65 W. The processor features a 24 MB shared L3 cache, with 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 per core. This CPU supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, and it includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units.

In the context of The Medium, this CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads matter because the game's dual-reality mechanic renders two worlds simultaneously. The benchmark results show that the processor holds its ground under load, but the game's performance ceiling is clearly dictated by the GPU rather than the CPU. The Core Ultra 5 245 achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, which positions it as a strong mid-range desktop part. In PassMark multithread testing, it scores 38706, and its single-thread score is 4394.

The processor's percentile ranking among all CPUs is 90, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of processors in the database. Its average benchmark score of 48995 places it within striking distance of several rivals. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, has an average score of 49196, which is only 0.4% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, 0.5% higher, while the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, 0.6% lower. The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, which is 0.8% lower than the Core Ultra 5 245.

For The Medium specifically, the CPU's performance does not appear to be the limiting factor in any of the measured configurations. The frame rates scale primarily with resolution and graphics settings, which is typical for a horror title that emphasizes visual fidelity over physics simulation. The processor's 14 threads are sufficient to handle the game's streaming and rendering tasks, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 115 FPS without apparent CPU bottlenecking.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1307 out of 2911 tested combos in The Medium. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested combinations, meaning roughly 45% of combos perform worse and 55% perform better. This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the GPU's overall performance tier, as the RX 7700 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 15852, which puts it in close competition with several other cards. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862, just 0.1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014, 1% higher, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, 1.1% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, which is 1.7% higher than the RX 7700. This grouping suggests that the RX 7700 performs in the same league as these cards, with differences of only a few percentage points in synthetic benchmarks.

The combo's rank of 1307 out of 2911 indicates that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it sits comfortably in the middle of the pack. In practical terms, this means that the system is capable of running The Medium at acceptable frame rates at lower resolutions and settings, but it will struggle at 4K with maximum quality. The measured FPS data confirms this, with the system achieving only 27 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra settings, which is below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered minimum for playable performance.

When compared to other tested combos, this pairing benefits from a balanced CPU and GPU relationship. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking is much higher than the GPU's 58th percentile, suggesting that the processor has headroom for future GPU upgrades if desired. However, in The Medium specifically, the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, as evidenced by the wide frame rate swings between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average frame rate achievable with this combo in The Medium?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 115 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At the same resolution, Medium settings yield 72 FPS, High settings yield 51 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 41 FPS.

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

A: At 3840x2160, the system produces 76 FPS on Low settings, 48 FPS on Medium, 34 FPS on High, and 27 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low and Medium presets achieve frame rates above 30 FPS at 4K, meaning Ultra settings are not playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the RX 7700 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852. The AMD Radeon R9 370X scores 15862 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 16014 (1% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679 (1.1% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129 (1.7% higher).

Q: What is the frame time consistency like on the Medium preset?

A: The Medium preset includes min and max FPS data for all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average is 72 FPS with a range of 61 to 83 FPS. At 2560x1440, the average is 61 FPS with a range of 51 to 70 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average is 48 FPS with a range of 40 to 55 FPS.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking and how does it affect gaming performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score is 48995. In The Medium, the CPU does not appear to bottleneck the system, as frame rates scale predictably with resolution and graphics settings rather than showing CPU-limited behavior.

Q: Does the combo's ranking in The Medium reflect its overall hardware tier?

A: The combo ranks 1307 out of 2911 tested combinations in this game. This mid-pack ranking aligns with the GPU's 58th percentile standing, indicating that the system's performance in The Medium is representative of its broader hardware capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for this combo in The Medium covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a comprehensive picture of performance scaling. Starting at 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 115 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded across the entire data set. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 72 FPS, with a minimum of 61 FPS and a maximum of 83 FPS. High settings produce an average of 51 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 41 FPS. This represents a performance drop of 64% from Low to Ultra at 1080p, which is a substantial but expected reduction given the increased visual demands.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern emerges with lower absolute numbers. Low settings produce an average of 97 FPS, which is 18 FPS lower than the 1080p result. Medium settings yield 61 FPS, with a range of 51 to 70 FPS. High settings produce 43 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 34 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 1440p is consistent across settings, with roughly a 15-18% reduction in frame rate for the increased pixel count. This suggests that the RX 7700's 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus width are sufficient to handle the additional resolution without introducing memory bandwidth limitations.

At 3840x2160, the system shows its limitations. Low settings produce an average of 76 FPS, which is still playable, but Medium settings drop to 48 FPS with a range of 40 to 55 FPS. High settings yield only 34 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 27 FPS. The 4K results highlight the GPU's performance ceiling, as the frame rate drops below 30 FPS at Ultra settings and approaches the edge of playability at High. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 49 FPS, representing a 64% reduction, which mirrors the scaling seen at lower resolutions.

The Medium preset provides the most complete data with min and max FPS values, allowing for frame time analysis. At 1080p, the 61 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes. At 1440p, the 51 FPS minimum is acceptable for a horror title. At 4K, the 40 FPS minimum means there will be occasional dips below 45 FPS, which could be noticeable in fast-paced sequences but remains tolerable for the genre.

Overall, the data shows a linear scaling pattern across resolutions and settings, with no anomalies or unexpected bottlenecks. The system performs best at 1080p and 1440p with Low to Medium settings, while 4K gaming requires Low or Medium settings to maintain playable frame rates.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process node. The GPU features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units, along with 40 ray tracing cores. Its base clock is 1900 MHz, with a boost clock of 2459 MHz and a game clock of 2041 MHz. The memory configuration consists of 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 2438 MHz, which translates to 19.5 Gbps effective.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and the same 25.18 TFLOPS for FP16, indicating a 1:1 ratio. Its pixel rate is 236.1 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 393.4 GTexel/s. The card has a TDP of 200 W and requires a dual-slot cooler with 2x 8-pin power connectors, along with a suggested PSU of 550 W.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7700 scores 2865 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 106028 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 20974 in PassMark G3D. Its PassMark GPU compute score is 10963. The GPU ranks in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15852.

The 16 GB of VRAM is particularly relevant for The Medium, which renders two simultaneous worlds and can consume significant video memory at higher resolutions and quality settings. The measured FPS data suggests that the RX 7700's memory capacity is not a limiting factor, as performance scales consistently with resolution rather than showing a sudden drop that would indicate VRAM exhaustion. The 624.1 GB/s bandwidth also appears sufficient for the game's texture streaming requirements, even at 4K resolution.

The GPU's clock speeds play a role in the observed performance. The boost clock of 2459 MHz allows for strong peak performance, while the game clock of 2041 MHz represents sustained performance during gaming workloads. The difference between these clocks indicates that the card can boost aggressively when thermal headroom permits, which is typical for RDNA 3.0 designs.

At 4K Ultra settings, the system produces 27 FPS, which suggests that the GPU is compute-bound rather than memory-bound. The 96 ROPs and 160 TMUs are sufficient for the game's rendering requirements, but the 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput appears to be the limiting factor at maximum quality settings. This is consistent with The Medium's heavy use of post-processing effects and volumetric lighting, which are compute-intensive operations.

The RX 7700's performance tier places it in competition with cards like the RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 1.7% higher in synthetic benchmarks. In The Medium, this level of performance translates to playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with medium-to-high settings, but 4K gaming requires reduced quality settings to maintain acceptable performance.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 72 FPS average with a minimum of 61 FPS, providing a smooth experience with headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset at 1080p drops to 51 FPS, which is still playable but offers less margin for frame rate dips. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 41 FPS, which is acceptable for a horror game but may feel less responsive.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 61 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS. This provides a good balance for a 1440p display, as the frame rate remains above 50 FPS even in the worst-case scenario measured. The High preset at 1440p drops to 43 FPS, which is borderline playable but may cause noticeable stuttering during intense scenes. The Low preset at 1440p produces 97 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play but sacrifices visual quality that enhances the horror atmosphere.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a consistent experience, producing 48 FPS average with a range of 40 to 55 FPS. The 40 FPS minimum is below the ideal 60 FPS target, but for a horror game that emphasizes atmosphere over twitch gameplay, this is acceptable. The High preset at 4K drops to 34 FPS, which approaches the threshold of playability, while the Ultra preset falls to 27 FPS, which is not recommended for an enjoyable experience. The Low preset at 4K produces 76 FPS, which is smooth but may look noticeably less detailed.

For users with a 1080p display, the High preset at 51 FPS is a reasonable choice if visual fidelity is prioritized, but the Medium preset at 72 FPS offers a more comfortable margin. For 1440p displays, the Medium preset is the clear winner, providing 61 FPS with good visual quality. For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the highest quality setting that maintains playable frame rates, while the Low preset is recommended for users who prioritize smoothness over visuals.

The data also shows that the scaling from Medium to High incurs a significant performance cost. At 1080p, the drop from 72 FPS to 51 FPS represents a 29% reduction for one step up in quality. At 1440p, the drop from 61 FPS to 43 FPS is also 29%. At 4K, the drop from 48 FPS to 34 FPS is 29% as well. This consistent scaling suggests that the Medium preset is the optimal quality-to-performance tradeoff, as the visual improvements from High settings do not justify the substantial frame rate reduction.